French Revolution: Causes, Phases, and Rise of Napoleon
Phases of the French Revolution
Given the need for fiscal reform, the king was forced to convene the Estates General to seek approval for new taxes. The Third Estate claimed the individual vote, not by estates. From this time, the revolution broke out and developed in several phases:
- The National Assembly and Revolts (1789): The Third Estate abandoned the Estates General and formed the National Assembly to give France a constitution.
- The Constituent Assembly (1789-1791): Its goal was to create a constitution.
Marxism, Imperialism, and Early 20th Century Ideologies
Marxism
Marxism, developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the mid-19th century, is a socio-economic theory and a program of action for societal change. Initially presented in the *Communist Manifesto*, it’s often referred to as scientific socialism. Marxism is based on three main areas:
- Analysis of the past through the lens of class struggle.
- Critique of capitalism, focusing on the capitalist’s profit beyond wages (surplus value).
- A vision for the future, including a transitional phase of the
Paris Peace Treaties and Post-WWI Consequences
Peace Treaties: The Peace of Paris (1919-1920)
In 1918, before the end of the war, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points enunciated the principles upon which peace must be based.
At the Paris Peace Conference, attended only by the victors, peace was organized, inspired in part by Wilson’s proposals. Five treaties were signed with the defeated nations, a new map of Europe was designed, and the League of Nations was established to ensure peace in the future.
The Treaty of Versailles, signed
Cánovas’ System: Centralization, Oligarchy, and Politics in Spain
Cánovas’ System: Centralization and Political Control
C. Centralization. The Restoration worked flawlessly, with decisions made by the executive having an immediate impact at the local level. Both mayors and provincial governors were directly appointed by the central government and acted as agents in the process of constant electoral manipulation. When the Carlist War ended in 1876, the last Basque-Navarrese charters were eliminated. This meant that, from this moment, the Basques were subject to
Read MoreSecond World War: Origins, Key Events, and Legacy
Causes and Sides of the Second World War
Causes of the War
The main causes of the war were:
- Dissatisfaction with the peace treaties: Germany lost about 15% of its territory after the Treaty of Versailles, while Italy only received a portion of the territories promised. This caused resentment.
- Consequences of the Great Depression: States adopted protectionist economic policies (reducing imports) to combat unemployment. This led to rivalry between countries, and totalitarian regimes tried to solve these
Imperialism: Causes and Colonial Organization
Imperialism and Its Causes: European Dominance
The Second Industrial Revolution transformed the economies of Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. European dominance expanded globally, leading to the occupation of territories in Africa and Asia and the establishment of colonial empires. This settlement involved the economic exploitation of resources and political control over these lands.
Causes of Colonialism
Colonialism was driven by economic motivations, along with political
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