Spanish Parliamentary Institutions: Cortes of Castile, Aragon, and Navarre
Section 1: The Cortes: Origin, Rationale, and General Characteristics of its Operation
The Spanish parliamentary institution, whose age makes the Castilian Cortes rival in their origin with the courts of England (House of Lords). The origin of parliamentarism in Castile and England is not definitively known. The legal nature of the Cortes is discussed or considered controversial because they are those containing the character of a parliament that somehow controls the king’s power. Those who only
Read MoreDemocratic Spain: From Dictatorship to Modernity
Item 18: Democratic Spain
1. The Transition to Democracy
The death of the dictator in November 1975 presented three policy options for the future:
- The first, led by the ultras (the “bunker”) of Franco (refugees in the National Movement, the vertical union, army, police, and other branches of government like the judiciary or the administration, and sectors of the Catholic Church and traditionalists), advocated for the pure and simple continuation of the dictatorship, using force and terror against the
Rise of Christendom and Early Medieval Russia: 476-1584
The Rise of Christendom
The Western Roman Empire collapsed in 476. Christendom emerged as a civilization. The crowning of Charlemagne by the pope completed the blending of two major ideas. One of these ideas was the concept of political unity, an idea that had been represented by the Roman Empire. The other was the idea of religious unity, represented by the Christian Church. The mixture of the two ideas resulted in a civilization best described as Christendom.
Christianity was the single most powerful
Read MoreCapitalism vs. Communism: The Cold War
The Cold War
The Cold War (1945-1991) was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States, representing capitalism, and the USSR, representing communism. Although former allies in World War II, their underlying ideological differences fueled a silent conflict marked by tension and the threat of war.
The Two Blocs
The Capitalist bloc, led by the U.S., included Western Europe, the Americas, India, Oceania, and Japan. This bloc promoted free markets, private property, democratic systems,
Read MoreSpanish Civil War: Political Landscape and International Impact
The Spanish Civil War: Political and International Dimensions of the Conflict
1. Political Developments During the War
1.1 Republican Spain
Dismantling of the State and Social Revolution (July-September 1936)
The military uprising exposed the differences and tensions within the Popular Front. Unions and labor organizations demanded that the government distribute weapons to defend the Republic, but Prime Minister Casares Quiroga refused. A new government of the Republican left ordered the distribution
Read MoreThe Popular Front in Spain: 1936 Program and Elections
The Popular Front’s Program in 1936
The Popular Front, a coalition of left-wing Republican forces including the PSOE, PCE, POUM, UGT, Republican Left, and the Federal Republican Party, joined forces to contest the elections scheduled for February 16, 1936. The CNT, while not formally part of the agreement, lent its support. The Popular Front’s program aimed to reinstate the reformist policies of the first biennium (1931-1933), which had been stalled during the subsequent right-wing biennium, and
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