Russian Revolution: From Tsarist Rule to the USSR
Pre-Revolutionary Russia: A Nation in Crisis
Pre-revolutionary Russia, despite being one of the great powers of Europe, hid a number of weaknesses that revealed it as one of the most backward countries on the continent.
Political Situation
Pre-revolutionary Russia was the last absolute monarchy in Europe, where Tsar Nicholas II (1896-1917) ruled with Tsarist autocracy. The Tsar held all the power and was the head of the Russian Orthodox religion.
Economic and Social Situation
Russia was primarily an
Read MoreUN Resolution on Franco’s Spain: Post-WWII Diplomatic Blockade
The UN Resolution on Relations with Spain
We are faced with a legal text, a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly. The organization was recently established by the Allied nations after the end of the war (Charter of San Francisco, June 25, 1945) to achieve the maintenance of universal peace and fight for the establishment of human rights. World War II had just finished (August 1945), and the new world order of liberal democracies and the USSR sought to establish a country like Spain, which
Read MoreSpanish Civil War: Origins and International Impact
**The Beginning of the Conflict: From Military Revolt to Civil War**
Since the proclamation of the Republic, and since the victory of the Popular Front coalition of the left in February 1936, Spain had also been initiated in a process of democratic revolution that jeopardized the interests and privileges of the traditionally dominant forces: the agricultural and financial oligarchy, the Church, and the Army.
On July 18, 1936, a military coup that failed to mobilize popular support became a civil war
Read MorePostwar Spain 1939-1959: Franco’s Regime and Economic Policies
Postwar Spain, 1939-1959: Political, Social, and Economic Issues
Political Aspects: The Consolidation of the New State
After the Civil War, Franco introduced a military dictatorship in Spain, abolishing liberal inspiration, parliamentarism, and communism.
A. The Organization of the New State
- Concentration of Power:
- Franco established a totalitarian state model, a combination of a fascist state, a military dictatorship, and an absolute monarchy without a king.
- Franco assumed all powers: Chief of State,
The Russian Revolution and Societal Changes After WWI
Consequences of World War I: Political and Territorial
The Peace of Paris resulted in a profound territorial restructuring of Europe. First, there was the dismemberment of the great empires, and new states were created. In addition to the territorial changes, political transformations also occurred. Democracy was gaining ground: Germany and Austria, as well as some new states, proclaimed democratic republics. Universal male suffrage was introduced in almost all of Europe.
Social Changes After World
Read MoreSpanish Bourbon Dynasty: Centralized Absolutism and Reform
The War of Spanish Succession (1701-1713)
Castile remained faithful to the Bourbon monarch, Philip V. However, most of the territories of the Crown of Aragon supported the Austrian candidate, fearing the loss of their privileges. The war initially favored the Philippists, who achieved victory in the Battle of Almansa (1707), subsequently occupying Valencia and Zaragoza.
In 1713, Archduke Charles of Austria inherited the imperial crown after his brother’s death. Now fearful of excessive Habsburg power,
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