1995-10-01a- CIA Conference Report: THE CHALLENGE OF ETHNIC CONFLICT TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORDER IN THE 1990S GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVES 01-Oct-95

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The inset in the column to the right outlines 10 struc-
tural characteristics of minority nationalism; figure 4 Some StructuralCharacteristicsof Minority
illustrates where such nationalism is most virulent Nationalism
today.
1. Defense of a unique territory,the homeland,and
the protectionof a valued environment.
Ethnicity and Territorial Separatism: The Basques
2. Defense and promotion of a culture and identity-
The most critical form of minority nationalism in the language, religion, social existence.
European Union (EU) today is separatism, which is
manifest in a surprisingly large number of member 3. Resistance to centralist trends and relativepower-
states and which in some respects acts as a counter to lessness over decisionmaking.
the general thrust of globalization and integration so
suggestive of the so-called "postmodernist New World 4. Perceptionof exploitation and underdevelopment-
Order" (Williams, 1993). The complex process of sep- structuraldiscrimination.
aratism can be schematized as in figure 5, which is
derived from a larger project on political territorial 5. Resistance to outsiders,immigrants, settlers, colo-
adjustment being undertaken by C. F. J. Whebell. nizers.
In postwar Europe, separatism is best illustrated by the 6. Fearof loss of local dominance and influence
Basque case, though it has relevance in explaining the expressed through cultural attrition.
Corsican, Flemish, and various Celtic cases as well.
The Basques have enjoyed long periods of relative 7. Violent and nonviolent expressionof ethnic dissent
autonomy before their incorporation into the Spanish and discord-escalationof risks.
state; elements of their institutional distinctiveness,
the fueros, survived until fairly recently and were used 8. Group-learning,myth formation, persistent ine-
as evidence of a prior claim to legitimate statehood. qualities that shape current ideology and define con-
Their language and culture were deemed unique temporary identity in light of historicallysignficant
because they were unrelated to any Indo-European acts of oppression.
language group and were among the oldest surviving
elements of civilization in Europe. 9. Antistate, antistatus quo politicalaction intended to
realize a new basis of legitimacy.
Under the impress of state building, the government
sought to ruthlessly eradicate non-Spanish elements, 10. Redefinition of the problem situationand of con-
producing a deep resentment within the Basque com- flict in light of the most recent events and renewed
munity. State oppression was confirmed during the reforms, concessions,political accommodations, and
Spanish Civil War and sustained thereafter when the gainsfor beleaguredminority within the dominant
Spanish forces were regarded as constituting an inter- system.
nal colonial military occupation. This is similar to the
Irish Republican nationalist interpretation of the role
of British troops in Northern Ireland. Thereafter, vio-
lence and oppression characterized Basque-Madrid has provided an excellent overview of the growth and
relations as the Franco regime sought to eradicate development of ETA. He argues that it was the special
local political dissent and to destroy Basque cultural combination of the defense of traditional cultural val-
identity. ues, rapid industrialization, and opposition to Spanish
internal colonialism, that nurtured and sustained the
The creation in 1957 of Euskadi ta Askatasuna
(ETA)-Basque Homeland and Liberty-reinvigo-
rated Basque nationalism. Robert Clark (1979, 1984)
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