The Reign of Ferdinand VII and the Emancipation of Spanish America
Fernando VII: Absolutism and Liberalism. 11.4. The Emancipation of Spanish America.
The Reign of Ferdinand VII (1814-1833)
The end of the War of Independence and the return of Fernando VII resulted in the cancellation of liberal reforms and the restoration of the Old Regime. His reign is divided into three stages:
The First Restoration (1814-1820)
In 1814, Fernando VII returned to Spain from France, acclaimed by the people. He soon came under pressure from senior army officers, the Church, and conservative
Read MoreDemocratic Board Manifesto: A Call for Democracy in Spain (1974)
Manifesto of the Democratic Board (1974)
Introduction
This is an excerpt from the “Manifesto of the Democratic Board” dated July 29, 1974, during the final stage of the Franco regime. The Democratic Board of Spain was an organization opposed to Franco that emerged in Paris in 1974 and was led by the Communist Party of Spain (PCE), under Santiago Carrillo. Besides the PCE, it included the Carlist Party, Workers’ Commissions (CCOO), the Popular Socialist Party (PSP) led by Enrique Tierno Galván, and
Read MoreThe 18th Century: Revolutions and Enlightenment
4 The Collapse of Absolutism
In the late 17th century, Holland and England experienced a series of political changes that began to limit the power of absolute monarchy. Enlightenment ideas led to a series of reformist experiences known as enlightened despotism.
4.1 The English Revolutions
In the Middle Ages in England, the power of the monarchy was limited by the actions of the two Houses of Parliament: the nobles and the clergy (House of Lords) and the bourgeoisie, representatives of the people (House
Read MoreSpain’s Restoration (1874-1902): Constitution, Politics, and Power
The Spanish Restoration (1874-1902)
The Constitution of 1876
The Constituent Assembly, elected through universal male suffrage to ensure representation from all parties, was tasked with developing a new constitution for Spain. After extensive debate, the constitution was adopted on February 15, 1876. Promulgated in June 1876 by Alonso Martínez, the constitution originated from a draft developed by a 600-member committee appointed by Cánovas del Castillo from previous legislatures. A 39-member committee,
Read MoreFascism and Nazism in Europe (1919-1945)
ITEM 10: Fascism and Democracy
1. Fascism and the Context
1.1 The Right-Wing Authoritarian
In the early twentieth century, Europe was characterized by:
- War
- Revolutions
- Depression
Many accused liberalism of causing this instability:
- Failed to prevent war
- Failed to prevent revolutions
- Failed to prevent economic depression
The right-wing sought to impose state authority over the masses. It supported authoritarianism in:
- Private classes or privileged groups such as:
- Nobility
- Landowners
- Big business
- Institutions that
The Bipolar World Order and Its Aftermath
The goal was to create decent living conditions for all people, from birth to death. This meant the creation of mechanisms to protect the public from disease, old age, accidents, and unemployment. The states that supported these systems were called welfare states.
Bipolar Order in a Cold War World (1945-1973)
One major consequence of World War II was the shift of the international center of power away from Europe. The USA and the Soviet Union rose as new world powers, extending their control over
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