Category Civics

          Europe has had great influence on political history since time immemorial. The system of democracy as we know today was developed in Europe in about 450 BC.

           People from this not-so-big continent went around the world and colonized it. Almost all the countries around the world would have a European link at one point or the other. At a point of time, European powers, especially Britain, Spain and Portugal controlled the world. These countries grew rich by exploiting Asia, Africa and the Americas.

          The Great Wars of the world began in Europe. Both World War I and World War II had their roots in Europe. The tension between communism and capitalism was played out here primarily. This power struggle that took place between the communist and non-communist countries is known as the Cold War which finally witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union.

          Today, Europe has 51 independent countries and related territories. Armenia and Cyprus are considered to be in Europe though they are geographically located in West Asia.

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          The story about the rulers of Peru is as old as the story of the Inca civilization. The Inca civilization flourished in Peru in the 1400s. A Spanish conqueror named Francisco Pizzaro destroyed the empire of the Incas and established a settlement. This happened in 1532 and Spain ruled Peru for the next 300 years. The Spanish rule was largely oppressive and the natives rebelled against their rulers. After a series of violent battles, Peru earned its independence in the 1820s.

          Peru has had times of trouble after independence. From the mid twentieth century, Peru’s government alternated between democracy and military regimes. A Maoist group called the Shining Path gained power over Peru in the 1970s. However, they faded away after their leader Abimael Guzman was captured in 1992.

          Peru is a peaceful democracy since the 1990s. The people of Peru are required to vote by law!

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          The Portuguese did not go to Brazil with the dream of establishing a settlement. In fact, Brazil provided a safe place to hide for the Portuguese king who had fled from the French army. Surprising, isn’t it?

          In 1808, the French army led by Napoleon invaded Portugal. King Joao IV ran off to Brazil and later established his empire there. The empire came into the hands of his son, Pedro afterwards.

          King Pedro was a kind ruler and he granted independence to Brazil and abolished slavery. This act angered the wealthy landowners of Brazil. As a result, the royal family was forced to flee back to their motherland.

          Modern Brazil is not just about carnivals and natural wonders. The country now has an unstable economy. Brazil was once one of the leading industrial exporters in the world. It faced a great economic crisis in 1929. Though it recovered from the impacts of depression, the country had to face inflation for many years after 1980. The crisis became severe in 2014 as the trade balance was not maintained. In addition, the household consumption increased and the investments were low. The changes in the economic policy of the country too had an adverse effect.

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          Beyond football and pasturelands, Argentina has a history of gory wars. After gaining independence, Argentina faced a situation of political turbulence and a series of military governments.

          The period 1976-83 is known as ‘The Dirty War’ in its history. There was a seven-year campaign by the Argentine government which aimed to chase out Leftism. Thousands of suspected Left wing activists simply disappeared from Argentina.

          In 1982, Argentina went to war with Britain. This time, the dispute was about the ownership of Falkland, an island in the South Atlantic. The Argentines believed that the British had seized the island from them in the nineteenth century. The Falkland war started on 2nd April 1982. The British naval fleet under instructions from Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher fought against Argentina till the Argentines surrendered on June 14.

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          The Spanish explorers who conquered Argentina gave it the name we all know today. The name is derived from the Latin word for silver-argentum.

         The Spanish came to Argentina hoping to find rich deposits of silver, but they couldn’t find any. But they were not disappointed altogether. The newfound country had lush pasture land and fertile soil.

          Argentina’s treasures turned out to be the land itself! A lot of migrants came to the country for farming and raising cattle. Argentina’s economy was built on the meat and leather industry. It exports large quantities of frozen meat even today.

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          Colombia is named after Christopher Columbus, the legendary Italian explorer. The country was colonized by the Spanish and its people gained independence in 1819.

         Colombians were deeply divided in political thought even after independence. On the one hand, there were the Conservatives who believed in a strong central government and limited voting rights. On the other hand, were the Liberals who demanded universal voting rights and powerful regional governments.

          By the end of the nineteenth century, the price of coffee came down creating an economic crisis. In addition to it, Manuel Antonio Sanclemente, a Conservative leader was elected as the president. The Liberals accused the Conservatives of using unfair means to win the election. This sparked a conflict which later turned into the War of Thousand Days.

          The Liberals were supported by Venezuela with money and arms. The war ended in 1902, with both the parties signing a peace treaty; but the conflict didn’t really stop here.

          The rift between them intensified further which led to a period of unrest in 1940 that is now called ‘The Violence’.

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