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

Item 10.2: The Regencies of Isabella II's Minority

The reign of Isabella II, beginning with these regencies, signified a critical period in Spain's transition towards a bourgeois liberal state. When King Ferdinand VII died, his three-year-old daughter, Isabella II, inherited the throne. Her mother, Maria Cristina de Borbón, assumed the regency. Faced with opposition from the absolutist supporters of Carlos María Isidro (Ferdinand VII's brother), which ignited the First Carlist War, the Queen Regent was compelled to rely on the Liberals to secure the throne for her daughter.

The Regency of Maria Cristina de Borbón (1833-1840)

This period was conditioned by two main events: the ongoing civil war with the Carlists and the division among the Liberals...

Reforms and Unrest in Pre-War Spain

The government initiated a series of significant reforms. Key legislation included:

• The "Padlock Law," which restricted the establishment of new religious orders.
• Reforms to church financing, which were accused of being anti-clerical.
• A new conscription law that made military service mandatory and eliminated the practice of cash redemption, which had allowed the wealthy to avoid service.
• A Law of Associations.
• A tax reform that replaced the unpopular consumos (consumption) tax.

These laws were an attempt to improve social and working conditions. However, the Prime Minister was assassinated by an anarchist in November 1912. His death led to a schism within the Liberal Party, with leaders like the Count of Romanones...

Causes of World War I

The Armed Peace: Colonial Confrontations

Morocco experienced two crises:

• The first crisis occurred when France intended to make Morocco a protectorate. Germany supported the Sultan of Morocco to defend their independence. Ultimately, Morocco became a French-Spanish protectorate. The result was a Franco-British alliance (Entente Cordiale).
• The second crisis involved Germany sending a warship to a Moroccan port. The result was Germany extending its colony of Cameroon at the expense of France.

The Balkan Crisis

The causes of the Balkan crisis were:

• Rivalries between European powers (Austria-Hungary and Russia) to control the Balkans.
• The Ottoman Empire's eagerness to maintain its European dominions.
• Serbia's ambition to unify the

Spanish American Independence: A Historical Overview

Spain's Internal Turmoil: The Carlist Wars

The Carlists considered Carlos María Isidro (Charles V) as the legitimate successor. Civil war erupted when Elizabeth was only two years old, leaving Maria Cristina as regent. The Carlists were staunchly attached to royal absolutism. Isabel (or Maria Cristina) allied with the Liberals for support, despite not being liberals themselves.

Causes of Latin American Independence

• The discomfort of the Creole ruling classes (Spanish-born in America), who felt politically neglected in areas of power in favor of peninsular Spaniards and threatened in some regions by the non-white majority (Indigenous peoples, Black people, and Mestizos).
• The crisis of 1808 in

Mahatma Gandhi: A Life Dedicated to Truth and Non-Violence

Early Life and Influences

Mohan Das Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), affectionately known as Mahatma Gandhi and Bapuji, was born on October 2nd, 1869, in Porbandar, Gujarat, India. His father served as a Dewan in Porbandar and Rajkot, where Gandhi received his early education. Married at the age of 12 to Kasturbai, he later traveled to London to study law, qualifying for the Bar in 1891.

Gandhi's transformative experience in South Africa (1893-1914), where he fought against racial discrimination and injustice, shaped his philosophy of Satyagraha (truth force) and non-violent resistance. He emerged as a prominent leader and advocate for human dignity.

The Gandhi Era and Indian Independence

Returning...

The Bolsheviks (Radicals)

In the 1890s, the Bolsheviks encouraged industrial workers to protest against their living conditions, aiming to trigger a Marxist revolution. Consequently, the Tsar exiled many of them.

During a Social Democrat Conference, members debated whether to become a mass party or remain a small, revolutionary group. They eventually split into:

• Bolsheviks: A small, disciplined group led by Lenin.
• Mensheviks: A larger, mass-membership party.

The Bolsheviks smuggled newspapers to gain influence while maintaining a small, impactful core. Lenin was exiled during the war but returned during the February Revolution.

Lenin authored the April Theses, which promised freedom and advocated for transferring power to the Soviets. He sought to...

Chapter 13

1. Manifest Destiny (Z): The belief that American expansion westward was divinely sanctioned.
2. John O’Sullivan (Q): Newspaper editor who coined the term "manifest destiny."
3. Mountain Men (K): American fur trappers who blazed western trails.
4. Donner Party (C, L): Group stranded on their way to California, resorting to cannibalism due to their own mistakes and poor decisions.
5. John Charles Fremont (B): Known as "The Pathfinder," he encouraged westward migration with reports of his explorations.
6. American Settlers (M): Settled in Texas for fertile, inexpensive land, causing concern for the Mexican government.
7. Anglo Texans (G): Rebelled against Mexico due to fears of slave emancipation.
8. Battle of the Alamo (D): A costly victory for the Mexicans.
9. Sam

Debase

v. To lower in value, quality, or dignity; to cheapen.

Prophesy

v. To predict (something) by or as if by divine guidance.

Defray

v. To furnish money for.

Lucrative

Adj. Producing wealth or profit.

Countenance

n. Face; facial expression.

Stoicism

n. Indifference to pleasure or pain.

Warfare with Revolutionary and Napoleonic France

The warfare with Revolutionary and Napoleonic France took place from 1792-1815.

Sussex, Huntingdonshire, and West Riding

Former counties or divisions in southeastern England.

Ben Nevis and Helvellyn

Mountains in Britain.

Crash in 1720: South Sea Bubble

Financial crisis caused by the overvaluation of stock.

More into the Exchequer

More into the treasury than taxes on domestic goods.

Charles the Second

King of England from 1660 to 1685....

The Cold War: Definition and Origins

The Cold War was the most important political issue of the early post-war period. It originated from long-lasting disagreements between the Soviet Union and the United States regarding their political and economic ideologies.

The Western Bloc defended a liberal democratic political regime within a capitalist economy, where corporations were the beneficiaries. The Soviet Union and its allies defended a form of state socialism. In reality, this system often resulted in a group of dictatorships within a state-based economic system where the hierarchy of the sole party, the Communist Party, became the new dominant class.

Key Events Triggering the Cold War

1. The Abandonment of US Isolationism: The Truman Doctrine.

Spain: The Restoration and 19th Century Politics

In the 19th century, Spain experienced similar political processes to the rest of Europe. During the reign of Fernando VII, absolutism was restored. The reign of Fernando VII is divided into three phases:

• The Absolute Phase (1814-1833): He enjoyed the support of the Spanish people. He wanted to return to the Ancien Régime as outlined in the Persian Manifesto; he abolished the Constitution of 1812 and re-established the absolute monarchy.
• The Liberal Phase (1820-1823): A period of political instability and military coups designed to overthrow absolutism.
• The Ominous Decade (1823-1833): In 1823, Fernando VII asked the Holy Alliance for assistance. They sent a French army, the 100,000 Sons of Saint