BASQUE COUNTRY / EUSKADI

The Basque Country is divided into seven historical provinces :

- Araba    (Cast.: Alava)
- Benapara (Fr.  : Basse-Navarre)
- Biskaia  (Cast.: Vizcaya)
- Gipúzkoa (Cast.: Guipúzcoa)
- Lapurdi  (Fr.  : Labourde)
- Nafaroa  (Cast.: Navarra)  
- Zuberoa  (Fr.  : Soule)

Though they never formed one independent political entity and despite the fact they
are either part of France or of Spain, they are viewed as a unity, the so-called
Zaspiak Bat (Seven into One). (1)

(1) The traditional Basque name for the region was Euskal Herria (Land 
    where Basque is spoken)
    The name Euskadi which is now commonly used was actually only created 
    at the end of the 19th century by Sabino Arana Goiri (1865 - 1903), 
    the founder of the Basque Nationalist Party (Euzko Alderdi Jeltzalea)
    in 1895.
    
    As to (Spanish) Navarra, it only was Basque territory in ancient times,
    the presence of Basque communities now being limited to some northern
    parts of the region.


FRENCH BASQUE COUNTRY
The northern provinces of the Basque country (Benapara, Lapurdi and Zuberoa) were
united with France respectively in 1589, 1451 and 1510. 
Until the end of the monarchy they retained their own assemblies and some autonomy.
In 1790 they were merged with neighbouring Béarn into the newly created department
of the Basses-Pyrénées and in 1794 they lost the last remnant of their liberties, 
the right to use the Basque language.  
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CHIEF EXECUTIVES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE BASSES-PYRÉNÉES
Commissioner General
Commissaire géneral

1848          Hugues Bernard

Government Commissioners
Commissaires du Gouvernement

1848          Joseph Marie Raymond Nogué                     1801 - 1871        
1848          Georges Landrin Delamare                       1790 - 1863

Préfets
Préfets

1848          Georges Landrin Delamare                       s.a.
1848          Gustave Pierre Orens Vergers                   1803 - 1882
1848 - 1851   Jules Léonard Louis de Cambacéres              1798 - 1863  
1851 - 1854   Emmanuel Théodore Adolphe Fournier             1794 - 1875
1854 - 1857   François Armand Rupert Laity                   1812 - 1889
1857 - 1862   Marie Joseph Auguste Pron Cugnot
              de Sainte-Radegonde                            1820 - 1903     
1862 - 1869   Louis Armand Camille Guillaume 
              d'Auribeau                                     1823 - 1883
1869          Jean-Baptiste Stanislas Boffinton              1817 - 1899
1869 - 1870   Charles Jean Louis Alexandre Le Masson         1814 - 1874
1870 - 1871   Joseph Marie Raymond Nazaire Nogué             1801 - 1871
1871          Anatole Alexandre de La Forge                  1820 - 1892        
1871 - 1876   Jean François Albert, Marquis du Pouget
              de Nadaillac                                   1818 -
1876 - 1877   Louis Paul Auguste Fortuné, Baron 
              Piscatory de Vaufreland                        1837 - 1920        
1877          Louis Marie Joseph Remacle                     1840 -
1877 - 1879   Marie Joseph Georges de Roqsuette-Buisson      1841 - 1922
1879          Eugène René Poubelle                           1831 - 1907
1879 - 1880   Olivier Gabriel François-de-Paule,
              Comte Lefèvre d'Ormesson                       1849 - 1923 
1880 - 1883   Elie Aristide Louis "Paul" Laurens             1834 - 1902
1883 - 1885   Louis Maurice  Robert de Massy                 1844 - 1928
1885 - 1892   Edouard Vincent Marie Jules Deffès             1845 -
1892 - 1896   Henri Martial Auguste Paul                     1838 - 1905
1896 - 1900   Pierre Ernest Doux                             1851 - 1909
1900 - 1903   Charles Prospère Georges Francière             1862 - 1903   
1903 - 1906   Almbroise Gilbert                              1849 -
1906 - 1909   Armand Elisée Becq                             1861 -
1909 - 1911   Antoine Auguste Joseph Coggia                  1872 - 1943
1911          Jules Pierre Anatole Guillemaut                1871 - 1936
1911 - 1918   Antoine Auguste Joseph Coggia (2x)                 
1918          Paul Jules Emile Second                        1871 -
1918 - 1921   Marcel Maupoil                                 1876 - 1938
1921 - 1924   Louis Sévère Jean Georges Garipuy              1873 -
1924 - 1934   Robert Victor Henri Mireur                     1878 -
1934 - 1938   Maurice Louis Théodore Mathieu                 1880 - 1968
1938 - 1939   Jean Louis Josph Surchamp                      1880 -
1939 - 1940   Ange Pascal Marie Eugène Aurel Chiappe         1889 - 1945
1940 - 1942   Emile Thomas François Joseph Ducommun          1887 - 1971
1942 - 1944   Paul Emile Grimaud                             1897 -
1944          ...                                           
1944 - 1946   Jean Joseph Félix Ernest Baylot                1897 - 1976        

SPANISH BASQUE COUNTRY
The Basque provinces of Araba, Biskaia and Gipúzkoa were united with the Kingdom of
Castile respectively in 1332, 1379 and 1200, in this way becoming part of what would
become the kingdom of Spain in 1474.
They retained a large mesure of autonomy until 1874, when most of their liberties
(the fueros) were abolished as a punishment for their siding with the Carlist 
pretender to the Spanish throne. 
In 1936, after the outbreak of the Nationalist revolt the Basque nationalists sided
with the Republicans and proclaimed an autonomous State of Euskadi encompasing only
the provinces of Biskaia and Gipúzkoa, Araba having been conquered by the Spanish
Nationalists immediately after their revolt. 
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ADMINISTRATORS OF THE STATE OF EUSKADI
President of the Government
Lehendakari

1936 - 1937   José Antonio de Aguirre y Lecube (2)           1904 - 1960

Councillor for the Interior

1936 - 1937   Telesforo Monzon                               1904 - 1981

Councillor for Justice

1936 - 1937   Jesus Maria de Leizaola                        1896 - 1989

Councillor for Finance

1936 - 1937   Heliodoro Latorre

Separated from the rest of republican Spain by Nationalist territory, Euskadi acted
as an independent entity and resisted Nationalist conquest until 1937 when direct
Spanish rule was restored.

(2) continued as president in exile until his death in 1960.


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