Evolution of Communism and Global Economic Shifts
China
China’s communist system began with Mao Zedong’s arrival in 1949, marked by five-year plans, collectivization, and a focus on heavy industry. However, this model was not fully applicable after 1957 as China was predominantly agricultural. The nation implemented its own model of people’s communes and rural collectivization. In the mid-1960s, larger units were formed. From 1966 to 1969, the Cultural Revolution occurred, advocating for smaller production units. From 1970 until eight years after
Read MoreSpain’s Early 20th Century: Political Instability and Primo de Rivera’s Coup
Read MoreHowever, political parties were divided into two trends: aliadófilos (Liberals and Democrats) and Germanophiles (Conservatives). Economic prosperity, fueled by supplying raw materials to warring countries, initially favored neutrality. This led to industrial expansion and capital accumulation but also higher prices and a decline in living standards, causing social unrest. By 1917, the Restoration political system faced a serious crisis. A military crisis arose as the government sought to reduce
19th Century Spanish Constitutionalism: A Historical Overview
Extremadura in the Late 18th Century
Demographic and Economic Realities
During the second half of the eighteenth century, Extremadura experienced weak vegetative growth. Its population density, around 10 inhabitants per square kilometer, was among the lowest in Spain. Birth rates ranged from 35 to 45 per thousand, due to early marriages (between 20 and 22 years old) in areas with abundant laborers. This contributed to a good number of births per couple. However, a high mortality rate, particularly
Read More19th Century Spain: From War to Restoration
1. The Spanish War of Independence (1808-1814)
The end of the reign of Carlos IV: When the French Revolution broke out and Louis XVI was executed, Spain, like other European monarchies, declared war on France. Spain was defeated and signed the Treaties of San Ildefonso in 1796 and 1800. These treaties made Spain and France allies against the British Empire. In 1805, the Anglo-Portuguese alliance was reinforced by the defeat of Spain and France in the naval Battle of Trafalgar. Napoleon wanted to
Read MoreFranco’s Spain: Dictatorship to Transition
Franco Dictatorship and Contemporary Spain
The Francoist state emerged during the Spanish Civil War, consolidating Franco’s personal power. After the war, Franco established a totalitarian system, banning liberal democracy and communism. All powers were concentrated in the Head of State, with a single party, FET y de las JONS.
The state institutions included a monarchy without a king, traditional Catholic social representation, the Leader as Head of State, and the National Defense Board. Franco was
Read MoreMarxism, Russian Revolution, and the Rise of the USSR
Marxism
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
- Manifest of the Communist Party (1848)
- First International
Marxism or Communism
- Motor force of history is the class struggle.
- Every dominant class tries to control the means of production.
- Each era is characterized by a mode of production.
- Accordingly, Marx designated human history as encompassing four stages of development in relations of production:
- Primitive communism: cooperative tribal societies.
- Slave society: development from tribal to city-state in which aristocracy