The Disaster of 98: Spain’s Colonial Loss and Aftermath
The Disaster of 98 and Its Consequences
Only the Socialists, through their minority media outlets, and the Federalists of Pi y Margall had raised their voices in Spain advising the emancipation of the Caribbean island in prevention of fatal consequences and a useless sacrifice of human lives. The Catalan political advocated independence if it were determined in a free plebiscite by most Cubans. Even Admiral Cervera, convinced of the inferiority of the Spanish fleet, deemed it wiser to use it in defending
Read MoreIrish Folklore, Traditions, and Cultural Icons
Ireland’s Ancient Mythology and Folklore
Ireland’s long history is full of ancient mythology and folklore. Ireland’s ancient societies, the Druids and the Celtics, believed in the power of magic, and many of these beliefs spread to modern-day legends told again and again around the country. The Banshee is a female spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as a sign of death and a messenger from the underworld. The Banshee was a woman who carried with her a sign of death. She can appear in a variety
Read MoreForeign Powers and Factions in the Spanish Civil War
Foreign Intervention in the Spanish Civil War
Axis Support for the Nationalist Cause
Foreign intervention was crucial to the fate of the rebels over the three years of war. Germany sent a combat corps and more than 600 aircraft. Hitler’s reasons for intervening were economic and strategic: primarily to weaken France, as the Republican government was pro-French. Mussolini’s Italy collaborated by sending tanks, guns, and men who fought against forces loyal to the Republic. Italy’s reasons for providing
Read MoreFranco’s Spain: Politics, Society & Economy (1939-1956)
Post-War Spain under Franco
Background
After the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), General Francisco Franco established a fascist-inspired military dictatorship in Spain, opposing democracy, parliamentarism, and communism.
Political Aspects: Building the New State
The Organization of the New State
Concentration of Powers in Franco
Franco instituted a totalitarian state in Spain, combining elements of a fascist state, a military dictatorship, and an absolute monarchy without a king. He assumed all significant
Read MoreCauses, Measures & Impact of the French Revolution
Causes of the French Revolution
Around 1770, France was a rural society. The bourgeoisie had economic power but lacked political power. French society was a society of privilege, where someone’s position depended on the estate into which they were born.
This situation worsened considerably due to Treasury problems:
- Costly military foreign policy.
- Indebtedness by the crown expanded during the 18th century.
- Court politics and life were over-extravagant.
Due to the serious situation of the Treasury, King
Read MoreMiddle English Linguistic Shifts and Standardization
Middle English Morphological Simplification
Explain the grammatical effect of the morphological simplification that took place in Middle English.
The influence of French in this process was very significant. English underwent a morphological simplification due to the weakening of unstressed vowels in ending syllables:
- As a result, prepositions came to have a more relevant role in expressing the relationship between words.
- The order of elements in the sentence became more rigid and strict.
- The grammatical