Key Terms in Modern History and Global Affairs

Posted on Aug 18, 2025 in History

Key Terms: Post-War Spain & Transition

  • Nacionalcatolicismo: The alliance between the Francoist regime and the Catholic Church, which granted legitimacy to the regime while restoring the Church’s privileges.
  • Hendaye Meeting: A meeting between Francisco Franco and Adolf Hitler in October 1940, which discussed the possibility of Spain’s direct involvement in World War II.
  • Referendum: A direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue, often used to ratify a state decision.
  • Development Poles: Industrial development zones established in specific Spanish geographical locations during the 1960s, such as Huelva, Valladolid, and Vigo, to foster economic growth.
  • Regime Factions: Various influential pressure groups that supported the Francoist dictatorship.

Key Terms: Spanish Democratic Transition

  • Amnesty: An official pardon for political offenses, leading to the cancellation of criminal liability.
  • Political Reform Act: A law passed by the Francoist Cortes in 1976 and subsequently ratified by a Spanish referendum, paving the way for democratic reforms.
  • Rule of Law: A state where all its institutions and inhabitants are subject to a higher law, primarily its Constitution and the laws emanating from it.
  • 23-F: Refers to February 23, 1981, when a group of military officers attempted a coup d’état with the aim of halting the establishment of democracy in Spain.
  • Platajunta: The popular name for the coalition of opposition groups formed in 1976 against the Francoist dictatorship.
  • Moncloa Pacts: Agreements signed in 1977 between the Spanish government, political parties, employers’ associations, and trade unions, addressing critical political, economic, and labor issues.
  • Constitutional Court: The supreme interpreter of the Constitution in Spain.

Key Terms: Global Society & Conflicts

  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT): Technologies that facilitate the processing and transmission of information, such as computers and telecommunications.
  • Failed States: States that have failed to establish stable governance, often characterized by civil war and persistent insecurity.
  • Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs): Organizations that undertake humanitarian functions, traditionally reserved for the state, operating independently of government control.
  • Clash of Civilizations: A theory proposing that 21st-century global conflicts will primarily occur between major cultural blocs rather than nation-states, unlike previous centuries.
  • Ethnic Cleansing: The expulsion of inhabitants from disputed regions based on their religion or language, aiming for population homogeneity rather than multiethnic states that guarantee all citizens’ rights.
  • Velvet Revolution: The non-violent transition of power in Czechoslovakia from communist rule to a democratic government in 1989.
  • Refugee: An individual forced to flee their country due to war, persecution based on race, religion, nationality, or political ideology.
  • Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS): An organization formed by most of the former Soviet republics, excluding the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania).
  • Islamic Fundamentalism: A religious or political ideology, often characterized by strict adherence to traditional beliefs, which has evolved into a significant global threat, particularly to Western nations.
  • Taliban: A fundamentalist Islamic group, primarily composed of students, aiming to impose strict Islamic law in political, social, and legal spheres.
  • Lobby: A group that attempts to influence political decisions indirectly, often by supporting and financing political parties or factions.

Key Terms: Globalization & Culture

  • Global Village: A term coined in the 1960s to describe a world interconnected by mass media, such as television and satellite communications.
  • Globalization: From an economic perspective, the process by which businesses, markets, and economic activities expand beyond national borders to achieve global reach.
  • Relocation: A phenomenon associated with globalization, involving the transfer of production from a developed country to a developing one.
  • Acculturation: The process by which a cultural group adopts elements from another culture, often leading to the loss of original customs.