Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for History

Colonial Conquest of Africa

19th-century European industrialization created a need for raw materials and markets for manufactured goods in Africa. Economic motivation was important in colonization, as was politics, including nationalism in Europe. Competition between European nations (Britain, France, Germany) caused the colonization of Africa in just 25 years. Europeans viewed themselves as a more advanced civilization. They colonized in two ways: 1. treaties with African leaders 2. military force.

New Borders for Africa

Imposed by Europeans with no attention to existing political organizations, dividing friends and uniting enemies.

World War I (1914)

Causes

Assassination of the Austro-Hungarian Archduke triggered the outbreak of WWI.

Alliances

Agreements... Continue reading "19th & 20th Century Europe: Colonialism, World Wars, and Russian Revolution" »

The Madrid Uprising and Spanish War of Independence

This event marked the beginning of the Spanish War of Independence. It was the Revolt of the people of Madrid on the 2nd of May, 1808, who rose against the French occupation.

Following the Treaty of Fontainebleau, Napoleon’s troops were allowed to cross Spain to occupy Portugal. However, Napoleon took advantage of the treaty and occupied part of Spain. Subsequently, he attempted to move the Spanish royal family to Seville to protect them from the French troops, but this action caused a popular revolt known as the Revolt of Aranjuez.

At that moment, Spain had been a French ally after having previously fought against it and the French Revolution. But those years of alliance with France were over... Continue reading "Madrid Uprising and Start of Spanish War of Independence" »

MAKING OF EUROPE

1. Why Unite Europe?

• Post-War Devastation: World War II left Europe in ruins, with Germany divided, France in its Fourth Republic, and the Italian monarchy overthrown. Unification offered a path to recovery and stability.
• Economic Reconstruction: The creation of a common market aimed to boost trade and economic growth for war-torn nations.
• Preventing Future Conflicts: The trauma of war fostered a desire for lasting peace. Negotiation and cooperation became paramount, particularly between France and Germany.
• Franco-German Cooperation: The post-war period witnessed unprecedented cooperation between France and Germany, laying the foundation for European integration.
• Challenges of Integration: Integrating West Germany posed economic

The American Revolution (1775-1783)

2.1. Causes of the War

• Ideological factors:
  • Colonists were influenced by Enlightenment ideas about liberty and equality.
  • These ideas became the basis for the independence movement.
• Political factors:
  • British Parliament made decisions about taxes and other issues related to the colonies.
  • Great Britain refused to allow the colonies to be represented in Parliament.
• Economic and social factors:
  • Wealthy colonial bourgeoisie wanted freedom to trade without British interference.
  • They also wanted to occupy territories to the west.
  • The high cost of the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) led to increased taxes on products like tea, sugar, and lead.
  • Colonies refused to pay these taxes, leading to protests like the Boston Tea Party.

2.

Key Military and Wartime Definitions

• Blockade: The isolating or surrounding of a place by troops to prevent enemies' attack.
• Treaty: A formal agreement between two or more countries.
• Armistice: An agreement to stop a war.
• Rationing: A fixed allowance of provisions and food during a shortage.
• Conscription: To draft for military or naval service.

Reference code: 2.edcbghaf.

The Schlieffen Plan and Its Failure

Why the Schlieffen Plan Failed

• The Belgian army fought well.
• The Germans had an error in their plans.
• Russia mobilized sooner than expected.

Strategic Objectives of the Plan

The Schlieffen Plan was designed as a devastating attack on France via Belgium as soon as Russia had announced her intention to mobilize. It involved a holding operation on the Russian/... Continue reading "World War I Military Strategies and Peace Treaties" »

Global Historical Forces: Industrialization, Conflict, and Empire

The Industrial Revolution: Transformation and Impact

The Industrial Revolution, sparked by the Scientific Revolution, was a turning point that forever changed how people lived. Inventions like the cotton mill, coupled with available labor, transportation, raw materials, and capital, fueled its rapid expansion. It spread around the world, fueled by imperialism, as new sources of raw materials flowed into various nations in Europe. Governments supported entrepreneurs to establish factories, producing goods from raw materials, yielding capital, and increasing exports.

However, this era also brought significant negative consequences:

• Economic Inequality: A large gap emerged between the

What Was Chartism?

Chartism was the second stage of the labor movement. It consisted of participation in politics to improve workers' lives. Workers wrote a document called the People's Charter, which included some vindications such as:

• Male universal suffrage
• Yearly elections
• Secret ballots
• Wages for worker politicians

This movement happened between 1838 and 1848 but it failed as their vindications were not accepted and the protests became too radical. However, the revolutions of 1848 did not spread to the UK, as the government agreed to improve the working conditions of women and children.

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels were the first and main thinkers of socialism.

Class Struggle

Class struggle is the fight between a... Continue reading "A History of Labor Movements and Imperialism" »

Long-Term Causes of World War II

1. The Treaty of Versailles: In Germany, people resented the Treaty of Versailles, which Hitler had promised to destroy. He broke its conditions, firstly by rebuilding Germany's armed forces. Then, in 1936, he reoccupied the Rhineland, an important industrial region that had been made a demilitarized zone by the treaty.

2. The Failure of the League of Nations: The League of Nations was created to keep the peace, but it was unable to prevent the Second World War. In general, the organization failed because it could not enforce treaties or impose its decisions.

3. Expansionism: Authoritarian regimes in Germany, Italy, and Japan felt that they needed to expand the territory under their control in order to acquire... Continue reading "World War II: Origins, Turning Points, and Conclusion" »

19th Century Spanish Politics

The Reign of Fernando VII (1814-1833)

Absolutist Phase (1814-1820)

Fernando VII dismissed the Cortes, abolished the 1812 Constitution, and re-established absolute monarchy.

Liberal Phase (1820-1823)

The Riego and Quiroga military coup forced the king to reinstate the 1812 Constitution and suppressed freedoms.

Ominous Decade (1823-1833)

Aided by the French army (the "100,000 Sons of Saint Louis"), Fernando VII defeated the liberals and reinstated absolutism.

The Reign of Isabel II (1833-1868)

A liberal constitutional monarchy was established with shared sovereignty, support from liberal political parties, constitutions, and military participation.

The Regency Period

Regencies of María Cristina Bourbon and General Espartero.... Continue reading "19th Century Spanish Politics: From Absolutism to Democracy" »

National Constituent Assembly (1789–1791)

• Finally, the king agreed to the Third Estate demands. A new Constituent Assembly was formed to write a constitution.
• News that troops were being sent to Versailles led to a riot in Paris on 14 July 1789, in which people attacked the fortress and prison of the Bastille in order to seize weapons and defend their representatives.
• In the days following the storming of the Bastille, rioting continued in other cities and in the countryside, where peasants attacked the homes of the nobility, burned their archives and refused to pay feudal duties.
• The first orders approved were to abolish feudalism and nationalise the Church’s property.
• Furthermore, they approved the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the