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

UNIT 1: The Spanish Constitution of 1812

As the principal aim of the new constitution was the prevention of arbitrary and corrupt royal rule, it provided for a limited monarchy which governed through ministers subject to parliamentary control. Suffrage favored the position of the commercial class. The constitution set up a rational and efficient centralized administrative system. So the 1812 Constitution established the principles of universal suffrage, national sovereignty, constitutional monarchy, freedom of the press, and supported land reform and free enterprise.

UNIT 2: The Rise of Liberalism in Spain

The liberals of this period were divided into two sides:

Divisions within Liberalism

• Sovereignty: Parliament and Monarch / National Sovereignty
• Setting

Largest EU Enlargement: The 2004 Expansion

The largest enlargement of the European Union was the 2004 expansion. The countries that joined the organization were:

• Malta
• Cyprus
• Estonia
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Poland
• Czech Republic
• Hungary
• Slovenia
• Slovakia

China's Role in Global Politics: The 1971 Shift

The year 1971 represented a new beginning for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in global politics because the PRC took the permanent seat of Taiwan (Republic of China) in the UN Security Council (UNSC), thereby acquiring Veto power.

Defining the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)

The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is an important forum for security dialogue in Asia. ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The ARF draws together 27 members that have a...

1. What Were Jefferson’s Beliefs About the Role of Government? He believed in having limited power, but setbacks were in order. He was an Anti-Federalist and a Jeffersonian Republican. He believed in frugality (little spending) and simplicity, which meant he cut back on some things. He reduced the army and the number of government employees. He also wanted to cut back on taxes and succeeded in eliminating the entire national debt. He believed that each state should have its own rights, such as education and road maintenance.

2. In the Election of 1800, What Were the Federalists Afraid Of? Federalists were afraid of revolution and chaos (Adams) because if Jefferson won the election, everything was going to change.

3. In the Election of 1800,

Key Concepts in Medieval European History

Conquests and Conflicts

The Moors and Islamic Iberia

What did the Spanish call the Muslims who conquered most of Spain during the 8th century?

The Spanish called them the Moors.

In which year did the Muslim forces of Arabs and Berbers from North Africa conquer Spain?

The conquest occurred in 711.

What was another name for Islamic Iberia or Muslim Spain?

Another name was Al-Andalus.

In what year did the Spanish forces capture the city of Granada, ending the Reconquista?

The Reconquista ended in 1492.

The Norman Conquest of England

Who crossed the English Channel in October 1066, conquering England at the Battle of Hastings?

William, Duke of Normandy.

Which people introduced French words into the English language by...

Essential Vocabulary List

• Impute: To attribute an action to a particular person or group.
• Incompatible: Opposed in nature; not able to live or work together.
• Inconsequential: Unimportant; trivial.
• Inevitable: Certain; unavoidable.
• Integrity: Decency, honesty, wholeness.
• Intrepid: Fearless, adventurous.
• Intuitive: Instinctive, untaught.
• Jubilation: Joy, celebration, exultation.
• Lobbyist: A person who seeks to influence political events.
• Longevity: Long life.
• Mundane: Ordinary, commonplace.
• Nonchalant: Calm, casual, seeming unexcited.
• Novice: Apprentice, beginner.
• Opulent: Wealthy.
• Orator: Lecturer, speaker.
• Ostentatious: Showy, displaying wealth.
• Parched: Dried up, shriveled.
• Perfidious: Faithless, disloyal, untrustworthy.
• Precocious: Unusually advanced or talented

Birth of the Republic of China

China Becomes a Republic (1911)

In 1911, an anti‑imperialist, anti‑dynastic revolution deposed the last emperor, Puyi, and proclaimed the Republic of China. The new republic failed to control the entire territory. Although power was nominally in the hands of the Kuomintang (KMT), the country remained for many years divided among regional warlords.

Between 1927 and 1937 China experienced one of its most turbulent periods. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), founded in 1921 in Shanghai, faced the dictatorial policies of the government. Over time Mao Zedong established himself as a communist leader, directing action toward middle and land‑working peasants; the CCP was strong in the Canton (Guangzhou) area.

In 1934...

British Colonial Ambitions in Africa

The United Kingdom sought the union of its colonies along a line from Egypt to South Africa, known historically as the Cairo-Cape Route. This ambition obviously clashed with the interests of other powers.

Other British provinces included:

• Sierra Leone
• Gold Coast
• Nigeria
• The coast of Zanzibar
• British Somaliland (near the exit of the Red Sea)

Key Colonial Conflicts and Crises

Colonial conflicts erupted, particularly around the year 1898. These conflicts contributed to a sense of collective depression in certain nations.

The most important conflicts include:

Fashoda Incident (1898)

A confrontation between France and the United Kingdom occurred in Fashoda (in present-day Sudan) because the colonial interests of both countries...

Sandhurst Manifesto: Classification and Authorship

Document Classification

The Sandhurst Manifesto is a historical text and a direct primary source of political and informational content.

Authorship and Audience

The author is Antonio Cánovas del Castillo. Although written for the future King, Alfonso XII, the manifesto was primarily addressed to the Spanish public.

Development and Historical Context

Circumstances of Creation

Cánovas del Castillo had spent six years building a political movement centered around the figure of Prince Alfonso. Following the collapse of the First Spanish Republic (marked by the pronouncement of General Pavía), Cánovas designed a new political system aimed at restoring the Bourbon dynasty.

The statement was completed...

The Spanish Civil War: Military Evolution and Key Phases

Early War: Militia Formation and Initial Strategies (Until November 1936)

The initial phase of the Spanish Civil War could be described as a war of columns or colonial-style warfare, characterized by small, highly mobile units composed of various arms. This strategy formed the basis of the war until at least November 1936. In early August, the Republic declared the army dissolved and attempted to create a new force based on volunteer battalions. This marked the era of the militias, recruited from political organizations and unions. Various provisions in late September and October accelerated the militarization of these militias, laying the groundwork for a Regular People's Army based on...