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

Power, Opposition, and Society in Late Franco Spain

The Franco Regime in the 1970s

Governments of the Late Dictatorship

Appointment of Juan Carlos de Borbón as the successor to Franco. Politicians were divided between the regime's immobilists and aperturists. The former bet on maintaining the rigid structure of the system without any reforms. Aperturists believed that remaining in power required making gestures towards the continuation of a democratic regime.

The Carrero Blanco Government

Franco ceded the post of Prime Minister to Carrero Blanco. It was the first time Franco separated the role of Head of State from Head of Government, a clear sign of his physical inability to govern. The government headed by Carrero Blanco lasted a very short time,...

The Political Evolution of Francoist Spain

Wartime Diplomacy and Non-Belligerence

Following the Spanish Civil War, Francisco Franco engaged in negotiations with Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini regarding Spain's potential participation in World War II. Franco sought to repay the support received from the Axis powers during the Civil War; however, he argued that Spain was too economically weak to join the conflict directly. Franco demanded significant territorial concessions and privileges in exchange for his involvement, terms that failed to convince Hitler and Mussolini.

Ultimately, Spain remained non-belligerent. Franco informed the Spanish public that the nation was too fragile to enter the war, though he maintained a policy of limited cooperation....

The Spanish Civil War: Origins and Outbreak

From the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic and the victory of the Popular Front, a process of revolution had begun, threatening the interests and privileges of the ruling classes.

On July 18, 1936, a sector of the army carried out a military coup. Popular mobilization failed to stop it, and the coup escalated into a full-scale civil war.

Key Figures and Initial Uprising

• General Emilio Mola
• General José Sanjurjo
• General Francisco Franco

The uprising began in Melilla, where the rebels quickly seized power throughout Moroccan territory. General Franco took command there.

General Sanjurjo, who was initially designated to lead the uprising, tragically died in a plane crash while returning to Spain....

Bourbon Foreign Policy in Europe

Under Philip V's foreign policy, the initial aim was to revise the Treaty of Utrecht. Given the failure of this policy, Philip V attempted to secure the Crown of France, but opposition from European powers and the survival of the young Louis XV led the King to abandon this idea. In 1734, Spain signed the First Family Pact with France. The signing of this agreement, which saw Spain support France in the War of Polish Succession, resulted in the Infante Don Carlos becoming King of Naples. In 1743, the Second Family Pact was signed. The reign of Ferdinand VI was a period of neutrality. In contrast, under Charles III, European policy became more belligerent, leading to the signing of the Third Family Pact, which...

Baroque Architecture: Sustaining Elements and Key Aspects

Baroque architecture continues the elements of Renaissance architecture of classical origin, such as arches, barrel vaults, columns, and pilasters, and pediments. However, these elements are now used more freely.

Materials and Aesthetics

Baroque architecture seeks to impress, often appearing very luxurious but sometimes utilizing less expensive materials to achieve rich decorative effects.

Ornamentation and Visual Effects

Baroque buildings are highly decorated, aiming for striking visual effects on the facades through the interplay of light and shadows. This is achieved by the way light falls on the varying surfaces of the buildings, altering their appearance depending on the viewing angle....

The Spanish Second Republic

The Reformist Biennium: April 14, 1931 - 1933

On April 14, 1931, the Second Republic was proclaimed after the Republican nomination had been victorious in the municipal elections of the 12th in the provincial capitals and main cities. The main reason the system was in deep crisis was the Restoration, which had worsened during the reign of Alfonso XIII and the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. The new government tried to tackle the country's problems through labor, educational, military, and agricultural reforms. The complete agreement concluded with the 1933 elections that gave the victory to the right.

The "Counter-Reformist" or Radical-CEDA Biennium: 1933-1936

The period from November 1933 to February 1936 was characterized...

Item 11 of History: Interwar Europe

After the Second World War, Europe and the world were divided into two blocs:

• Eastern Bloc: With the Warsaw Pact
• Western Bloc: With NATO
• The EEC (European Economic Community) emerged but later evolved into the EU.

In 1929, a global crisis emerged, caused by intensified social struggles. This led to the establishment of totalitarian dictatorships, primarily Nazi-fascist in nature, through coups, civil wars (like in Spain), or reform policies such as the New Deal. Germany's annexation of Poland, followed by declarations of war by France and England, occurred in 1939. The USSR initially signed a non-aggression pact with Germany. The U.S. remained neutral at first, entering the war in 1941, the same year as the Soviet...

San Pietro in Montorio: Bramante's Masterpiece

Commission and Location

The Catholic Kings commissioned Bramante to prepare this work, intended to commemorate and mark the place where, according to tradition, Saint Peter was crucified. The temple, known as the Tempietto, is located in the cloister of a Franciscan convent on Gianicolo Hill in Rome. Its construction began in 1502.

The Architect: Bramante

Bramante's formation combined influences from both Brunelleschi and the architecture of Northern Italy. His work in Milan for the Sforza family defined his style until his move to Rome in 1499, where he came into direct contact with the great buildings of antiquity.

Formal Analysis

The building has a central plan, and all design follows a circular form....

The Second Spanish Republic: A Concise History

The Proclamation of the Republic occurred on April 14, 1931, after Alfonso XIII lost the support of the proletariat. This followed the Pact of San Sebastian, where Alcala Zamora was not in government.

In Catalonia, the Esquerra Republicana dominated the government. Agreements such as the Estatut de Núria were approved, including opposition to the Spanish right, approval of the final text, and a reduction of power in the approval of the 1931 Constitution. Francesc Macià, the Republican President of Esquerra, implemented economic, educational, linguistic, and territorial measures, and the Law of Bases was approved in 1934 (health).

The Constitution of 1931 (Biennium d'Esquerres 31-33) aimed to incorporate...

The Primo de Rivera Dictatorship: 1923–1930

In 1923, General Miguel Primo de Rivera, Captain General of Catalonia, staged a coup d'état that met with little opposition. King Alfonso XIII agreed to the coup and appointed Primo de Rivera as the first president of a military government called the Directory. The new government seemed to echo a general outcry against the old *cacique* politics. The dictatorship is divided into two main phases:

Military Directory (1923–1925)

This phase was intended as a temporary solution where the Prime Minister exercised sole authority. The state of war was proclaimed. The Constitution was not repealed, but the courts were dissolved. This period saw the militarization of the administration and the relegation...