History History

Like other Spanish provinces, the history of the Basque Country begins in the Paleolithic period, as evidenced by the archaeological site of Atapuerca in the province of Burgos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where fossils dating back more than a million years have been discovered.

The Iberian peoples - whose origin is uncertain - settled on the peninsula. The arrival of the Celts from the north, commonly dated to the first half of the 2nd millennium BC, led to a crossbreeding of the population. The peoples living in the centre and west of the Iberian Peninsula are thus called "Celtiberians". During this period, technical progress made it possible to work with copper, bronze and ceramics.

Arrival of the Phoenicians and the Greeks who founded trading posts, attracted by the craftsmanship of the Celtiberians, especially the work of copper, bronze and ceramics.

Punic wars. Carthaginians and Romans fight over the peninsula. The Romans impose their domination on the Celtiberians and romanize the territory for more than a century.

The Romans encountered strong resistance in the north, where the Roman conquest did not end until 19 B.C. Contrary to popular belief, the Romans were well established in the Basque Country and were even among those who gave the first accounts of the ancestors of the Basques

The Barbarians are entering Spain. The Visigoths seize the North and found a kingdom that gradually extends to the whole peninsula. The Roman Empire weakens and multiple barbarian invasions from northern Europe take place. Sueves, Vandals, Alains and Visigoths gradually take over the territory.

At the instigation of the powerful Visigothic king Reccared I, Spain is unified and Toledo is designated as the capital. Almost immediately, in 587, Catholicism became the state religion, following the conversion of the king from the Arian faith.

Beginning of the Muslim conquest. Visigothic Spain collapsed brutally when the Berber chieftain Tariq ibn Ziyad annihilated King Rodriguez at the battle of Río Guadalete, causing the collapse of the state structure of the Visigothic kingdom and paving the way for the Muslim conquest. This was the beginning of one of the most important cultural influences on the country. Within a few years, the Moors occupied almost the whole of the Peninsula. Córdoba became the fiefdom of the Al-Andalus territory and a great intellectual centre. At that time, the Umayyads brought about a brilliant civilization where tolerance between Jews, Muslims and Christians was exemplary. Moreover, the contribution of the Arabs to knowledge was crucial, both in the field of philosophy and in that of science and irrigation techniques.

First Christian victory at Covadonga. The Pyrenean valleys managed to escape Moorish domination because of their isolation.

Navarre becomes independent from the Carolingian Empire and establishes itself as a kingdom.

The Caliphate of Cordoba is fragmented into about twenty independent kingdoms: the taifas. This division facilitated the Christian reconquest from the north.

The offensive against the Muslims began with the capture of Zaragoza in 1118 and continued in 1212 with the victory of Las Navas de Tolosa, which opened the south of the country to the Christians.

The marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, known as the Catholic Monarchs, ensures the unification of Spain.

After the fall of Granada, they established the Inquisition throughout the country, which led to the expulsion of Arabs and Jews.

Capture of Granada, which completes the Reconquista, under the authority of the Catholic Monarchs, putting an end to eight centuries of Muslim domination. At the same time, they supported Christopher Columbus' plan to cross to the Indies, which led to the discovery of America in 1492. This was the beginning of the colonial era and the establishment of trade with the New World, propelling Spain to the rank of main European power. Spain thus entered its "Golden Century".

Beginning of the Habsburg dynasty with the coronation of Charles V and the beginning of the Golden Century. Charles V acceded to the thrones of Castile and Aragon in 1516. During his reign, a vast colonial estate was established with the conquest of the Aztec Empire by Hernán Cortés (from 1519) and the Inca Empire by Francisco Pizarro (1526-1541). This colonial empire brought immense wealth to Spain, which became the main European power.

Once on the throne, Philip II largely exploited his colonies across the Atlantic, from where gold, precious metals and other products flowed in.

Spain's Golden Age was also the Golden Age of the arts, with the emergence of a generation of great masters of painting, such as Diego Velázquez, El Greco and Francisco de Zurbarán. In literature, Miguel de Cervantes invented the modern novel with his Don Quixote, published between 1605 and 1615. The playwright Lope de Vega also belongs to this generation.

The death without heir of Charles II provokes a conflict between Habsburg and Bourbons

At the end of the War of Succession (1701-1713), which shook the kingdom a little more, Philip V came to power. His reign marked the end of the autonomous regime of the countries of the Crown of Aragon and all the territories that had supported the Habsburgs during the conflict. Only the Basque Country and Navarre, which remained loyal to the Bourbons, retained their autonomy.

The reign of Charles III corresponds to a phase of economic recovery. An enlightened despot, he undertook a policy of economic and social reform. His heir, Charles IV, put an end to this wave of reforms when the threat of the French Revolution arose

The instability of the monarchy prompted Napoleon to go on the offensive. The French emperor seized the Spanish crown for the benefit of his brother Joseph Bonaparte. During the night of 2 to 3 May 1808, in Madrid, the people rose up against Napoleon's troops. The scene is immortalized by Goya in his famous painting Tres de mayo. The uprising spread over a large part of the country and led to the War of Independence (1808-1814), which finally brought the Bourbons back to power.

At the end of the war, the country is ruined. In a weak position on the American continent, Spain gradually lost its colonies.

The Carlist Wars begin. When Ferdinand VII died in 1833, a conflict broke out between the supporters of his brother Charles, who favoured the absolutist model, and his niece Isabella, who defended liberalism. At the end of the first Carlist war in 1839, Isabella was brought to power.

Two other Carlist wars will take place around the same conflict between 1846 and 1849, then between 1872 and 1876. The first republican attempt in 1873 was aborted by the coronation of Alfonso XII.

The fueros - a legal code collecting the rights and duties of the Basques established in the 14th century - were abolished after the victory of Isabel II in the Carlist Wars

This fact provoked the alliance of the three Basque provinces, in the face of a dynastic conflict, in an unsuccessful attempt to regain their status

Industrial backwardness and the loss of Cuba (Independence in 1898) once again plunged the monarchy into agony. It is the end of the Spanish colonial empire. Anarchist and nationalist movements, especially Basque ones, germinate and develop at the same time.

The insurrectional strikes plunge Spain into an almost revolutionary climate. Politically unstable, socially and economically weakened, Spain is torn apart by its internal conflicts. The Basque Country, for example, is asserting its status in a very virulent way.

Coup d'état by General Primo de Rivera. It was in this context that General Primo de Rivera came to power after his coup d'état of September 13, 1923. He established a military dictatorship, but soon the general was forced to resign under the pressure of the Great World Depression of 1929, then condemned to exile in 1930, followed by the king in 1931.

Proclamation of the Second Republic on 14 April and introduction of universal suffrage.

Election of the Popular Front, followed by Franco's military insurrection, and a three-year civil war ensued

Franco's dictatorship and Spain's marginalisation in the international community. For the Basque Country, the blow is hard. Its autonomous status is forbidden by Franco's regime. The situation worsens further when Franco decides to eradicate the Basque language, discriminating against it.

Signing of an economic and military assistance treaty with the United States in 1953, followed by Spain's entry into the United Nations in 1955.

From the 1960s onwards, Spain experienced an economic boom thanks to the influx of foreign capital and the development of tourism. Franco's regime entered a more moderate stage, but the government's immobility was out of step with the social and cultural changes of the time, while its centralism led to a resurgence of independence movements in Catalonia and the Basque Country. It was in this context that the armed organization ETA was created in 1959. The erosion of power also led to a rise in protests by workers and students.

Franco died in 1975. Spain begins its democratic transition after 36 years of dictatorship. Juan Carlos I was proclaimed king a few days after Franco's death, and with Adolfo Suárez he began the democratic transition. The legalisation of political parties and the question of the autonomous communities are the main stages of the transition.

The Basque Country officially becomes one of the 17 Autonomous Communities of the Spanish State; its language is recognised, along with Galician or Catalan.

Signing of the Foral Regime of Navarre and the Statute of Autonomy of La Rioja. The 1982 elections bring the Socialists (PSOE) to power in the person of Felipe González, who will govern until 1996. This political stage was marked by Spain's entry into the European Community in 1986.

Olympic Games in Barcelona, the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America and the Universal Exhibition in Seville. It was a time of profound social and cultural change, of which the Madrid movida became the symbol.

José María Aznar (PP People's Party) came to power in 1996 and governed until 2004. It was a time of strong economic growth marked by the introduction of the euro and an intense struggle against ETA.

Introduction of the euro.

Aznar's involvement in the war in Iraq, despite opposition from public opinion, and above all the mismanagement of the terrorist attacks of March 2004, led to the return of the Socialists to power, with the victory of Zapatero (PSOE) in the legislative elections.

In his second term, Zapatero is facing the economic crisis that is hitting the country very hard. At the end of 2008, Spain officially entered recession and unemployment exceeded the symbolic 20% mark in spring 2010. This period was also marked by the emergence of the "indignant" movement. Despite the implementation of an austerity plan, the Socialists lost the confidence of voters.

First mandate of Mariano Rajoy (PP), who won the parliamentary elections. ETA announces the definitive cessation of its armed activity. In June 2012, Spain obtains from the European Union a rescue plan for its financial sector through a 40 billion euro credit line. In 2013, the European Court of Human Rights puts an end to the Parot doctrine. Dozens of Spanish prisoners, mostly ETA prisoners, are released.

Felipe VI was proclaimed King of Spain by the Cortes Generales after the abdication of King Juan Carlos I, after 39 years of reign.

General elections in Spain. The PP wins the elections, but Mariano Rajoy fails in his attempt to form a "stable" government. He will be sworn in in October 2016, after three nomination attempts and a re-run.

Trouble in Catalonia. Referendum held in Catalonia. Declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court. On 28 October 2017 the Parliament of Catalonia votes on the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (DIU). Followed by the Senate's approval of the implementation of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution.

On 21 December 2017, elections in Catalonia give an absolute majority to the pro-independence lists.

Partial apology from ETA to the victims of the armed struggle before its final dissolution.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, weakened by a corruption scandal, was overthrown by a motion of censure.

The socialist Pedro Sanchez succeeds him, but gets entangled, and the country with him, in a chronic instability. After two legislative elections without a majority, he finally manages to be elected in 2020 thanks to a coalition unseen since Franco, the small left-wing parties, including the Basque nationalists PNV and Podemos (radical left).

For the first time in 40 years, the Athletic Bilbao soccer team wins the Copa del Rey. On April 11, a jubilant crowd greets the team in downtown Bilbao.

In the Basque regional elections, the left-wing separatist party EH Bildu - political heir to the ETA - found itself on a par with the historically ruling PNV. However, it is the latter, supported by the PS, that will continue to govern locally.