Fun fact: When the ETA assassinated Carrero, they used so much explosives they blew his car 6 stories in the air, and the event is jokingly referred to by Basques as the first time Spain sent a man into space.
Rather we used to sing that "Carrero Blanco, Minister of the Navy / had the dream of flying. / Then one day ETA-military / made his dream a reality. / He flied, he flied, Carrero did fly... / and against the eave he crashed!"
Be careful, these days the Audiencia Nacional (Spanish judicial establishment) is judging people for making jokes about the death of the president of the Franco dictatorship ... They consider it an exaltation of terrorism (of a band already dissolved years ago). The issue of freedom of expression in Spain is complicate this days.
Well the anti religion part is not really true, although they declared themselves revolutionary and socialist they recieved a lot of support by some rural basque clerics, and ETA never actually attacked neither physically or verbally to the church
The Marxists in the Spanish civil war, from whom these ETA are directly descended, very much persecuted the religious, especially, but not only, the Catholic church. Catholic Priests were murdered and churches burned down, not to mention missionaries from the protestant and Jehovah's Witnesses denominations being stoned.
@@EcclesiastesLiker-py5ts That is bullshit. For starters the ETA are the descentant from the soldiers of the Gudarostea who where catholic and nationalist that fought against Franco to gain autonomy in the way for Independence. Second Franco was the one who killed Protestant missionaries, just look at Atilano Coco the friend of Miguel de Unamuno
I remember Glasgow Celtic had a game against Barcelona only hours after the Madrid bombings. A minute's silence was called and we were baffled when the Barca fans started booing during it. Turns out the tannoy announcer blamed the attack on ETA and they weren't having it.
It was a fair thing to suspect at the time as yihadists attacks in Spain were rare and ETA bombing civilians was fairly "often". Once evidence was clear that was discarded. The fact that they booed during a minute of silence is really despicable right after the incident.
@@jorgesalazar5049 It's ridiculous to publicly blame a group with no evidence- the announcer could have just said it was a minute silence for the victims and not speculated on the attackers. Same thing happened with the Brevik attack in Norway, people immediately blamed Muslims.
@Ir liz yeah exactly one of those very casual coincidences that these shady attacks happened 2 days before the election and overturned the results... Attacks nothing like Islamic terrorism ever is, and the trains and all evidence was destroyed a couple days after...
Well, it technically still exists. Just not as independent kingdom, but rather an autonomous community within Spain (or, to be more precise, a "chartered community").
The last sentences of Basque nationalists in 1975 led to a popular storming of the Spanish embassy in Lisbon. Which is surprisingly unknown. 1975 was a particularly turbulent year in Portugal. You could do a video about that, the “Hot Summer of 75”.
When I was young I had to leave my car twice to have it checked for bombs cuz ETA had given random warnings of bombs and my mother was a public servant lol. There was no bomb any time but still an interesting thing
As a basque is sad to see the ideological decline of ETA: With Franco they had many intellectuals and their targets were always fasscists and people with strategical importance towards their aim to achieve democracy and the end of the dictatorship, whereas after Franco they lost all the intellectuals and they started doing stupid and reckless actions that made them lose the support of the basque and spanish people, apart from the fact that violence was no longer needed under democracy and they didn't manage to see it due to the lack of said intellectuals.
It would be nice if instead of using adjectives like "stupid" and "reckless" to refer to their actions, you said "evil", "cruel" and "psychopathic", which is what the murder of 700 innocent people after Franco was.
Some corrections: Many Basques fought on the Nationalist side, too. Also, Juan Carlos had already been tapped as Franco’s successor when Carrero Blanco was assassinated.
For those who are interested: AskatasunA, that last "a" is the definite article ("the" in English). The title sounds strange to a native speaker :) So: Who were ETA?* would be preferable. Also, some (Spanish speaking) people use that "the" offensively. Just trying to help! Thank you for your videos!
Yeah, "The ETA" sounds really grating. Like "The NASA". At least he didn't sound out the letters (The Eeh Tee Ayy) like some ppl do. The pronunciation was on point, so I'll forgive him.
It's not identical to the article, it's a nominative declension. The reason why the article is not used is because it is an acronym that not even in Spanish or English would carry article "the Vasconia and Freedom"? Nope. "Vasconia and Freedom", it's proper name, unlike *the* Irish Republican Army, where "army" does demand the article.
1. ETA did not fight against France, except punctually in self-defense, and was focused on the southern provinces. There was a small group which did fight in the North against France, Iparretarrak (the Northern ones, also word-play that can be read as "those of ETA of the North" but never affiliated to nor backed by ETA). 2. Never in my life heard of "ATA" it's not in any history book of the many written about ETA, nobody in the Basque Country ever heard of "ATA" (until recently because it has been used as the title of a blog: "Amnistia ta Askatasuna" = "Amnesty and Freedom" and sometimes is equated with supposed attempts to extend ETA's life). ETA was born as a non-military organization in the late 50s, when there was still some anti-fascist guerrilla (AFAIK the last attack against Franco of the post-war generation happened in 1960 or 1962). In the summer of 1968 they began military activities as you described correctly. 3. ETA was NOT "anti-religion", I personally know old militants who consider themselves Christians to this very day (to my own surprise and the laughter of the younger generation) but key leaders like Argala, the main actor in the execution of Carrero Blanco, were definitely devout Christians and began their activism as such. 4. In ETA-V the V must be read as "five" or as "Fifth Assembly". I'm unsure of the exact differences with the other ETA branches (too young to remember) but almost certainly they were not more to the right, but more to the left and less nationalist and produced the all-Spain Communist Revolutionary League (Trotskyist), but maybe those were ETA-VI (six), it can get confusing. 5. The GAL was not a novelty: dirty war had existed all the way since late fascism, it just went by other names: Batallón Vasco-Español (Basque-Spanish Batallion), Guerrilleros de Cristo Rey (Guerrillas of Christ King), etc. GAL (sometimes GANE) was just the new acronym that the PSOE (Labour) government used for its murderous activities. They barely targeted any ETA members (whose identities were seldom known and who obviously were in hiding in any case) but mostly political activists like my grandpa's neighbor Santiago Brouard or Egin newspaper's journalists or taverns suspected to be sympathetic with ETA, etc. It was more indiscriminate political terror than actual anti-ETA activity. 6. The street riots (kale borroka) not affiliated but sympathetic with ETA were not in crescendo since the late 80s but rather the opposite. The reason was that replacement of very ineffective Spanish police by Basque Autonomous Police (Israeli-trained, less focused on direct beatings, murder and torture, more on locating the suspects and arresting them possibly days after the facts, more professional and obsessed with filling everything with security cameras) resulted in what was originally pretty much an open rioting social activity, with no or very limited organization, became much more specialized because only those with some training, organization and discipline could hope to remain at large. It evolved from being a common "popular activity" to a secretive akmost military discipline (and often the prequel to a life of ETA membership culminating in long prison sentences or possibly death by police happy trigger). 7. I don't think the abandonment of arms has to do much with 9-11 or Islamist terror (of very different nature), it has more to do with the decline of leftist struggles everywhere, especially the negotiations between the IRA and Britain, which some hoped to imitate (but Spain is not Britain, so there was never a proper negotiation and only a surrender). Other related struggles like the Corsican liberation fight, the Sahrawi one, the Palestinian one... were all in decline or frozen. While in the 70s and 80s Europe and the Mediterranean was brewing with lots of leftist guerrillas, many associated to national liberation, in the 00s that was not the case anymore. It has more to do if anything with the collapse of the USSR, which was a reference even if most were also critical with them.
hello, Hilbert. I was wondering if you could make a video about the Polisario Front in Western Sahara and all the drama between Morocco & W.S as there is so much I still don't understand about it. Thx!
Hello there, I will going explain you a little. The sahara was a Spanish protectorado, fully of tribal groups called taifas, they were very violent and Spain summited them at beginning of the XX century, after WWII decolonization process start take place, Franco get sick and marruecos take that like a opportunity and launch a massive invasion whit civilians called the green March and Spain have to get out there, sahara get split between marruecos and Mauritania, but people living there doesn't want to be part of neither both, so they create the frente polisario to confront them, Mauritania get out but marruecos still fighting until this day, 35% of their PBI goes to military because the frente polisario, at the same time their people go to Spain to have the opportunities that marruecos don't give them.
Thanks for covering the subject, I am Basque and this is a subject that still continues to be talked about, so I like to see that there are English speakers who speak about it. Mila Esker.
@@jonoc3729 Of course I am happy to oblige. Let's imagine you are a french person, you might not be, but for the sake of the argument please bear with me. Imagine the official language of france is German, imagine every single political decision concerning france is decided in Berlin, imagine all of the tax payment made by french people has to be sent to german controlled berlin (AKA Madrid) imagine that "napoleon bonaparte" wiki's page states that he was german. Imagine that making a law which states that french kids should learn french in school had to be validated by the german state. And Now, ask a french person if they would agree with all that I have stated.
@@jonoc3729 us, the catalans, speak a different language, have different traditions, different mentality, a most different history, and most importantly we were added to the spanish crown by force under military occupation, do you think any group of disctinct people would be okay under the rule of another very disctinct group that occupied you by force?
I would just like to make it understood that the Basque language is not a dialect. It is a completely different indigenous language unrelated to any other language. Franco tried to eliminate the Basque language and culture beginning with his request for Hitler to bomb the Basque capital Gernika. The repression of the Basque was severe throughout Franco’s dictatorship. Euskara survived nevertheless . The Basque Country is inhabited by Spanish immigrants who do not speak the language and very often do not have the same pride a Basque speaker has. In fact, one definition of a Basque is “one who speaks Basque”.
“Similar in pattern to the Union Jack, the flag was designed by the founders of the Basque Nationalist Party EAJ-PNV, Luis and Sabino Arana, and is commonly regarded as the national but unofficial symbol of the Basque Country (Euskal Herria). It is widely seen in the French Basque Country and forms part of the unofficial flag of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the French overseas community in North America that was settled by French Basque and also many Spanish Basque sailors. The Ikurriña is also the flag of the Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ-PNV). A controversy exists because at first it was only the symbol of a section of the party (the section of Biscay) and many persons thought that another flag must represent the territory. The red ground symbolizes the Biscayne people, the green saltire might represent the Oak of Guernica, a symbol of the old laws of Biscay, or Fueros; and over them, the white cross, God's symbol of Basque Catholic devotion. Thus, red, white and green have become the national Basque colors.”
@@alexandresoleiro4149 thats actually false. It was in the early XIX when it started, as Catalonia or Asturias, to develop on industry. So your words are just manipulation and false.
The best steel in Spain is produced in the Basque country, so many industries were established there and Catalonia is the link with the rest of Europe, so with Madrid and the Basque country the other region most benefited under the Franco regime. The rest of Spain payed their development. The idea of Basques and Catalans being second class citizens is part of the nationalistic narrative of playing victims. For me it's amazing the number of naive people, especially those who declare themselves as leftists, who buy this nonsense: the richest and most privileged thinking they are the victims of the poor. If you understand the narrative that made Brexit possible, you can basically understand what's going on in the Basque Country and Catalonia, because the lies are very similar.
@@alfgui3295 Franco settled Spaniards from poorer regions in Catalonia and the Basque Country in order to change the ethnic composition of the region and in this way suppress the movement for independence, in my opinion this does not exactly work in favor of both nations. As for the repression, Catalan and Basque languages were STRICTLY forbidden, parents were only allowed to give their children Spanish names, for speaking or communicating in the language of your ancestors you were dragged off the tram and at best beaten to blood , you were despised and pushed aside if you did not define yourself as Spanish. Once again, I am not a supporter of terrorism or killing in any way, but it is necessary to clearly understand what is the action here that triggered the reaction.
It's a rather uncomfortable truth for the more monarchist sector of Spanish society that a bunch of basque sepis did more for democracy by kickstarting our space programme that Juan Carlos did by accepting to be the sugar-free version of what Franco wanted for him.
great video, but I think there is a little mistake. Franco died in 1975 and spain became a democratic constitutional monarchy in 1978, but France didnt start to collaborate in the persecution of ETA until de late 80s when Spain became a part of the NATO, the EEC and other international institutions. Actually one of the main goals of the GAL was to force France to persecute ETA by bringing the violence to their country.
5 months ago, but ETA is historically best and most dangerous organisation alongside PIRA, and Corsican Liberation Army. Thanks for educating people and letting understand them why ETA fought. Edit: i really mean it thanks for these types of videos.
Currently living in Biarritz which is a french town by the sea with very strong basque culture. Very interesting to learn about this part of their history. Good video
@@nile8686 Biarritz was in the Gascon (Occitan) speaking area, traditionally, they have nothing to do with modern Basque language, it was demonstrated in the 19th century, the Basque thing is a tourism strategy.
I'm not fooling or anything, I'm telling how it has been historically, there's documental proof of it: Linguistic map of the "Gascogne" and Louis Napoleon Bonaparte' works.
Hi Hilbert. Love the vids. I find them really informative and entertaining. It´s stuff I don´t find anywhere else. However... the over-use of the word 'However' is a bit annoying, especially in this vid. One could consider structuring sentences slightly differently so that words like 'While' or 'Nonetheless' or ´Consequently´ could be employed. One golden rule of writing is never to use the same word to start sentences more than once every paragraph. I hope not to bum you, my remark is meant as constructive criticism.
@@b3nzayizkoolyo - Why do I ask? I still had to go to Wikipedia... let's see: Ned Kelly, sounds Irish... well, Australian revolutionary hero apparently but a bit like Billy the Kid. Cool. Yes, I subscribe: we need to learn of revolutions, successful and failed alike. Cheers.
Hi Hilbert, I’ve discovered your channel just recently and have seen hours of movies yet. Very interesting content, thanks. Since you have a certain interest in Dutch and Frisian history, I was wondering why that would be. You live in Northumbria (EN) right? Is one of your parents from Frisian heritage or is there another reason?
ETA destroyed thousands of lives. It is a stain in our country that thankfully we left behind, but the level of hostility towards everyone else (left and right politicians, moderates or radicals, people who had nothing to do with politics...) and the pain it inflicted to the Euskadi's ans Spanish society it's unmeasurable.
There's absolutely zero armed activity in the Basque Country today other than that sanctioned by the Spanish state (police, military). ETA fully and inconditionally surrendered. There are former members and sympathizers who more or less disagree (especially disagree with not really fighting even via nonviolent means, about having abandoned all struggle or almost so) but right now and for the foreseeable future (and other than the occasional semi-spontaneous sabotage) all Vasconia is occupied and Asterix is nowhere to be seen.
@@Ginceubko - Same thing. ETA ended without achieving any of its goals and de facto accepting therefore the Spanish occupation of Vasconia, their laws, their prisons, their tribunals, etc. And did so on its own decision. I call it a surrender and I don't think it can be called otherwise. By contrast the IRA achieved a peace treaty which granted them some of their demands.
3:50 This is not entirely true. France still did not help much against ETA terrorist hiding in their territory until Berluscino was president in the 2000's. One of the french PMs (or ministers, cant remember) literally thought that Spain's transition to democracy was a façade, and that ETA were still "freedom fighters" similar to the ideolized resistance of France during WW2.
Berluscino? If you mean Berlusconi he was Prime Minister of Italy, not of France. It's true that France was neutral-ish re. ETA for a while, mostly because they used it as leverage to get other things, but soon it was cooperating 200% with Spain against ETA. I was barely 14 when the "boycott French products" was a strong campaign, i.e. it was around 1982, when Miterrand was president and nationalized the French banks, an I was all like: shouldn't we begin by boycotting the Spanish products?
Navarre is my ancestors homeland, and I cant help feel a dissonance between the ideologies of ethnolinguistic self-rule, and the ideology of the Westphalian Nation-State.
@@bixkibat481 well look all around the world east west 3rd world, doesn't matter. Many many mations are making concessions to long time minority populations. I want to see Basques have more independence but IDK if I necessarily agree that breaking up political borders for ethnolinguistic ones is a solution.
@@lanmarknetworking3034 I could agree, but I want to add that there does not exist a solution as such. No change or lack of change will satisfy everyone. An increase on independence will satisfy some, but not all. Especially considering that that increased independenced can be revoked at any time. The long term solution (end of the conflict) will be either the independence or the disappearance of the basque ethnolinguistic group. In all sincerity, I do not see the independence coming, so we will have conflict for the coming decades.
@@bixkibat481 my ancestors came to north America about a century after the lower Navarre was lost, so even back then they knew. Multiculturalism is such a fleeting dream, but it really seems like many western societies just devolve into this "separate but equal" type of mentality, and non-western societies use apartheid or worse. IDK.
@@lanmarknetworking3034 I do think states can do and have done horrible things to their citizens, particularly to the minorities. I do not quite get why many people think a big country will be easier on the minorities, considering they will have more people being a minority.
This is a both great, and honest video! I'm glad you told the story objectively. This is still a thing that has affected us basques, but it's still important to tell it objectively, without the right-wing bigotry or the promotion of the terrorist acts that the group did. Eskerrik asko, Hilbert!
ETA was not anti-religious, it was non-religious (as it was marxist). And the main political force for the last 40 years in the basque country has been PNV (basque nationalist party), which is still a center-right, christian democratic party.
I know it has nothing to do with what you said but as a fun fact the word bizarre comes from the Basque word "bizarra" meaning beard and I think it's the only English word originating from Basque
Fun fact: saying ETA is good is a crime in Spain, and many people got arrested including some famous people, that get as much as life in prison. But in the other hand, saying that Franco is good is apparently freedom of speech.
Franco is more than dead, ETA is still too recent. If you speak about Franco, you're not endangering the current peace and democracy, because Franco will never rise again, if you support ETA, you are, because they could rise up again at any moment. In the future, people will be able to talk about ETA freely.
@@asdfomfglol Not true, special forces can fight ETA at any moment, and something similar as Franco can rise again, as the fascist political party is rising up and they plan in making a dictatorship.
@@spanishball9449 Don't talk bullshit. Spain is suffering the consecuences of having a radical socialist/communist government that is destroying the country from within while the global view towards the country seems to be a very distorted one. In Spain, justify or support terrorism and fascism in public is forbbiden, so there's not any fascist political party. If the Right is rising, it's because the people is tired of seeing how a bunch of "freedom fighters" psychopaths spent millions of € in useless stuff while the taxes rises and the economy drown.
@@thecakeisalie6392 Bullshit, socialism has removed the corruption of the past governments. Also there is a party called VOX which is facsist and they are the 3rd most powerful, and stop talking bs because you aren't even spanish. Plus the taxes have been lowered.
@@Uchigatana-MHFZZ Ireland was not starving to death in 1970 when the provisional IRA was formed, simply untrue, of course Irish people were still discriminated against in the north just as the basques were under Franco in their homeland. I am irish my father was a “Provo” as we call it, how can you say we have a claim to legitimacy but the basques do not? Do the basques not have a right to self determination? Are they not culturally different? Therefore do they not have the right to take up arms? Just as we did in Ireland
Very interesting. I'd like to learn more about the Basque country and the politics of the place and any flags used. What was the views and relations with the Basque people and the rest of Spainish people? Is there affinity between the Catalan and Basque regions?
@Ir liz Simplemente está diciendo que el autor muestra una equidistancia que solo se explica desde la mala consideración que tienen los anglosajones de España.
@Ir liz Si uno ve el vídeo y no es español seguramente acabe pensando que ETA es una especie de Frente Polisario que luchó contra el franquismo, en lugar de una banda terrorista que cometió la mayoría de sus crímenes en democracia y contra civiles o policías y guardias civiles de pueblo sin ningún poder real; personas que se limitaban a hacer su trabajo en el sitio que les había tocado. En el vídeo se omite todo eso, que es esencialmente en lo que derivó ETA con la complacencia de buena parte de la sociedad vasca y de la izquierda española en general. La contextualización histórica ya está bastante sesgada, se transmite la idea de que los vascos eran homogéneamente antifranquistas, cuando tanto Navarra como el País Vasco eran algunas de las regiones más conservadoras de España. Los carlistas eran casi todos navarros o vascos, y el PNV, en la medida en que era un partido conservador, vio con buenos ojos el alzamiento nacional ante los tintes comunistas que estaba adquiriendo la República. Solo cuando la República se comprometió a conceder un estatuto de autonomía el PNV cambió de bando. Pero la división era grande, si Navarra y Álava preservaron sus fueros durante la dictadura fue precisamente por el apoyo al franquismo en estas dos regiones. Por otro lado, se habla de la agenda nacionalista de Franco (y se exagera al decir que se prohibió el euskera; cuando sería mucho más preciso decir que simplemente el castellano se convirtió en la lengua de la administración), pero se omite por completo la agenda nacionalista del PNV. La parte del vídeo que no es de contextualización histórica concede excesiva importancia a las penas de muerte ordenadas por Franco y a los GAL, pero no se menciona por ejemplo el atentado de Hipercor, las cartas y amenazas de muerte con que los etarras amenazaban a familias ni las casi 1000 muertes de ETA. Sin embargo sí menciona expresamente que el gobierno de Aznar acusó primeramente a ETA del 11M. Hay en todo el vídeo una excesiva complacencia que solo se explica si se comprende cómo es España en el imaginario anglosajón (y en el de otras culturas). El punto de partida es siempre el mismo: el prejuicio hacia lo español y la consideración de que todo lo que se oponga a lo que se considera "lo español" debe de tener algo bueno. Nada de esto se dice en el vídeo, pero se transmite. Está en lo mucho que se explica las causas que, a su juicio, hicieron aparecer a ETA y en lo poco que se explica en qué consistía ETA de verdad. La chapa es larga. El vídeo me ha parecido injusto y he querido dar mi opinión, nada más. Un saludo.
@@virtualboy2430 - Es que eso es lo que es: una especie de Frente Polisario pero más antiguo que el Frente Polisario. Ya vale con denigrar a los gudaris, así no habrá nunca paz!
@@jesusmena3505 - They are not in the government, first of all because ETA does not exist anymore, second of all because EH Bildu is not in any government above municipal level. Also Otegi did not kidnap anyone, I know from a former cop with whom I shared job that it was a self-kidnapping by the Cantabrian industrial and that Otegi was just a scapegoat. Not that I like Otegi at all anyhow, but he's innocent of what he was accused and for what he served prison.
Killing fascist? fighting for democracy? Fighting for national self determination? Thses guys don't really seem like terorrists, rather as a generous freedom fighter group.
>Kills a lot of random people and rarely attack government buildings they claim to hate. >Democracy came and they were still trying to commit terrorist attacks Leftwingers haven't changed for the last 60 years. the only difference being, is that they have been bought by capitalists
One can not really put the Basques as a fully pro republican and socialist entity in the civil war and in the Spanish republic though. Basques were pretty much equally divided between separatists socialists and Republicans and catholics, loyalists and carlists. Many important nationalist thinkers of the time like Maeztu were basque. There is a funny anecdote of how the carlist troops in the basque area spoke basque in their transmissions and letters because the separatists and Republican supporters couldn't understand them. Another funny anecdote is that the father of Basque nationalism and separatism was from a staunchly carlist family his parents living in the French part due to having to leave Spain as his father supported the carlist troops with equipment and arms
Why would you call the killing of Melitón Manzanas a murder if his killing was completely justified? Also you didn’t talk about the current state of the Basque culture and language within Spain and France.
@@ryanrg8511They’re directly linked. ETA’s purpose is to preserve the Basque people’s culture and language. If the culture and language are preserved then they don’t have much of a leg to stand on for wanting independence.
It's terrorism not "violent struggle", you wouldn't call the Bataclan massacre a struggle right? You fail to mention that most of their victims and targets were civilians. Almost one thousand innocents killed.
Two little girls were killed in my village when I was 10, a thousand km away from Basque country, by a bomb planted on the street. Why target civilians so far away from there? Because many had fled the violence to the south and had to be punished, both the people who fled and those who welcomed them. That's ETA, as well as bombs in supermarkets, shooting innocent politicians in the back, blackmailing small businesses etc.
I literally called them terrorists in the video as well, nor do I ever say their actions were justified or that I supported their means. Please do not jump to conclusions that are unfounded.
@@historywithhilbert I'm not saying you support them of course but there's this narrative of romantisation of their actions outside of Spain that is very disrespectful, not saying you have done on purpose but is hard to have the same perspective. Similarly, I'm sure you are aware of the terrible killings of civilians but in your video it gives the impression that it was only police or government members. People you mention were civilians but I think it's not clear for someone who doesn't know who Miguel Ángel Blanco is. Love your work, this is just constructive criticism on a very complex topic that can't be fully covered in a 5 min vídeo obviously.
They view it as violent struggle. He called them terrorists too. It’s not his job to make judgements about the things he talks about, just to give information.
you don't have a clue what you are talking about, you can be against ETA and condemn their killings but you can't compare them to the Bataclan islamist massacre is truly disgusting, ETA might have killed civilians, maily by accident, but that was never it purpose as it was for the islamist, ETA has never cut the testicles and pull out eyes of teenagers to behead them after, ETA has not killed thousand of civilians indiscriminately in Europe like the islamists have done. You are a liar and anyone can check how fake are your claims
@@ecyol6647 neat. I wish they'd cover more unknown terrorist/organized crime groups like the ETA in media rather then making every organized criminal gang an italian mafia, Mexican or columbian cartel, or maybe a russian mobster and every terrorist group is an Al-Qaeda knockoff or maybe from the IRA if we're lucky. People forget all the communist cells globally, the far right groups that terrorized the Balkans and italy, the ETA, and countless others. They forget about the Jewish, Scottish, and Irish mafias.
@@arthas640 I totally recommend you watching the spanish series "patria", i think you can find it in HBO and represents quite well how the basque society was in the 80s and 90s
if they were successful, and let's say this happened in the 1930's, The Basque Country would be a country nowadays. "Terrorist" groups nowadays would've been called independent armies back in the day.
@@Kevc00 Do you have any better strategy’s on how to fight a war in urban areas in the age of technology? Would you say America’s air striking of civilians in the Middle East is legitimate? No one can condone everything that happens in a conflict situation it simply is not possible every war is a dirty war
You did not mention the hundreds of deaths caused by the terror group, and the Impuesto Revolucionario (Revolutary Tax, more or less) busness owners had to pay to ETA a certain amount or they were killed. This "Taxing" caused many many deaths, specially the Basque Country. Also the part on which they decided to rely on the youth to burn down public infrastructure and create unrest was called Kale Borroka (Street Fighting) and it was more akin to violent protest than part of the terrorist organisation, of course ETA had a major role in creating this street fighting but those who participated in it could not be considered terrorists. The rest of the video is short and informative, what can be expected of a 5 minute video.
@@thealaskanseparatist6786 You can Read "Patria" of Fernando Aramburu... They rencetly did a serie bases in the Book. You got also some good books about the origins of the band.... Books about the víctims caused by the band.... Books about the dirty fight of the spanish goverment doing state terrorism with the GAL band.... Books about the tortures makes by the police and Guardia civil....
Sorry but anti religion is wrong 1:15 Just strictly secular because the church in the history of Spain often sides with fascists. But we Basques are socially conservative people. Conservative party dominates politics here. And we are proud of ourselves and Galicians for remaining independent during the time of Andalusian Islamic Empires. Castilians often have North African (mostly Muslim but also Jewish) ancestors but are in denial. They were forced to become Catholic at one point. I always tell right wing Spaniards not to hate magrebis they are their cousins :)
Im Spanish but i never lived in Spain, I've only traveled there since i was an infant to meet my family but ive never heard of this group. After watching this i dont really understand, were they good people or bad?
Yes, they wnated to have federal rights, in fact Vasque people were really patriot for Spain but eith teir region federal, but Franco didnt gave autonomy to them and suppressed them and eta originated.
I know its not in the scope of this video and is a topic that deserves its own discussion, but its worthwhile to at least mention *why* ETA rejected the process of "transition" to democracy and continued their armed struggle. You dont have to agree with them, not saying that at all, but its much more educational and useful to actually assess their motives rather than just assume theyre irrational and chose violence for violence sake.
@@historywithhilbert I did Erasmus in Spain and spent a year there so I'm finding the Spanish themed content very interesting. This was a very thorough overview of ETA in 10 minutes.
I am just a bit curious about the left wing terrorism organizations, like ETA. So how is the ETA legacy in Basque Country? Are they respected? Are there studies on them in Spanish.
@@alfredwang7607 Well, depends on who you ask! You see, there are some people that really respect ETA (I know a few, and, and they're who you expect: Obnoxious assholes that think that that shit is “national pride”). The thing with ETA is that the Spanish government arrested multiple innocent people for speaking Basque (this doesn't mean that what ETA was doing is right). No real “studies” have been taken. Even with ETA, Spain is still a prosperous and rich country, and should not be mistaken/think it's similar with countries like Afghanistan, Irag, Syria etc.
ETA lost pretty much all popular support when they blew up the barracks of the Guardia Civil. Prior even though most didn't agree with them or not fully they had the sympathy of a lot of people as they were seen as a "resistance" against the regime and most of their killings had only been Guardia civil officers which were rather unpopular in many places. The attacks on the Barracks was different though because this is where the officers lived with their families wifes children etc isolated from the rest of the population for security reasons. And they killed a lot of civilians, a lot of women and children. It was so gruesome they basically lost all sympathies and support except of those die hard separatists. The other occasion is when they kidnapped a basque PP politician from the local level and killed him in retaliation for some busts and arrests. And as he was very young only in his early twenties and quite popular in his area and completely innocent just targeted because he belonged to a certain party this time even the basque separatists were disgusted
@@Ginceubko not really. Most people at the time even if most didn't approve of it understood that this meant the regime couldn't continue at least not the way it had been till now
Fun fact: When the ETA assassinated Carrero, they used so much explosives they blew his car 6 stories in the air, and the event is jokingly referred to by Basques as the first time Spain sent a man into space.
Actually it’s a popular joke all around Spain, not just in the BC.
That’s amazing lmao
This is popular in all of Spain, it is not a Basque thing.
@@LuisDiaz-ey8zu but it is specially memed by Basques imo
Rather we used to sing that "Carrero Blanco, Minister of the Navy / had the dream of flying. / Then one day ETA-military / made his dream a reality. / He flied, he flied, Carrero did fly... / and against the eave he crashed!"
Luis Carrero Blanco was also nicknamed the first Spanish astronaut because his car launched 200ft in the air, over a 6 story building.
If I’m ever having a bad day, I just think of this to cheer me up
I didn't know that xD
Be careful, these days the Audiencia Nacional (Spanish judicial establishment) is judging people for making jokes about the death of the president of the Franco dictatorship ... They consider it an exaltation of terrorism (of a band already dissolved years ago). The issue of freedom of expression in Spain is complicate this days.
th-cam.com/video/P9CVma13F-I/w-d-xo.html
@@landerviguera9575 He got what he deserved and no one should be afraid to say it.
Well the anti religion part is not really true, although they declared themselves revolutionary and socialist they recieved a lot of support by some rural basque clerics, and ETA never actually attacked neither physically or verbally to the church
they just may have been not particularly religious
Religion was probably never really part of them they were Marxist but wanted the support of religious people in the Basque country thats my thought
They prefer kills kids.
The Marxists in the Spanish civil war, from whom these ETA are directly descended, very much persecuted the religious, especially, but not only, the Catholic church. Catholic Priests were murdered and churches burned down, not to mention missionaries from the protestant and Jehovah's Witnesses denominations being stoned.
@@EcclesiastesLiker-py5ts That is bullshit. For starters the ETA are the descentant from the soldiers of the Gudarostea who where catholic and nationalist that fought against Franco to gain autonomy in the way for Independence. Second Franco was the one who killed Protestant missionaries, just look at Atilano Coco the friend of Miguel de Unamuno
I remember Glasgow Celtic had a game against Barcelona only hours after the Madrid bombings. A minute's silence was called and we were baffled when the Barca fans started booing during it. Turns out the tannoy announcer blamed the attack on ETA and they weren't having it.
It was a fair thing to suspect at the time as yihadists attacks in Spain were rare and ETA bombing civilians was fairly "often". Once evidence was clear that was discarded. The fact that they booed during a minute of silence is really despicable right after the incident.
@@jorgesalazar5049 It's ridiculous to publicly blame a group with no evidence- the announcer could have just said it was a minute silence for the victims and not speculated on the attackers. Same thing happened with the Brevik attack in Norway, people immediately blamed Muslims.
@Ir liz yeah exactly one of those very casual coincidences that these shady attacks happened 2 days before the election and overturned the results... Attacks nothing like Islamic terrorism ever is, and the trains and all evidence was destroyed a couple days after...
@Ir liz Spain is part of NATO and legally had to join
@Ir liz Probably not, I'm not pretending to know anything internal Spanish issues. All I know is there wont be a war Between any NATO state
Last time I was this early, Navarre still existed
Well, it technically still exists. Just not as independent kingdom, but rather an autonomous community within Spain (or, to be more precise, a "chartered community").
Navarre still exists. It's a Spanish Commonwealth with its own parliament.
“or so we hope.”
Oh no, please no. We’ve been through a cursed year already.
I would agree.
Oh fuck...
@@historywithhilbert hilbert thanks for covering this part of the history of my country, I salute you from Madrid
My my, I see me!
2022 year where eta and franco rise up from their graves and bitchslap each other in chueca
Hilbert, can you please make a video on the Sri Lankan Civil War. Please accept my request.
I'll see if I have time in the future :)
@@historywithhilbert great suggestion! i second this! :)
i 3rd and 4th this😂😂😂
I sixth it.
@@historywithhilbert As someone interested in Sri Lanka I would also find this interesting
Your spanish prounuciation is brillant.
Gracias!
@Ir liz how are you suposed to know the syllabe stress? you don't use tildes?
@@themobstar58 I'd guess you just know after learning the language. Languages like English don't use them either.
@@themobstar58 no, we don't. As English, for example
Who were the ETA?
- Long story: This video
- Short story: Spanish IRA
Basically
"Like the IRA, but wrong."
The first few killings seemed more than fine.
@@citizenfoffie7605 Yeah well, the next 800 were a little worse, with the mutilated children and all.
Basque IRA maybe..
The last sentences of Basque nationalists in 1975 led to a popular storming of the Spanish embassy in Lisbon. Which is surprisingly unknown. 1975 was a particularly turbulent year in Portugal. You could do a video about that, the “Hot Summer of 75”.
Yeah, the Carnation Revolution is particularly interesting
Isn't that the year of their first elections?
It's friday AND History with Hilbert uploaded a new video?
This day can't get any better
New uploads EVERY Friday ;)
When I was young I had to leave my car twice to have it checked for bombs cuz ETA had given random warnings of bombs and my mother was a public servant lol. There was no bomb any time but still an interesting thing
She was a cop? A politician? Generic public servants were not targeted.
@@LuisAldamiz A justice public servant. I am not sure if it was an specific threat or a threat to everyone that worked in the justice place
@@skydragon5555 - Judges were often targeted but rather high profile ones. State attorneys maybe, common secretaries and such never.
As a basque is sad to see the ideological decline of ETA: With Franco they had many intellectuals and their targets were always fasscists and people with strategical importance towards their aim to achieve democracy and the end of the dictatorship, whereas after Franco they lost all the intellectuals and they started doing stupid and reckless actions that made them lose the support of the basque and spanish people, apart from the fact that violence was no longer needed under democracy and they didn't manage to see it due to the lack of said intellectuals.
It would be nice if instead of using adjectives like "stupid" and "reckless" to refer to their actions, you said "evil", "cruel" and "psychopathic", which is what the murder of 700 innocent people after Franco was.
@@guillermo907That's a straight-up lie.
@@guillermo907 thats definitely false hahahaha just show any proof
@@Ginceubko look up sociometro vasco 1998, 22% of the population were in favour of becoming independent. It is clearly not the will of the people
@@Ginceubko if I am not mistaken in 1988 it was 25%, the number is much lower now
Please make a video on the Dorsland trekkers and grensoorlog
Thanks for the suggestion :)
Some corrections: Many Basques fought on the Nationalist side, too. Also, Juan Carlos had already been tapped as Franco’s successor when Carrero Blanco was assassinated.
That “or so we hope” was eerily quiet
For those who are interested:
AskatasunA, that last "a" is the definite article ("the" in English). The title sounds strange to a native speaker :)
So: Who were ETA?* would be preferable.
Also, some (Spanish speaking) people use that "the" offensively.
Just trying to help!
Thank you for your videos!
Yeah, "The ETA" sounds really grating. Like "The NASA". At least he didn't sound out the letters (The Eeh Tee Ayy) like some ppl do. The pronunciation was on point, so I'll forgive him.
It's not identical to the article, it's a nominative declension. The reason why the article is not used is because it is an acronym that not even in Spanish or English would carry article "the Vasconia and Freedom"? Nope. "Vasconia and Freedom", it's proper name, unlike *the* Irish Republican Army, where "army" does demand the article.
amazing video as usual - could you do one looking at the history of astor dell? people need to know about the war crimes
Skreeeeeee Sky's dad is a war criminal cancel Winx
1. ETA did not fight against France, except punctually in self-defense, and was focused on the southern provinces. There was a small group which did fight in the North against France, Iparretarrak (the Northern ones, also word-play that can be read as "those of ETA of the North" but never affiliated to nor backed by ETA).
2. Never in my life heard of "ATA" it's not in any history book of the many written about ETA, nobody in the Basque Country ever heard of "ATA" (until recently because it has been used as the title of a blog: "Amnistia ta Askatasuna" = "Amnesty and Freedom" and sometimes is equated with supposed attempts to extend ETA's life). ETA was born as a non-military organization in the late 50s, when there was still some anti-fascist guerrilla (AFAIK the last attack against Franco of the post-war generation happened in 1960 or 1962). In the summer of 1968 they began military activities as you described correctly.
3. ETA was NOT "anti-religion", I personally know old militants who consider themselves Christians to this very day (to my own surprise and the laughter of the younger generation) but key leaders like Argala, the main actor in the execution of Carrero Blanco, were definitely devout Christians and began their activism as such.
4. In ETA-V the V must be read as "five" or as "Fifth Assembly". I'm unsure of the exact differences with the other ETA branches (too young to remember) but almost certainly they were not more to the right, but more to the left and less nationalist and produced the all-Spain Communist Revolutionary League (Trotskyist), but maybe those were ETA-VI (six), it can get confusing.
5. The GAL was not a novelty: dirty war had existed all the way since late fascism, it just went by other names: Batallón Vasco-Español (Basque-Spanish Batallion), Guerrilleros de Cristo Rey (Guerrillas of Christ King), etc. GAL (sometimes GANE) was just the new acronym that the PSOE (Labour) government used for its murderous activities. They barely targeted any ETA members (whose identities were seldom known and who obviously were in hiding in any case) but mostly political activists like my grandpa's neighbor Santiago Brouard or Egin newspaper's journalists or taverns suspected to be sympathetic with ETA, etc. It was more indiscriminate political terror than actual anti-ETA activity.
6. The street riots (kale borroka) not affiliated but sympathetic with ETA were not in crescendo since the late 80s but rather the opposite. The reason was that replacement of very ineffective Spanish police by Basque Autonomous Police (Israeli-trained, less focused on direct beatings, murder and torture, more on locating the suspects and arresting them possibly days after the facts, more professional and obsessed with filling everything with security cameras) resulted in what was originally pretty much an open rioting social activity, with no or very limited organization, became much more specialized because only those with some training, organization and discipline could hope to remain at large. It evolved from being a common "popular activity" to a secretive akmost military discipline (and often the prequel to a life of ETA membership culminating in long prison sentences or possibly death by police happy trigger).
7. I don't think the abandonment of arms has to do much with 9-11 or Islamist terror (of very different nature), it has more to do with the decline of leftist struggles everywhere, especially the negotiations between the IRA and Britain, which some hoped to imitate (but Spain is not Britain, so there was never a proper negotiation and only a surrender). Other related struggles like the Corsican liberation fight, the Sahrawi one, the Palestinian one... were all in decline or frozen. While in the 70s and 80s Europe and the Mediterranean was brewing with lots of leftist guerrillas, many associated to national liberation, in the 00s that was not the case anymore. It has more to do if anything with the collapse of the USSR, which was a reference even if most were also critical with them.
Who came here after newjeans ETA teaser
Me, I had to learn more
Meee🥹
hello, Hilbert. I was wondering if you could make a video about the Polisario Front in Western Sahara and all the drama between Morocco & W.S as there is so much I still don't understand about it. Thx!
Hello there, I will going explain you a little.
The sahara was a Spanish protectorado, fully of tribal groups called taifas, they were very violent and Spain summited them at beginning of the XX century, after WWII decolonization process start take place, Franco get sick and marruecos take that like a opportunity and launch a massive invasion whit civilians called the green March and Spain have to get out there, sahara get split between marruecos and Mauritania, but people living there doesn't want to be part of neither both, so they create the frente polisario to confront them, Mauritania get out but marruecos still fighting until this day, 35% of their PBI goes to military because the frente polisario, at the same time their people go to Spain to have the opportunities that marruecos don't give them.
I actually appreciate that an english youtuber makes so many videos about the history of Spain, thanks Hilbert! :D
I think he is Dutch xD
@@thequantumcat184 Oh... That makes a lot more sense now
The FLNC in Corsica is often overlooked as well, a video on them would be phenomenal. :)
A group retook arms recently but haven't done much.
fun fact the FLNC and ETA as a song about thier friendship
@@shadowcelica5554 If you mean “Askatasunera” I know it. Beautiful song.
@@LuisAldamiz looooool the FLNC did 80 bomb attacks this year
@@LePierrackOfficiel - Did they? They're getting no echo outside the island, they're being silenced. Thanks for the info.
Thanks for covering the subject, I am Basque and this is a subject that still continues to be talked about, so I like to see that there are English speakers who speak about it. Mila Esker.
Freedom to euskara. Im chechen we have suffered the same
Nj stans or kpop stan should watching that
Mee💀😩
Can you make a video on the Scottish National Liberation Army (SNLA)?
Basque and the Catalan: aight we wanna leav-
España: hold it right there, señor
Actually, it's a minority of violent totalitarians that use violence as a way to force the hand of the majority.
I am a catalan independentist. Violence should always be avoided unless it becomes the only way to survive as a people.
@@herman1francis May I ask which are your reasons for being independentist? Im just curious.
@@jonoc3729 Of course I am happy to oblige. Let's imagine you are a french person, you might not be, but for the sake of the argument please bear with me. Imagine the official language of france is German, imagine every single political decision concerning france is decided in Berlin, imagine all of the tax payment made by french people has to be sent to german controlled berlin (AKA Madrid) imagine that "napoleon bonaparte" wiki's page states that he was german. Imagine that making a law which states that french kids should learn french in school had to be validated by the german state. And Now, ask a french person if they would agree with all that I have stated.
@@jonoc3729 us, the catalans, speak a different language, have different traditions, different mentality, a most different history, and most importantly we were added to the spanish crown by force under military occupation, do you think any group of disctinct people would be okay under the rule of another very disctinct group that occupied you by force?
Nationalists, is an understatement. Franco was a fascist, let's not forget that.
Yeah. "nationalist" Spain. Call a spade a spade. It was fascist
@@alex-sv8ru still is! the son's of franquistas are the ones in power today, there's pictures of them doing the fascist salute.
@@SaintMichael82 Roman salute*
Can you make a video about the Carnation Revolution? There aren’t any good explainer type videos about it on TH-cam. Thanks!
I would just like to make it understood that the Basque language is not a dialect. It is a completely different indigenous language unrelated to any other language. Franco tried to eliminate the Basque language and culture beginning with his request for Hitler to bomb the Basque capital Gernika. The repression of the Basque was severe throughout Franco’s dictatorship. Euskara survived nevertheless . The Basque Country is inhabited by Spanish immigrants who do not speak the language and very often do not have the same pride a Basque speaker has. In fact, one definition of a Basque is “one who speaks Basque”.
What are the origins & symbolism of the basque flag?
“Similar in pattern to the Union Jack, the flag was designed by the founders of the Basque Nationalist Party EAJ-PNV, Luis and Sabino Arana, and is commonly regarded as the national but unofficial symbol of the Basque Country (Euskal Herria). It is widely seen in the French Basque Country and forms part of the unofficial flag of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the French overseas community in North America that was settled by French Basque and also many Spanish Basque sailors. The Ikurriña is also the flag of the Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ-PNV). A controversy exists because at first it was only the symbol of a section of the party (the section of Biscay) and many persons thought that another flag must represent the territory.
The red ground symbolizes the Biscayne people, the green saltire might represent the Oak of Guernica, a symbol of the old laws of Biscay, or Fueros; and over them, the white cross, God's symbol of Basque Catholic devotion. Thus, red, white and green have become the national Basque colors.”
@@alfredthegreatkingofwessex6838 cool
TLDR: It was designed by the basque nationalist party EAJ-PNV in 1894.
Red = Biscanye
Green = Oak of guernica
White = Catholocism
In summary, Sabino and Luis Arana made it up. Total invention with no history background.
@Ir lizThat’s a matter for History 101. The list is just huge.
It’s so Interesting to see the parallels betweeen the basque community, the Catalans, the Kurds and the Balochs and their wants for independence.
Eta was just an answer on Franco's dictatorship who was looking on Basques and Catalans as second-class citiezens
Thats absolute false. Actually it was Franco who developed Basq Country and Catalunha.
Thats absolute false!!
@@alexandresoleiro4149 thats actually false. It was in the early XIX when it started, as Catalonia or Asturias, to develop on industry. So your words are just manipulation and false.
The best steel in Spain is produced in the Basque country, so many industries were established there and Catalonia is the link with the rest of Europe, so with Madrid and the Basque country the other region most benefited under the Franco regime. The rest of Spain payed their development. The idea of Basques and Catalans being second class citizens is part of the nationalistic narrative of playing victims. For me it's amazing the number of naive people, especially those who declare themselves as leftists, who buy this nonsense: the richest and most privileged thinking they are the victims of the poor. If you understand the narrative that made Brexit possible, you can basically understand what's going on in the Basque Country and Catalonia, because the lies are very similar.
@@alfgui3295 Franco settled Spaniards from poorer regions in Catalonia and the Basque Country in order to change the ethnic composition of the region and in this way suppress the movement for independence, in my opinion this does not exactly work in favor of both nations. As for the repression, Catalan and Basque languages were STRICTLY forbidden, parents were only allowed to give their children Spanish names, for speaking or communicating in the language of your ancestors you were dragged off the tram and at best beaten to blood , you were despised and pushed aside if you did not define yourself as Spanish. Once again, I am not a supporter of terrorism or killing in any way, but it is necessary to clearly understand what is the action here that triggered the reaction.
Thanks for that video! I either forgot or never knew about Carrero Blanco's assassination and its importance for Spain's transition back to democracy.
It's a rather uncomfortable truth for the more monarchist sector of Spanish society that a bunch of basque sepis did more for democracy by kickstarting our space programme that Juan Carlos did by accepting to be the sugar-free version of what Franco wanted for him.
great video, but I think there is a little mistake. Franco died in 1975 and spain became a democratic constitutional monarchy in 1978, but France didnt start to collaborate in the persecution of ETA until de late 80s when Spain became a part of the NATO, the EEC and other international institutions.
Actually one of the main goals of the GAL was to force France to persecute ETA by bringing the violence to their country.
Then why do I remember the campaign of boycott against French products from c. 1984, maybe even earlier?
5 months ago, but ETA is historically best and most dangerous organisation alongside PIRA, and Corsican Liberation Army. Thanks for educating people and letting understand them why ETA fought.
Edit: i really mean it thanks for these types of videos.
Pkk
FLNC, not "liberation army"
It would be very interesting that you made a video about Andorra!
Hipercor bombing was kind of a missed highlight
This is a good video
But I'm still wanting a Shropshire video😔
Currently living in Biarritz which is a french town by the sea with very strong basque culture. Very interesting to learn about this part of their history. Good video
Biarritz is Euskal Herria. Please inform yourself about where you are living. Ondo izan
@@nile8686 Biarritz was in the Gascon (Occitan) speaking area, traditionally, they have nothing to do with modern Basque language, it was demonstrated in the 19th century, the Basque thing is a tourism strategy.
@@rafaelmonzumiguez8730 lol ive talked to locals in euskera ye can't fool me
I'm not fooling or anything, I'm telling how it has been historically, there's documental proof of it: Linguistic map of the "Gascogne" and Louis Napoleon Bonaparte' works.
Nice! I've been waiting for this one!
Where is plant? A or B?
Hi Hilbert. Love the vids. I find them really informative and entertaining. It´s stuff I don´t find anywhere else.
However... the over-use of the word 'However' is a bit annoying, especially in this vid. One could consider structuring sentences slightly differently so that words like 'While' or 'Nonetheless' or ´Consequently´ could be employed. One golden rule of writing is never to use the same word to start sentences more than once every paragraph.
I hope not to bum you, my remark is meant as constructive criticism.
ETA-PM, tells you they don’t estimate time arrivals in the morning.
I'd reccomend doing a video on the FLQ and the October crisis
Anyone here beacuse of the New jeans controversy😭
Do one on the Irish National Liberation Army
Dunno how obscure this is, but can you do a vid on the Red River Rebellion and Louis Riel?
Very obscure. Never heard of them.
@@LuisAldamiz he's Canada's Ned Kelly
@@b3nzayizkoolyo - Why do I ask? I still had to go to Wikipedia... let's see: Ned Kelly, sounds Irish... well, Australian revolutionary hero apparently but a bit like Billy the Kid. Cool.
Yes, I subscribe: we need to learn of revolutions, successful and failed alike. Cheers.
Hi Hilbert, I’ve discovered your channel just recently and have seen hours of movies yet. Very interesting content, thanks. Since you have a certain interest in Dutch and Frisian history, I was wondering why that would be. You live in Northumbria (EN) right? Is one of your parents from Frisian heritage or is there another reason?
The word eta in basque means “and”. So imagine the fear of non-basque speakers when they hear basque spoken xd
Bruh, that's genius
ETA destroyed thousands of lives. It is a stain in our country that thankfully we left behind, but the level of hostility towards everyone else (left and right politicians, moderates or radicals, people who had nothing to do with politics...) and the pain it inflicted to the Euskadi's ans Spanish society it's unmeasurable.
Is there a small portion of ETA still free and active or are they all either incarcerated or have they all stopped their operations?
There's absolutely zero armed activity in the Basque Country today other than that sanctioned by the Spanish state (police, military). ETA fully and inconditionally surrendered. There are former members and sympathizers who more or less disagree (especially disagree with not really fighting even via nonviolent means, about having abandoned all struggle or almost so) but right now and for the foreseeable future (and other than the occasional semi-spontaneous sabotage) all Vasconia is occupied and Asterix is nowhere to be seen.
@@LuisAldamiz ETA did not surrender lol. it was dissolved by internal decision, not due to spain or international acts
@@Ginceubko Without achieving anything, not even the liberation of prisoners. It was a total surrender.
@@LuisAldamiz it was not a surrender. It was a dissolution.
@@Ginceubko - Same thing. ETA ended without achieving any of its goals and de facto accepting therefore the Spanish occupation of Vasconia, their laws, their prisons, their tribunals, etc. And did so on its own decision. I call it a surrender and I don't think it can be called otherwise.
By contrast the IRA achieved a peace treaty which granted them some of their demands.
Long live the Basques and their struggle for independence
cope
@@carlosignacio6735 lmao, your name is Carlos, your opinion is worthless
@@shekelgangiv3411 im chechen. The world thinks the same of us as they think of basque people. Freedom is only a matter of time
3:50 This is not entirely true. France still did not help much against ETA terrorist hiding in their territory until Berluscino was president in the 2000's. One of the french PMs (or ministers, cant remember) literally thought that Spain's transition to democracy was a façade, and that ETA were still "freedom fighters" similar to the ideolized resistance of France during WW2.
Berluscino? If you mean Berlusconi he was Prime Minister of Italy, not of France.
It's true that France was neutral-ish re. ETA for a while, mostly because they used it as leverage to get other things, but soon it was cooperating 200% with Spain against ETA. I was barely 14 when the "boycott French products" was a strong campaign, i.e. it was around 1982, when Miterrand was president and nationalized the French banks, an I was all like: shouldn't we begin by boycotting the Spanish products?
Navarre is my ancestors homeland, and I cant help feel a dissonance between the ideologies of ethnolinguistic self-rule, and the ideology of the Westphalian Nation-State.
How so? Navarre was sovereign before it was conquered.
@@bixkibat481 well look all around the world east west 3rd world, doesn't matter. Many many mations are making concessions to long time minority populations. I want to see Basques have more independence but IDK if I necessarily agree that breaking up political borders for ethnolinguistic ones is a solution.
@@lanmarknetworking3034 I could agree, but I want to add that there does not exist a solution as such. No change or lack of change will satisfy everyone.
An increase on independence will satisfy some, but not all. Especially considering that that increased independenced can be revoked at any time.
The long term solution (end of the conflict) will be either the independence or the disappearance of the basque ethnolinguistic group.
In all sincerity, I do not see the independence coming, so we will have conflict for the coming decades.
@@bixkibat481 my ancestors came to north America about a century after the lower Navarre was lost, so even back then they knew.
Multiculturalism is such a fleeting dream, but it really seems like many western societies just devolve into this "separate but equal" type of mentality, and non-western societies use apartheid or worse. IDK.
@@lanmarknetworking3034 I do think states can do and have done horrible things to their citizens, particularly to the minorities.
I do not quite get why many people think a big country will be easier on the minorities, considering they will have more people being a minority.
ngl the white masks and black berets look really cool
This is a both great, and honest video! I'm glad you told the story objectively. This is still a thing that has affected us basques, but it's still important to tell it objectively, without the right-wing bigotry or the promotion of the terrorist acts that the group did. Eskerrik asko, Hilbert!
Could you do one on the years of lead in Italy?
How could we forget ETA, the first group that tried to start a Spanish Space Program hahahahahahahhahahaha
THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS BRO
It's hard to associate a Basque Independence with anti-religion. To me, it's just bizarre
Traditional Basque independence was very conservative and endorsed Catholicism.
That branch has lost power, though.
@Ir liz like the rest of Spain.
ETA was not anti-religious, it was non-religious (as it was marxist). And the main political force for the last 40 years in the basque country has been PNV (basque nationalist party), which is still a center-right, christian democratic party.
@Ir liz Yes, and its kind of ironic because in the flag a colour is a reference of God
I know it has nothing to do with what you said but as a fun fact the word bizarre comes from the Basque word "bizarra" meaning beard and I think it's the only English word originating from Basque
please do the polasario front or FLNC next i love this series
4:32 wait...so they used Terrorist tacticts against terrorist, so the terrorists stop being terrorists?... That's wild! :D
Fun fact: saying ETA is good is a crime in Spain, and many people got arrested including some famous people, that get as much as life in prison. But in the other hand, saying that Franco is good is apparently freedom of speech.
Franco is more than dead, ETA is still too recent. If you speak about Franco, you're not endangering the current peace and democracy, because Franco will never rise again, if you support ETA, you are, because they could rise up again at any moment. In the future, people will be able to talk about ETA freely.
@@asdfomfglol Not true, special forces can fight ETA at any moment, and something similar as Franco can rise again, as the fascist political party is rising up and they plan in making a dictatorship.
> Franco is more than dead
Right, But the Spanish gov't is going more and more towards that direction, it seems
@@spanishball9449 Don't talk bullshit. Spain is suffering the consecuences of having a radical socialist/communist government that is destroying the country from within while the global view towards the country seems to be a very distorted one. In Spain, justify or support terrorism and fascism in public is forbbiden, so there's not any fascist political party. If the Right is rising, it's because the people is tired of seeing how a bunch of "freedom fighters" psychopaths spent millions of € in useless stuff while the taxes rises and the economy drown.
@@thecakeisalie6392 Bullshit, socialism has removed the corruption of the past governments. Also there is a party called VOX which is facsist and they are the 3rd most powerful, and stop talking bs because you aren't even spanish. Plus the taxes have been lowered.
Lots of parallels to the IRA. If I'm not mistaken they did share weapons
The IRA were much less Marxist.
And the IRA had a true reason to fight for. Ireland literally starving to death.
ETA... They were assassins
@@Uchigatana-MHFZZ Ireland was not starving to death in 1970 when the provisional IRA was formed, simply untrue, of course Irish people were still discriminated against in the north just as the basques were under Franco in their homeland. I am irish my father was a “Provo” as we call it, how can you say we have a claim to legitimacy but the basques do not? Do the basques not have a right to self determination? Are they not culturally different? Therefore do they not have the right to take up arms? Just as we did in Ireland
@@Uchigatana-MHFZZ The IRA did not exist during the Potato Famines.
@@Uchigatana-MHFZZ ETA just want independence.
"Our guns shall bring us victory"
Who fights can lose, who doesn't fight already lost.
Very interesting. I'd like to learn more about the Basque country and the politics of the place and any flags used.
What was the views and relations with the Basque people and the rest of Spainish people?
Is there affinity between the Catalan and Basque regions?
sometimes I wonder, how does Hilbert view my Spanish lads?
Badly. At some points in the video, you can see he seems to sympathise with these child-murderers.
@Ir liz Simplemente está diciendo que el autor muestra una equidistancia que solo se explica desde la mala consideración que tienen los anglosajones de España.
@Ir liz Si uno ve el vídeo y no es español seguramente acabe pensando que ETA es una especie de Frente Polisario que luchó contra el franquismo, en lugar de una banda terrorista que cometió la mayoría de sus crímenes en democracia y contra civiles o policías y guardias civiles de pueblo sin ningún poder real; personas que se limitaban a hacer su trabajo en el sitio que les había tocado. En el vídeo se omite todo eso, que es esencialmente en lo que derivó ETA con la complacencia de buena parte de la sociedad vasca y de la izquierda española en general.
La contextualización histórica ya está bastante sesgada, se transmite la idea de que los vascos eran homogéneamente antifranquistas, cuando tanto Navarra como el País Vasco eran algunas de las regiones más conservadoras de España. Los carlistas eran casi todos navarros o vascos, y el PNV, en la medida en que era un partido conservador, vio con buenos ojos el alzamiento nacional ante los tintes comunistas que estaba adquiriendo la República.
Solo cuando la República se comprometió a conceder un estatuto de autonomía el PNV cambió de bando. Pero la división era grande, si Navarra y Álava preservaron sus fueros durante la dictadura fue precisamente por el apoyo al franquismo en estas dos regiones. Por otro lado, se habla de la agenda nacionalista de Franco (y se exagera al decir que se prohibió el euskera; cuando sería mucho más preciso decir que simplemente el castellano se convirtió en la lengua de la administración), pero se omite por completo la agenda nacionalista del PNV.
La parte del vídeo que no es de contextualización histórica concede excesiva importancia a las penas de muerte ordenadas por Franco y a los GAL, pero no se menciona por ejemplo el atentado de Hipercor, las cartas y amenazas de muerte con que los etarras amenazaban a familias ni las casi 1000 muertes de ETA. Sin embargo sí menciona expresamente que el gobierno de Aznar acusó primeramente a ETA del 11M. Hay en todo el vídeo una excesiva complacencia que solo se explica si se comprende cómo es España en el imaginario anglosajón (y en el de otras culturas). El punto de partida es siempre el mismo: el prejuicio hacia lo español y la consideración de que todo lo que se oponga a lo que se considera "lo español" debe de tener algo bueno.
Nada de esto se dice en el vídeo, pero se transmite. Está en lo mucho que se explica las causas que, a su juicio, hicieron aparecer a ETA y en lo poco que se explica en qué consistía ETA de verdad.
La chapa es larga. El vídeo me ha parecido injusto y he querido dar mi opinión, nada más. Un saludo.
@@virtualboy2430 No lo podría haber explicado mejor, el mundo entero le tiene un odio/repudio generalizado a lo español que no entiendo.
@@virtualboy2430 - Es que eso es lo que es: una especie de Frente Polisario pero más antiguo que el Frente Polisario. Ya vale con denigrar a los gudaris, así no habrá nunca paz!
I had no idea they were around so recently!
Yeah, they even are in the government right now, they leader even kidnapped people.
@Ir liz Asesino.
@Ir liz Otegui no estuvo en la carcel por lo que hizo? Perdona?
@@jesusmena3505 - They are not in the government, first of all because ETA does not exist anymore, second of all because EH Bildu is not in any government above municipal level. Also Otegi did not kidnap anyone, I know from a former cop with whom I shared job that it was a self-kidnapping by the Cantabrian industrial and that Otegi was just a scapegoat. Not that I like Otegi at all anyhow, but he's innocent of what he was accused and for what he served prison.
Killing fascist? fighting for democracy? Fighting for national self determination? Thses guys don't really seem like terorrists, rather as a generous freedom fighter group.
🗿🗿🗿
>Kills a lot of random people and rarely attack government buildings they claim to hate.
>Democracy came and they were still trying to commit terrorist attacks
Leftwingers haven't changed for the last 60 years.
the only difference being, is that they have been bought by capitalists
Well they are still Terrorists because they caused fear. Which translates into terror. But sometimes you have to fight fire with fire yk
The thing with theses kinds of organizations is that they can reemerge at any second
One can not really put the Basques as a fully pro republican and socialist entity in the civil war and in the Spanish republic though. Basques were pretty much equally divided between separatists socialists and Republicans and catholics, loyalists and carlists. Many important nationalist thinkers of the time like Maeztu were basque. There is a funny anecdote of how the carlist troops in the basque area spoke basque in their transmissions and letters because the separatists and Republican supporters couldn't understand them. Another funny anecdote is that the father of Basque nationalism and separatism was from a staunchly carlist family his parents living in the French part due to having to leave Spain as his father supported the carlist troops with equipment and arms
Thanks for this Hilbert, Very interesting 😊
Why would you call the killing of Melitón Manzanas a murder if his killing was completely justified?
Also you didn’t talk about the current state of the Basque culture and language within Spain and France.
This is a video of eta, not of the basque country
@@ryanrg8511They’re directly linked. ETA’s purpose is to preserve the Basque people’s culture and language. If the culture and language are preserved then they don’t have much of a leg to stand on for wanting independence.
Wow. My grandpa was a legend.
Gora Euskal Herria askatuta!
Hey Hilbert could u make a video about Puerto Rico current situation and bring some light to my country it would be a pleasure if u could
In 1973 Luis Carrero Blanco became Spain's first astronaut with ETA's help
My father is a Guardia Civil member and ETA murdered 2 of his coworkers in 2009 in Palmanova. Not forgetting and not forgiving.
It's terrorism not "violent struggle", you wouldn't call the Bataclan massacre a struggle right? You fail to mention that most of their victims and targets were civilians. Almost one thousand innocents killed.
Two little girls were killed in my village when I was 10, a thousand km away from Basque country, by a bomb planted on the street. Why target civilians so far away from there? Because many had fled the violence to the south and had to be punished, both the people who fled and those who welcomed them. That's ETA, as well as bombs in supermarkets, shooting innocent politicians in the back, blackmailing small businesses etc.
I literally called them terrorists in the video as well, nor do I ever say their actions were justified or that I supported their means. Please do not jump to conclusions that are unfounded.
@@historywithhilbert I'm not saying you support them of course but there's this narrative of romantisation of their actions outside of Spain that is very disrespectful, not saying you have done on purpose but is hard to have the same perspective. Similarly, I'm sure you are aware of the terrible killings of civilians but in your video it gives the impression that it was only police or government members. People you mention were civilians but I think it's not clear for someone who doesn't know who Miguel Ángel Blanco is. Love your work, this is just constructive criticism on a very complex topic that can't be fully covered in a 5 min vídeo obviously.
They view it as violent struggle. He called them terrorists too. It’s not his job to make judgements about the things he talks about, just to give information.
you don't have a clue what you are talking about, you can be against ETA and condemn their killings but you can't compare them to the Bataclan islamist massacre is truly disgusting, ETA might have killed civilians, maily by accident, but that was never it purpose as it was for the islamist, ETA has never cut the testicles and pull out eyes of teenagers to behead them after, ETA has not killed thousand of civilians indiscriminately in Europe like the islamists have done. You are a liar and anyone can check how fake are your claims
i honestly have no idea how or why but i already knew about the ETA. I've never really studied Spain and know nothing almost about the Basque.
they appeared in narcos
@@ecyol6647 neat. I wish they'd cover more unknown terrorist/organized crime groups like the ETA in media rather then making every organized criminal gang an italian mafia, Mexican or columbian cartel, or maybe a russian mobster and every terrorist group is an Al-Qaeda knockoff or maybe from the IRA if we're lucky. People forget all the communist cells globally, the far right groups that terrorized the Balkans and italy, the ETA, and countless others. They forget about the Jewish, Scottish, and Irish mafias.
@@arthas640 I totally recommend you watching the spanish series "patria", i think you can find it in HBO and represents quite well how the basque society was in the 80s and 90s
@@ecyol6647 thanks, I'll check it out
I havent' really studied about IReland and i know the IRA. What is your point?
if they were successful, and let's say this happened in the 1930's, The Basque Country would be a country nowadays. "Terrorist" groups nowadays would've been called independent armies back in the day.
No not really, if they had fought a legitimate guerilla war maybe, but they didn't. They resorted to bombing civilians which makes them terrorists.
@@Kevc00 hard to start a war without political power
@@eb.3764 we did it in Ireland
@@Kevc00 Do you have any better strategy’s on how to fight a war in urban areas in the age of technology? Would you say America’s air striking of civilians in the Middle East is legitimate? No one can condone everything that happens in a conflict situation it simply is not possible every war is a dirty war
@@Kevc00 The Basques didn't kill civilians. And even if they did, that's necessary because they aren't as powerful as the Spanish State.
You did not mention the hundreds of deaths caused by the terror group, and the Impuesto Revolucionario (Revolutary Tax, more or less) busness owners had to pay to ETA a certain amount or they were killed. This "Taxing" caused many many deaths, specially the Basque Country.
Also the part on which they decided to rely on the youth to burn down public infrastructure and create unrest was called Kale Borroka (Street Fighting) and it was more akin to violent protest than part of the terrorist organisation, of course ETA had a major role in creating this street fighting but those who participated in it could not be considered terrorists.
The rest of the video is short and informative, what can be expected of a 5 minute video.
Some Basques fought for Franco too.
The carlists.
Yes, of course, but most Basque nationalists fought for the Republicans
they fought in the nationalist side, but not for franco, they wanted a monarchy and have the fueros back
Pretty good video, gotta say
Ah Yes always wanted to learn more about ETA!
Glad I could help out :)
@@historywithhilbert Hilbert do you know of any good books on ETA?
@@thealaskanseparatist6786 You can Read "Patria" of Fernando Aramburu... They rencetly did a serie bases in the Book.
You got also some good books about the origins of the band.... Books about the víctims caused by the band.... Books about the dirty fight of the spanish goverment doing state terrorism with the GAL band.... Books about the tortures makes by the police and Guardia civil....
Welcome to the Guardia Civil watchlist
@@thealaskanseparatist6786 The Ghosts of Spain has a chapter on ETA.
You should do a video on the Ertzaintza
What i dont get is why Spain dint just wipe the ETA out.
Because they cant kill more than a million people?
@Ir liz sorry but i have no sympathy for terrorists that use violence on innocent people.
@@3haAD900 Oh i dint mean the basque people i meant the terrorist.
@Ir liz oh you know what i mean.
@Ir liz He elaborated, he meant ETA not the Basques
This was awesome!
Sorry but anti religion is wrong 1:15
Just strictly secular because the church in the history of Spain often sides with fascists. But we Basques are socially conservative people. Conservative party dominates politics here. And we are proud of ourselves and Galicians for remaining independent during the time of Andalusian Islamic Empires. Castilians often have North African (mostly Muslim but also Jewish) ancestors but are in denial. They were forced to become Catholic at one point. I always tell right wing Spaniards not to hate magrebis they are their cousins :)
Castilians did the Reconquista while you did nothing.
@@mili6580 hahahahah biggest joke go read history
Man big love to basque people. You deserve freedom more than anyone from spain. Im chechen we have suffered the same
@@Ц1ечой95 God bless you my brother I have massive respect for chechens they are warrior's nation
Im Spanish but i never lived in Spain, I've only traveled there since i was an infant to meet my family but ive never heard of this group.
After watching this i dont really understand, were they good people or bad?
Good people fighting for their freedom against a facist government
If i remember correctly carlist fought for franco and they were overwhelmingly basques
Indeed, Basque Nationalism has been traditionally very far-right wing and conversarive.
The leftist Basque movement is relatively new.
Yes, they wnated to have federal rights, in fact Vasque people were really patriot for Spain but eith teir region federal, but Franco didnt gave autonomy to them and suppressed them and eta originated.
Can you do the Mafia next?
Free the basque prisoners!
cope
I know its not in the scope of this video and is a topic that deserves its own discussion, but its worthwhile to at least mention *why* ETA rejected the process of "transition" to democracy and continued their armed struggle. You dont have to agree with them, not saying that at all, but its much more educational and useful to actually assess their motives rather than just assume theyre irrational and chose violence for violence sake.
Well, I watched the video rather than commenting 😋
One of the blessed few ;)
@@historywithhilbert I did Erasmus in Spain and spent a year there so I'm finding the Spanish themed content very interesting. This was a very thorough overview of ETA in 10 minutes.
Did you know that ETA is roughly translated to Basque and freedom (I live in the Basque Country)
I am just a bit curious about the left wing terrorism organizations, like ETA. So how is the ETA legacy in Basque Country? Are they respected? Are there studies on them in Spanish.
@@alfredwang7607 Well, depends on who you ask! You see, there are some people that really respect ETA (I know a few, and, and they're who you expect: Obnoxious assholes that think that that shit is “national pride”). The thing with ETA is that the Spanish government arrested multiple innocent people for speaking Basque (this doesn't mean that what ETA was doing is right). No real “studies” have been taken. Even with ETA, Spain is still a prosperous and rich country, and should not be mistaken/think it's similar with countries like Afghanistan, Irag, Syria etc.
Are you ethnic basque?
@@alfredwang7607The Ira also has some far left, or just left wing groups as well.
"or so we hope" lmao
What's your ETA? What's your ETA?
ETA lost pretty much all popular support when they blew up the barracks of the Guardia Civil. Prior even though most didn't agree with them or not fully they had the sympathy of a lot of people as they were seen as a "resistance" against the regime and most of their killings had only been Guardia civil officers which were rather unpopular in many places. The attacks on the Barracks was different though because this is where the officers lived with their families wifes children etc isolated from the rest of the population for security reasons. And they killed a lot of civilians, a lot of women and children. It was so gruesome they basically lost all sympathies and support except of those die hard separatists. The other occasion is when they kidnapped a basque PP politician from the local level and killed him in retaliation for some busts and arrests. And as he was very young only in his early twenties and quite popular in his area and completely innocent just targeted because he belonged to a certain party this time even the basque separatists were disgusted
nop. ETA lost the popular support it kept for decades with the assasination of Blanco, not related to the Guardia Civil hahahah
@@Ginceubko not really. Most people at the time even if most didn't approve of it understood that this meant the regime couldn't continue at least not the way it had been till now
@@bnb6868 nah, that's false. You just hace to study it more. Look at the raids done in favor of Blanco
@@Ginceubko Don't confuse government crackdowns with popular sentiment
@@bnb6868 don't confuse minority polls with official referendums. And I haven't said anything about governments lol