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

The Nationalist Zone: Establishing a New Order

Upon the death of General Sanjurjo, there was no clear leadership. A general meeting created the Board of National Defense, which served as an interim government. They immediately established a state of war, abolished freedoms, and dissolved all political parties except the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS (Falange). Propaganda justified the military insurrection as a National Uprising against a "Marxist and anti-Spanish Republic," framing the war as "a crusade to rid Spain of atheism."

Economic reforms were implemented to cancel Republican reforms. The Servicio Nacional del Trigo (National Wheat Service) was also created to control wheat distribution and provide bread to the people....

Dynastic Union: Integration of Castile and Aragon

The Battle of Toro secured victory for the Catholic Monarchs against Juana la Beltraneja, who was aided by the King of Portugal. Subsequently, the Treaty of Alcaçovas was signed with Portugal. Upon the death of John II of Aragon, Ferdinand II inherited the kingdom, resulting in a personal political union between Castile and Aragon. Through the Concordia of Segovia, Isabella assumed internal governance of Castile. Following this union, the Kingdom of Granada and Navarre were integrated to achieve the unification of Spain.

Conquest of Granada and Incorporation of Navarre

The incorporation of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada and the Kingdom of Navarre were pivotal. Relations between Castile and Granada...

The Fall of the Monarchy and the Second Republic

Determined to find a solution to the political situation and to establish the Constitution, the king favored the holding of municipal elections on April 12, 1931. These gave a resounding victory to the Republican-Socialist candidates in large cities and provincial capitals, while the total number of councilors remained overwhelmingly monarchist. Following demonstrations demanding the restoration of the Republic, the king left the country. Once he abandoned his obligations, the Second Republic was proclaimed on April 14.

Political Turmoil and Radicalization

During the Republic, there was major political and social turmoil, marked by a sharp radicalization of both the left and the right. Moderate...

Key Figures and Conflicts in the Romance

The Grand Turk, enemy of Tirant (Pulling), attacks the Greek Empire and lays siege to Constantinople.

Character Descriptions

• Count Varoic, The Hermitage Knight

  Known by his English name, he deceives his 55-year-old wife and servants into believing he died, when in fact he withdrew to a contemplative life. He teaches Tirant (Pulling) about the order of knighthood.

• Leader of the High Dignitary of Trema

  He leads the *cabdillos* (chieftains) who rescue the imprisoned after Tirant (Pulling) causes the wreckage. Later, he asks for help, even though they remain faithful to Islam.

• Princess Maragdina (Tremissen)

  A Christian princess who loves Tirant and ends up marrying her kidnapper.

• Escariano, Great King of Ethiopia

  He

Crisis and Collapse of the Restoration System

The Triple Crisis of 1917

The failure of Maura and Canalejas ushered in an era of instability, culminating in the triple crisis of 1917 and the 1923 coup. Governments were weak and overwhelmed by problems.

World War I and Social Unrest: Spain's neutrality during World War I allowed for profitable trade with warring nations, tripling Bank of Spain reserves. However, this created social consequences:

• Unequal wealth distribution and increased social differences.
• Alarming inflation and doubled cost of necessities.
• Slow wage growth, reducing workers' purchasing power.

News of the 1917 Russian Revolution fueled unrest, leading to a general strike aimed at replacing the monarchy with a republic.

The government...

The End of World War II

European Front: Allied Victory

The balance of forces broke, and the Germans were forced into a continuous retreat. The final Allied offensive took place on several fronts, leading to the collapse of the Axis powers in Europe.

Fall of Italy and Mussolini's Ousting

The fall of Italy began with Anglo-American landings in North Africa. Allied forces then landed in Sicily, leading to significant political upheaval. Benito Mussolini was ousted from power, and King Victor Emmanuel III formed a new government, placing Mussolini under arrest. Peace negotiations commenced as German troops retreated from Allied advances, culminating in Italy's capitulation in 1943, though fighting continued on Italian soil until 1945.

Eastern Front:

Stage 1: The Blitzkrieg Era (1939-1945)

The war began with the Blitzkrieg (Lightning War), characterized by the rapid, surprise maneuvers of the German Wehrmacht. Germany launched devastating short campaigns, starting with the invasion of Poland in 1939 to occupy the Danzig corridor and Warsaw.

Soviet and Northern European Expansion

• USSR: Occupied eastern Poland, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
• Northern Europe: Germany invaded Norway and Denmark. Sweden remained neutral, supplying iron ore to Germany.

The Battle of Britain

Great Britain failed to defend Norway, leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Chamberlain and the appointment of Winston Churchill in 1940. From September 1940, the German Luftwaffe launched mass air raids on London,...

Operation Barbarossa

Despite the non-aggression pact with the USSR, Hitler's Germany was preparing for the invasion of the Soviet Union, codenamed Operation Barbarossa. Germany's initial plan was delayed due to Italy's failure to occupy Greece, requiring German support. This led Germany to focus its interest on Eastern Europe: Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria were occupied, followed by Greece, Yugoslavia, and Crete.

The invasion of the USSR began in 1941 with these objectives:

• Destroy the Bolshevik regime.
• Subjugate the population and exploit the country's resources: food, minerals, petroleum, and industrial assets.

The attacks followed three main directions:

1. North towards Leningrad.
2. Center towards Moscow.
3. South through Ukraine.

Leningrad withstood the...

The Spain of the 16th Century: Iberian Unity

In 1581, the Portuguese Cortes gathered in Tomar and proclaimed Philip II as King. Known as Philip I of Portugal, he spent three years securing the annexation of Lisbon. Philip pledged to uphold and respect the privileges, customs, and rights of the Portuguese people. He also committed to maintaining the positions of all central government and local council officials. Furthermore, customs barriers with Castile were abolished.

The annexation resulted in the union of two great empires. Portuguese possessions in Brazil, Africa, and Asia were integrated into the empire of Philip II—an empire "where the sun never set."

External Political Struggles

The 16th century was marked by significant geopolitical...

Primo de Rivera's Dictatorship in Spain (1923-1930)

The dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera was the authoritarian political regime established in Spain between September 13, 1923, and January 28, 1930. It operated under the leadership of General Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja with the acceptance of King Alfonso XIII.

Factors Leading to the Dictatorship

The coup d'état by Primo de Rivera, then Captain General of Catalonia, occurred amidst a complex national situation, leading to the resignation of the Government of García Prieto. Key contributing factors included:

• Revolutionary Climate and Social Tensions: A growing industrial proletariat, increased urban concentration, the creation of the Communist Party of Spain in 1921, and numerous clashes