Causes and Timeline of World War I
Key Factors Leading to World War I
Several factors contributed to the outbreak of World War I:
- Militarism: The build-up of armed forces to prepare for war. Germany, for instance, expanded its armed forces to defend itself against other countries.
- Alliances: Agreements between countries to defend or fight together. Many European countries made agreements or promises to help each other if a third country invaded them.
- Imperialism: The belief of a country in building up an empire and controlling less powerful
Spanish Conservative Biennium & Catalonia’s Autonomy 1933-1936
The Conservative Biennium (1933-1936)
The government of Manuel Azaña fell in September 1933 due to disagreements between political parties. These disagreements stemmed from the Casas Viejas incident* and his incompatibility with President Niceto Alcalá Zamora.
The Right to Power
During the biennium, the Spanish right had time to reorganize. They formed two groups: one openly opposed the Republican regime (monarchists, Carlists, and *Falange, founded by Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera). The other group
Read MoreRoyal Succession and Power in Medieval Spanish Kingdoms
Christian Kingdoms in Medieval Spain (I)
1. Political Fragmentation
- Various kingdoms.
- General tendency towards hereditary monarchy.
- Mixed systems with some elective elements.
2. Asturian Kingdom
- Influence of the Visigothic monarchy.
- Kings were appointed by the nobility and the high clergy.
- Anointing and coronation ceremonies.
3. Kingdom of Navarra
- System of dynastic succession.
- Direct legitimate heirs: Men before women.
- Oldest before, when there was equality of degree in kinship (parentesco) and sex.
- Election
Labor Movements: Revolts, Ideologies, and the First International
Workers’ Revolts
The living conditions of the first proletarians in factories were dire. The first manifestations of protest came after 1830 and had a Luddite character, as seen in Alcoy and the famous fire at the Bonaplata factory in Barcelona in 1835. Unemployed workers started a fire there. In Barcelona in 1834, the first union formed by weavers.
In Barcelona in 1854, the first general strike in Spain occurred. The labor movement spread to other areas and gained momentum during the six-year revolutionary
Read MoreSocialism, Italian and German Unification: 19th Century
Utopian and Scientific Socialism in the 19th Century
Utopian socialism emerged in early 19th-century France. It was used to designate doctrines opposed to capitalism, defending equality and solidarity in a new society. A number of thinkers from the middle class and even the nobility, concerned about social contradictions resulting from industrialization, developed theories that proposed different solutions and models of society. Among these figures were Saint-Simon, Fourier, Blanc, and Blanqui. They
Read MoreCharles IV’s Reign: Spain & the French Revolution’s Impact
The Reign of Charles IV: Spain on the Brink of Change (1788-1808)
The reign of Charles IV (1788-1808) in Spain coincided with a period of immense upheaval in Europe, marked by the Enlightenment, enlightened despotism, and the initial impact of the French Revolution.
Key Events and Developments:
- Succession Law Reform (1789): A project to change the Spanish succession law was initiated in 1789.
- The French Revolution and its Aftermath: The French Revolution, which began in 1789, culminated in a 23-year