Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 138: Being Controlled by Others (Two Chapters in One)

On September 1872, 9, the train station in Madrid, the capital of Spain, was extremely busy.

The train station was filled with martial law guards early in the morning, and even the train station was temporarily sealed off, with only exit allowed but no entry.

In a small square nearby, Spanish Prime Minister Primo and several cabinet ministers had been waiting for a long time.

The person who could make Prime Minister Primo come in person must be a guest of relatively distinguished status.

Louis-Adolphe Thiers, the first president of the French Third Republic, the controller of a powerful France, and the current supreme leader of the French government.

Like the chaotic situation within France, the political system of the newly established French Third Republic was also relatively chaotic.

France not only has a president, but also a prime minister. However, there is no power struggle between the president and the prime minister, but rather a fierce power struggle between the president and the parliament.

The French president is elected by the people, and the prime minister is appointed by the president. However, both the president and the prime minister need to be accountable to the parliament, and the parliament has the right to force the prime minister to resign through a motion of no confidence.

Unlike the semi-presidential system of the Fifth Republic of France, the current Third Republic theoretically has higher power in the National Assembly. The current French president is not the center of power in France. Members of the National Assembly have the power to supervise the government. They can easily question the government's decisions and even overthrow the government through their own power.

However, when the French Third Republic was just established, Thiers, as the first president, still held certain power.

If I must describe it, Thiers today is more like the first monarch in the transition from monarchical states to constitutional states in Europe.

The rights of the French president are similar to those of the king in a constitutional monarchy. Except that they cannot be granted titles, both are nominally the supreme leaders of a country and commander-in-chief of the army.

Although France failed in the struggle for supremacy with Prussia, it is still one of the old European powers and is still very powerful compared to Spain.

In order to express his importance to French President Thiers, Prime Minister Primo specially borrowed the royal band of the royal family and mobilized a newly reorganized army as guards to maintain order on the scene.

Of course, this was not without purpose. The troops mobilized were from the First Infantry Division of the Royal Spanish Army, which was considered the elite of the Spanish army.

Letting this army come to welcome French President Thiers not only shows the Spanish government's attention to Thiers, but also demonstrates the strength of the Spanish army.

Although Spain no longer has the glory it once had, it is still one of the most powerful countries in Europe. If the French want to win over Spain, they must at least show their sincerity.

The initiative is currently in the hands of Spain. Because of Spain's important geographical location, Spain is the object of almost all countries' scramble to win over.

Of course, there are also countries like the United Kingdom that directly occupies Gibraltar and holds this important geographical location directly in their own hands.

But for France, it is obviously impossible for them to do the same as the British. After all, France and Spain are directly adjacent to each other, and the threat to France is not a certain region, but the overall geographical location of Spain.

"Dear President Thiers, welcome to Spain!" In the square of the train station, Prime Minister Primo met the new French President Thiers and expressed his welcome with a bright smile.

"It's an honor to come to Spain, Prime Minister Primo." French President Thiers nodded, also with a very friendly smile, and took the initiative to talk to Prime Minister Primo: "Spain is really a great country, and the grand occasion in Madrid is not much different from that in Paris!"

Prime Minister Primo would not believe President Thiers's nonsense. Although Madrid is the largest city in Spain, it is still far away from international metropolises such as London and Paris.

The population alone means that Madrid's overall size and economy are not as good as Paris'. To say that Madrid is not far behind Paris is just a friendly compliment.

"Although Madrid is prosperous, it is far inferior to Paris. But Madrid also has its own characteristics. I hope that Mr. President will have a good time in Madrid." Prime Minister Primo said with a smile.

Thiers nodded, and under the leadership of Prime Minister Primo, went to the hotel specially prepared by the Spanish government for foreign guests.

Apart from a small-scale welcome banquet hosted by Prime Minister Primo for President Thiers that evening, there was not even any overt communication between Prime Minister Primo and President Thiers the next day.

Both of them seemed to regard the arrival of the French delegation as an ordinary trip abroad and did not take the initiative to talk about any political affairs concerning the relationship between the two countries.

In diplomacy, the person who speaks first is often at a disadvantage. The person who speaks later will take the initiative, because the person who speaks first is usually asking for something.

Prime Minister Primo knew this, so he had great patience to continue to fight with the French delegation.

Anyway, this diplomatic visit does not require the Spanish government to spend too much, and it is all France's money, so there is no need to feel bad about it.

It is the French who have a bad diplomatic environment, and it is the French who should be worried. For the Spanish government, it would be great if it could promote cooperation with France, but if it fails, there will be no loss.

But for the French government, things are not as wonderful as imagined.

The reason why President Thiers was reluctant to speak up was because if he did so, he would lose his voice.

Although France wanted to promote cooperation with Spain, President Thiers wanted Prime Minister Primo to take the initiative. Even if the French government provided more loans and industrial technology, it would be better than taking the initiative to speak and falling into a disadvantage.

But the current situation shows that Prime Minister Primo is definitely an old fox in the political arena. If the two remain silent, I am afraid that this cooperation will not only fail to be achieved, but will also push Spain further away to a certain extent.

"The Spaniards must have seen through our purpose. It's all the fault of the damn Germans, otherwise the great France would not be facing such a situation!" French President Thiers, who had just arrived in Madrid for a few days, was a little out of control because the visit to Spain was not as smooth as he had imagined.

"I'm afraid so, Mr. President." French Foreign Minister Jacques Victor Albert nodded helplessly, sighed and said, "I'm afraid we have to pay some sincerity to win over the Spaniards, otherwise when Germany and Spain reach a cooperation, France's situation will become more difficult."

Even the French had to admit that Prime Minister Bismarck posed too great a threat to France.

The German region, which had been full of warring states since the Holy Roman Empire, was integrated under the leadership of Prime Minister Bismarck and formed into a unified German Empire.

You must know that the enemies Germany faced in this process were not only within Germany, but also powerful enemies such as Denmark, Austria-Hungary and France.

After defeating France, Prime Minister Bismarck not only did not show any pride or complacency, but also proposed a policy of isolating France, which caused the French a lot of headaches.

"As long as the Germans have not taken the initiative to contact Spain, we still have a chance." President Thiers rubbed his frowning brow and said: "At all costs, we must ensure that Spain will not join the alliance with Germany, otherwise France will be in an irretrievable situation.

If Spain is determined to get closer to Germany, then for the future security of France, we can only protect our country through war."

On the last day of September, President Thiers, contrary to his usual good mood, no longer went sightseeing, but found Prime Minister Primo early in the morning and stated directly the purpose of his diplomatic visit to Spain.

"Prime Minister Primo, Spain was once a great country. I believe that Spain's decline is only temporary. In the future, Spain will return to the throne of the great powers." President Thiers said with a smile:

France is happy to help our neighbors become strong again. There is no conflict of interest between us, right?
If your country is willing, we can provide you with some capital loans and sign a trade treaty to deepen economic cooperation between the two countries."

When talking about France, people may remember the glory of the Napoleonic Empire. Napoleon once conquered most of Europe and almost completed the legend of unifying Europe.

At that time, France was the most powerful country on the European continent, and it was only with the help of an anti-French alliance formed by many countries that France, which was at its peak, was finally defeated.

But in fact, before the Napoleonic Empire, France was already a well-known overlord on the European continent.

Because of the grain production brought by the vast plains and the more dense population compared to other countries, France has been one of the most famous countries in Europe since the Middle Ages.

France's glory lasted until the end of World War I, but it was ultimately defeated because of too many casualties in the war.

France during World War II was indeed not as powerful as France during World War I, but it was still one of the top five powers in the world.

It’s just that the French were tired of war after experiencing the brutal World War I, and were even more tired of the war in which France was on the front line resisting Germany while other countries sat back and reaped the benefits.

Other countries did pay a price, but it was nothing compared to what France paid.

But there was no other way. The conflict between Germany and France was the main conflict in World War I. In addition, because Germany and France were neighbors, the war that broke out between them was definitely the most intense in World War I.

Although the conflict between Austria-Hungary and Russia was also the main contradiction in World War I, the military strength of these two countries was obviously one level lower than that of Germany and France. It was precisely because of the heavy casualties suffered in World War I that France finally chose to play badly in World War II and accomplished a task that most countries could not accomplish at all - "it would never be possible to occupy Paris before France surrendered."

Facts have also proved that France's choice in World War II may be the wisest for France itself. Other countries in World War II suffered a large number of casualties, but France's losses were not as serious as other countries because it surrendered early.

"If we can get assistance from your government, it will speed up the process of Spain's industrial construction. On behalf of the Spanish people, I thank the French government for its help. The friendship between France and Spain will last forever." Prime Minister Primo nodded with a smile on his face and said:

However, in terms of basic industries, the Austro-Hungarian Empire has given us a lot of help. If possible, we hope to introduce heavy industry and chemical production technology from your country. I wonder if your country can sell it to us?
Our original plan was to go to Germany to purchase technology, but it would be great if we could introduce some technology from your country.”

Although Prime Minister Primo expressed his delight at the French willingness to provide technical assistance, to President Thiers it was actually a blatant reminder that if France was unwilling to provide assistance to Spain, the Germans would be willing to join in the fun.

"Of course, no problem." President Thiers' smile was a little ugly, but then it quickly changed and he said with a very kind smile: "

We are both countries on the European continent, so we should help each other. Prime Minister Primo, we are willing to provide your country with technical information on heavy industry and chemical industry to help you build a better industrial system.

But you know, this matter requires not only government approval but also the approval of Congress.

If possible, I hope we can sign an alliance treaty, and we will provide this part of the assistance to your country in the form of an alliance.

I believe that Congress will not prevent an alliance between France and Spain; we are natural allies and we are partners in the fight."

President Thiers's meaning was also very clear. Aid could be given, after all, the French were still wealthy. But the French money and technical information were not given for free, and the Spanish government was required to give a clear guarantee and tie Spain to the French chariot in the form of a military alliance.

As for whether Spain would tear up this military alliance later, President Thiers was not too worried.

First of all, his presidency is only five years, and half of it has already passed. When his term ends, the development of relations between Spain and France will have nothing to do with him.

Secondly, France can also bind Spain and France by providing Spain with large amounts of loans, industrial equipment and technical information.

The more French technology and equipment Spain adopts, the deeper its ties with France become. When the economic exchanges between the two countries become closer and closer, it will not be so easy for Spain to sever ties with France.

After all, Spain's industry was built on the basis of massive aid from France. If it cut off ties with France, where would Spain find substitutes for the French industrial equipment used in its industrial systems?

"I'm afraid this is difficult to do, President Thiers." Prime Minister Primo showed an embarrassment on his face and explained: "You also know that Spain is a peace-loving country.

We are not willing to participate in military competition among European countries. We yearn for a stable and peaceful environment.

For this reason, we do not intend to join any military alliance with any country. If possible, Spain is willing to sign an economic cooperation treaty and a customs union treaty with France to strengthen the economic ties between our two countries. "

The alliance the French are talking about is a military alliance, which is what Prime Minister Primo wants to avoid at all costs.

For Spain, it can indeed benefit from the wooing of various countries by relying on its superior geographical location.

But the problem is that a military treaty will completely bind Spain and France, which also means that it will be difficult for Spain to obtain assistance from Germany in the future.

To put it bluntly, if Spain wants better development now, it is undoubtedly more profitable to be a sea king.

Such a military alliance is more like a marriage contract, which restricts Spain to the French chariot. Countries like Germany that are against France will stay away from Spain, which is not good for Spain's future plans.

When President Thiers heard Prime Minister Primo say that the Spanish government could only sign the economic cooperation treaty and the customs union documents, he was immediately annoyed.

To put it bluntly, the Spanish government's attitude is that it does not intend to work closely with France, and it seems more like it wants to get France's aid for free.

If Spain took this aid for free and then joined the alliance with Germany, wouldn't President Thiers become a clown?

This matter is really related to his own interests, and President Thiers is unlikely to give in easily: "Prime Minister Primo, an economic cooperation treaty and a customs union alone cannot convince the French Parliament.

If your country wants to cooperate with France, a military alliance is a more stable guarantee of the relationship, don’t you think? "

"No, President Thiers." Prime Minister Primo still shook his head and insisted on his opinion: "Spain will not join a military alliance with any country. We only accept economic alliance treaties.

However, I can assure you that Spain has no intention of being an enemy of France. As long as you do not regard Spain as an enemy, Spain will not take the initiative to join the blockade of your country.

What we need is a peaceful development environment. We are not interested in any conflict or competition. Please rest assured that Spain will not join any military alliance with any country, whether it is France or Germany. "

Although France's aid is very attractive, if we completely join the French chariot just for France's industrial aid, it would be a loss.

In the current European environment, the conflict between Germany and France is the most intense contradiction, followed by the conflict between Britain and France and the conflict between Austria and Russia.

Outside of Europe, there is the conflict between Britain and Russia, and the relationship between several European powers is rather complicated.

Under such circumstances, Prime Minister Primo did not intend to allow Spain to join these competitions. For Spain, reform is the most important thing, followed by the development of industry and economy.

As for participating in the competition between these powerful countries, that will be a long time in the future. Spain does not have that kind of strength now. If it forcibly joins in, it will easily become cannon fodder in the struggle for hegemony among the countries.

President Thiers's expression improved a lot when he heard Prime Minister Primo say that Spain would not join the military alliance of either France or Germany.

The main purpose of this trip is to ensure that Spain will not join the blockade of France. Prime Minister Primo's promise is still very important.

However, whether Spain is a military ally of France also affects the extent of France's aid to Spain.

If Spain was a military ally of France, President Thiers would not mind providing Spain with more favorable industrial assistance to help Spain once again ascend to the throne of a European power.

But since Spain is unwilling to conclude a military alliance treaty with France, the aid provided by France to Spain will naturally not be too generous.

After all, this is just an exchange of interests between the French and Spanish governments, ensuring that Spain maintains a neutral position in the competition between Germany and France through industrial assistance.

Since it is just an ordinary exchange of interests, there is naturally no need to use France's more advanced industrial technology. It is enough to use some backward industrial technology to make up the number.

Prime Minister Primo seemed to understand President Thiers's thoughts. Before President Thiers took the initiative to speak, Prime Minister Primo took the initiative to say: "

But sometimes things don't go as planned. You know, Mr. President, Spain is a constitutional monarchy, but the parliament has more power than the king.

If the Spanish people choose to support one side in the European competition, it will greatly affect the opinions of the parliament.

The cabinet government is elected by the parliament, and to a certain extent, the opinions of the parliament represent the opinions of the cabinet government. Although Spain will not conclude a military alliance treaty with any country at present, if your country wins the support of the Spanish people, I am willing to follow public opinion. "

The smile on President Thiers' face froze again.

Prime Minister Primo's words seemed to be explaining the situation of the Spanish government to President Thiers, but in fact they were reminding President Thiers that if France was not sincere in cooperating with Spain, Spain might side with Germany.

In the Spanish political system, the parliament is indeed very powerful. The cabinet government is elected by the parliament, and the king only has the right to appoint the people after the parliament has chosen them.

But the problem is that most of the seats in the Spanish parliament are controlled by Prime Minister Primo. President Thiers is not a fool either. He already knew most of the situation of the Spanish government before visiting Spain.

It is not so much that the opinions of the Spanish people influence Parliament, but rather that Prime Minister Primo is able to control Parliament's decisions.

If Prime Minister Primo believes that France's aid is not sincere, perhaps the Spanish Parliament will lean towards Germany. This is the reminder or hidden threat in Prime Minister Primo's words.

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(End of this chapter)