Prehistorical
Times
The oldest
historical findings made in Spain date of about 30000 to 50000 b.C. Among the
most important remains of this period are the Cave of Altamira (Santander),Cova
Negra (Játiva) and Piñar (Granada).
The
Celt-Iberian Spain
The Greeks
referred to the original inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula as Iberians. There
are, however, several different populations. According to different researches, the Iberians should have arrived to the
peninsula at the time of the Neolithic (5000 - 3000 BC).
Some
scientists believe that they came originally from the eastern Mediterranean,
others believe that they were related to the founders of the megalithic culture
(UK, Ireland, France), of which there are numerous findings also in Spain.
The most
advanced Iberians were undoubtedly the Tartessos, who founded the oldest
Western-European high culture, and their descendants "Turdetanos" and
"Turdulos".
By 1200
b.C. Celtic tribes entered the peninsula from the north, mixing up with
Iberians and so generating the celt-iberian race.
Phoenicians,
Greeks and Carthaginians
By 1100
b.C. Phoenicians arrived to the peninsula and founded colonies, the most
important of which was Gadir (today's Cadiz), Malaca (today's Malaga) and
Abdera(today's Adra, in Almeria). Also Greeks founded colonies in southern
Spain and along the Mediterranean coast.
During the
Punic Wars between Rome and Carthago Carthaginians invaded Spain and conquered
large parts of it. Their most important colonies were the island Ibiza
and Cartagena, the "new Carthago".
Romans and
Goths
After Rome
had defeated Carthago definitely, Romans also invaded the colonies in Spain,
and ended up conquering the entire peninsula. The province Hispania became part of the Roman empire and had great importance, even two Roman
emperors, Traian and Hadrian, were born there. Spaniards absorbed completely
the Roman culture as still today is very evident in their language.
In 409,
when the Roman empire started to fall, Visigothic tribes invaded the peninsula and
established their kingdom in 419.
Moorish
Epoch and Reconquista
The Visigothic dominance lasted until 711, when Muslim armies crossed the Straight of
Gibraltar and defeated Roderic, the last Visigoth king. Specially the southern
parts of Spain, called al-Andalus, were prospering in the Moorish epoch, thanks
to new sciences and agricultural technics. The Moors conquered major parts of
the country until they were defeated for the first time by Visigoth king Pelayo
at Covadonga in northern Spain, 722.
Though the
small Christian kingdoms in the north were a nucleus of resistence, the Arabian
culture was prospering in the rest of the country. The Muslim Spain by the time
got politically independent of the Arabian empire, and in 10th century
Abderraman III. made Al-Andalus his own caliphate. In this epoch Cordoba was
the cultural center of this area of the world. Decadence started
in 11th century, when the various Arabian noble families were more and more at
variance among themselves, and al-Andalus broke into numerous small caliphates.
The Christian kingdoms in the north started then the reconquest of Spain. The
marriage between Isabel of Castilia and Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469, joining the
two most important among them, was the turning point of the Reconquista. From
now on Muslims rapidly lost territory, until they were definitely expelled when
they lost their last remaining caliphate, Granada, in 1492.
The
Catholic Monarchs
Isabel and
Fernando succeeded in uniting the whole country under their crown, and their
effort to "re-christianize" Spain resulted in the Spanish Inquisition,
when thousands of Jews and Moors who didn't want to convert to Christianism
were expelled or killed.
After the
discovery of America by Christóbal Colón in 1492 tons of gold and silver
were brought in from the new continent, and Spain became one of the most
powerful nations of this epoch called the Golden Age.
Habsburg
and Borbon Kings
After
Isabel died in 1504, her daughter Juana who was married with the German
emperor's son Felipe succeeded to the throne.
Carlos I, at the same time
Austrian king and German emperor united in 1517 one of the largest empires in
history. Anyhow after his retirement in 1556 it was split between the Spanish
and the Austrian line of Habsburg family.
Spain was
prospering economically under the Habsburg crown thanks to the trade with its
American colonies, but on the hand involved in wars with France, the
Netherlands and England, culminating in the disastrous defeat of the
"Armada Invencible" in 1588.
When the
last Habsburg King Carlos II. died without descendant, the nephew of French
King Louis XIV., Felipe de Borbon, successed to the throne.
As a consequence of
the French Revolution (year 1789), Spain declared war on the new republic but was defeated.
Napoleon took the power in France and sent his troops against Spain in 1808. He
established his brother Joseph as Spanish king, but Spaniards fought a 5-year
Independence War against the French.
After Napoleon's definite defeat at
Waterloo in 1815, Fernando VII. was restored to the Spanish throne and reigned
with rigid absolutism. When he changed the law of succession to the throne and
his daughter Isabel was established as queen, his brother Carlos rebelled
against it and the War of Seven Years broke out. Economical recession and
political instability were the consequences, Spain lost its colonies with the
exceptions of Puerto Rico, Cuba and Philippines.
The revolution of 1868 forced
Isabel II. to renounce to the throne, and the First Republic was proclaimed.
Anyhow, it lasted for just about one year. After a coup d'état Isabel's son,
Alfonso XII., restored the kingdom. The rebellion of Cuba in 1895 resulted in
a war against United States, with disastrous results for Spain. It lost its
last overseas possessions.
20th
Century
There was a terrible economical crisis of the early 1920s. General Primo de Ribera established a military dictature until 1930.
II Republic and Spanish Civil War
Elections in 1931 saw a triumph for the republican political parties, and Alfonso XIII left
the country. Increasing conflicts between the Republican government and the opposition led to the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). The opposition,
led by General Franco, received extensive support from Nazi-Germany and fascist
Italy and succeeded against the Republican block which was officially supported
only by Russia, although many intellectuals (as Ernest Hemingway) and
politically committed from other countries fought in the International
Brigades. Franco´s wing succeeded.
Franco´s dictatorship
Although
Franco kept Spain neutral during World War II, his military dictature led to
political and economical isolation. During the 1950s and 60s every effort was
taken to improve international relations, and the country's economy recovered.
In 1969 Franco proclaimed Juan Carlos de Borbon, the grandson of Alphonse
XIII, his successor with the title of king.
Democratic government
Franco died
in 1975, and a constitutional monarchy was established. President Adolfo Suarez
introduced important political reforms. When he surprisingly dismissed in 1981,
a group of militars tried to take the power with a coup, but failed. In 1982
the socialist party won the elections and Felipe González became president of
the government. Spain became member of the NATO in 1985 and entered the European
Community in 1986. In 1992 it appeared impressively at the world stage:
Barcelona hosted the Olympic Games, Seville the world exposition EXPO'92, and
Madrid was declared European Cultural Capital.
Adapted for my students from http://www.red2000.com/spain/primer/hist.html
Prehistorical
Times
The oldest
historical findings made in Spain date of about 30000 to 50000 b.C. Among the
most important remains of this period are the Cave of Altamira (Santander),Cova
Negra (Játiva) and Piñar (Granada).
The
Celt-Iberian Spain
The Greeks
referred to the original inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula as Iberians. There
are, however, several different populations. According to different researches, the Iberians should have arrived to the
peninsula at the time of the Neolithic (5000 - 3000 BC).
Some
scientists believe that they came originally from the eastern Mediterranean,
others believe that they were related to the founders of the megalithic culture
(UK, Ireland, France), of which there are numerous findings also in Spain.
The most
advanced Iberians were undoubtedly the Tartessos, who founded the oldest
Western-European high culture, and their descendants "Turdetanos" and
"Turdulos".
By 1200
b.C. Celtic tribes entered the peninsula from the north, mixing up with
Iberians and so generating the celt-iberian race.
Phoenicians,
Greeks and Carthaginians
By 1100
b.C. Phoenicians arrived to the peninsula and founded colonies, the most
important of which was Gadir (today's Cadiz), Malaca (today's Malaga) and
Abdera(today's Adra, in Almeria). Also Greeks founded colonies in southern
Spain and along the Mediterranean coast.
During the
Punic Wars between Rome and Carthago Carthaginians invaded Spain and conquered
large parts of it. Their most important colonies were the island Ibiza
and Cartagena, the "new Carthago".
Romans and
Goths
After Rome
had defeated Carthago definitely, Romans also invaded the colonies in Spain,
and ended up conquering the entire peninsula. The province Hispania became part of the Roman empire and had great importance, even two Roman
emperors, Traian and Hadrian, were born there. Spaniards absorbed completely
the Roman culture as still today is very evident in their language.
In 409,
when the Roman empire started to fall, Visigothic tribes invaded the peninsula and
established their kingdom in 419.
Moorish
Epoch and Reconquista
The Visigothic dominance lasted until 711, when Muslim armies crossed the Straight of
Gibraltar and defeated Roderic, the last Visigoth king. Specially the southern
parts of Spain, called al-Andalus, were prospering in the Moorish epoch, thanks
to new sciences and agricultural technics. The Moors conquered major parts of
the country until they were defeated for the first time by Visigoth king Pelayo
at Covadonga in northern Spain, 722.
Though the
small Christian kingdoms in the north were a nucleus of resistence, the Arabian
culture was prospering in the rest of the country. The Muslim Spain by the time
got politically independent of the Arabian empire, and in 10th century
Abderraman III. made Al-Andalus his own caliphate. In this epoch Cordoba was
the cultural center of this area of the world. Decadence started
in 11th century, when the various Arabian noble families were more and more at
variance among themselves, and al-Andalus broke into numerous small caliphates.
The Christian kingdoms in the north started then the reconquest of Spain. The
marriage between Isabel of Castilia and Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469, joining the
two most important among them, was the turning point of the Reconquista. From
now on Muslims rapidly lost territory, until they were definitely expelled when
they lost their last remaining caliphate, Granada, in 1492.
The
Catholic Monarchs
Isabel and
Fernando succeeded in uniting the whole country under their crown, and their
effort to "re-christianize" Spain resulted in the Spanish Inquisition,
when thousands of Jews and Moors who didn't want to convert to Christianism
were expelled or killed.
After the
discovery of America by Christóbal Colón in 1492 tons of gold and silver
were brought in from the new continent, and Spain became one of the most
powerful nations of this epoch called the Golden Age.
Habsburg
and Borbon Kings
After
Isabel died in 1504, her daughter Juana who was married with the German
emperor's son Felipe succeeded to the throne.
Carlos I, at the same time
Austrian king and German emperor united in 1517 one of the largest empires in
history. Anyhow after his retirement in 1556 it was split between the Spanish
and the Austrian line of Habsburg family.
Spain was
prospering economically under the Habsburg crown thanks to the trade with its
American colonies, but on the hand involved in wars with France, the
Netherlands and England, culminating in the disastrous defeat of the
"Armada Invencible" in 1588.
When the
last Habsburg King Carlos II. died without descendant, the nephew of French
King Louis XIV., Felipe de Borbon, successed to the throne.
As a consequence of
the French Revolution (year 1789), Spain declared war on the new republic but was defeated.
Napoleon took the power in France and sent his troops against Spain in 1808. He
established his brother Joseph as Spanish king, but Spaniards fought a 5-year
Independence War against the French.
After Napoleon's definite defeat at
Waterloo in 1815, Fernando VII. was restored to the Spanish throne and reigned
with rigid absolutism. When he changed the law of succession to the throne and
his daughter Isabel was established as queen, his brother Carlos rebelled
against it and the War of Seven Years broke out. Economical recession and
political instability were the consequences, Spain lost its colonies with the
exceptions of Puerto Rico, Cuba and Philippines.
The revolution of 1868 forced
Isabel II. to renounce to the throne, and the First Republic was proclaimed.
Anyhow, it lasted for just about one year. After a coup d'état Isabel's son,
Alfonso XII., restored the kingdom. The rebellion of Cuba in 1895 resulted in
a war against United States, with disastrous results for Spain. It lost its
last overseas possessions.
20th
Century
There was a terrible economical crisis of the early 1920s. General Primo de Ribera established a military dictature until 1930.
II Republic and Spanish Civil War
Elections in 1931 saw a triumph for the republican political parties, and Alfonso XIII left
the country. Increasing conflicts between the Republican government and the opposition led to the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). The opposition,
led by General Franco, received extensive support from Nazi-Germany and fascist
Italy and succeeded against the Republican block which was officially supported
only by Russia, although many intellectuals (as Ernest Hemingway) and
politically committed from other countries fought in the International
Brigades. Franco´s wing succeeded.
Franco´s dictatorship
Although
Franco kept Spain neutral during World War II, his military dictature led to
political and economical isolation. During the 1950s and 60s every effort was
taken to improve international relations, and the country's economy recovered.
In 1969 Franco proclaimed Juan Carlos de Borbon, the grandson of Alphonse
XIII, his successor with the title of king.
Democratic government
Franco died
in 1975, and a constitutional monarchy was established. President Adolfo Suarez
introduced important political reforms. When he surprisingly dismissed in 1981,
a group of militars tried to take the power with a coup, but failed. In 1982
the socialist party won the elections and Felipe González became president of
the government. Spain became member of the NATO in 1985 and entered the European
Community in 1986. In 1992 it appeared impressively at the world stage:
Barcelona hosted the Olympic Games, Seville the world exposition EXPO'92, and
Madrid was declared European Cultural Capital.
Adapted for my students from http://www.red2000.com/spain/primer/hist.html
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