Twilight of the Moors, Battle of Jerez, 1231 AD

After the crushing defeat suffered at Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, the battle of Jerez was a coup-de-gras for the Almohads in Iberia. Ibn Hud, emir of Andalusia, moved from the frontier he was defending to stop a castillan cavalgada or chevauceè, raiding deep into Andalusia. Near Jerez, the two armies clashed and the Moors suffered an heavy defeat. It is said that 500 of them, taken prisoners, were executed. This battle opened a crysis for the emir which resulted in the creation of a new emirate, the Emirate of Granada of the Nasirid Dinasy in 1238, the last muslim fortress in Iberia, which lasted until 1492.

In the drawing, a mounted scout, armed with crossbow, reports to Ibn Hud. Such light cavalry and infantry units were the bulk of the andalusian armies, altough heavy infantry and cavalry were also present, as shown in 1282's manuscript Las Cantigas de Santa Maria. A strong western influence was present, even if, personally, I'm not sure if it just a simplified vision from a christian amanuens. As you may guess, the illustrations of Las Cantigas de Santa Maria are the main source for the drawing, in clothing as well as in heraldry.

 

 

Enlace a la imagen original: http://fritzvicari.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=24#/art/Twilight-of-the-Moors-Battle-of-Jerez-1231-AD-336353324?_sid=3d9fb72c



12. The contemporary world

1.        Why was there popular discontent in Eastern Europe in the seventies and eighties?

2.        Why was USSR living a economic stagnation in the seventies and eighties?

3.        What were the effects of stagnation?

4.        What happened in the USSR in 1985?

5.         What was the perestroika?

6.        What was the glasnost?

7.        Explain Gorbachev’s political reform?

8.        Explain Gorbachev’s economic reform?

9.        Why did Communist European dictatorships lose Soviet support?

10.    What were the effects of it?

11.    What events that happened in 1989 brought about the collapse of the Eastern Bloc?

12.    When was Germany resurrected?

13.    Name the present day countries that made up Yugoslavia.

14.    When was the civil war in Yugoslavia?

15.    When did Czechoslovakia separate in two states peacefully? Name them.

16.    How did the Russian president Boris Yeltsin transform a centralized economic planning in a capitalist economy?

17.    What were its consequences in the nineties? Name them.

18.    Explain the present day Russian social inequalities.

19.    Who are the oligarchs? Use the book and other information sources.

20.    What years was Yeltsin president of Russian Federation?

21.    What Communist states exist today?

22.    Explain the Capitalist reforms in Communist regimes in the last two decades?

23.    Why is North Korean regime so weird?

24.    Why the Communist Party still rule China?

25.    Explain the capitalist reforms in China.

Marinids charging in, Battle of Ecija, 1275 AD

The Nasirids (the Emirate of Granada) was suffering a period of political instability and civil war - and the Castillans were taking advantage of it, plundering and raiding deep into moorish territory. Muhammed II, Emir of Granada, called for the help of Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd al-Haqq, Sultan of the Marinid dinasty, which had subentred the Almohad ruling actual Morocco.
The sultan landed in southern Iberia in 1275. His great army was attacked by a far greater castillan army, coming from the north, lead by Nuño Gonzalez, a nobleman from the house de Lara.
The christian army was crushed by the sultan and the head of christian leader was sent to Muhammed II, cementing the alliance.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

As it seems, north african armies were lighter equipped than andalusians. On "Las Cantigas de Santa Maria", our main source for this drawing, moroccans are shown as lightly equipped skirmishers, dressed with a long tunic with sleeves rolled up, a turban and the charachteristic heart-shaped shield ([link]). The sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd al-Haqq (man, that's a long name) is equipped with a short sleeved mail and a segmented helm based on a moroccan illustration from the XIII c. manuscript "Book of Fixed Stars" ( Kitab-al Sufar) ([link]).


Fuente original del texto y la ilustración: http://fritzvicari.deviantart.com/gallery/#/art/Marinids-charging-in-Battle-of-Ecija-1275-AD-348834101?_sid=6ce10c49

UNIT 3. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION

1.               How many countries are in Europe?

2.               What is the largest European country?

3.               What are the most populated European states?

4.               What European citizens are the richest?

5.               Name the Baltic countries.

6.               Name the Nordic or Scandinavian countries.

7.               Name the Alpine countries.

8.               Name the Caucasus states.

9.               How long was the Second World War?

10.             What superpowers were born from the WW II?

11.            What was the ESCS? When was it founded? Which countries formed it?

12.            What was the EEC? Which countries formed it?

13.            What international agreement was the beginning for the EEC?

14.            What countries formed the Europe of the Twelve? Think about it one minute.

15.            What is the European Union anthem?

16.            What is the CAP?

17.            How does free movement of goods, services, labour and capital work?

18.            Explain at length the Treaty of Maastricht.

19.            When was the euro cash used for the first time?

20.            What are the three criteria for a state to be able to join the UE?

21.            How is the EU annual budget used?

22.            What economic aspects receive the largest part of the EU budget?

23.            Look at the Document 11. What part of EU budget was used on agriculture?

24.            Look at the Document 11. What part of EU budget was used on cohesion?

25.            What is the EU Regional Policy?

26.            What are the objectives of EU Regional Policy? Name them.

27.            Which of them receive more money?

28.            Explain the convergence objective.

29.            Explain the regional competitiveness and employment objective.

30.            Explain the European territorial cooperation objective.

31.            What institutions manage the Regional Policy money?

32.            Look at the Document 12. What Spanish regions reach the criteria to receive funds of convergence? How is the Gross Domestic Product of these regions?

33.            What are the characteristics of Spanish state after the Constitution of 1978?

34.            Explain why Spain is a parliamentary monarchy.

35.            What are the administrative levels in Spain?

36.            What are the functions of Spanish Parliament?

37.            What chambers form the Spanish Parliament?

38.            How are the deputies elected?

39.            Who forms the Senate?

40.            Who forms the government of the nation?

41.            Who elects the president of government in Spain?

42.            What are the functions of Spanish government?

43.            What are the attributes of the Spanish judges and magistrates?

44.            What is the Supreme Court?

45.            What is the Constitutional Court?

46.            Look at the Document 14. What are the Spanish provinces with highest population density?

47.            Look at the Document 15. What are the twelve provinces with highest Gross Domestic Product?

48.            Look at the Document 15. What are the seven provinces with lowest Gross Domestic Product?

49.            Page 37. In what year was the German state founded?

50.            Page 37. What great river was on the Western border of Germany?

51.            Page 37. What great river was the Eastern boundary of Germany?

52.            Page 37. In 1918, Germany lost World War I. It was partitioned and Eastern Prussia was separated from the main part of Germany by a river valley. What river is it?

53.            Page 37. What resurrected country crossed this river?

54.            Page 37. Germany expanded in the Nazi era (1933-1945). The country recuperated old borders and swallowed half of a country. What country? What two other states were occupied by Germany?

55.            Page 37. In 1949, Germany had lost World War II. What river was, at that time, the Eastern German border? What two countries appeared again?

56.            Page 37. What two German countries were born in those years?

57.            Page 37. What happened in 1990 in Germany?

58.            Page 37. What two countries were created from Czechoslovakia?

59.            Page 37. Today, does Germany have the same boundaries as the original state?

60.            When did Spain join the EU?

61.            When was the European Cohesion Fund created?

62.      Do you think these two events affected Spain’s progress? Why?

Blood and Dust, Battle of Ecija, 1275 AD

The title says it all. A moment from the battle of Ecija, fought in 1275 between Marinids and Castilians in Andalusia. ([link] )

The marinid horsemen are both based on the Cantiga de Santa Maria, while the christian Knight is inspired by the series of frescoes "La Conquista de Mallorca". The left marinid's shield is based on a XIV century model and his tunic's pattern is based on a contemporary reconstruction made by Angus McBride. The axe of the right marinid is based on archaeological evidence.

Origen de la imagen: http://fritzvicari.deviantart.com/gallery/#/art/Blood-and-Dust-Battle-of-Ecija-1275-AD-350102827?_sid=f31f26c

11. THE COLD WAR

1.       Explain at length the bipolar system in the second half of 20th century.

2.       Why this bipolar system was called the Cold War?

3.       Explain three characteristics about the Cold War.

4.       What was the Third World?

5.       Explain the Marshall Plan.

6.       What were the common characteristics of Western-Bloc countries?

7.       What countries formed the Eastern Bloc?

8.       What were the common characteristics of Eastern Bloc countries?

9.       How was Communist China born?

10.    Explain the Soviet-Chinese relations?

11.    Explain the Hungarian revolt.

12.    Explain the Prague Spring.

13.    What was Decolonization?

14.    What is the national self-determination?

15.    What were the causes for Decolonization?

16.    How was the colonial elites’ education? Think about it.

17.    Explain the Indian decolonization.

18.    When did Algeria gain its independence?

19.    Write a long explanation about the Non-Aligned Movement.

20.    What were the common characteristics in politics of non-aligned countries?

21.    How did non-aligned countries act in international relations?

22.    Explain the Bandung Conference.

23.    If the Western bloc was the First World and non-aligned countries were Third World, what was the Second World?

24.    Why do wars exist in Third World nations?

25.    What is the cause of poverty in developing countries?

26.    In what decade did most of African countries gain its independence?

27.    After Second World War the Western society bettered its living standard. Mention three signs of it.

28.    The welfare state was begun in United Kingdom for Clement Attlee’s administration (1945-1951). Explain its characteristics.

29.    What did economic sectors favor the growth of the middle class?

30.    Explain the consumerism in the the post–World War II economic boom.

31.    Explain the Civil Rights movement.

32.    What new ideas were favored by the hippies?

33.    How did May 1968 events end in France?

34.    What is a disposable income?

35.    What is a household appliance?

36.    What were the common characteristics of Eastern-Bloc society? What was the worst? What was the best?

37.    What process was the cause of the rural exodus in the USSR?

38.    What were the forced-labour camps?

39.    What Soviet politician freed the political prisoners in 1955?

40.    What was the collectivization?

41.    What is a commune?

42.    During the Great Leap Forward the Chinese industrial and agricultural production were disturbed and they fell rapidly. Thirty millions of people died due to a general famine. What was the Great Leap Forward? What Communist politician ordered it?

43.    Why did the agricultural productivity fall in Communist dictatorships?

44.    Mention three factors of economic growth in post-war Western-bloc economy.

45.    What were the effects of Marshall Plan?

46.    How did Western-bloc governments intervene in their economies? What is this intervention called? Think about it.

47.    What industries grew in these years? Mention some technological advance.

48.    Explain the Benelux.

49.    Explain the birth of the European Coal and Steel Community.

50.    Explain the first years of the European Economic Community.

51.    What were economic objectives of Stalin?

52.    How did Stalinist economy work?

53.    How were Eastern-bloc economies?

54.    How was Soviet economy after Stalin’s death?

55.    Explain the Great Leap Forward, again.

56.    How long was Franco’s dictatorship?

57.    What was the one political party in Francoist Spain? Explain it.

58.    Did a Spanish constitution exist when Franco ruled?

59.    Where are all the political, economic and cultural powers concentrated in Spain during Franco’s rule?

60.    When did Franco sign his first treaty with U.S.A.?

61.    When was Spain admitted to the UN?

62.    How were Francoist governments in the 60’s?

63.    What happened in 1969 in Spain?

64.    Explain the international situation of Spain between 1939 and 1953.

65.    What is an embargo?

66.    Explain the treaties signed in 1953 by the Spanish government.

67.    Explain the Spanish economic situation between 1939 and 1953.

68.    Explain the Spanish economic situation in the Sixties.

69.    Explain the emigration and the tourism effects on Spanish economy during Franco’s regime.

70.    How did Franco’s dictatorship influence Spanish society in its forty years?