List of historical separatist movements in Europe
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (November 2023)
This is a list of historical separatist movements in Europe. Separatism includes autonomism and secessionism.
Criteria
[edit]What is and is not considered an autonomist or secessionist movement is sometimes contentious. Entries on this list must meet three criteria:
- They are no longer an active movement with active members.
- They are demanded greater autonomy or self-determination for a geographic region (as opposed to personal autonomy).
- They were citizens/people of the conflict area and did not come from another country.
Under each region listed is one or more of the following:
- De facto state (de facto entity): for unrecognized regions with de facto autonomy.
- Proposed state: proposed name for a seceding sovereign state.
- Proposed autonomous area: for movements towards greater autonomy for an area but not outright secession.
- De facto autonomous government: for governments with de facto autonomous control over a region.
- Government-in-exile: for a government based outside of the region in question, with or without control.
- Political party (or parties): for political parties involved in a political system to push for autonomy or secession.
- Militant organization(s): for armed organizations.
- Advocacy group(s): for non-belligerent, non-politically participatory entities.
- Ethnic/ethno-religious/racial/regional/religious group(s).
List
[edit]Albania
[edit]Belgium
[edit]- Political parties
- Flemish
Bulgaria
[edit]- Militant organizations: Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee, Internal Revolutionary Organization, Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization
Czech Republic
[edit]- Political party: Young Czech Party, Czech National Social Party
Finland
[edit]- Political movement: Fennoman
- Political party: Finnish Party, Young Finnish Party
Åland Islands
- Political movement: Åland movement
France
[edit]
Basque Country (also in Spain)
- Political parties: Basque Nationalist Party, Basque Unity
- Rebel organization: Basque homeland and Freedom (ETA)
Corsica
- Political parties: Corsica Nazione, Partitu di a Nazione Corsa
Brittany
- Political parties: Union Démocratique Bretonne, Breton Party
- Rebel organization: Breton Revolutionary Army, Liberation Front of Brittany
Alsace
- Political parties : Alsace d'abord *
Germany
[edit]- Short-lived Republic: Rhenish Republic
- Lower Saxony
- Alemannic Separatism
- Bavarian Soviet Republic
Saarland
- Political parties: Christian People's Party of Saarland, Social Democratic Party of Saarland[1]
- Goals: De facto independence of Saarland under status of a European territory, acceptance of the Saar statute
Greece
[edit](Gained independence from the Ottoman Empire after the Greek War of Independence)
- Society: Filiki Eteria
- Unrecognized state: Areopagus of Eastern Continental Greece, Peloponnesian Senate, Senate of Western Continental Greece, Provisional Administration of Greece (after 1822)
- Militant organizations: Armatoloi/Klephts, Sacred Band, Hellenic Army, Hellenic Navy
Aromanians (Aromanian nationalism)
Ireland
[edit](See also under UK, for pre-division Ireland)
- Home Rule League
- Irish National League
- Irish Parliamentary Party
- Irish Republican Brotherhood
- Provisional Government of the Irish Republic
- Sinn Féin
- Society of United Irishmen
- United Irish League
- Young Ireland
Italy
[edit]
North Macedonia
[edit]- Albanian-inhabited communities in SR Macedonia and the Republic of Macedonia
- Ethnic group: Albanians
- Political parties: Democratic Party of Albanians, Party for Democratic Prosperity
- Goals: Autonomy (1994–99), independence and/or unification with Republic of Kosovo (2000–01)
- Events: Insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia
- Timespan: 1994–2001
- Serbian-inhabited communities in the Republic of Macedonia
- Ethnic group: Serbs
- Political parties: Democratic Party of Serbs in Macedonia, Radical Party of the Serbs in Macedonia
- Goals: Autonomy (Serbian Autonomous Region of Kumanovo Valley and Skopska Crna Gora)[2]
- Timespan: 1992
Ottoman Empire
[edit]- Ethnic group: Greeks
- Organization: Filiki Eteria
- Ethnic group: Serbs
- Organization: Serbian rebels
- Ethnic group: Bulgarians
- Organization: Bulgarian revolutionaries, Opalchentsi
Poland
[edit]- Narodowa Demokracja
- Towarzystwo Demokratyczne Polskie (Polish Democratic Society)
- Union of Upper Silesians
- Silesian People's Party
Russian Empire and Russian Provisional Government
[edit]
Bashkortostan
- Krug for the Salvation of the Don
- Kuban Military Council
- Kuban Rada
Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus
- Union of the Peoples of the Northern Caucasus
- Executive Committee
Slovakia
[edit]- Political party: Slovak National Party
Soviet Union
[edit]- Political parties:
- Azerbaijani Popular Front Party
- Belarusian People's Front
- Rahvarinne
- Popular Front of Latvia, Latvian National Independence Movement
- Sąjūdis
- Moldovan Popular Front
- People's Movement of Ukraine (Rukh)
- Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists
- Ukrainian Insurgent Army
Spain
[edit]- Basque Country (also in France)
- Political parties: Aralar Party, Basque Nationalist Party, Batasuna, Eusko Abertzale Ekintza, Eusko Alkartasuna, Nafarroa Bai
- Rebel organizations: Basque homeland and Freedom (ETA), SEGI
Catalonia
- Political parties: Convergence and Union (Democratic Convergence of Catalonia + Democratic Union of Catalonia), Republican Left of Catalonia, Catalan State, Popular Unity Candidacy, Democrats of Catalonia, Left Movement, Catalan Solidarity for Independence, Reagrupament, National Front of Catalonia
- Rebel organizations: Terra Lliure (disbanded), Exèrcit Popular Català (disbanded)
- Organizations: Assemblea Nacional Catalana, Òmnium Cultural
- Labour unions: Intersindical-CSC, Coordinadora Obrera Sindical
Galicia
- Political Parties: Galician Nationalist Bloc, Nós-Unidade Popular
Asturias
- Political parties: Bloque por Asturies, Unidá Nacionalista Asturiana, Andecha Astur
- Rebel organization: Andecha Obrera (disbanded)
Canary Islands
- Political party: Congreso Nacional de Canarias, Frepic-Awañak, Unión del Pueblo Canario
- Organizations: MPAIAC
- Armed groups: Fuerzas Armadas Guanches
Sweden
[edit]
Fennia
- Ethnic Groups: Forest Finns, Tornedalians
- Location: Värmland, Dalarna
- Political movement: Forest Finn Autonomism/Nationalism
United Kingdom
[edit]
Cornwall: New Cornish Tertia army, An Gof, Cornish Solidarity
Isle of Wight: Vectis National Party
Ireland: Irish Republican Brotherhood, Clan na Gael, Young Ireland, Home Rule League, Irish Socialist Republican Party, Irish Parliamentary Party, All-for-Ireland League, Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland), Irish Independence Party
Scotland: Scottish National Liberation Army
Wales: Cymru Fydd, Cymru Goch, Welsh Socialist Alliance, Welsh Republican Movement
Isle of Man
[edit]
Isle of Man: Fo Halloo, Manx National Party
Yugoslavia
[edit]
Croatia (SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia)- Ethnic group: Croats
- Political parties: Croatian Democratic Union, Croatian Party of Rights, Croatian Peasant Party
- Armed organizations: Croatian National Guard
- Events: Croatian Spring, War in Croatia
- Goals: Independence
- Republic of Kosovo (AP Kosovo and Metohija, SR Serbia, FR Yugoslavia)
- Ethnic group: Albanians in Kosovo
- Political parties: Democratic League of Kosovo, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Democratic Party of Kosovo, National Movement for the Liberation of Kosovo, The People's Movement for Kosovo
- Armed organizations: Kosovo Liberation Army, Armed Forces of the Republic of Kosovo
- Events: Insurgency in Kosovo (1993–98), Kosovo War
- Goals: Larger autonomy (until 1989); Independence (1990–2003)
- Ethnic group: Albanians in southern Serbia
- Events: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley
See also
[edit]- List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies
- List of active separatist movements recognized by intergovernmental organizations
- Lists of separatist movements
References
[edit]- ^ Jürgen Hannig: Die Saar 1945–1955 / La Sarre 1945–1955, Separatisten - Nationalisten? Zum Abstimmungskampf 1955, pp. 381–396, Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, 1995, doi.org/10.1515/9783486829563-035 (German).
- ^ Janusz Bugajski (1994). Ethnic Politics in Eastern Europe: A Guide to Nationality Policies, Organizations, and Parties. M.E. Sharpe. p. 122. ISBN 9781563242823.
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