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

Causes of the French Revolution

Taxation and the Third Estate

The Third Estate was the only estate that paid taxes, yet it could not afford to pay more. The privileged estates refused to pay them, and in 1789, the Estates-General were convoked by Louis XVI to change the system.

Harvest Failures

There were crop failures and severe winters in 1788 and 1789. The peasants and the urban poor were the main victims, affected by rising cereal prices, which left the Third Estate impoverished.

The American War of Independence

France was involved in the American War of Independence. While it resulted in a victory against Britain, it caused a new financial crisis due to the expenses of fighting abroad. The war significantly damaged the French economy.

French

3, The cultural legacy of the feudal system: pilgrimages and crusades.

Countries, Nationalities, and Languages

This table provides a list of countries, their corresponding nationalities, and the languages spoken in each country.

The Cold War: A Global Political Rivalry

The Cold War was a political rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies that developed after World War II.

The conflict began after the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945, when the alliance between the United States and Great Britain on one side and the Soviet Union on the other started to fall apart. The Soviet Union began to establish left-wing governments in the countries of Eastern Europe, determined to safeguard against Germany. The Americans and the British worried that Soviet domination in Eastern Europe might be permanent.

The Cold War was solidified by 1947–48, when U.S. aid brought certain Western countries under American influence and the Soviets established... Continue reading "The Cold War: Origins, Key Conflicts, and Final Collapse" »

Impressionism: Monet, Renoir, Degas, Rodin

Post-impressionism: Cézanne, Gaudin, Van Gogh

Fauvism: Matisse

Expressionism: Munch, Kirchner

Cubism: analytic or Synthetic. Picasso, Braque

The forms of colonial rule→ mayor imperialist power were GB and France. Soon joined by Germany, Italy, Russia, Belgium, Spain and US and Japan. Diverse forms of colonial rule: -concessions were commercial advantages, the transfer of ports and trade. -Protectors maintained their indigenous. -Governments, but the colonial strength-controlled policy, the army and exploitation of certain territories that were India and Egypt. -Colonies where territories under the sovereignty of such metropole. Position controlled strategic points. -Settler colonialism large scale settling... Continue reading "Steps to war - aggression by japan, italy and germany 1931-1939" »

Internal Problems: Opposition to Turnismo

Political parties did not accept the electoral system established by the Constitution of 1876. Socialism spread following the creation of the General Union of Workers (UGT). Meanwhile, anarchists established the FTRE, which was especially popular among Catalonian industrial workers and Andalusian agricultural workers.

The Reign of Alfonso XIII

Alfonso XIII acceded to the throne in 1902. Historians typically divide his reign into two stages:

The Continued Practice of Party Rotation (1902–1917)

Until 1917, the two-party rotational system was maintained between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party. The main problem of this period was the war against Morocco:

• The treaty signed at the Algeciras Conference

Spain Under Alfonso XIII

Political Opposition

The Bourbon Restoration in Spain was characterized by alternating Liberal and Conservative governments. However, this system began to collapse due to internal divisions within both political parties. In addition, other parties were also gaining support:

• The Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) argued for increased working-class access to power.
• Republican parties, such as the Radical Republican Party (PRR), argued for the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic.
• The Spanish Communist Party (PCE) argued for the creation of a Communist state similar to the USSR.
• Regionalist parties such as the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) and the Regionalist League of Catalonia (LRC) demanded more autonomy

The Russian Revolution

In 1917, the Russian Empire went through a revolutionary process which put an end to the autocratic government of Tsar Nicholas II.

Before the Revolution

In 1900, the Russian Empire had the following characteristics:

• The government was autocratic.
• The economy was semi-feudal.
• There was social unrest.

The Causes of the Revolution

During the rule of Tsar Nicholas II (1894-1917), his autocratic power decreased for various reasons:

• The Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905): Russia and Japan fought for control of Manchuria. The war was unpopular because new taxes were imposed in order to pay for the conflict.
• The appearance of political parties: Despite being forbidden, various political parties were created which opposed the Tsar.
• The 1905

The Worcester Chronicle: 11th Century England

A Pivotal Historical Source

This fragment is from a bilingual edition of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, one of only two sources documenting English history from the Roman period to the Norman Conquest. It was originally written in Old English, the language introduced to England by Anglo-Saxon culture.

During the 9th century, King Alfred the Great promoted Old English as a literary and cultural language (Latin had, until then, been considered of higher value). He organized the Scholarly Circle, which began translating and writing in Old English for the first time. As a result, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was compiled: a historical chronicle written year by year, organized into annals, containing a vast amount... Continue reading "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: 11th Century England & Norman Conquest" »

Joseph Pulitzer: Pioneer of Popular Press

Born in Hungary in 1847, Joseph Pulitzer, a Jewish immigrant, initially sought to join European armies but was unsuccessful. At 17, he left home for the USA, intending to fight in the American Civil War, but arrived after its conclusion.

His career began at the Westliche Post, a German-language newspaper for immigrants in St. Louis, Missouri. By age 20, he had obtained American citizenship. He then joined the St. Louis Dispatch, where he honed sensationalist techniques. Soon after, he purchased the Dispatch and merged it with the Evening Post, creating the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Shaping Sensationalism and Reform

This newspaper became the platform where he developed the journalistic formula that brought... Continue reading "Titans of American Journalism: Pulitzer and Hearst's Enduring Legacy" »