The Siege of Bilbao, 1937. Basque Culture Systematically Erased. Hitler Helps Spain in a Preview of WWII Atrocities and Experiments.

The fall of Vizcaya’s capital was both a tactical defeat and the moment the spine of Basque resistance snapped. With it went the last coordinated defense of autonomy in the north. From that point forward, there would be no organized Basque military stand, no political bargaining power, and no seat at the table in the war that continued to rage across Spain. What followed was more than occupation; it was a deliberate and calculated dismantling of Basque nationalism. Schools were purged. ...