Hills of Conflict

Hills of Conflict Synopsis

This text offers a detailed analysis of the history of Basque nationalism in France from the Ancien Regime to the present day. The Basques are descended from one of the indigenous tribes of Europe, and their homeland was defined prior to the creation of the modern state system and its borders. This book examines the relationship between the Basques and the growing encroachment of the French state. Using interviews, personal letters, diaries, and unpublished archives, Jacob charts the evolution of Basque political resistance - localism, provincialism, clericalism, regionalism, and ethnic nationalism - and shows how the Basques have challenged the dominant ideology at each juncture of French history. In the years following World War II, this resistance gave rise to the expression of Basque nationalism and, later, terrorism. Jacob examines some of the major influences on the French Basque movement including the nature of French politics and administration, the role of the Catholic Church, and the parallel growth of the Spanish Basque terrorist movement (ETA) in Spain.