other · Iberia

Euzkadi (1936-1937)

1936 CE – 1937 CE · capital Bilbao

The first Basque autonomous government, formed during the Spanish Civil War and defeated within a year, after the bombing of Guernica.

Origins

After the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the Second Spanish Republic granted the Basque Country a Statute of Autonomy in October 1936. José Antonio Aguirre of the Basque Nationalist Party was sworn in as first lehendakari under the oak of Guernica on 7 October 1936.

Rule and society

The government controlled only Biscay and part of Gipuzkoa. It raised its own army, issued money and passports, and protected the Catholic Church, unlike much of Republican Spain. Bilbao's industry and port were its base, defended by the fortified Iron Ring.

Decline and legacy

Franco's Army of the North attacked in 1937. German and Italian aircraft destroyed Guernica on 26 April 1937, and Bilbao fell on 19 June. Basque troops surrendered to the Italians at Santoña in August. The government went into exile, and Basque autonomy was restored only in 1979.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Euzkadi (1936-1937). In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/euzkadi-1936-1937
MLA
“Euzkadi (1936-1937).” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/euzkadi-1936-1937. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Euzkadi (1936-1937).” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/euzkadi-1936-1937.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Euzkadi (1936-1937)’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/euzkadi-1936-1937 (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻