Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for History for Baccalaureate

Carlos III and the Practice of Enlightened Despotism

The government of Carlos III (1759-1788) exemplified enlightened despotism. Based on absolutism, it aimed to foster the kingdom's growth, summarized by the axiom "everything for the people, but without the people."

These policies originated in the previous reign of Fernando VI, but there was insufficient time to implement them. Carlos, however, had 25 years of experience applying them in Naples. Consequently, his arrival in the peninsula involved a similar displacement. It was notable that the government placed confidence in a Neapolitan, the Marquis de Esquilache, alongside members of the lower nobility such as Campomanes and the future Count of Floridablanca.

Early Years of Government

The government...

6.4. The Catholic Monarchs and the Organization of the State: Institutions of Government. The Catholic Monarchs' political program was straightforward, aiming to strengthen royal authority, modernize the state, maintain the existing social hierarchy, and ensure religious unity. To achieve these goals, they improved existing institutions and made them function efficiently. The nobility retained its economic and social power, recognized by the Kings in the Laws of Toro (1505), but lost any previously granted privileges (income, taxes, land, annuities, etc.). The crown also recovered control of the military orders.

Government functions were organized around the Royal Council of Castile (or Council of Castile), which, reformed in 1480, became the...

The Opposition: Exile and Resistance

The Path of Exile

In the final phase of the Civil War, little more than four hundred thousand people engaged in the Republic left Spain and came to France or fled to the north of Africa. The vast majority were interned in camps that French authorities had improvised in the south of France to house them. Some returned because the regime promised not to prosecute, which was not fulfilled. However, about two hundred thousand people remained in exile and only returned to Spain after the death of the dictator. In France, a large colony of Spanish emigrants was established. Their situation became more difficult during the German occupation of France, which involved the persecution of Spanish exiles, branded as dangerous...

Spain's Opportunistic Adaptation During World War II (1939-1945)

The outbreak of World War II significantly impacted Spain's international political standing and the trajectory of the Franco regime. This opportunistic adaptation to international developments helped solidify Franco's power.

Franco's Position in the War

In 1939, despite strong ties with the Axis powers, Franco declared Spain neutral. However, collaboration with these powers continued. Franco adopted a policy of non-belligerence, leaving open the possibility of supporting Germany. While Hitler's direct requests were declined, Serrano Suñer facilitated Nazi espionage against the British Navy.

Collaboration peaked in 1941 with the deployment of the Blue Division, a volunteer corps,...

Spain's Political Trajectory (1939-1975)

Phase 1: Totalitarianism (1939-1959)

World War II (1939-1945)

Franco declared neutrality but showed sympathy for the Axis powers, sending the Blue Division to fight against the USSR. The dictatorship concealed its foundations and issued a false declaration of rights for Spaniards.

International Isolation (1945-1950)

Post-war, Spain was considered a remnant of European fascism, leading to its exclusion from the UN. Franco attempted to legitimize his rule with the Law of Succession, educating Prince Juan Carlos under his tutelage.

Cold War (1950-1959)

The US shifted its stance on Spain due to growing tensions with the USSR. By 1950, the UN accepted Spain's presence, and in 1955, Spain gained entry. UNESCO...

Franco's Regime and Repression

Franco's Political Thought

During the dictatorship (1939-1975), Spain experienced a vacuum of political normalcy. Francisco Franco was a Spanish military, Africanist, and nationalist. Catholicism and the army were the essence of his ideology. He saw himself as a character chosen by God to save the fatherland. For Franco, the nation and Catholicism were synonymous.

His natural enemies were liberals, Freemasons, anarchists, socialists, communists, and Jews. Franco was firmly against democracy.

Characteristics of Franco's Regime

• Personal and single-party dictatorship.
• Permanent division of the country into winners and losers.
• A version of fascism.
• Lack of principles, replaced by repression and subjugation.
• Significant presence

The Second Republic saw a surge in political party and trade union activity. Parliamentary debates significantly influenced the press and public opinion.

Left-Wing Formations

The Republican Left (1934) emerged from the union of the Republican Action Party of Manuel Azaña and the Radical Socialist Republican Party of Marcelino Domingo. It garnered support from the popular and middle classes, as well as intellectuals.

The Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) was influential among workers, encompassing social democratic and revolutionary factions, led by Largo Caballero, secretary general of the UGT union.

Further to the left was the Communist Party of Spain (PCE).

The CNT, an anarchist association, had two main factions: the trentistes, who...

The Crisis of 1898

Alfonso XIII's reign began in 1902, inheriting a nation grappling with economic, political, and moral crises. The loss of Cuba in 1898, while initially feared as an economic disaster, ironically proved beneficial. Spanish investments previously tied up in Cuba were redirected back into the mainland, stimulating the economy. However, the political landscape remained dominated by the corrupt and manipulative turnismo system. The loss of colonies deeply impacted Spanish morale, leading to a sense of national decline and the feeling that Spain was no longer a major European power.

Regenerationism

think Joaquin Costa school whose motto was, pantry and 20 keys in the service of Cid. This theme suggests an improvement in education,...

The Cortes of Cadiz and the Constitution of 1812 represent the first political institution and liberal legislation in Spain. Although they were in force for a short time, they became a symbol of the Liberal Revolution.

Causes and Background

1. The Crisis of 1808:

Several factors contributed to the crisis, including the international situation, political unrest against Godoy and Charles IV, the events in Aranjuez on May 2nd, and the War of Independence.

2. The Abdication of Bayonne and the Political Power Vacuum:

Political Developments on the Patriot Side

1. Local Boards
2. Central Board: Dissolved in January 1810 after initiating a process for electing representatives.
3. Regency (January-September 1810): Governed the country until a consultation process through

The French Revolution: 1789-1794

The Spark of Revolution: July 1789

The Estates-General convened in Versailles on May 5, 1789. Each of the three estates (nobility, clergy, and the Third Estate) had only one vote, regardless of their size. The privileged estates (nobility and clergy) refused to concede to the Third Estate's demands for fairer representation. This led to a series of events that ignited the revolution.

Formation of the National Assembly: June 20, 1789

Representatives of the Third Estate convened in the Jeu de Paume in Paris on June 20. They formed the National Assembly and pledged not to disband until a new constitution was established. The king eventually yielded, and the Estates-General transformed into the National Constituent...