Empire Rising: Spain

Although these people were provided by Russia, Spain would still screen them. Those involved in anti-government movements or holding particularly dangerous ideologies among the Russians would be strictly excluded from the immigrant population supplied by Russia.

It’s better to let these people stay in Russia to trouble the Tsarist Government; Spain does not need these anarchists and radicals to cause trouble.

Compared to Russia, Spain still holds some attraction for these Russian peasants. Although Russia’s reforms abolished slavery, these serfs are still being exploited by Russian nobles and landlords in a different way.

Although Alexander II granted these serfs the status of freemen, they still have no land or property.

Without land, how can these newly freed serfs continue to survive?

They can only rely on loans from nobles and other banking institutions to purchase overly priced land or be forced to rent land with rent as heavy as a mountain from nobles, continuing their serf life in another form.

Precisely because these Russian peasants are subjected to extreme oppression and exploitation in their own country, Carlo is confident that introducing some Russian peasants can help increase Spain’s population.

Of course, no matter how submissive these Russians are, Spain’s capacity to accommodate Russian population is ultimately limited.

Considering Spain’s current population size, there will be an upper limit to the plan of introducing Russian population. The current upper limit is 500,000 people, which will change with the growth of Spain’s total population.

But it can be assured that unless Spain’s population exceeds 30 million, the Russian population introduced into Spain will not exceed 1 million.

Moreover, these introduced Russians will be dispersed throughout Spain, ensuring they won’t have the opportunity to unite.

With more than a dozen regions and several colonies, there won’t be much impact caused by the Russian population when dispersed.

After all, such a population introduction plan is implemented step by step, with the most Russians introduced each year being only tens of thousands.

Tens of thousands are still manageable, neither burdening the Spanish Government nor effectively promoting Spain’s population growth.

Currently, Spain’s population has been showing a very obvious increase in a relatively peaceful and stable environment.

During Queen Isabella’s reign, Spain’s population almost stagnated, sometimes increasing, sometimes decreasing, never achieving stable growth.

After Queen Isabella’s abdication, Spain’s population growth began to enter a faster pace.

Throughout 1869, the net population growth of Spain exceeded 140,000, which was also the fastest year of population growth for Spain in the 1860s.

Entering the 1870s, it was as if Spain’s population growth rode a train, escaping its previous sluggish walking pace.

As of now, Spain’s population has officially exceeded 18.66 million, whereas eight years ago, it was only 16.61 million.

The net population growth over eight years exceeds 2 million, a growth rate that can rival some populous major powers.

Although major powers have the influence of immigration, the scale of the population is evident. Spain’s population growth rivaling these major powers can also prove the positive influence of Spain’s stability during this period.

Judging by this rate of population growth, Spain has the hope of raising its total population above 20 million within five years and above 25 million before the new century arrives.

This is just a conservative estimate. Taking into account immigration as well as improvements in life expectancy and advances in medical technology, Spain’s total population might hope to increase to around 30 million before or within the first few years of the new century.

Considering Spain’s population introduction plans in the Philippines, Morocco, and Lanfang, the 30 million population mark is hopeful to be achieved.

If a population size of 30 million can be achieved in the early years of the new century, Spain will also have more confidence in facing the future’s first world war.

In June 1877, firearms and ammunition produced by the Royal Military Factory were transported by sea to Russian ports.

As the United Kingdom has already blocked the Constantinople Strait, Spain has only two ways to transport these weapons to Russia: one is through the English Channel and North Sea, shipping the equipment to ports on the eastern Baltic Sea coast of Russia.

The other is transporting to Russia’s Far East, then using land transportation to move them to the frontline battlefield.

For Russia, the only acceptable transport method is shipping to the Baltic Sea coast.

If shipped to the Far East, the combined sea and land transportation time is basically indeterminate, and by the time the frontline troops receive this batch of equipment, it would take at least several months.

If unloading on the Baltic Sea coast, Russia’s railway facilities in Eastern Europe are relatively decent. Though not as conveniently crisscrossed as those in Germany and France, they at least have a relatively well-developed railway transport system.

The first transportation method can ensure Russian frontline troops receive this batch of weapons and equipment within a month, which is acceptable for Russia.

This point also reveals the reason why Russia wants to constantly expand in the Balkan Peninsula.