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

Reign of Elizabeth II (1833-1843): The Regency

Moderate First Period (1833-1835)

Regency of Maria Cristina (1833-1840)

Moderates in Power:

Elizabeth II began her reign under the regency of her mother, Maria Cristina, and the direction of the doceañistas, including Martinez de la Rosa. In this era, feudalism, primogeniture, and the Mesta were finally abolished. The State was organized territorially into 49 provinces, with criteria of centralism and uniformity, and a Royal Statute (1834) was promulgated. The Statute included:

• It did not pass laws but increased requests to the Queen.
• It consisted of two chambers:
  • Estate of the Founding Fathers (Upper House): This included the Grandees of Spain, who were ex officio and hereditary members, and other members

Decline of the Spanish Empire

During the reign of Fernando VII, the Spanish Empire lost most of its mainland American colonies. Only Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippine Islands remained under Spanish sovereignty.

Colonial Administration Challenges

Colonial problems severely strained the administration. Rulers had to contend with Cuba's long war (1868-1878).

Cuba's Struggle for Independence

Cuba was closely linked to the U.S. economy and desired similar economic and democratic development. The U.S. even expressed interest in buying the island.

Parallel rebellions occurred in Cuba. The last, led by Céspedes, began with the "Cry of Yara," a village where the Ten Years' War started, lasting until 1878.

Furthermore, problems within the Spanish government...

Liberal and Moderate Political Parties

The establishment of the liberal state brought about the existence of representative bodies. Political parties remain the instruments to provide representatives to these institutions. The great restriction of voting rights and the lack of parliamentary tradition disenfranchised the vast majority of people in party politics. This caused a militarization of political life.

Party leaders were senior military officers appearing throughout politics, a strain of the "swords": Espartero, Narváez, O'Donnell, Prim, Serrano, Pavía... In the context of the Carlist civil war, the division of the Liberals ended, and the Liberal Triennium commenced in two groups: Moderates and Progressives.

The Moderates

The Moderates,...

Causes of World War I

European Rivalries

The enmity between France and Germany started with the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, where France lost Alsace and Lorraine. Germany became the leading power on the continent, reaffirmed by the formation of the Triple Alliance. The European balance of power depended on the British. Economic and political differences between Britain and Germany grew, and Germany began a policy of naval construction. The Triple Entente alliance would become a major military force in Europe. The great European states initiated an arms race to increase their military potency. The great powers were preparing for war.

The Balkan Conflict

The Balkan conflict was caused by the clash of interests between Austria-Hungary and Russia....

The Glorious Revolution of 1868: A New Era in Spain

Introduction

In September 1868, a new pronouncement spearheaded by the army marked a turning point in Spanish history, setting the stage for significant political change. Generals Serrano and Prim, along with Admiral Topete, initiated a revolt in Cadiz that rapidly spread throughout the nation. The queen was exiled to France following the Battle of Alcolea. This revolution, known as the Glorious, represented a renewed effort by the bourgeoisie and a large segment of the populace to establish a democratic system.

Causes of the Revolution

• Social crisis in Andalusia, characterized by a series of peasant revolts led by landless individuals.
• Political crisis, marked by a succession of moderate and unionist

ITEM 10: The Origin of Fascism

Created in 1919 in Italy as the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento, it was a party formed to combat the Marxist left. Later led by Benito Mussolini, Fascist ideology is characterized by:

• Opposition to democracy and Marxism, with persecution and killing of Marxists.
• Advocacy for a single-party state.
• Rejection of the bourgeois world, looking back to more hierarchical times like the Middle Ages, defending corporatism and creating unions.
• Defense of nationalism for national unity and patriotism, persecuting minorities, foreigners, and immigrants.
• Defense of militarism, with party militants uniformed and acting as an army.
• Use of symbols.
• Use of propaganda to attract the masses with charismatic leaders and personalities.

Fascist

The Monarchy of Alfonso XIII

It was necessary to regenerate the political, economic, and social legislation since the Canovista restoration had already lapsed. Economically backward, the domain of agriculture, the industry was in its infancy. Gradually, industrialization appeared alongside the middle class and urban proletariat.

In politics, the parliamentary system was based on the fictional rotating government of Liberal and Conservative parties, decided by the king.

Rise to the Throne of Alfonso XIII

In 1902, at age 16, Alfonso XIII ascended to the throne. He continued to rule with the peaceful shift of the two major parties.

They devised the "revolution from above" that dealt with the financial restructuring of state, social reforms through...