Spanish Civil War: Rebels, Republicans, and Daily Life
The Rebels: Beginning of a Dictatorship
The rebels aimed for military victory and a new fascist state, ending democracy and the republic.
Steps to Power:
- Junta de Defensa Nacional (each General controlled their area).
- October 1936: Francisco Franco became Generalísimo, Head of the Army, the government, and the new state, concentrating powers.
Political Measures:
- The Constitution and civil rights were banned.
- Political parties and trade unions were illegal.
- Censorship was imposed.
- Catholicism was established
The Old Regime, Enlightenment, and Revolutions: A Summary
The Old Regime: Social Structure and Absolutism
The Old Regime was a social system characterized by political and economic estates, absolutism, and an agricultural economy. The society was divided into estates, which were closed social groups. There were two main categories:
- Privileged: These groups did not pay taxes and held powers and political influence. They included the king, the nobility, and the clergy.
- Non-privileged: These groups paid taxes and were barred from political power. They included
Hispano-Muslim Art: Arches, Vaults, and Mosques
Hispano-Muslim Art: Arches and Vaults
A wide variety of arches take their model portfolio from Hispano-Muslim art, including the horseshoe arch, horseshoe túmido, and sometimes lobed mixtilinear arches. The lambrequin arch features lobes arranged in different directions. This arch is a product that arises and develops in the Almohad period, which marks its heyday.
The arches spring from imposts in the form of that, which is very characteristic of this time.
Flat wooden roofs are prevalent, but vaulting
Read MoreUmayyad Architecture in Al-Andalus: Madinat al-Zahara Details
Interior Architectural Details: Umayyad Style
The interior space is very small. Four central supports featuring horseshoe arches divide the space into nine sections. The supports are Visigothic in origin. Above, a second level features openings with lobed and horseshoe arches. Above these are Caliphate vaults, except in the central section, which is taller and features a third level. This section also has a Caliphate vault.
In front of the mihrab area, decorated intersecting arches are supported on
Read MoreNapoleon’s Empire: Political Achievements and Consequences
The Napoleonic Empire
In 1804, Napoleon declared himself Emperor of France (Napoleon I). His rise to power was made possible by his military victories. In Europe, he was indispensable to France.
Napoleon’s Main Political Achievements
- Domestic Policy: He established the Civil Code, a set of laws that applied equality to all citizens. He introduced new legal concepts such as civil marriage, divorce, adoption, and public education.
- Foreign Policy: His victories over Austria, Russia, and Prussia transformed
French Revolution: Core Causes and Major Phases
The French Revolution: Causes and Phases
Causes of the Revolution
Economic Factors
- A severe French state financial crisis resulted from heavy debt incurred during the Seven Years’ War and the assistance provided to the American colonists against Britain.
- Poor harvests increased bread prices to levels unaffordable for the rural and urban lower classes.
- Increased state spending exacerbated the huge public debt. Attempts to increase taxes and extend them to the privileged estates (nobility and clergy) failed.