Franco’s Spain: Political Regime, Social Changes, and Transition
Franco’s Political Regime
The political regime was characterized by a totalitarian state in which Franco concentrated all powers. He was head of state, government, army, and the National Movement. This was contrary to parliamentary democracy, as the constitution of 1931 was suppressed, individual and collective rights were abolished, and political parties and union organizations were banned. The fundamental laws and the constitution were replaced by the Spanish justice system, culminating in the
Read MoreVirginia Woolf: Suffragettes and Women’s Rights
Suffragettes was the name given to members of women’s organizations in the early 20th century who fought for their right to vote in public elections, known as women’s suffrage, which cut across class. The term refers in particular to the members of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), a women-only movement founded by Emmeline Pankhurst. The WSPU engaged in direct action and civil disobedience, including:
- Chaining themselves to railings
- Smashing windows
- Setting fire to postboxes and empty
Defense of Women’s Suffrage: Clara Campoamor, 1931
Clara Campoamor’s Speech: Women’s Suffrage, 1931
This document is a transcription of a speech given by Clara Campoamor in a parliamentary session of the Constituent Courts in September 1931. At that time, a provisional government was in place, tasked with drafting a new constitution for the newly established Second Spanish Republic. The author, Clara Campoamor, a deputy of the (right-leaning) Republican Radical Party, aimed to persuade the government to grant women the right to vote.
Historical Context:
Read MoreRussian Revolution, USSR, Stalin, and the Great Depression
Civil War and the Creation of the USSR
The Soviet government faced a civil war. A fraction of the Tsarist army was organized momentarily as the White Army. The Bolsheviks created the Red Army under the leadership of Leon Trotsky. During the conflict, the Bolshevik party took the name of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In 1922, the USSR was created, a federal state uniting all nationalities of the old Empire of the Czars. The USSR was governed with a Parliament and a single party, the CPSU;
Read MoreBritish Colonial Expansion in North America
British Colonial Expansion
- The English began exploring and settling the New World in the late Tudor/early Stuart periods.
- Joint-stock companies, legalized by the Crown, undertook colonization as commercial enterprises.
- Early motivations included the search for precious metals and a sea passage to Asia.
- Further motivations included planting and trading, escaping poverty, and seeking religious freedom.
The Southern Plantation Colonies
- 1607: The Virginia Company of London founded the first permanent settlement
First World War: Causes, Events, and Consequences
Outbreak and Global Impact
The First World War, ignited in Europe, rapidly spread across the globe due to the involvement of numerous colonies. Non-European countries like Brazil, the USA, and Japan were drawn into the conflict. The war’s origins lay in the Balkans, sparked by the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian heir by a Serbian-linked terrorist group. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, triggering a cascade of alliances.
Alliances and Key Players
The major powers aligned into two opposing
Read More