Territory and Terror: Conflicting Nationalisms in the Basque Country

All Basque interpretations of national power have resulted in an uneasy mix of often fragmented and conflicting territorial identifications.

Basques can identify themselves with France, Spain or an imagined Basque nation state. Territory and Terror confronts the imagined and actual territorial dimensions of nationalism, shedding new light on the Basque conflict.

The study provides a rich description of territoriality analysed from a comparative perspective and explores the relation between territoriality and regional differences in conflict intensity. It supplies an account of the oft-overlooked internal struggles between Basques, arguing that overestimation of Basque nationalism as the ideological force behind the conflict often leads to a disregard of the identification of many with France or Spain. In addition, the author investigates the conflicts between Basque nationalists themselves over key issues such as terrorist activity.

Territory and Terror will appeal to students and researchers of nationalism and territoriality, in particular to those with an interest in the Basque country.

Jan Mansvelt Beck is associate professor of geography at the University of Amsterdam. His research is focused on Spain and France and, in particular, on ethno-nationalism within these states.