Cold War Era: Key Events and Impacts
**1. Communist Poland**
When Khrushchev announced a smoothing scheme, the Polish people began to demand greater freedoms and prepare for an uprising. Gomulka, the Polish Communist Party boss, fought to prevent this. The Russians, hoping to liberalize their policy somewhat, managed to intervene.
**2. Perestroika and Glasnost**
_Perestroika_, meaning “restructuring” in Spanish, consisted of reforming the economic structure, seeking to liberate businesses without infringing on Socialist rules. _Glasnost_
Read MoreThe Democratic Six-Year Period (1868-1874): Amadeo I & First Republic
The Democratic Six-Year Period (1868-1874): The Reign of Amadeo I and the First Republic
Definitions
The Democratic Six-Year Period (1868-1874) begins with the overthrow and exile of Isabella II in 1868 and ends with the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy.
Causes
The period begins with the overthrow of Elizabeth II by the so-called “Glorious Revolution,” a revolution that began in Cadiz in 1868 with a pronunciamiento by the navy and a large popular political movement. The causes of this revolution
Read MoreFranco’s Regime in Spain: Institutions, Development, and Opposition
**I. Institutions and the Consolidation of the Regime**
The institutionalization of the system included two basic facts:
- The enactment of a series of fundamental laws from which the various bodies that made up the Francoist political system derived.
- The consolidation of a number of disparate ideological political families.
Franco was always reluctant to establish in detail the organs that comprised the Francoist political system. Franco was always reluctant to establish in detail the elements of governmental
Read MoreThe Spanish Restoration: Politics & Constitution of 1876
The Constitution of 1876: The Political System of the Restoration
The Restoration extends from the pronouncement of General Martinez Campos in December 1874, which proclaimed Alfonso de Bourbon, son of Elizabeth II, as king, to the coup d’état of General Miguel Primo de Rivera in 1923, during the reign of Alfonso XIII. The Restoration covers the reign of Alfonso XII (1875-1885), the Regency of Maria Cristina (1885-1902), and the reign of Alfonso XIII until 1923, with the coup of Miguel Primo de
Read MoreHistorical Timeline: Paleolithic to Cold War
Paleolithic and Neolithic Differences
Paleolithic: Divided into 3 parts:
a) Lower Paleolithic: The oldest human remains, dating to 900,000 – 1,600,000 BC, are found in the Iberian Peninsula. They correspond to Homo erectus, known as the Orce Man. The remains found are cut stones and hand axes. The lifestyle is characterized as nomadic, based on hunting and gathering fruit.
b) Middle Paleolithic: This period is represented by Neanderthal Man, from 100,000 to 35,000 BC. This era was noted for the control
Read MoreWorld War II: Causes, Key Battles, and Turning Points
Background to the War
Between 1933 and 1939, Japan’s expansionist plans in Asia, Germany’s in Europe, and Italy’s in Ethiopia and Albania marked the passage to the Second World War. These events signaled a significant change in international relations. Among the causes of the Second World War were the humiliation of Germany in the Treaty of Versailles and Italy’s frustration at not seeing the promises made by the Allies regarding their territorial expansion fulfilled. The aggressive policies of the
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