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

Axis Advances (1939-1942)

Poland and Western Europe

In a matter of weeks, the German army decisively defeated Polish forces. Poland was then divided between Germany and Russia. Germany also occupied Denmark and Norway in a surprise attack, securing access to Swedish iron ore. German armored divisions bypassed the Maginot Line and attacked France through Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, despite those nations' neutrality. Italy, initially neutral, joined the war in June 1940, confident in Germany's impending victory. France was divided into two zones: the north, including Paris, under German control, and the south under the Vichy regime, a pro-German government. General Charles de Gaulle, opposing the Vichy regime, fled to London and...

Spain's Colonial Decline: Cuba and the Philippines

In 1898, following a short war with the United States, Spain lost the last possessions of its colonial empire. This "Disaster of '98" was not only military and economic but also profoundly political. It discredited the dynastic parties and triggered a deep crisis within the political system established by Cánovas.

Cuba: Background to Conflict

Economic Importance and Social Structure

During the 19th century, Cuba became increasingly wealthy and politically significant. The island emerged as one of the world's main sugar producers, with 90% of its sugar sold to the U.S. In 1869, Cuba had a population of 1,400,000, approximately 30% of whom were enslaved Black people and Chinese laborers.

Early Uprisings

Popular Front Government in Spain 1936

In February 1936, following the elections, President Alcalá Zamora commissioned Manuel Azaña to form a government. This government aimed to implement the Popular Front's program, which was based on:

• Continuing land reform
• Intensifying political education
• Granting amnesty for political prisoners
• Restoring the Generalitat of Catalonia
• Promoting the adoption of statutes for the Basque Country and Galicia

On April 7, Zamora was ousted as President of the Republic, and Azaña was elected in his place. Santiago Casares Quiroga became the head of the governing Republican Left party. However, neither could prevent the progressive deterioration of public order.

Public disorder manifested in several ways: violence in...

Republicanism in Spain: The Restoration Era

Initially, workers supported the progressive social revolution, later shifting their allegiance to the Republicans. The First Republic, though a failure, gained significant popularity in various Spanish regions and among the working class, fostering a persistent hope for a return to power. This situation posed a considerable threat to the Restoration monarchy.

Key Republican Parties and Trends

The Republican parties of the era included:

• Possibilist Republican Party (led by Castelar): This faction eventually dissolved, integrating into Sagasta's Liberal Monarchist Party.
• Radical Republican Party (directed by Zorrilla): This was the most important Republican trend, favoring the overthrow of the monarchy

The Spanish Restoration: Political System (1875-1931)

Foundations of the Restoration System

In 1875, an assembly of deputies and senators, convened by Cánovas del Castillo, established a political system designed to ensure the peaceful alternation of power between two dominant forces: the Conservative Liberal Party and the Liberal Fusion Party. This system placed the monarch as a central figure, regulating power among the political factions. The foundation of this bipartisan system rested on the Conservative Party, led by Cánovas del Castillo, and the Liberal Fusion Party (later simply the Liberal Party), led by Sagasta. The resulting political alternation, known as "Turnismo" or the "Peaceful Turn," persisted throughout the entire length of...

The Bourbon Restoration (December 1874)

The Bourbon monarchy was restored in December 1874 in the person of Alfonso XII. The new king arrived in Spain from the port of Barcelona (BCN). Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, the architect of the system, led the government and established the framework for the new regime.

The Canovista System and the 1876 Constitution

The political system had a conservative Canovista edge, based on a parliamentary system and liberal democracy, though its functioning was often flawed by electoral fraud and corruption.

The foundations of the Restoration were fixed in the Constitution of 1876, a moderate document resulting from a pact among the social elites. Key features included:

• Shared sovereignty between the Courts (Cortes)

France: Post-War Economic and Political Landscape

After the war, France was the most benefited economically and territorially by the Treaty of Versailles, becoming the greatest European power. The return of the rich mining regions of Alsace and Lorraine soon facilitated economic recovery.

However, early in the 1920s, the franc began to destabilize in French financial markets. Political leaders did not immediately change their economic policy, believing the crisis was temporary and could be solved with war reparations from Germany. In 1923, the French army occupied the Ruhr to force Germany to pay its debt, but this action failed to resolve the economic instability. This period was marked by great political instability, with 21 governments in...

María Cristina Messages

María Cristina Messages refer to the autonomic claims of bias given to Maria Cristina by members of the League in 1888, coinciding with the Governor's visit to Barcelona and Maria Cristina due to the Exposición Universal. This campaign for Catalan Civil Law had significant resonance throughout Catalonia.

Catalan Center

The Catalan Center was a Catalanist organization that emerged from Congress in 1882. It integrated both the Federalists and the moderate, apolitical group of the Renaixença. Its goal was essentially patriotic: the defense of Catalan particularity, avoiding political classification. Its secondment involved the Catalan bourgeoisie in the political project, aiming to create a power bloc that would displace...

1. Ariketa

1.1. Dendak Irekitzea

18:26an ireki dituzte hainbat denda.

18:26an - hainbat denda

1.2. Anai-Arreben Jaiotza

1991ko maiatzaren 26an jaio ziren zure anai-arrebak.

Maiatzaren 26an - anai-arreba

1.3. Hizkuntza Eskola

Datorren ikasturtean hizkuntza-eskolan emango dute izena hainbat neskek.

Hizkuntza-eskolan - dute - hainbat neskak

1.4. Goizeko Irteera

Urtarriletik maiatzera, ostegunetan, goizeko 07:30etan aterako gara etxetik.

Urtarriletik maiatzera - 07:30ean

1.5. Ekonomi Bileraren Amaiera

Ekonomi-arloko bilera gaueko zortzi eta erdietan amaitu zen; proposamenaren inguruko bozketan, sei eta lau egin zuten.

Ekonomia-arloko - zortzi eta erdietan - sei eta lau egin zuten

1.6. Hezkuntza Proiektua

Ez zaitu inork ere ezagutu, hezkuntza proiektuan aritu ginenetik...

Historical Context of the 1937 Decree

This decree-law, issued in 1937, concerns the Basque Economic Agreement abolition, drafted by Francisco Franco. Franco joined the 1936 military uprising that sparked the Civil War and became the sole Nationalist leader following the deaths of Sanjurjo and Mola. He ruled Spain as a dictator from 1939 until 1975. The document was a public decree addressed to all Spaniards, specifically the Basque people.

The law was published on June 24, 1937, in the Spanish Official Bulletin (formerly the Gazette of Madrid) after the Civil War concluded in the Basque Country, following the fall of Biscay to the Nationalists. It was issued in Burgos, the seat of the Nationalist command control during the war.

Key Terminology