Empire Rising: Spain

For Spain, since there are at most no more than 20,000 immigrants each year, this also means that the payment to the Italian Government for immigration costs is at most only 1 million pesetas.

For the current Spanish Government, 1 million pesetas is just a drop in the ocean and is nothing compared to the introduction of Italian immigrants.

This cooperation can be said to be mutually beneficial for both parties. Italy’s population has already approached 29 million, and with a large outflow of immigrants each year, the population still maintains quite stable growth.

The annual migration of 20,000 is also insignificant for Italy, and it will not affect Italy’s population growth data in the slightest.

After signing the population introduction cooperation agreement with Italy, Carlo was even more satisfied with this trip to Italy.

If 20,000 Italian immigrants can be introduced every year, Spain’s population growth will proceed at an even faster pace.

Don’t forget that the Spanish and Russian governments also have cooperation agreements in this area. Coupled with immigrants from other European countries, ideally, Spain can receive nearly 50,000 immigrants annually, something the previous Spain could not even dare to imagine.

Combined with the growth rate of Spain’s existing population, Spain’s net annual population growth will exceed 300,000.

This is already quite a good level in today’s European countries, after all, Spain’s population is only 18.66 million.

At this rate of population growth, it will only take a few years for Spain’s population to exceed 20 million. As the population increases, the annual population growth will also reach new highs.

Although it cannot completely solve the problem of Spain’s population shortage, for Spain, a bright future is indeed just around the corner.

In addition to the cooperation agreement on population, the Spanish Government and the Italian Government also signed agreements concerning capital introduction.

Carlo is taking the path of state capitalism in Spain, with the Royal Family and the government leading Spain’s industry and economy as official capital.

The advantage of this approach is that the Royal Family and the government have sufficient funds to quickly scale up a specific sector in Spain.

Spain’s industry is also rapidly growing on this development path, and the current industrial scale is not much different from that of northern Italy.

But this does not mean that Spain has no problems. Because most industries are monopolized by state capital, it has led to the domestic private capital in Spain being too weak to spontaneously develop any particular industry.

In this regard, Italy’s private capital is much stronger than Spain’s private capital, and not by just a little.

The purpose of the cooperation with Italy in this regard is to attract some Italian capital to invest in Spain.

With more private capital driving it, Spain’s industry can develop at a faster pace. If it relies solely on the funds of the government and the Royal Family, the time to see effects will certainly be prolonged.

Actually, compared to Italy, Spain’s neighbor to the north, France, has significantly stronger private capital.

Spain also has some cooperation with France, and attracting some French private capital to invest in Spain is still feasible.

It’s just that the relationship between Spain and France isn’t that good; it can only be said to be mutual exploitation at best.

After this trip to Italy, Carlo will also consider contacting the French Government to introduce some French capital to Spain.

Compared to Italy, a lesser power, the benefits Spain can gain from France are obviously greater. France’s industrial and economic scale is incomparable to Italy; even given decades, Italy would be unable to catch up with France’s pace.

Italy’s population nearing 29 million seems large, but France’s population already exceeded 36 million years ago.

While there is no explicit data, it can be confirmed that the current population of France is at least 37 million, double that of Spain.

This vast population is one reason for France’s strength. Besides this population, France also possesses extremely strong industry and economy, which is why France held the position of European hegemon before the Franco-Prussian War.

While this European hegemon failed in the Franco-Prussian War and later faced threats from Germany’s policy of isolating France.

But it is undeniable that a fallen camel is still bigger than a horse, and France is still the mighty European hegemon in front of Italy and Spain.

Among all European countries, only the United Kingdom and Germany can truly match France’s strength.

Russia is somewhat inferior to France, and Austria-Hungary is somewhat inferior to Russia. Besides the UK and Germany, which can compare, and Russia and Austria-Hungary, which are somewhat weaker, the remaining powers have a huge gap compared to France. Even the future world hegemon, the United States, is the same.

The opportunity for the U.S. to rise should wait until after World War I and II; precisely, only after World War II can it become the world hegemon.

Before the UK, France, and Germany were significantly weakened by the two World Wars, the U.S. was merely a nouveau riche, having no resistance whatsoever in front of the UK, France, and Germany.

Carlo brought Spanish officials to discuss cooperation agreements with the Italian Government, and Vittorio Emanuele II was also aware of it.

Upon learning that the governments of the two countries successfully signed cooperation agreements and reached comprehensive close cooperation in industry, economy, agriculture, and military technology, Vittorio Emanuele II also breathed a sigh of relief.

In his view, the intimate cooperation between Italy and Spain means they have the confidence to confront the powers; facing any of the traditional five major European powers, the two countries have nothing to fear.