English materials for Unit 1

Here you have a link to the English materials related to Unit 1: Absolutism and Enlightenment. They are a summary of the unit and that is what you have to study to do the questions in English in the exam.

The society of estates

Here you can download and print the English version of the society of estates.

WW2 bomb found in Germany

Read this piece of news about a find of a WW2 one-tonne bomb in Cologne, Germany.
Lee la noticia en español.

70º aniversario de la liberación del campo de Dachau

Se acaban de cumplir 70 años de la liberación del campo de Dachau, el primer campo de concentración construido por los nazis en 1933 y que perduró hasta 1945. Se calcula que más de 40.000 personas murieron en él.

Esquemas de la Revolución rusa de 1917

Aquí tenéis los esquemas que vimos en clase sobre el desarrollo de la Revolución rusa de 1917:
En castellano: esquemas de la Revolución rusa
En valencià: esquemes de la Revolució russa

Text de la Revolució agrària

Ací teniu el text de Paul Mantoux sobre la revolució agrària a Anglaterra. Heu de classificar-lo, situar-lo en el tema i descobrir les seues idees principals, explicant-les i afegint CITES del text:

«Lord Townshend, ambaixador anglés a Holanda i secretari d’Estat, va abandonar la seua carrera política en 1730 i es va retirar a les seues propietats a Norfolk. Inspirant-se en els mètodes que havia vist practicar en els Països Baixos, va drenar el sòl, el va abonar amb fem, va iniciar els cultius que se succeïen en rotacions regulars sense esgotar mai la terra ni deixar-la improductiva, va sembrar prats i farratges per al bestiar. Alguns anomenaven a este senyor d’Anglaterra "Lord Nap". Al cavaller del segle XVII, que havia tret l’espasa en les guerres civils, li succeïx el “Gentleman Farmer”.»

Paul Mantoux, La revolució industrial al segle XVIII (1906)

 

Key points Units 2 & 3 for 4th A

2. Crisis of the Ancien Régime

The crisis of the Ancien Régime began with the American and French revolutions. Both were influded by the ideas of the Enlightenment and at the same time influded in Western Europe.

The victory of the thirteen colonies in the American War of Independence was the first liberal revolution. These were the first colonies to release from the control of a metropolis.

The French Revolution was led by the bourgeoisie and the lower classes against the privileges and inequities of the absolutism, and for a new State in which the nation could exercise its sovereignty.

In the new United States and France, Declarations of Human Rights and constitutions were written in order to give form and legality to the new Liberal State.

The consolidation of the Liberal State was carried out by Napoleon, who strenghtened and renewed its structures, pushing aside the absolutists as well as the democratic radicals.

Napoleon created an empire that spread the influence of the Revolution all over Europe.

In the Restoration, the most powerful European monarchies attempted to return to the absolutism, as well to keep away from the influence of the French Revolution and Napoleon’s Empire.

3. Liberalism and nationalism

Liberalism and nationalism were two ideologies that broke with force in the first half of the 19th century. Both were decisive in the breaking revolutions that took place between 1820 and 1848.

Liberalism spread over Europe due to French Revolution and Napoleon’s Empire, and it was stood up by the bourgeoisie, that aspired to the creation of the Liberal State. This one had to reflect the principles of liberalism, such as national sovereignty and separation of powers.

Nationalism emerged as an ideology in this moment. It was based on the defence of the nation. Previously, the term nation owned only a geographical concept; along with the crisis of the Ancient Régime, the nation meant the amont of people that shared the territory, culture, language...

After the fail of the revolutions of 1820, 1830 and 1848, liberalism managed to prevail as a political model from the 2nd half of the 19th century.

Italy and Germany, that were divided into several states, carried out a unification process influded by nationalist ideas. Piedmont and Prussia, the most developed territories in Italy and Germany respectively, were the leaders of these unifications, succesfully completed in 1870.