- We live in times of celebration. Fiftieth anniversary of glorious ephemerides in the official history of Spain. After the conquest of the kingdom of Navarre by Castile (unity and creation of Spain), the discovery of the New World, the first round of the world, the birth of important Basque seamen and military who gave glory and glory to the Spanish Armed Forces... In this context, the heads of the Spanish Army have participated in conferences and public events organized by official and private bodies.
Proof of this is the "V Congress of the Battle of San Marcial. Creation of the Centenary Foundation and Program of ten conferences "March-October 1719-2019 conferences" in San Sebastian, in which the current Duke of Alba will intervene live.
The conferences scheduled in San Sebastian are aimed at publicizing the echoes of the family debates that took place in the War of Succession between the defenders of the Habsburg House and the Casa Borbón after the end of the struggle in 1714. In 1714, Gipuzkoa participated as a war spoil, at which time the siege against the military fortifications of San Sebastian and Hondarribia took place, with the participation of the Third Elder of Sicily number 67 in the defense of the northern border of Spain.
Due to international political reasons, French Marshal Berwick invaded Gipuzkoa in 1719. San Sebastian surrendered on 1 August. Berwick offered to respect the strife for the recent transfer of customs to Castile on the coast, taking advantage of the general discontent of the Basques. To do so, it began to negotiate with the three Basque institutions. On 7 August 1719, Gipuzkoa would submit to the king of France; on 18, San Sebastian, and on 29, Álava. Bizkaia, as early as 11, received an invitation to send a Member. Gipuzkoa contacted Berwick to ensure that England and France would respect the outbreaks of Gipuzkoa if Gipuzkoa returned to Spain, so Gipuzkoa first entered the game of international diplomacy.
Likewise, we will analyze the special legal status of the province of Gipuzkoa, the decisions taken in 1719 to defend that status and the social, economic, cultural and political policies that characterized San Sebastian from the first half of the eighteenth century, as well as other general issues that correspond to another three centuries of history.
The last scheduled conference aims to highlight the work of the Spanish armed forces in peace missions abroad; unlike the American, English and French armies, which act in defense of the economic interests of their countries, the Spaniards act as an NGO with expenses to the Spanish people’s treasury and “ad maiorem dei et hispaniae gloriam”.
The goal of peace was to divide territories between the European monarchies, including the Spanish monarchies, forgetting their subjects, although they were the ones fighting in wars and suffering the consequences of scarcity and economic crises.
The balance of these last five hundred years for Spain is impressive. The sun never became such a large state that today it only has cities of Ceuta and Melilla and the thorn of Gibraltar. In order to reach this regrettable situation, in addition to the great wars that will appear in the programme of conferences, the plain people have had to suffer the war of the villagers, the five Riots, one Zamakolada, three Carlist wars and three Carlist riots, times of misery and emigration, the civil war of 36 and the post-war, without taking into account the social and political riots that they have provoked during all these years.
In the twenty-first century, history has to be critically analyzed and not with the thought of the past. The problem is the difference between the Spanish Official History and Real History. The celebrations we are experiencing are the result of a partial, biased and rigid vision of history, which does not adequately assess the human cost of the glorious struggles, either that which occurred directly among the combatants, that which occurred among the civilian population, or the result of the end of the struggles.
Officially it is not recognized in the Modern Age (15th century). From the end of the eighteenth century to the end of the eighteenth century, and during much of the Contemporary Age, the war that ravaged Europe was the result of the discrepancies between the dynamic heritage of the Royal Houses and the non-observance of the Treaties between the States, many of which were familiar, the objective of peace between the European monarchies, including Spanish, of the separation of territories, which were always forgotten. Indeed, the wealth of the King belonged to the State, and precisely for this reason all the Kings of State wanted to annex the territories through wars that should increase their particular heritage.
The wealth of the King belonged to the State, and precisely for this reason all the Kings of State wanted to annex the territories through wars that would increase their particular heritage.
Luis XIV.aren reflects the Monarchic Absolutism of the Modern Age across Europe. The French Revolution of 1789 ended the Contemporary Age which represents the expression "All for the people but without people" of Enlightened Despotism, which would develop the spirit of the Enlightenment.
It would have taken many years to separate the public domain of the State from the private property of the Royal House, so that the kingdom was not a particular business of the king, and it has to be said that it is a subject that has not yet been overcome homogeneously in all countries. It was necessary to deepen the Enlightenment, develop and create the Modern Public Treasury and the Central Banks in order to define the insatiable economic objectives of the kings and to advance in democratic solutions.
The responsible people die in wars and what must be highlighted is the illegality of the part based on the illegality of the enemies. After the war there are always political, economic and social consequences that are worse for citizens. Down the wars and up the democracy.
*Fernando Merino is a PhD in History by the UPV/EHU.Este
article has been translated into Basque by LUMA.