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

The Ancien Régime

The Ancien Régime (AR) was the organizational form of politics, society, and economy in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, although most of its defining characteristics came to fruition in the 18th century. At the head of the political system was an absolute monarch, who held state power. Below him were the privileged groups (nobility and clergy) and the Third Estate. Economically, agriculture and livestock were still the most important activities, which meant that economic conditions were very poor. In short, the AR was an heir to the medieval estate system.

The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment was a stream of thought that was born in Britain in the 17th century at the hands of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. In the 18th...

Enlightened Despotism

Enlightened Despotism is the name given to the form of government of some political regimes in the late 18th century. It combines the absolute power of monarchs with a desire for reform of the economy and society. Enlightened Despotism is summarized in the phrase "Everything for the people, but without the people".

Guerrilla Warfare

Guerrilla is a method of fighting against the French, born in 1809. It prevented the conquest and control of the territory, limiting itself to systematically harassing the enemy by attacking convoys and stragglers. It was structured around small groups or gangs and came to have nearly 55,000 members in 1811.

Juntas

Juntas are groups of people who come together with the objective of taking over the...

The Reign of Charles IV

In 1789, the ministers of Charles IV closed the borders to prevent revolutionary ideas from spreading into Spain. Conservatives dominated the court, while the monarch felt overwhelmed by the rapid course of events. Spain initially waited to see how the situation in France would unfold, but following the execution of Louis XVI, Madrid declared the War of the Pyrenees (Roussillon). The conflict began in 1793 with a Spanish invasion of French territory, which saw initial success. However, after a series of defeats and victories, peace was signed in Basel in 1795.

Manuel Godoy became the favorite of the powerful monarchy, and his influence defined Spanish politics until the eve of the War of Independence. Key events during...

The Bankruptcy of the Spanish Political System (1914-1923)

Spain and World War I: Consequences

• Increased demand for Spanish goods led to a positive trade balance.
• Increased production resulted in higher corporate profits.
• A huge gap emerged between prices (inflation) and wages (which stagnated or rose at a slower rate).
• Increased social conflict, influenced by the context of the Russian Revolution.
• Rise of Basque and Catalan nationalism.

The Crisis of 1917

Military Crisis

Issues included an excessive ratio of officers to soldiers. Promotions based on war merit favored 'Africanists' (officers serving in Morocco). Inflation further reduced the real value of already low military salaries.

Boards of Defense and Their Claims

Military associations, known as...

Economic and Population Trends of the Spanish Empire

The population and economy of the Monarquía Hispánica experienced a period of expansion throughout most of the sixteenth century. However, the empire missed the opportunity to become a modern nation. The majority of the population continued to devote themselves to agriculture, especially cereal production. Agricultural production grew until 1590, but entered a crisis during that decade. This growth in production was due mainly to the expansion of cultivated land.

Agriculture and the Mesta

The increase in cultivated areas ran into a significant problem: the rights of livestock transhumance. The Mesta breeders defended the rights of the traffic channels for their herds and grazing reserves....

Causes of the Esquilache Riots

• The existence of popular unrest due to the scarcity and rising bread prices caused by poor harvests in 1765 and the price liberalization policies.

• The opposition to the foreign presence in the government.

• The opposition of the privileged wing to government reform measures.

The Trigger and Immediate Consequences

The trigger was a decree banning the use of some traditional male dress, prompting a violent revolt that meant the cessation of Esquilache and the paralysis of further reform.

Moderate Reforms Under Charles III

The government adopted more moderate reformist political features, but they did not stop. Their promoters changed and were now Spanish. Highlighted figures include Campomanes, the Count of Aranda, and Floridablanca....

Spain in the 17th Century: The Reign of Philip III

Philip III ascended the throne in 1598 and inherited an empire that was in crisis.

Domestic Affairs

Philip III chose to leave the task of government in the hands of a prime minister, the Duke of Lerma. The main objective was to improve public finances, which were unable to afford military expenditures and measures to manage debts. One of the most serious measures was the expulsion of the Moors; they worked in agriculture, and their expulsion was a disaster, as the fields were left uninhabited and uncultivated.

Foreign Policy

Lerma pursued a policy of peace to reduce military expenditure. In 1604, he signed a peace treaty with England, and in 1609, a Twelve Years' Truce with the United Provinces,...

Moderate Power (1843)

• 1843: Proclamation of Isabel II as constitutional queen.
• Initiated the Moderate period.
• General Narváez, head of government, established new bases for the moderate state.
• Scheme based on the dominance of the landowning bourgeoisie.

Constitution of 1845

• Sovereignty shared by King and Parliament.
• Liberal-conservative character.
• No strict separation of powers.
• Reform of the 1837 Constitution.
• Lasted 23 years.
• Bicameral Cortes (Congress, Senate).
• Restricted suffrage.
• Senate appointed by the queen.
• Catholic confessionality of the state.

Liberal State Structure

• Based on principles of centralism and uniformity.
• Penal Code approved.
• Administration reorganized.
• Mayors in towns over 2000 inhabitants named by the Crown.
• Foral rights maintained for

Proclamation of 1868: The Cadiz Revolution

This text justifies and expresses the goals of the revolutionaries of the 1868 Cadiz Revolution. The primary aim was not merely to establish a provisional government, but to transition to a political system based on universal suffrage. The revolutionaries cited justifications such as corruption, political disorder, and the lack of freedoms.

Paradoxically, many of the signatories were, or had been, senior political and military figures under Queen Isabel II.

Definitions:

• Constitution: A set of fundamental laws, rigid in nature, that must include the division of powers, the individual rights of citizens, and may address the organization of the state and participation within it.
• Universal Suffrage: The right