The National Party of Wales and the Transformation of Welshness: The Mechanism of Maintaining National Identity in the 20th Century

The main problem analysed in this work is the activities of the National Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) as the central political force of the region aimed at maintaining and preserving Welshness. Its activities are inextricably linked to the development of Welsh nationalism in the 20th century. The study is based on the archival materials of Plaid Cymru, publications of Welsh periodicals (Western Mail, Welsh Newspapers Online) from the National Library of Wales, and British newspapers (The Guardian, The Times, etc.). Additional sources of information were documents from the House of Commons and its committees, including the Welsh Affairs Commission; publicistic and programming works of Plaid Cymru leaders (S. Lewis, G. Evans, and others). In the second half of the 19th century, Welsh "cultural" nationalism sought to preserve Welsh culture and identity by spreading knowledge. Antiquarians, church figures, and other members of the intellectual elite were initially engaged in history and cultural education and research, but they could not attract the state's attention to the problems of the region. The emergence of "political" nationalism in Wales, namely, the emergence of political organisations with demands for self-government for Wales, was natural and took place within processes common to the UK (on par with Ireland and Scotland). In 1925, the National Party of Wales (Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru which later reduced its name to Plaid Cymru) emerged, becoming the ideological centre of Welsh nationalism. The party's goals changed, from full independence to autonomy within the United Kingdom and the EU. The evolution of the political views of the party leaders (L. Valentine, S. Lewis, G. Evans) and its activities reflected the processes occurring with Welsh identity. The small party first won a seat in the British Parliament only in 1964, after which it had a stable one to four representatives there. In the 1960s, the party fought to grant Welsh the status equal to English: the Welsh Language Society and the Welsh Language TV Channel were opened. Plaid Cymru did not support the referendum on the autonomy of Wales and Scotland in 1979 because they did not agree with the powers of the future assembly. However, the subsequent rise in interest in Welsh culture and nationalist sentiment saw the party gain strong support among locals, placing second after the Labour one. Thus, the stages of the development of Welsh nationalism through the activities of Plaid Cymru in the context of general UK and regional events are presented. While in the mid-20th century Welshness was perceived as backward and in crisis, by the end of the century Welsh identity came to be in demand in the political, social, and cultural spheres of society.

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