Spain’s Military Dictatorship: The Primo de Rivera Era
Primo de Rivera’s Dictatorship (1923-1930)
The Rise of the Dictatorship
The years following World War I were a period of intense conflict across Europe, including Spain. The end of wartime economic prosperity exacerbated social tensions. The Restoration’s failure to democratize and the political disarray caused by the Disaster of Annual led conservatives to seek a solution in military dictatorship.
Between 1918 and 1923, Spain experienced numerous short-lived governments. Constant recourse to emergency
Read MoreKhan Academy’s Fizzy History: A Critical Look at the Future of Education
Khan Academy’s Fizzy History: A Critical Look
Bill Gates and the Khan Academy Revolution
Bill Gates, a strong supporter of Salman Khan’s Khan Academy, believes it represents a revolutionary approach to education. The Khan Academy offers over 2,100 free video tutorials on subjects like calculus, physics, and organic chemistry. Gates sees this as a disruptive technology, offering faster, better, and cheaper education. He encourages everyone to explore it (www.khanacademy.org).
Mr. Khan’s Approach to
Read MoreThe 1845 Constitution & Spain’s Moderate Governments
The Constitution of 1845
The government approved the new Constitution of 1845, reflecting conservative ideals. It established joint sovereignty between the king and the courts, expanded executive power, and decreased legislative power. Voting rights were restricted, and a non-elective Senate was instituted. City and provincial councils became subject to the central government, and the National Militia was abolished. Catholicism was declared the official state religion. While maintaining most articles
Read More1836 Spanish Disentailment Decree: A Key Moment in Liberal Reform
Article 2: Exceptions to the Disentailment Decree of 1836
Government buildings used for public service, preservation of art monuments, or honoring national prowess are excluded from public sale. The government will publish a list of these buildings. (Decree of February 19, 1836).
Analysis of the Decree
1. Context and Main Ideas
This legal decree, issued by the Spanish government under Prime Minister Juan Alvarez Mendizabal in February 1836, addresses the public sale of confiscated properties from suppressed
Read MoreThe Franco Regime: A Comprehensive Overview of Dictatorship
The Franco Regime: The Construction of a Dictatorship (1939-1959)
The result of the Civil War was the consolidation of dictatorial rule that the rebels against the Republic had begun building since October 1936. The scheme introduced by Franco in Spain lasted until Franco’s death in 1975. The Franco regime was always like an iron dictatorship.
The economic losses that triggered the war slowed economic growth in Spain. The Franco regime instituted a state legitimized by the Civil War and characterized
Read MoreEnlightened Despotism and Bourbon Reforms in 18th Century Spain
Enlightened Despotism
Upon the death of his brother Fernando VI, Carlos III ascended to the Spanish throne. Having ruled in Naples, he was familiar with Enlightenment ideals, advocating for progress and rationalization, thus introducing enlightened despotism to Spain.
In 1766, the Esquilache Riots erupted, a complex uprising fueled by civil unrest, food shortages, resentment towards foreign officials (Esquilache), and discontent among the privileged who saw their power diminished by reforms. The
Read More