Charles V and Philip II: Spanish Empire’s Rise and Fall
Charles V: Inheritance and Reign
Charles V inherited a vast empire. From his maternal grandparents, the Catholic Monarchs, he received the Spanish kingdoms in 1516, becoming Charles I of Spain. From his paternal grandparents, Maximilian I and Mary of Burgundy, he inherited the title of Holy Roman Emperor, becoming Charles V. Charles was born in Flanders and initially appointed Flemish nobles to key government positions. This caused the Revolt of the Comuneros in Castile, leading to changes in the
Read More19th Century Imperialism: Causes, Conflicts, and Political Opposition
Causes of 19th Century Imperialism
In the second half of the 19th century, some European powers, and shortly after, the United States and Japan, dominated areas of the planet, giving rise to modern imperialism. Different causes contributed to this phenomenon:
Economic Reasons
The process of industrialization undertaken by the powers during the 19th century generated new needs for the functioning of the capitalist model, including:
- The search for markets to dispose of their products.
- The need for raw
Social Classes in the Industrial Revolution: A Hierarchy of Wealth
The Class System: A New Society
Under the Old Regime, the three estates were distinguished by their birth and privileges. In contrast, industrial society was divided into three social classes: the upper class, which consisted of the aristocracy and the high bourgeoisie; the middle class; and the lower class. Each social class was mainly defined by its wealth. One could move from one class to another, but many people’s economic circumstances made this impossible.
Industrial society was based on the
Read MoreKey Terms and Figures of the Soviet Union
Key Terms
- Kulak: Free capitalist farmers who owned their land. During the Stalin era, they were expropriated, and their owners were sentenced to the Gulag.
- Bolshevik (Majority Party): Radical political group that emerged, led by Lenin, in 1905 within the Social Democratic Party (Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, etc.).
- Soviets: Assemblies consisting of delegates elected by the workers, first emerging in 1905.
- Spartacist League: Marxist revolutionary movement organized in Germany during the last years of the First
Key Events in US History: Constitution to WWII
A New Nation
- Through the framing of the U.S. Constitution and the creation of the United States, the government was divided into three branches: legislative (Congress), executive (the president and the federal agencies), and judicial (the federal courts).
- Including 10 amendments known as the Bill of Rights to safeguard individual liberties.
- George Washington, the first U.S. president, headed a party favoring a strong president and central government.
- Thomas Jefferson became the third president in 1801.
Spain’s Transition to Democracy: Key Events and Institutions
Spain’s Transition to Democracy
Following Franco’s death on November 20, 1975, Juan Carlos I was proclaimed King of Spain by the Cortes on November 22, 1975. Political forces were divided: those favoring continuity (the King continuing the existing regime) and those advocating for a transition to democracy.
The Transition Period
The period from Franco’s death to the ratification of the Constitution on December 6, 1978, is known as the Transition. Adolfo Suárez, appointed by the King in July 1976,
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