To What Extent Can Adolfo Suárez Be Considered the George Washington of Spain?

Like George Washington in 1776, Adolfo Suarez in 1976 became the first democratically elected president of his country. Both men lead their nations through very exceptional circumstances. The scope of this investigation is to discover to what extent can Adolfo Suárez be considered the George Washington of Spain?

This study will take into consideration the historical and political context, the personal history and the leadership qualities of both leaders.

To accomplish this, diverse biographical and historical texts will be reviewed searching for similarities and relevant differences between Washington and Suárez. Specific life stories will be researched. A comparison of the way they lead their respective governments and how they interacted with their political parties will be made. Lastly, how they were considered by the people of their countries will be analyzed.

B. Summary of Evidence

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. His family were wealthy landowners and his father was born and educated in England. Washington, however, did not receive a formal education although he did excel in practical subjects such as mathematics and animal husbandry. In 1752 he received his first military appointment as a major in the Virginia Militia. He fought against the French in the French and Indian War and later went on to lead the Continental Army against the British during the American Revolution.

Adolfo Suárez was born on September 25th, 1932 in the small town of Cebreros in the Avila province of Spain almost precisely two hundred years after Washington. His father was a low level bureaucrat in the Spanish judiciary system while his mother was the daughter of a small business owner...

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