The 1808 Crisis: Independence War and Revolution
The Crisis of 1808: War of Independence and Political Revolution
Impact of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Alliance
Charles IV (1788-1808) and his minister Floridablanca, from the moment that the revolution started in France, sought to avoid revolutionary “contagion” from the neighboring country. In Spain, they isolated the French riot.
After a short period of government under the Count of Aranda, Charles IV made a key decision in his reign: he appointed Manuel Godoy as Minister in 1792.
The
Read MoreMonarchy and Reform in 18th-Century Europe
Enlightened Despotism
“All for the people, nothing by the people.” Absolute monarchs, influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment, promoted the rationalization of administration, education reforms, and the modernization of the economy. Key representatives include:
- Charles III of Spain
- Catherine the Great of Russia
- Frederick II of Prussia
- Maria Theresa of Austria
Enlightenment Thinkers and Their Proposals
Social Changes
Enlightenment thinkers opposed stratified society and defended social mobility, equality
Read MoreGreco-Persian Wars: Causes, Battles, and Outcomes
Herodotus and the Greco-Persian Wars
Herodotus was a Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus in the Persian Empire and lived in the 5th century BC. He is widely referred to as “The Father of History” (first conferred by Cicero). He was the first historian known to have broken from Homeric tradition to treat historical subjects as a method of investigation. The Histories is the only work which he is known to have produced, a record of his “inquiry” on the origins of the Greco-Persian
Read MoreLiberalism and Nationalism in the French Revolution
Liberalism and Nationalism: The French Revolution
Why did the revolution begin with an aristocratic revolt?
The revolution began with an aristocratic revolt because the monarchy was in a deep financial crisis. The proposed solution was a tax reform that would compel the aristocracy to pay taxes, which they refused to do.
What two texts symbolized the end of the Ancien Régime in the summer of 1789?
The “Decree of the National Constituent Assembly” and the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the
Viet Cong Guerrilla Warfare and US Tactics in Vietnam
Viet Cong and Guerrilla Tactics
By 1965, the Viet Cong had approximately 170,000 soldiers, well-supplied with weapons and equipment from China and the USSR. However, they were heavily outnumbered and outgunned by the South Vietnamese forces and their US allies.
Ho Chi Minh believed that superior forces could be defeated by guerrilla tactics, which he had successfully used against the Japanese and French.
The Principles:
- Retreat when the enemy attacks.
- Raid when the enemy camps.
- Attack when the enemy tires.
Spain’s Old Regime Crisis: From Charles IV to Carlist War
The Crisis of the Old Regime in Spain
Charles IV ascended to the throne in 1788 amidst the backdrop of revolutionary France. The ensuing war against France, declared by a coalition, ended in defeat for Spain. Manuel de Godoy, a figure close to the king but despised by many, initiated reforms including the desamortización (disentailment) of ecclesiastical lands, a reduction in the power of the Inquisition, and an alliance with France.
The Aranjuez Mutiny (March 18, 1808)
The Aranjuez Mutiny, fueled
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