UN Resolution on Franco’s Spain: 1946 Analysis
UN Resolution on Relations with Spain (1946)
Historical Context
This document contains the principal parts of a resolution, an agreement approved by the UN General Assembly on December 12, 1946, in New York. This was a year after the end of the Second World War (1939-1945), won by the Allied powers (Britain, France, the USA, and the USSR). The UN, an international body recently created by the victorious countries, aimed to preserve world peace, resolve international conflicts without resorting to
Read MoreSpanish Habsburgs: Philip IV, Charles II & War of Succession
Lower Austria
Philip III (1598-1621)
Philip IV (1621-1665): The Rise of the Count-Duke of Olivares
The Count-Duke of Olivares sought to restore the monarchy’s international position by fully mobilizing its resources. This meant that all territories would participate in the common effort with the same sacrifice that Castile made. During most of Philip IV’s 40-year reign, Spain fought throughout Europe, in the Americas, and in some of the Hispanic kingdoms and territories. It was believed that this effort
Read MoreAmadeo I’s Reign and the Rise of Republicanism in Spain
The Reign of Amadeo I
Amadeo I’s Election and Challenges
Amadeo was elected king by the Cortes of Cadiz in November 1870, arriving in Cartagena. He became king on January 2nd, and after swearing in, dissolved the courts to begin a new phase of democratic monarchy. Amadeo had little support; his decisions failed to satisfy both progressives and unionists. Many clergy and nobility opposed the monarch, as did the army, which was crucial in the war in Cuba. The state’s economic problems were increasing,
Spanish Civil War: Republican and Rebel Rearguard
The Military Defeat of the Republican Rearguard
The military defeat of the Republican rearguard showed the need to form a new central government of unity and create a regular army to replace the columns of militiamen. José Giral resigned as chairman and was substituted by Largo Caballero (September 1936 to May 1937). The Socialist leader formed a unity government. Caballero’s government was slowly recovering state powers: progressively, almost all committees disappeared altogether, meetings were
Read MoreE.P. Thompson’s Analysis of the English Working Class Formation
E.P. Thompson attempted to trace the formation of the working class between the years 1780 and 1832. Thompson’s Making of the English Working Class:
- Recounts the popular revolts which influenced the English Jacobin agitation at the end of the eighteenth century, like the Peterloo Massacre. 60,000 people gathered at St. Peter’s Fields, Manchester. The main speaker at the meeting was Henry Hunt, a leading political reformer. The crowd gathered to hear Hunt speak about reform. Local magistrates decided
Key Cold War Conflicts: Berlin, Korea, Suez, Cuba
Initial Conflicts of the Cold War
The 1948 Berlin Blockade
- After the Second World War, Western Germany was occupied by the United States, Great Britain, and France. Eastern Germany was occupied by the USSR. Berlin was divided between the four powers.
- In 1948, the USSR attempted to blockade West Berlin to force the French, British, and Americans out of the city, but this strategy failed.
- In 1949, Western Germany became the Federal Republic of Germany, and Eastern Germany became the German Democratic