While the 1936-39 Civil War dominated Spain’s twentieth-century history, the country’s catastrophic and brutal separation into left and right had its origins in Napoleonic events. Jon Cowans provides 76 papers in Modern Spain: A history of Spain documentary, the first comprehensive collection of literature from this period in English. The book traces the history of Spain as it strove for political and social stability and justice during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The selections begin with Napoleon’s takeover of Spain in 1808 and include decisions of the liberal Cádiz Cortes from 1810 to 1814, an 1841 plea for the restoration of Catalan culture and language, an 1873 anarchist manifesto, and an 1892 argument for women’s education. General Francisco Franco’s 1936 manifesto and his 1940 letter to Hitler, the Spanish bishops’ 1950 press release on immorality and indecency in the mass media, The speech of King Juan Carlos on the 1981 failed coup d’état, as well as a 1999 report by SOS Racismo on immigration and xenophobia in modern Spain.
Religion
Arianism was the official religion in Hispania from the start of the Visigothic Kingdom, although only for a short time, according to historian Rhea Marsh Smith (1905-1991). Reccared, the Visigothic monarch of Toledo, turned to Catholicism in 587 and began an effort to unite the Iberian Peninsula’s numerous theological ideologies. The Councils of Toledo disputed orthodox Catholicism’s dogma and liturgy, and the Council of Lerida in 546 limited the clergy and extended the authority of law over them with the pope’s assent.
Early Modern Spain
Spain as a political entity can be traced to the joining of the two largest Iberian kingdoms through the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile in 1469. Over the course of the next centuries, Spain rose to European dominance, presided over the world’s largest empire, and saw its power and wealth decline until it was finally conquered and occupied by Napoleon in the early nineteenth century. A history of Spain documentary is the first broad-ranging collection in English of writings from the entire period from 1469 to the end of the eighteenth century, comprises 61 documents carefully selected and introduced by Jon Cowans. Starting with Ferdinand and Isabella’s marriage contract, the volume delves into the rich and turbulent history of early modern Spain through contemporary writings, including documents on the expulsion of the Jews in 1492, a narrative of the conquest of Mexico, accounts of the Inquisition, a profile of King Philip II, a cleric’s primer on “the perfect wife,” a sermon on the defeat of the “Invincible Armada” in 1588, tales of a Seville bread riot, a royal investigation into the painter Velázquez, Benito Feijóo’s 1737 “protection of women,” a 1790 censure of bullfighting, and Charles IV’s 1793 declaration of war on revolutionary France.
Documentary History
A history of Spain Documentary is a valuable resource for learning about Spain’s political, cultural, social, and economic history through primary sources from the Second Republic, the Civil War, and the Franco dictatorship, as well as from the period of the country’s profound transformation following King Juan Carlos’ ascension in 1975.The Spanish transition to democracy, sometimes known as the new Bourbon restoration, was the period when Spain transitioned from Francisco Franco’s dictatorship to a liberal democratic state. The transition began with Franco’s death on November 20, 1975, and ended with the socialist PSOE’s electoral win on October 28, 1982. Spain is a constitutional monarchy under its present constitution (1978).
Spanish Empire
The first global empire was the Spanish Empire. It was also one among the world’s most powerful empires. Spain and Portugal were at the forefront of European global exploration and colonial development in the 16th century. On the conquering of Iberian Peninsula, the two kingdoms contended for the opening of commercial routes across the oceans.
