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

World War II: Causes, Key Events, and Aftermath

Key Alliances

Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan

Allied Powers: Great Britain, the USSR, the USA, France

Causes of World War II

• Impact of World War I: Peace treaties weakened the countries on the losing side.
• Rise of Fascism and Nationalism: People feared that there would be a communist revolution in their own countries.
• The weakness of democracies.
• The Great Depression: Economic crises in many countries led people to consider extreme ideologies as the only solution.

Key Events and Concepts

• Japanese Occupation of Manchuria: 1931
• Pan-Germanism: The unification of all territories inhabited by German speakers.
• Hitler Sends Armies into the Rhineland: In March 1936, Hitler sent armies into the German Rhineland

Why is the study of war important?

Types of Wars

Causes and Effects of Wars

Causes of the First World War

Several factors contributed to the outbreak of the First World War:

European Alliances in 1914

Europe in 1914 was characterized by two major opposing alliances:

• Triple Entente (also known as the Allied Powers): Formed by Great Britain, France, and Russia. They were later joined by Japan, the USA, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, and others.
• Triple Alliance (also known as the Central Powers): Initially formed by Italy, the German Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire later joined them.

Although Italy was a member of the Triple Alliance, it had a secret agreement with France whereby it would remain neutral in exchange for territories in Africa and Austria. Consequently, when the war began, Italy... Continue reading "World War I: Triggers, Alliances, and Battlefield Evolution" »

The February Revolution of 1917: The Fall of Tsarism

On February 23, 1917, a large demonstration took place in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg), followed by a general strike and riots in the barracks. Tsar Nicholas II abdicated, and a republic was proclaimed. It was headed by a provisional government, which promised to convene constituent elections to make Russia a parliamentary democracy. The new government, dominated by bourgeois parties (Kadets and Socialist Revolutionaries), initiated a series of political and social reforms. However, they also decided to remain committed to their allies in the war. This made it difficult to improve the living conditions of the population and implement the planned agrarian reform.

Popular discontent grew, and... Continue reading "Russian Revolution 1917: Bolsheviks Seize Power" »

Basque Government in Exile: The 1945 Mandate

This text was written by the Basque Government in 1945. It is a non-legal text due to the government's exile in France. The document articulates their primary interest: defeating Franco's regime and restoring democracy in Spain.

The Spanish Civil War and Regional Divisions

At the beginning of the Civil War, elections were held to choose the Spanish government. The results varied significantly across the provinces of the Basque Country:

• In some areas, the PNV (Basque Nationalist Party) won.
• In other places, Socialist parties were victorious.

Military Uprising and Basque Loyalties

Despite the democratic results, military forces opposed the outcome and launched a military uprising in favor of Franco and his... Continue reading "Basque Government 1945: Exile, WWII, and Franco Recognition" »

Why do revolutions happen?

The reforms of the Enlightenment did not solve the problems of the old regime. That is why this system came to an end through revolution. But other aspects of life were also influential in the desire to change and break away from the old system and social inequality between privileged classes and non-privileged classes.

The New State

After the war, the United States had a liberal system and was regulated by the U.S. Constitution. It was organized as a federal republic, establishing national sovereignty and separation of powers among the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court.

Tea Act

The Tea Act gave the British East India Company a monopoly on the sale of tea in the colonies, as well as the right to duty-free exports.... Continue reading "Causes of Revolutions and the Transition to Liberalism" »

1. The February Revolution: The Fall of Tsarism

1. The revolution began with a large demonstration in St. Petersburg followed by a general strike and riots in the barracks. The groups of demonstrators were composed of soldiers, workers, and peasants.

2. The Tsar abdicated, and a provisional government promised to call elections to make Russia a parliamentary democracy. The government was dominated by the bourgeois parties and didn't withdraw from World War I. It couldn't improve the living conditions of the people, whose discontent grew. The Soviets (groups of workers and soldiers) began to demand the dismissal of the government.

2. The October Revolution: The Bolsheviks Rise to Power

1. Lenin, leader of the Bolsheviks, returned to Russia from... Continue reading "The Russian Revolution: From Tsarism to Soviet Rule (1917-1921)" »

The Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

The campaign to abolish the transatlantic slave trade and, subsequently, the institution of slavery itself, was driven by a confluence of economic, humanitarian, and moral-religious factors.

Key Figures in Abolition

Three prominent figures were instrumental in the movement to end slave trafficking:

• James Ramsay: Advocated for abolition primarily on economic grounds. He argued that greater financial prosperity could be achieved through the exchange of goods rather than the trade of enslaved people.
• Olaudah Equiano: Championed abolition from a humanitarian perspective, emphasizing the inherent unethical nature of slavery. His personal narrative powerfully illustrated the human cost of the trade.
• William

Germanic invasions: 'Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum'

Official account of the Germanic invasions (449). Angles in Britain first drove the enemy, after they made a league with them and went against their allies. The Heptarchy: 7 Anglo-Saxon 'kingdoms' - Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex. England as a politically unified nation in the 10th century.

Dialects of Old English:

River Humber, River Thames, South, South/South-West.

The Germanic occupation of Britain was cruel, and most Britons died. The culture of Britons was not assimilated by Germanic tribes. Atheling (royal family), Earl (major nobility), Thegn (Minor nobility), Freemen, and Serf. Conversion of Germanic invaders to Christianity: Christianity was brought... Continue reading "Germanic Invasions and Cultural Assimilation in Britain" »

The Communist Bloc (1945-1982)

The Soviet Union and the “People's Democracies”

The Soviet Union emerged as a military superpower after World War II. Following Stalin's death in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev initiated a “de-Stalinization” process, but his successor, Leonid Brezhnev, halted the reforms.

In Central and Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union established “people's democracies” that imposed Soviet institutions. Despite this, living standards in these countries never reached Western levels.

China under Mao Zedong

A civil war erupted in China in 1945, leading to the communist victory in 1949. This resulted in the creation of two states:

• People's Republic of China, led by Mao Zedong
• Republic of China in Taiwan

Mao's regime maintained political... Continue reading "The Communist Bloc: Rise, Expansion, and Collapse" »