The Struggles Begin. The late 1800s and early 1900s saw unprecedented social tumult and a rising sense of national consciousness in Wales. Numerous language revival efforts took place. In 1858 the national anthem, "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau," was composed. In the later 1800s the National Eisteddfod began taking place regularly, Cymru Fydd (Young Wales) was formed, and the University of Wales began. In 1907 the National Library was founded.
However, the aftermath of World War I and the Great Depression put pressure on the Welsh language and culture. With the wave of English immigrants settling in the heartland, impending anglicization made language advocates ever more desperate to preserve their identity. Several key individuals took up the struggle. Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards founded Urdd Gobaith Cymru, a youth volunteer organization, in 1922. Another highly influential figure was the poet Saunders Lewis, who helped found Plaid Cymru (the Welsh Party) in 1925. Although the party's aim was to defend the Welsh language and culture, it took decades to gain a foothold outside its circle of founding intellectuals. In the meantime, the government continued its general disregard of nationalist efforts...That is, until an incident in 1936 drew wider attention to the concerns of Welsh identity.
Penyberth and World War II. The members of Plaid Cymru were infuriated when the government built a bombing school at Penyberth in Llyn. As an area of North Wales that was still firmly Welsh, Llyn's occupation by the military served as a symbol for the greater struggle that Welsh advocates faced throughout their nation. In September 1936, Saunders Lewis and two fellow Plaid Cymru leaders set a deliberate fire at the construction hut at Penyberth. They subsequently turned themselves in and became high-profile martyrs for the nationalist cause. However, World War II dampened the effects of their gesture, and once again threatened the language with increasing English immigration and Welsh conscription.
Penyberth Memorial (Source: Penllyn.com)
After the war a huge influx of English speakers flocked to the picturesque countryside, especially the coast of North Wales--the "Welsh Riviera." Most were unwilling to learn Welsh or to put their children in bilingual schools. The percentage of Welsh speakers decreased drastically. And rather symbolically, in 1957 the government approved the drowning of the valley of Tryweryn, forcing its thriving Welsh community to yield their homes to provide a water source for the English.
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