Spain’s Carlist Wars: Liberalism, Absolutism & Foral Rights
The Carlist Wars and the Foral Question
The first steps of the liberal regime in Spain during the minority of Isabel II (1833-1843) coincided with a civil war, the First Carlist War, between government forces (supporters of Isabel II, known as *Isabelinos* or Cristinos) and supporters of absolutism, represented by Carlos María Isidro, uncle of the queen.
Causes of the Conflict
The conflict stemmed from the question of succession following the death of Fernando VII. One side supported the legitimacy
Read MoreKey Historical Terms: Europe & Russia 1879-USSR
- Armed Peace
- Period from 1879 until the start of the First World War in 1914. It was a period of peace in Europe based on respect for the status quo in the Balkans established by the Berlin Congress, altered only by conflicts elsewhere in the world as major powers engaged in intense rearmament.
- Triple Alliance
- Alliance formed by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. Created by Bismarck in 1882, it was defensive, aimed at establishing a balance of power in Europe favorable to Germany.
- Triple Entente
- Formed
19th Century European Colonial Expansion
European Dominance in the Late 19th Century
In the last third of the nineteenth century, the Second Industrial Revolution transformed the economies of the major European powers. Technical innovations, new forms of work organization, and the growth of banking allowed an increase in production and trade, alongside improved transport.
Due to their financial, technical, and military superiority, European powers expanded their influence across the globe.
Causes of Colonialism
- Economic Factors: European nations
Spain’s Turmoil: Pavia’s Coup to the 1868 Revolution
Pavía’s Coup and Serrano’s Republic (1874)
The third phase of the First Spanish Republic began with a coup led by General Pavía, who invaded the Cortes (courts) to establish a civil government under military guard.
Serrano Assumes Power
General Serrano assumed power, dissolving the Cortes. He was supported by the army and the Alfonsino party, which advocated for a presidential republic. Power became concentrated in the figure of the President.
Authoritarian Rule and Propaganda
Monarchist propaganda
Read MoreFranco’s Spain: Analysis of the 1945 Spanish Charter
Spanish Courts and the Charter of 1945
The following text analyzes legal aspects of the Spanish Charter, written on July 17, 1945, during Francisco Franco’s dictatorship. Franco, a military man, held positions until 1936 when he became Generalissimo and Head of State, remaining in power until his death in 1975.
The text examines items from the Spanish Charter, created in 1945 by the Franco government to establish a single, vertical union.
Main Ideas of the Charter
- Traditional values
- Patriotic ideals
- Catholic
Cold War Dynamics: Bipolar Rivalry and Post-WWII Realities
Cold War Definition and Periodization (1945-1991)
The Cold War period (1945-1991) was not uniform. It was characterized by voluntary and/or bound polarization around the two superpowers that emerged from World War II: the USA and the USSR. These two powers, with their respective blocs, maintained a rivalry throughout the period, explicitly defining each other as enemies with mutually exclusive systems. This rivalry was based on the premise that capitalism and communism could not coexist in the medium
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