London Corresponding Society: Reform & Repression
Attempts to increase the number of voters in Britain had been made since the 1760s, but these efforts had come to nothing. The Society for the Promotion of Constitutional Information had been established by Major John Cartwright in 1784 as part of the campaign for parliamentary reform, but with the onset of the French Wars, many of the reform clubs had ceased to operate.
Early British Reform Movements
Thomas Paine encouraged the re-establishment of the Society for the Promotion of Constitutional Information
Read MoreSpanish Rule in the Americas
Spanish Colonial Administration
Spanish administration in the Americas was exercised authoritatively either directly from the mainland (through institutions such as the Casa de Contratación, which received taxes collected in America and controlled the entry and exit of people and goods, and the Consejo de Indias), or through representatives of the metropolis in America (viceroys, governors, audiencias, and cabildos). Until the eighteenth century, there were two vice-royalties: New Spain and Peru.
Read MoreMadoz Confiscation: Impact on 19th Century Spain
The Confiscation of Madoz Pascual
The circumstances surrounding the confiscation under Madoz Pascual differed significantly from earlier instances. There was no civil war, and budgets were met. Like many liberals, Madoz went into exile during the reign of Fernando VII but returned from France thanks to the policy enacted by the regent Maria Cristina. His turbulent political career in the 19th century initially positioned him against the regency of Espartero. He briefly held the portfolio of Finance,
Read MoreSpain’s Tumultuous Path: From Monarchy to Republic
Opposition and Unrest in Spain
Opposition to the regime included Carlists. Basque and Navarre forces never fully decided to renounce weapons. Republican parties, based in urban middle classes, defended democracy and various social reforms.
The worker’s movement, particularly anarchists, formed a majority group in Spain. Following the 1881 Law of Associations, the Federation of Workers in the Spanish Region was born (Anselmo Lorenzo). In 1910, the National Labor Confederation (CNT), Spain’s biggest
Read MoreDecolonization Models, Post-War Economy, and US Situation
Decolonization Models and the Cold War
Decolonization occurred within the framework of the Cold War, constrained by alignment with one bloc or another. The 1955 Bandung Conference led to the rise of the Non-Aligned Movement.
Models of Decolonization
Smith identifies several decolonization models:
- Elite Not Dependent on Metropolis: Where the elite ruled directly, as in Algeria, the nationalist movement was compact and homogeneous, leading to a bloody decolonization due to long-term property ownership.
World War II Origins: Fascism, Crisis, and Expansion
Source and Cause of the War
The 1930s were a period of instability. Two major factors contributed to the origins of World War II: the expansionism of fascist dictatorships and the economic crises of the 1930s. The economic crisis created a climate conducive to the exacerbation of nationalism and totalitarian solutions. A number of events ended the brief period of international cooperation inaugurated by the Locarno Pact and the Kellogg-Briand Pact. With Hitler in power in Germany, it soon became
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