Griffith or de Valera? The Split of Catalan Nationalism in the Face of the Irish Civil War

Catalan nationalism had always supported Ireland in its struggle for autonomy or independence against the British Empire. The outbreak of the Irish Civil War, nevertheless, surprised Catalanism. This article discusses the difficulties of the main Catalanist political parties in that period-the Lliga Regionalista, Accio Catalana, and Estat Catala-to explain the Anglo-Irish Treaty in the Catalanist milieu as well as the difficulties of differentiating dominion and federation and adopting a coherent position according to their own ideology and to Catalan internal political dynamics. Focusing on this study case, the objective of the article is to show the difficulties of stateless national movements to explain their own politics and objectives from external models. And, likewise, how the look toward an external nationalism can stop being useful or even raise unexpected questions within the movement that tries to explain itself by simplifying the contexts of others.

Automated summary

This article discusses the difficulties faced by Catalan nationalist parties during the Anglo-Irish Treaty period and explores the challenges of stateless national movements in explaining their own politics and objectives.