World Wars & Spanish Civil War: Causes, Events, and Consequences
Universal History
World War I
Causes:
- Imperialist conflicts among European powers
- The confrontation of blocs of countries, united in an alliance system
- The arms race, namely the manufacture and purchase of war material and organization of armies
- Morocco Tensions between Germany and France
- The intentions of the French to recover regions of Lorraine and Alsace.
- The crisis in the Balkans with the confrontation between Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires
The outbreak of war
On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Spanish Civil War: Ebro Battle and Republican Defeat
To strengthen his position, Franco implemented army reforms, integrating militia brigades with professional cadres. After recapturing Teruel in February 1938, Franco’s forces launched the Aragon campaign, exploiting Republican losses. This divided Republican territory, isolating Catalonia. Franco then focused on the south, engaging in heavy fighting in Castellon and Valencia, extending to Lleida.
Battle of the Ebro and Occupation of Catalonia (July 1938 – February 1939)
The Republican army, after
Read MoreYalta and Potsdam Conferences: Post-WWII Europe
The Yalta Conference (February 1945)
It was clear that Germany was losing the European war, so the Allied leaders met at Yalta to plan what would happen to Europe after Germany’s defeat. Despite their differences, Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill agreed on some matters:
- Stalin agreed to enter the war against Japan once Germany had surrendered (because the USSR couldn’t be in two fronts).
- They agreed that Germany would be divided into four zones: American, French, British, and Soviet. Berlin was also
Transformation of Spain: The Second Republic Era
Biennium Reform (1931-1933)
The new Republican-Socialist government launched a leftist biennium to transform Spain into a democratic, modern, and secular country.
Problems of the Republic
- The Military Problem: Manuel Azaña aimed to reduce the number of officers and military spending. A law was enacted to retire nearly half of the officers, placing the army under civilian control.
- The Issue of Religion and Education: The Catholic Church held significant influence over education. The constitution separated
Causes and Timeline of World War I
Key Factors Leading to World War I
Several factors contributed to the outbreak of World War I:
- Militarism: The build-up of armed forces to prepare for war. Germany, for instance, expanded its armed forces to defend itself against other countries.
- Alliances: Agreements between countries to defend or fight together. Many European countries made agreements or promises to help each other if a third country invaded them.
- Imperialism: The belief of a country in building up an empire and controlling less powerful
Spanish Conservative Biennium & Catalonia’s Autonomy 1933-1936
The Conservative Biennium (1933-1936)
The government of Manuel Azaña fell in September 1933 due to disagreements between political parties. These disagreements stemmed from the Casas Viejas incident* and his incompatibility with President Niceto Alcalá Zamora.
The Right to Power
During the biennium, the Spanish right had time to reorganize. They formed two groups: one openly opposed the Republican regime (monarchists, Carlists, and *Falange, founded by Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera). The other group
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