Spanish Political Parties and Constitutions: 1837-1868
The Reign of Isabella II: Political Parties and Constitutions (1837-1868)
The Progressive Party
The Progressive Party, whose *broadsword* was General Espartero, had the support of the small and middle bourgeoisie, the middle classes, workers, and artisans. It originated in the *exalted* of the Liberal Triennium. It defended national sovereignty. The party also limited the rights of citizens and conditioned freedoms guaranteed by laws outside the constitution. Besides them, there was no true freedom
Read MoreSpanish Civil War: Outbreak, Revolution, and Rebel Zone
The Outbreak of the Spanish Civil War
On July 17, 1936, in Melilla, Colonel Yagüe, commander of the Legion, took up arms against the Republic. The uprising spread rapidly between July 18 and 19. The majority of military garrisons in Spain joined, along with civilian sectors and Carlist Falangists (Requetés).
The uprising succeeded in virtually all of inland Spain, in Galicia, in Andalusia in the Guadalquivir, and in predominantly agricultural areas with large property owners or small, very conservative
Read MoreIrish Home Rule and the Troubles: A Historical Timeline
Unit 4: The Irish Question (Part II)
Home Rule Bills and the Rise of Sinn Fein
Three Home Rule Bills were proposed, with the first two being defeated in the British Parliament. The third was under debate when World War I began, prompting some rebels to seize the opportunity. In Dublin, republicans occupied several buildings, declaring Ireland’s independence. British troops responded with brutal force, executing the rebels, which deeply angered the Irish population.
A new political party, Sinn Fein,
Read MoreThe Spanish Restoration: Cánovas, the 1876 Constitution, and Political Shift
The regime remained republican, although Serrano’s dictatorship was a step prior to the restoration of the Bourbons, planned by the Alfonsinos led by Cánovas del Castillo. The restoration was precipitated by a military coup by General Martinez Campos. Alfonso XII, son of Isabella II, was proclaimed king, marking the beginning of the Restoration period in Spain.
The political system of the Restoration is closely tied to Antonio Cánovas del Castillo. A former minister of the Liberal Union, his political
Read MoreSpanish Civil War: Key Terms and Events
Fascism
Fascism was a doctrine and nationalist political movement created in Italy by Mussolini in 1919. According to Mussolini, “Everything is the State and nothing human or spiritual exists outside the state. Instead of rights, we have to talk about homework; instead of freedom, service.”
International Brigades
The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from various countries who fought for the Republic during the Spanish Civil War. In 1938, the Republican government withdrew
Read MoreFranco’s Repression and Opposition: Labor, Monarchists, and Guerrillas
Repression and Opposition Under Franco
From the beginning, the Franco regime suppressed the democratic movement and the Left. Resistance movements opposing the dictatorship formed both in Spain and in exile after the war ended.
Political, Social, and Cultural Repression
To suppress democratic and leftist movements, two laws were created: the Law of Political Responsibilities (1939) and the Law on Repression of Masonry and Communism (1940). Under these laws, crimes were subject to military jurisdiction.
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