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

Imperialism: The need of European states to obtain raw materials and new markets for their industrial production.

Imperialism and the Berlin Conference

The immediate consequence of the Berlin Conference was the acceleration of the race to gain positions on the African continent. The way that the Europeans divided up African territory had consequences that still remain. The different metropoles drew completely artificial borders in Africa, without taking into account the present cultures or the existing indigenous regions. Thus, 50 new countries were created without giving them any type of racial or cultural cohesion. In the long run, the coexistence of traditionally warring peoples within these artificial borders has led to serious confrontations,...

The Reign of Ferdinand VII and Liberal Conflict

Ferdinand VII's rule was characterized by arbitrary decisions and cruelty. He lacked a functional government but dismissed ministries at will. He restored absolutism in 1814, only to later restore the Constitution of 1812. The Trienio Liberal was an unstable period defined by conflicts between moderate liberals (doceañistas), absolutists, and radical liberals.

The Década Moderada (1844-1854)

The government maintained a conservative position based on the Constitution of 1845. Progressives were marginalized, and the newly created Democratic Party, which defended universal suffrage, was suppressed.

The Bienio Progresista (1854-1856)

This period began when moderate, progressive, and democratic troops...

Causes of World War I

• The competition led to an arms race.
• Nationalism was strong in Europe. Germany and Italy were unified, powerful nations.
• Nationalism caused trouble in the Balkans.
• Serbia became a free country in the Balkans.
• Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.
• Triple Entente: France, Great Britain, and Russia.
• On June 14, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed by a Serbian shooter.
• Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28. Germany supported Austria-Hungary, and Russia supported Serbia.
• On August 1, Germany declared war on Russia.

Four Years of War

• Belgium was a neutral country, but on August 4, 1914, Germany invaded Belgium. Because of this, Great Britain declared war on Germany.
• Germany had enemies on

Key Political Terms

Ballot The act of holding a secret vote. As a verb, holding a secret vote. No one knows who you voted for.

Bill A proposed change in the law. When it is still in the planning stage and before it becomes legal, a law is called a bill.

Coalition The time when different political parties agree on something for a reason.

Democracy A system where power is held by the people through elections. One person = one vote.

'The alternatives to Democracy, Communism for example, have largely been failures.'

To Elect (Verb) To choose by voting. 'In November Americans will vote for a new President.'

Election The process of choosing a new government or leader. 'In Britain elections are held every 4 or 5 years.'

Election Campaign The organised effort...

Brest-Litovsk Peace

Germans were advancing in Russia and they signed the Brest Litovsk Treaty, so Russia left WW1, having accepted German conditions. A civil war started in Russia because people saw communists as danger.

Civil War

• Whites were anti-communists.

• Reds were communists.

Great Britain, France and US helped the Whites to stop communism. Red forces were united while White forces were not. That made difficult the coordination of their attacks. When the red Army defeated their enemies in Russia, they went to Poland to spread communism, but Poland defeated them. Tsar and his family were executed

War communism and mutiny

• War communism was a system established by the Reds to win the War. They had power over the people and they use violence in case

TheWeimar constitution

In the month following the signing of the treaty, the Weimar constituent assembly completed a draft constitution for the new republic, resulting in what was hailed as the most modern democratic constitution of its day. The Weimar constitution provided for a popularly elected president who was given considerable power over foreign policy and the armed forces. Article 48 also gave the president emergency decree powers to protect the republic from crises initiated by its opponents on either the left or the right. The president was empowered to nominate the chancellor, whose government required the confidence of the lower house of the parliament, the Reichstag, which was elected by universal suffrage through a system of proportional...

From Progressive 2-Years to the Glorious Revolution (1854-1868)

Progressive 2-Years (1854-1856)

Narvaez's power was becoming more and more dictatorial, which provoked discontent and ended in a coup d'etat by General O'Donnell. He published the Manzanares Manifesto and obtained wide popular backing. He created a new political party: the Liberal Union (between moderates and progressives).

Finally, the coup d'etat was successful and Espartero returned and formed a government.

In this time, some measures were adopted such as the Madoz disentitlement, the elaboration of a new progressive constitution (never applied) by the Constituent Courts, and the creation of the Railroad Law for economic modernization.

New political groups appeared:

• Democrats: asked

Key Figures in History

Rulers and Leaders

James I

Succeeded Queen Elizabeth I and believed in the divine right of kings.

Oliver Cromwell

Executed Charles I and set up a military dictatorship in England.

Louis XIV

Seen as the perfect example of an absolutist ruler.

Frederick William

Helped Prussia to emerge.

Peter the Great

Tried to Europeanize Russia.

Thinkers and Philosophers

Rene Descartes

Argued that with all the doubt and uncertainty...

John Locke

Argued that each person has natural rights.

Adam Smith

Father of modern economics.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Argued that people adopted laws and government.

Montesquieu

Created the idea of separation of powers and checks and balances.

Scientists and Innovators

Nicolaus Copernicus

Challenged the idea that the Earth was the...

1. What is Imperialism?

Imperialism

Imperialism, or imperial colonialism, is the configuration of empires. Colonies are dependent on the metropolis, and indigenous peoples within these colonies are often considered second-class subjects.

Spain and Portugal were the first colonial empires, following the discovery and conquest of America, which resulted in genocide against the indigenous population. Empires formed in the 19th century differed from earlier models; the former emerged from a feudal economy, while the latter developed from a capitalist economy. Expansion was primarily driven by France and the UK throughout the century, characterized by intense Franco-English rivalry and the desire of other European nations to establish overseas colonies....

Many historians claim that the Treaty of Versailles was a failure because it ultimately led to the rise of Adolf Hitler, World War II, and the Holocaust. But the big question is, why did the Treaty of Versailles fail? History claims that the Treaty failed as it brewed resentment amongst the Germans and also did not help in satisfying the Americans, French, and the British.

Germany's Punishment After World War I

Germany was seen as the country that led to World War I. Hence, the Allies decided to make the country sign a harsh and stringent treaty. This treaty forced Germany to concede its territories to other nations like Poland, Belgium, and Czechoslovakia and return the French land that was annexed during the Franco-Prussian War. Germany even...