Regionalism and Secession: German Bavarian and Spanish Catalan Regionalism, Heimat Mediation, Kulturnation, Demystifying Nazi Centralism, Castilian Hegemony, Francoist Spain 1939-1975

Nonfiction, History, Germany, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, International

• Author: Progressive Management
• ISBN: 9781311102645
• Publisher: Progressive Management
• Publication: March 25, 2016
• Imprint: Smashwords Edition
• Language: English

Professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction, this study provides a historical analysis of Bavarian and Catalan regionalism and argues that autonomy mitigates secession if the predominant state has accommodated sub-state regionalism. This thesis explains that the EU can either strengthen or weaken regional governments, depending upon the nature of the relationship between the regional governments and their associated national government. This thesis argues that the security of both a newly independent state and its parent government is worse off in the short term; the severity of the security situation depends on the nature of the divorce.

Catalonia and Bavaria today cling tightly to their linguistic distinctiveness, their cultural traditions, their culinary specialties, and their political particularity. Even after the passage of some centuries, these regions have not yet amalgamated into the nation states that contain them. And yet, Bavaria's stubborn regionalism does not translate into any real longings for secession, whereas many Catalonians struggle actively and adamantly for autonomy. Why are there strong independence movements in Spain, but not in Germany? How have state formation and the relationship between the center and the region affected independence movements?

CHAPTER I * INTRODUCTION * A. MAJOR RESEARCH QUESTION AND THESIS STATEMENT * B. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH QUESTION * C. LITERATURE REVIEW * 1. Autonomy and Secession * 2. Origins and Causes of Regional Movements in Spain and Germany * 3. Local, Regional, and National Identity during Hitler's Germany and Franco's Spain * 4. Regional Representation in the European Union and its Effect on Regional Independence Movements * D. HYPOTHESES AND EXPLANATIONS * E. ROADMAP * CHAPTER II * GERMAN REGIONALISM * A. INTEGRATING GERMAN REGIONS: GERMAN UNIFICATION UP THROUGH WORLD WAR I (1806-1914) * 1. Kulturnation * 2. Preservation of Subnational Institutions * 3. How Heimat Mediated the Local and the National * B. EXPLOITING CULTURAL REGIONALISM (1933-1945) * 1. Location-Based Identity in Nazi Germany * 2. Demystifying Nazi Centralism * C. RETURN TO REGIONALISM (1945-PRESENT) * 1. Protection of Bavaria's Regional Autonomy in Germany's Post-War Institutional Framework * 2. How Bavaria's Economic Transformation Reinforced its Regional Particularity * D. CONCLUSION * CHAPTER III * SPANISH REGIONALISM * A. THE SPANISH EMPIRE: THE WEAK KNOT FOR AN INTERNALLY HETEROGENOUS STATE * 1. Tying the Knot: The Foundations of the Empire * 2. Straining the Knot: The War of Spanish Succession (1702-1714) * 3. The Knot Unravels (1808-1898) * 4. Failed Attempts to Retie the Knot (1909-1942) * B. CASTILIAN HEGEMONY AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR CATALONIAN IDENTITY * 1. Early Attempts at Centralization * 2. Castilian Language becomes Anti-Catalan * 3. The Failed Hopes of 1812 * 4. Francoist Spain 1939-1975 * C. FAILURE TO ACHIEVE A COMMON NATIONAL VISION * D. THE RISE OF CATALANISM AND THE TURN TOWARD SECESSION * 1. 1898-1936: The Rise of Catalanism * 2. The Turn toward Secession: 1978 to the Present * E. CONCLUSION * CHAPTER IV * DOES THE EUROPEAN UNION STRENGTHEN OR WEAKEN REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS? * A. SPANISH INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK BETWEEN REGIONS AND THE CENTER * B. HOW EUROPEAN INTEGRATION HAS AFFECTED REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS IN SPAIN * C. GERMAN INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK BETWEEN THE CENTER AND REGIONS * D. HOW EUROPEAN INTEGRATION HAS AFFECTED REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS IN GERMANY * E. CONCLUSION * CHAPTER V * SECURITY IMPLICATIONS OF SECESSION * A. THE DIFFICULTIES OF ASSESSING THE SECURITY IMPLICATIONS OF AN INDEPENDENT CATALONIA * B. CATALONIA'S PROBLEMATIC ENTRY INTO NATO AND THE EU * C. CATALONIA: INTERNALLY DIVIDED ON DEFENSE * D. THE DIFFICULT PROSPECTS OF BUILDING AN AUTONOMOUS DEFENSE CAPABILITY * E. THE EU IS STILL DIVIDED ON SECESSION WITHIN EUROPE