20th Century Europe and Spain: A Historical Overview

Posted on Oct 18, 2024 in History

TEMA 8: Stalinism and the Interwar Period (1920s-1930s)

The second phase of the Russian Revolution began in the 1920s with the rise of Joseph Stalin. Key aspects of this period include:

Kolkhoz: Collective farm co-operatives.
Sovkhoz: State farms employing farmers.
Intelligentsia: A new social category of professionals who held high positions within the Communist Party.

The Weimar Republic was the German political regime established after World War I. It was a period of instability and political turmoil.

Collective Security: A principle of the League of Nations, which aimed to guarantee security through collective action.
General Assembly: Composed of all member states, meeting annually, with decisions requiring unanimity.
Council: A permanent body with five permanent members (France, UK, Italy, Japan, China) and eleven non-permanent members, meeting three times a year.
Secretary-General: The chief administrative officer of the League of Nations.
Specialized Agencies: Including the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Court of Justice.

Liquidity: The ease with which assets can be converted into cash.
Shares: Titles representing ownership in a company, with a determined market value.
Commonwealth: The British Empire transformed into a community of independent nations.
Protectionism: A policy of protecting domestic industries from foreign competition.
New Deal: A series of programs and reforms implemented in the United States to address the Great Depression.
Paramilitary Forces: Civilian organizations with military-like structures.
Autarky: A policy of economic self-sufficiency.
Corporatism: A political and social doctrine advocating state intervention in labor conflicts through professional corporations.

National Socialist (Nazi) Party: Founded by Adolf Hitler, it was anti-capitalist, anti-Marxist, undemocratic, and ultranationalist, aiming to overturn the Treaty of Versailles.
Pangermanism: A doctrine advocating the unification of all German-speaking peoples into one state through territorial expansion and expulsion of foreigners.
Sturmabteilung (SA): A paramilitary organization that supported Hitler, known as the “Brown Shirts.” Hitler ordered the killing of their leaders during the Night of the Long Knives.

Existentialism: Represented by philosophers like Martin Heidegger and Jean-Paul Sartre, it explored the anguish and meaninglessness of human existence.
Vitalism: Associated with Friedrich Nietzsche, it emphasized the “superman” and provided ideological support for totalitarian regimes.
Expressionism: An artistic movement that emerged before World War I, characterized by its depiction of the anxieties and alienation of modern society. Otto Dix was a prominent artist.
Dadaism: Rejected traditional artistic conventions and embraced absurdity and chaos as a reaction to the horrors of war. Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray were key figures.
Surrealism: Abandoned reality as a reference point, drawing inspiration from the unconscious mind. Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró were leading Surrealist artists.
Abstract Art: Pioneered by Wassily Kandinsky, it moved away from representational art, focusing on color, form, and composition.

Catalan League (Lliga Regionalista): Founded in 1901, it aimed to achieve autonomy for Catalonia. Its social base was the conservative Catalan bourgeoisie.

Algeciras Conference (1906): An international meeting to discuss the division of Morocco into spheres of influence.
Protectorate: A form of colonial control where a state exercises sovereignty over a territory while respecting its existing authorities.

The Restoration Regime was characterized by a two-party system dominated by the Conservative and Liberal parties. Elections were often rigged.

Rif War: Following the Algeciras Conference, Spain was assigned the Rif region in northern Morocco. This led to a protracted conflict with the Rifian tribes.
Annual Disaster (1921): A series of military defeats culminating in the death of 9,000 Spanish soldiers.
Parliamentary Investigation: An inquiry to determine responsibility for the Annual Disaster.
Spanish Legion: A military unit created in 1920 by General Millán-Astray, composed partly of foreign volunteers, to fight in the Rif War.

Italian Corporatism: A system implemented in Italy that aimed to end class conflict by organizing workers and employers into corporations.
CAMPSA (Compañía Arrendataria del Monopolio de Petróleos, S.A.): A company granted a monopoly over the distribution of oil in Spain.
Pact of San Sebastián (1930): An agreement between various political forces to establish a republic in Spain.
Statute of Autonomy: A basic institutional framework granting autonomy to a region.
Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC): A Catalan nationalist party founded in 1931, advocating for autonomy and a progressive social program.
Subleasing of Land: A practice where intermediaries rented land at a low price and sublet it to farmers at a higher price.
Pedagogical Missions: Initiatives to bring education and culture to rural areas.
CEDA (Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Rights): A right-wing political coalition.
CNT (National Confederation of Labor): An anarcho-syndicalist trade union.
Popular Front: A coalition of left-wing parties, including the Republican Left, the Socialists, and the Communists.

Novecentismo: A cultural movement advocating for modernization and a rationalist approach to life and science. José Ortega y Gasset was a prominent figure.
Generation of ’27: A group of influential poets, including Federico García Lorca, Rafael Alberti, and Vicente Aleixandre, who explored themes of love, death, and social injustice.
GATEPAC (Group of Spanish Artists and Technicians for the Progress of Contemporary Architecture): Founded by Josep Lluís Sert, it promoted functionalist architecture.
Superman (Übermensch): Friedrich Nietzsche’s concept of a superior individual who transcends conventional morality and creates new values.
Functionalism: An architectural style emphasizing practicality and efficiency. Examples can be found in the University City of Madrid.
Sculpture: Artists like Pablo Gargallo and Julio González pioneered the use of iron in sculpture. Alberto Sánchez created stylized figures with a predominance of curves.