Rise and Fall of Totalitarian Regimes: World War II Era
**Totalitarianism**
A dictatorial political regime that eliminates individual freedoms and seeks to control all aspects of society.
**Hyperinflation**
An intense and continuous increase in prices, which can rise daily.
**March on Rome**
Mussolini decided to take power by force, using a mass of party members. He achieved his goal, and King Victor Emmanuel III offered him the formation of the government, granting him full power.
**Weimar Republic**
A constituent assembly meeting in the city of Weimar developed
Read MoreInterwar Period: Economic Crisis, Totalitarianism, and Rise of Superpowers
1. The European Crisis
The First World War caused a serious crisis in Europe due to the general lack of demand for products and production difficulties, caused by:
- The lack of capital and the destruction of crops.
- War debts and reparations: Germany had to pay 6,000 million marks to France and the United Kingdom, who planned to use the money to pay back their debts to the USA.
As a consequence, hyperinflation took hold of Germany (and the mark lost its value).
In 1923, Germany defaulted on a reparations
Read MoreCatholic Kings to Habsburgs: Spain’s 16th Century Transformation
The Reign of the Catholic Kings
In Spain, the modern age began with the reign of the Catholic Kings.
Union of the Crowns of Castile and Aragon
The dynastic union of the crowns of Castile and Aragon was the result of the marriage in 1469 of Elizabeth I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. It was a personal and dynastic unity, not institutional, as each kingdom still retained its institutions, laws, customs, language, currency, and customs. Only the kings had in common.
However, the personal union allowed
Read MoreEconomic Shifts in Francoist Spain: Autarky to Development
Spain’s Economic Transformation Under Franco: 1939-1975
With the end of the Civil War, the insurgent side imposed their political and ideological model, which can be characterized as a military dictatorship based on Spanish nationalism. It incorporated ideas of the Falange, the non-parliamentary conservatism of traditional Catholicism, the denial of Republican reformism, and the prevention of liberalism, communism, anti-separatism, and anti-Catholicism.
Two Economic Stages During the Franco Years
During
Read MoreAfro-Asian Independence: Challenges and Impact on Global Politics
Challenges and Problems of Afro-Asian Independence
“Trying to abandon the white political power by political and negotiated means or through armed struggle to form a nation-state like that of the metropolis, with defined borders and certain social and economic cohesion.”
Imitating the political institutions and social and economic practices, the former settlers tried to achieve a similar development to that of Western countries. Those who drove political movements for independence processes were modern;
Read MoreSpain’s Loss of Colonies in 1898: Causes and Consequences
The Loss of Spain’s Last Colonies in 1898
The loss of Spain’s last colonies is closely related to the remodeling of the colonial map imposed by major industrial powers. The crisis of 1898 had internal repercussions abroad.
Causes of the Crisis
- Spain’s failure to abide by the agreements in the Pact of Zanjón (1878) provoked discomfort among the Creoles regarding the political, financial, economic, and tax situation on the island. These groups coalesced around the Cuban Liberal Party or the Cuban Revolutionary