Spain’s Political Framework: Monarchy and Parliament
Spain’s Parliamentary Monarchy
The political form of the Spanish State is the parliamentary monarchy. It is a monarchy because the Head of State is the King, and parliamentary because it is based on a bicameral parliamentary system consisting of:
- The Congress of Deputies
- The Senate
The King is the Head of State and is separate from the three branches of government (legislative, executive, judicial) and their relationships. To ensure political stability, the figure of the King is not subject to liability;
Read MoreSpanish Confiscations: Economic & Social Consequences
The Confiscation in Spain
Repossessing measures adopted by different liberal governments throughout the century found their concretion in Royal Decrees, laws, orders, etc.
Effects of Confiscation
The confiscation, by decoupling lands from their owners, broke the existing legal organization, making them suitable to be sold, alienated, or divided. With the introduction of private property and a free market in the area, a new stage opened in Spanish agriculture. However, the results were as diverse as
Read MoreThe Rise and Rule of Primo de Rivera in Spain
Context and Causes of the 1923 Coup
The precedents for this dictatorship can be traced back to the Crisis of ’98 and the subsequent politics of regenerationism. However, the immediate causes lie in the crisis that began around 1917, when the political system of the Restoration entered a process of disintegration. This included:
- Frequent shifts between governing parties (the failing turno pacífico).
- Thirteen total and thirteen partial government crises.
- Social unrest despite the illusion of economic
World War II and Cold War: Causes, Events, Consequences
World War II
Causes
- Underlying Causes: International instability, Germany’s desire for revenge following WWI.
- Immediate Cause: Aggressive foreign policies of Germany and Italy.
Combatant Blocs
- Axis Powers: Led by Germany and Italy, later joined by Japan.
- Allied Powers: Initially led by Great Britain and France, later joined by the USA and the USSR.
War Characteristics
- Global scale.
- Powerful and improved weaponry.
- Extreme brutality.
Stages of WWII
First Stage (1939-1942)
Germany executed a “blitzkrieg” (lightning
European Monarchs and Power Shifts: 16th-18th Centuries
European Monarchs and Power Shifts (16th-18th Centuries)
Philip II: Inherited Spain, the Spanish Netherlands, and the American colonies. He believed it was his duty to defend Catholicism.
Absolute Monarchy: Kings or queens who held all the power within their states’ boundaries.
Divine Right: The idea that God created the monarchy and the monarch acted as God’s representative on Earth.
Edict of Nantes: A document that granted religious freedom to the Huguenots in 1598.
Cardinal Richelieu: A strong minister
Read MoreUnderstanding the UN, Social Stratification, and French Revolution Causes
The United Nations: A Foundation for Global Peace
The idea of substituting the League of Nations with a more effective body was discussed at various conferences during World War II. Allied nations, during the Moscow Conference, proposed creating an international organization founded on the sovereign equality of all countries. Its primary purpose was to ensure the maintenance of international peace and security.
The UN headquarters is in New York. The General Assembly, composed of representatives from
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