Spain’s Path to Conflict: Dictatorship, Republic, and Civil War
Primo de Rivera’s Military Dictatorship (1923–1930)
By 1923, dissatisfaction with the Restoration Monarchy was widespread. General Miguel Primo de Rivera established a military dictatorship with the avowed aim of taking a break from political life to end corruption.
Stages of the Dictatorship
- Early Years: Initially, Primo de Rivera enjoyed some popularity, even within the workers’ movement. The protectorate in Morocco was pacified by a French-Spanish alliance in 1925.
- Maintaining Power: A strong economy
The Aftermath of World War II: Political and Territorial Changes
The Axis Powers and Collaborator States
The Axis Powers (the Nazi and collaborationist states) included:
- The German Reich: Formed by Germany, which annexed Austria, the Sudetenland, western Poland, Luxembourg, Alsace-Lorraine, Slovenia, and the Protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia. Territories under direct administration of the German Reich were grouped into Comissariats General.
- Italy: An ally of Germany, its territory expanded after the annexation of Albania, Montenegro, and part of the Dalmatian coast.
The Enlightenment, Colonial Aspirations, and Simón Bolívar’s Early Life
The Age of Enlightenment and Political Upheaval
The illustration depicts the historic moment located within the “Century of the Enlightenment,” when experimental scientific consciousness opposed dogmatism and specific intentions to overthrow despotisms. This era is also known as the Age of Reason or the Century of Lights.
The French Revolution and the Old Regime
The French Revolution was a social and political conflict, with varying periods of violence, which shook France and, by extension of its implications,
Read MoreThe Spanish Habsburg Dynasty: Reigns, Conflicts, and Decline (1516–1700)
The Habsburg Dynasty in Spain: An Introduction
The Catholic Monarchs had planned for their son Juan to inherit their territories. However, with his death, the crowns of Spain were transferred from the House of Trastámara to the House of Habsburg. The Spain of the Habsburgs sought to become fully a Modern State, and with Carlos V, the crowns of Castile and Aragon were definitively united.
The first Habsburg rulers, Carlos I (V of Germany) and Felipe II (known as the Austrias Mayores or Major Habsburgs)
Read MoreThe Downfall of Latin American Leaders: Allende and Batista
Salvador Allende: Democratic Socialism in Chile
Salvador Allende was a Chilean democratic socialist politician and physician who became president of his Latin American country through open elections.[3]
Political Career and 1970 Election Victory
Allende’s involvement in Chilean political life spanned a period of nearly forty years. As a member of the Socialist Party, he served as a senator, deputy, and cabinet minister. He unsuccessfully ran for the presidency in the 1952, 1958, and 1964 elections.
Read MoreThe Old Regime and Enlightenment Reforms in 18th Century Spain
Society of the Old Regime (18th Century)
Eighteenth-century society was divided into estates, which were closed social groups based on birth.
The Estate System
Privileged Classes
The privileged classes owned the most land, paid no taxes, and bore few public charges. They included:
- The Clergy (2% of the population): Controlled over 40% of landed property, possessing great economic power due to income from amortized property (the ‘dead hand’). Their function was to educate and uphold religious values.
- The