World War I: Key Events and Turning Points
The Outbreak of War
On June 28, 1914, Franz Ferdinand, heir of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was assassinated in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, which had been occupied by Austria-Hungary since 1908. The assassin was a Bosnian student with links to Serbian nationalist organizations. Austria-Hungary, encouraged by Germany, accused Serbia of the murder and declared war on July 28. Russia declared war on Austria-Hungary to protect Serbia, and Germany declared war on Russia and France. Britain declared
Read MoreThe First Carlist War: Dynastic Succession and Ideological Conflict
The First Carlist War
The Carlist civil war, a dynastic succession dispute, was an ideological conflict marked by the struggle between liberal revolution and traditionalist absolutism.
On September 29, 1833, Fernando VII died, leaving the dynastic crisis unresolved. Carlos Maria Isidro, his brother, exiled in Portugal, published the Abrantes Manifesto on October 1, asserting his dynastic rights over those of his niece Isabella. This ignored Ferdinand VII’s amendments to the law on succession, which
Read MoreCarlist Wars and the Foral Question in 19th Century Spain
The Opposition to the Liberal System: The Carlist Wars and the Foral Question
Shortly before his death, Fernando VII abolished the Salic Law (in force in Spain since Philip V), which excluded women from the throne if there were male heirs in direct or collateral lines. He issued the Pragmatic Sanction, allowing his eldest daughter to inherit the throne even if she had no sons. His brother, Carlos M. ยช Isidro, excluded from the throne due to his niece, did not recognize Isabel as heir and asserted
Read MoreFranco’s Spain: Dictatorship, Isolation, and Opposition
From 1939 to 1975, Spain lived under an authoritarian regime, a personal dictatorship embodied by General Franco, who maintained a tight grip on Spanish society. Franco relied on different social sectors that made up the ruling bloc: Falange, monarchists, and the military.
Stages of the Franco Regime
Stage of the Second World War (1939-1945)
When the world conflict triggered, Spain remained neutral, although its strategic position was of great importance for both sides. Franco knew the country was
Read MoreKey Events in Spain’s Transition to Democracy After Franco
Key Events in Spain’s Transition to Democracy
Vatican II: I personally think this was key to the progress of the forces that opposed Franco and sought continuity of the dictatorship. With the council, the church in Spain, which had hitherto given full support to the conservative side and Franco, started since then to support the opposition of the regime. This gave less power to the dictatorship and great support to the opposition through demonstrations of workers and students, and clandestine meetings
Read MoreThe League of Nations and World War I: Causes and Conflicts
League of Nations: a) Objectives: Ensure international peace and security through the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts, promote general and disarmament, and foster international relations. b) Functioning: Geneva (Switzerland). Bodies: Assembly: Composed of representatives from all member states. Council: A permanent body formed by major powers’ representatives. Secretariat: Presided by the Secretary-General. Associated organizations: Permanent International Court of Justice, and another
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