World War II in the Basque Country World War II in the Basque Country World War II in the Basque Country refers to the period extending from 1940 to 1944. It affected the French Basque Country, but also bordering areas across the Pyrenees on account of the instability following the end of the Spanish Civil War, and the friendship ties held by Germany, Vichy France, and the triumphant Spanish military dictatorship. In June 1937, the Northern Front of the Spanish Civil War collapsed for the Republicans. Approximately half a million Republicans and civilians fled for their lives in Spain, but possibly up to 150,000 of them were
Austria – the Nazis' first victim real issue is that Austria has lied for decades about its own involvement in the atrocities Mr. Waldheim was involved in: deportations, reprisal murders, and others too painful to think about". The Waldheim affair captivated the country, an unprecedented discussion about the military past developed in the press. In the very beginning of it the conservatives, who absolutely dominated in Austrian media, formulated the new "victim theory" that was the first in the history to apply to patriotism of Austrians. From the right-wing's point of view Austria and Waldheim personally became victims of the campaign of defamation by the world