Colonial Expansion and World War I
The Cast of the World: The “Division of Africa”
From 1870, the colonization of Africa began. It was quick and brutal, resulting in total domination of the continent. The British and French had an advantage with bases established in Africa since the eighteenth century. Both countries dreamed of creating vast, continuous empires: the British from north to south, and the French from west to east.
The clash of interests between rival powers led to the Berlin Conference (1885), where rules and zones of
Read MoreChilean Constitutional History: From Emancipation to 1925
Article 1 .- All persons are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
The family is the fundamental unit of society. The State acknowledges and protects the intermediate groups through which society is organized and structured, guaranteeing adequate autonomy to fulfill their specific purposes.
The State serves the individual, promoting the common good. It creates social conditions enabling all members of the national community to achieve greater spiritual fulfillment and material assistance, respecting
Read MoreRise of the Romanovs: Tsars, Expansion, and Reforms
1. Introduction: The Romanov Dynasty
The Romanovs ruled as Russian tsars from 1613 to 1917. The dynasty’s origins trace back to the early 17th century, following the Time of Troubles, a period marked by civil wars and usurpations after the direct line of Ivan the Great ended. A national assembly convened in Moscow in 1613 elected Michael Fedorovich Romanov, a descendant of a Lithuanian nobleman, Ivan Kambila, who immigrated to Moscow in the early 14th century. Michael’s selection marked the beginning
Read MoreJean-Jacques Rousseau: Life, Philosophy, and Impact
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Life and Times
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and raised by his father and aunt after his mother’s early death. In 1742, he moved to Paris and befriended Enlightenment thinkers. He contributed to Diderot’s Encyclopedia and gained recognition for his Discourse on the Sciences and the Arts (1750), which won the Dijon Academy’s prize. His subsequent works, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality Among Men (1755) and The Social Contract (1762),
Read MoreSpanish American Wars of Independence: A History
The Emancipation of Spanish America
Causes of Independence
The Creoles, descendants of Spanish settlers born in the Americas, controlled estates, plantations, and a small manufacturing sector. Representing 10-15% of the population, they held significant social and economic power. Indigenous people, mestizos, and enslaved Africans constituted a largely exploited peasant and mining class under Spanish and Creole rule. Spaniards held all major public offices, including viceroys and presidents of the
Read More19th Century European Revolutions and Unification
Revolutions and Unifications of 19th Century Europe
Revolution of 1848
The Revolution of 1848 was fueled by the rise of liberalism and national aspirations, coupled with the social unrest caused by early industrialization. Economic difficulties, the potato famine of 1845-1846, poor grain harvests, and rising prices shook Europe. The industrial crisis had specific consequences in Paris. Manufacturers and wholesalers, unable to export their products, faced competition from large stores that ruined small
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