WI: Independent Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia

[Thon Taddeo]

Is it possibke for all these regions to become independent of Spain during the twentieth century?

 

[English Nationalist]

While I am not sure about specifics nor am I sure about Galicia I have a couple of possibilities.
Firstly, you could have a drawn-out civil war of which somehow you manage to get this all lining up resulting in de facto independence.
My second idea is for whatever reason Franco draws Spain into the war and so as a defeated power Spain is partially divided with the Catalans, Euskadi, and Galicians gaining sovereignty.
A third and less plausible option (in my mind) is it hits the fan during the transition period.
My fourth and even less plausible option is Spain joins Argentina during the Falklands, they eventually get done properly hard somehow.
You just need to ensure a larger nationalistic/separatist presence within these regions and for it to be recognised internationally at some level.

 

[Tovarishch]

An easy way to do this is to just have the Republicans win the civil war. They were mostly dominated by the anarcho-syndicalists, who (If I recall correctly) were more or less a confederation of trade unions which each had branches that controlled those areas and more. Another way is a larger civil war, if, say, the Republicans can't get along with the Leftists, the Falangists can't get along enough with the Monarchists to team up, and other such things. The war then ends in an armstice (think Korea but more sides), and the nations are left as more-or-less independent Euskadi, Catalan, and Galician states. Keep in mind that in the case of a Republican victory, there will at least be an independent Catalonia; considering the territory controlled by the Republicans was pretty much just Catalonia for most of the war, and most of the leaders were Catalan. I heavily doubt that the same existed for the Nationalists, although it is possible that it was similar to that in the early stages of the war.

 

[Bob Gump]

One way I was thinking to do a WI would be a worst hispanic-american war outcome in 1898. Unrest and riots spreads all over and Spain becomes fragmented.

 

[Lusitania]

An easy way to do this is to just have the Republicans win the civil war. They were mostly dominated by the anarcho-syndicalists, who (If I recall correctly) were more or less a confederation of trade unions which each had branches that controlled those areas and more. Another way is a larger civil war, if, say, the Republicans can't get along with the Leftists, the Falangists can't get along enough with the Monarchists to team up, and other such things. The war then ends in an armstice (think Korea but more sides), and the nations are left as more-or-less independent Euskadi, Catalan, and Galician states. Keep in mind that in the case of a Republican victory, there will at least be an independent Catalonia; considering the territory controlled by the Republicans was pretty much just Catalonia for most of the war, and most of the leaders were Catalan. I heavily doubt that the same existed for the Nationalists, although it is possible that it was similar to that in the early stages of the war.

The issue with republicans winning the war would of resulted in Nazi germany invading Spain.

The only thing that kept the Nazis out of Iberian Peninsula was the sympathetic natiolistic attitude of franco. So if the Nazi and Italians feel threatened by a republican Spain with a very large communist component they will invade once France defeated.

 

[Politibrit]

An easy way to do this is to just have the Republicans win the civil war. They were mostly dominated by the anarcho-syndicalists, who (If I recall correctly) were more or less a confederation of trade unions which each had branches that controlled those areas and more.

The anarchists were a significant faction on the Republican side, but to say they dominated it is a bit of a stretch. The socialists were probably a stronger force, as were the Communists by the end of the war. Even whilst fighting a losing war, they were still able to defeat the anarchists. That shows you that more would probably needed than just a Republican victory to get them into power.

The issue with republicans winning the war would of resulted in Nazi germany invading Spain.

The only thing that kept the Nazis out of Iberian Peninsula was the sympathetic natiolistic attitude of franco. So if the Nazi and Italians feel threatened by a republican Spain with a very large communist component they will invade once France defeated.

And at some point there is a distinct possibility they will be liberated, and the oppression of national minorities by the Nazis would strengthen the case for Catalonia and the Basque Country to regain their independence in the post war era.

 

[Lusitania]

The anarchists were a significant faction on the Republican side, but to say they dominated it is a bit of a stretch. The socialists were probably a stronger force, as were the Communists by the end of the war. Even whilst fighting a losing war, they were still able to defeat the anarchists. That shows you that more would probably needed than just a Republican victory to get them into power.

And at some point there is a distinct possibility they will be liberated, and the oppression of national minorities by the Nazis would strengthen the case for Catalonia and the Basque Country to regain their independence in the post war era.

The issue with a Nazi invasion and occupation of republican Spain would be a restablishment of a nationalist Spain aligned with Nazis. This would of led to a purge and even concentration camps for communists and other nationalists.

When liberation came at end of war the Allies would attempt to establish a democratic Spain. Could Spain descend into a secound civil war with communists trying to establish communist state.

 

[FillyofDelphi]

The issue with a Nazi invasion and occupation of republican Spain would be a restablishment of a nationalist Spain aligned with Nazis. This would of led to a purge and even concentration camps for communists and other nationalists.

When liberation came at end of war the Allies would attempt to establish a democratic Spain. Could Spain descend into a secound civil war with communists trying to establish communist state.

Precisely because there'd be such an intense purging of the Communists, I don't think you'd see a civil war breaking out in the suggested timeline. The political Left would be caught 'out in the open', for lack of a better term, being the functional government of Spain and thus having to stage a conventional defensive campaign to protect the nation in the event of an Axis invasion. This would have sapped them of their military age manpower and supplies, which are unlikely to be refilled by the democratic-capitalist Allies who'd be liberating the area.

 

[Lusitania]

Precisely because there'd be such an intense purging of the Communists, I don't think you'd see a civil war breaking out in the suggested timeline. The political Left would be caught 'out in the open', for lack of a better term, being the functional government of Spain and thus having to stage a conventional defensive campaign to protect the nation in the event of an Axis invasion. This would have sapped them of their military age manpower and supplies, which are unlikely to be refilled by the democratic-capitalist Allies who'd be liberating the area.

Yes I agree that there would be a huge purge of the left but nationalism does not only exist on the left but also on the right. A Allied victory would remove a large portion of National Spanish political and military figures. Leaving many regional figures around. These would be the driving figures in both the national and regional forces towards a divergence of paths. So these two opposite paths or nationalistic Spain and secoundly regional independence. So a secound civil war would definitely be a huge possibility.