Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 220 Cuban Rebellion and Colonial Replacement
In July 1877, just as Spain was experiencing great development in all sectors, news from across the Atlantic immediately dampened the Spanish government's spirits.

Just after Carlo was crowned King of Spain, the Spanish government sent an expeditionary force to Cuba to quell the rebellion.

At that time, Cuba was not only one of Spain's only large colonies, but also a treasure trove for the Spanish government.

The land area of ​​the Cuban colony is less than 11 square kilometers, and the population is just over 100 million.

But it is this small piece of land that provides a large amount of fiscal revenue to the Spanish government every year.

As the Industrial Revolution progressed, the demand for sugar in Europe and America continued to increase. In 1840 alone, the total amount of sugar produced in Cuba exceeded the total production of the British West Indies.

Around 1860, Cuba's annual sugar production exceeded 50 tons, accounting for more than one-third of the world's annual sugar production.

It is precisely because of Cuba's extremely large sugar production that it is known as the world's sugar bowl. It can make a lot of money every year just by exporting sugar, not to mention that Cuba also grows a lot of tobacco and coffee.

As we all know, the colonization of Western countries is accompanied by cruel oppression and exploitation. Spain can obtain a lot of benefits from Cuba every year, which makes the native white people in Cuba somewhat dissatisfied.

Although they also have Spanish ancestry, they do not have a deep connection with Spain. Their ancestors came to Cuba across the ocean, not for the purpose of letting them be exploited by the Spanish government after they finally became rich.

It is also because of this that the native white people in Cuba are increasingly dissatisfied with the Spanish colonial government, and they are also one of the culprits behind Cuba's continuous planning of the independence movement.

But the population of these white people is only a little over 45, and they are just one of the ethnic groups in Cuba that oppose Spanish colonial rule.

In addition to these white people born in Cuba, black slaves who had gained free status and Cuban indigenous people were also opponents of Spanish colonial rule.

Except for the blacks who were still slaves, almost all the residents of Cuba were opposed to Spanish colonial rule.

Historically, Spain spent too much energy and money in suppressing the rebellion in Cuba, which not only made Spain miss the golden time of development, but also consumed Spain's national strength.

Carlo certainly knew that the complicated situation in Cuba was not just a natural evolution, but there were also tricks by the British and Americans behind it.

There is no doubt that Britain is a troublemaker in Europe. Cuba is a very valuable piece of land. It would be strange if the British did not pay attention to Cuba.

For the United States, Cuba is a colony located at its doorstep, so it is impossible for them not to have any ideas.

It was because Spain was too powerful before that the Americans had no intention of opposing Spain. During the reign of Queen Isabel, Spain's overall strength continued to weaken, and the Americans naturally had other ideas.

Even though Spain had achieved a certain recovery under Carlo's rule, the Americans also achieved some development during this period.

For the Americans, Cuba has become a place that cannot be abandoned. When Spain falls into chaos again, it may be time for the Americans to take action against Cuba.

Although Carlo was aware of the chaotic situation in Cuba at the time, for Carlo, this was also the opportunity he had been waiting for.

When is the right time? Of course, it is the right time to exchange Cuba for other more useful colonies.

Cuba is certainly an excellent colony, providing Spain with much more benefits every year than underdeveloped colonies such as the Philippines and Congo Territory.

But the bad thing about Cuba is that it is located on the doorstep of the United States. There is an entire Atlantic Ocean between it and mainland Spain. In addition, Spain has lost most of its colonies in the Americas, making it difficult for Spain to exert sufficient influence on Cuba.

Both white and black people in Cuba were resisting Spanish colonial rule. Part of the reason was that Spanish colonial rule was too cruel, and part of the reason was that Spain was out of reach of Cuba.

For Carlo, Cuba was no longer a colony worth investing in. With both Britain and the United States coveting Cuba, it was very difficult for Spain to hold on to it.

Even if Spain could win the Spanish-American War in the future, it would seem unnecessary. If Spain could exchange Cuba for other more valuable colonies, wouldn't it be more useful for Spain to use this time and money to invest in this more valuable colony?
Even through the exchange of Cuban colonies, some of Carlo's goals could be achieved. The United States has coveted Cuba for a long time. If Cuba is exchanged for superpowers such as Britain and France, would the Americans dare to start a war to invade Cuba?

The answer is of course no.

How could the United States be considered a great power without colonies? At best, it was just an upstart with a relatively developed industry and economy.

As long as the United States does not take the first step towards expansion, it will be difficult for the United States to exert its influence at the international level.

Although the United States' current population and industrial economy far exceed those of Spain, in fact, in terms of international influence and status, the United States is far inferior to the five traditional European powers, and is only slightly better than Spain and Italy.

After learning that anti-colonial rebellion had broken out again in Cuba, Carlo immediately convened a cabinet meeting and asked the cabinet ministers to come up with a solution.

The Cuban rebellion attracted the Spanish government's high attention. After all, Cuba was still very important to Spain at that time.

Although Spain acquired several colonies after many expansions, the only two colonies that actually brought positive returns were Cuba and the Philippines.

The positive benefits of the Philippine colony were obtained by the Spanish government through continuous exploitation of the local indigenous population, and the benefits were not much, so more of them continued to be invested in the expansion of the colony.

Only the Cuban colony became Spain's most profitable colony thanks to the sugar trade. This is also the reason why the Spanish government was willing to invest 700 million pesos in the Cuban War of Independence in history.

The military expenditure was as high as 2700 million pounds, which was enough to build nearly 50 ironclad ships. The Spanish government invested all of this military expenditure in Cuba's War of Independence, but the result was only that Cuba remained peaceful for more than ten years.

After ten years of war, the local white people in Cuba were still dissatisfied with Spanish colonial rule and finally called for an uprising again in January 1895, which eventually forced Spain to agree to Cuban autonomy.

Spain is now more powerful and is capable of suppressing the Cuban rebellion. But the problem is, if you are a thief for a thousand days, how can you be on guard against thieves for a thousand days?

Cuba's problem is difficult to solve. Its root cause is the conflict between the native white Cubans and the Spanish colonial government.

Unless Spain is willing to give up some of its interests and allow Cuba to achieve autonomy, perhaps Cuba can remain peaceful for a while.

But the question is, what value does Cuba have to Spain after it becomes autonomous? After becoming autonomous, Cuba will certainly keep most of its profits in Cuba. Spain will not make money, so there is no need to continue to hold this colony.

If it was the blacks in the colonies who opposed Spain's colonial rule, then the problem would be easy to solve. The worst that could happen would be to get rid of these blacks.

As long as the black people are gone, the problem will be gone.

But the problem is that it is not just black people who oppose Spanish colonial rule in Cuba, but also white people born in Cuba and local indigenous people.

Perhaps the only people who were not very opposed to the Spanish colonial government were the small number of contracted Chinese laborers in Cuba. These laborers had the lowest status in Cuba. They were enslaved and oppressed by the local white plantation owners, and bullied by the local black freemen and black slaves. Naturally, they did not have a deep hatred for the Spanish colonial government.

It is impossible to deal with all the white people who oppose the Spanish colonial government, right? The land of Cuba has been coveted by Britain and the United States. If Spain deals with the white people in a big way, it will inevitably cause interference from Britain and the United States.

But if the problem of white population cannot be solved, the resistance of the Cuban colony against Spain will continue, which will form a vicious circle.

As the white population in Cuba increases, Cuba's resistance to Spanish colonial rule will become stronger. Therefore, for Spain now, there is actually no choice.

If Spain had a population of tens of millions, it could dilute Cuba's population through large-scale immigration, allowing real Spaniards to rule Cuba, thereby tampering with Cuba's colonial will. But the problem is that Spain's population is less than 2000 million, and it is impossible to have large-scale immigration to Cuba.

In order to dilute the population in Cuba that opposes the Spanish colonial government, at least millions of people would have to immigrate to Cuba.

The Spanish government does not have such strength. Losing a million people will cause heavy losses to Spain. Even if it can control Cuba, it will not be worth it.

Moreover, the large-scale immigration of Spain will certainly arouse the hostility of the native white people in Cuba. They originally opposed the Spanish colonial rule. If Spain's immigration is more ostentatious, it will definitely make them plan a larger-scale rebellion, which will make the current situation in Cuba even more chaotic.

Looking at the cabinet members in front of him, Carlo's face was solemn, and he was the first to speak: "Everyone, tell me, how should the Cuban rebellion be resolved?"

Archduke Serrano spoke first, “Your Majesty, please give me another chance, and I will completely stabilize the situation in Cuba.

Perhaps we should also strengthen our garrison in Cuba. As long as we have enough troops to guard Cuba, we don’t have to worry about any problems in Cuba.”

The last time a rebellion in Cuba was quelled, it was Archduke Serrano who led his troops there. Therefore, after the rebellion in Cuba this time, Archduke Serrano was the first to speak out and express his opinions.

Only seven years had passed since the last rebellion was quelled, which made Archduke Serrano, who had vowed that there would be no problems in Cuba again when he led his army back in triumph, lose face.

For Archduke Serrano, he needed an opportunity to prove his ability again, such as quelling the rebellion in Cuba in a shorter time and ensuring that there would be no more problems in Cuba.

Carlo nodded. No matter what Carlo thought in his heart, the rebellion in Cuba must be suppressed.

Even if the colony is to be exchanged, a stable Cuba can be sold at a high price. If Cuba continues to be in such chaos, the overall value of the colony will certainly be greatly reduced.

However, Carlo did not express his opinion in a hurry, but instead looked at the Secretary of State for Colonial Affairs, Earl Frank, who was standing beside him.

Long before this cabinet meeting, Carlo had a brief meeting with Earl Frank, Secretary of State for the Colonies, and gave orders to him.

What order? Of course, it was to propose the exchange of colonies at this cabinet meeting.

Although Carlo wanted to exchange the Cuban colony out of consideration for Spain's interests, it is undeniable that the Cuban colony was still Spain's most valuable colony at that time, and the value of other colonies was far less than that of a small Cuba.

In the eyes of ordinary people, the proposal to exchange the Cuban colony at this time is tantamount to giving up the Spanish colonial system with one's own hands.
Without the Cuban colony, would Spain still be the third largest colonial empire? Would it rely on colonies like the Philippines, Southern Morocco and Guinea to serve as a facade?

It is no exaggeration to say that the combined income of the three colonies of the Philippines, South Morocco and Guinea is not as much as that of a small colony of Cuba.

The first person to propose the colony exchange proposal would definitely face a storm of public opinion in Spain. If it was not handled properly, the person who proposed the proposal would likely be resisted by the people, thus completely ending his political career.

For Carlo, he certainly couldn't be the one to make this proposal. Even if the colony to be replaced eventually had great value in the future, its value at this moment was certainly not as high as that of the Cuban colony.

Before the truth comes to light, anyone who proposes to exchange colonies is likely to be attacked by public opinion.

Even if it was King Carlo who proposed the exchange of colonies, he might have been attacked by angry people.

Therefore, for the stability of the throne, the proposal to replace colonies had to be initiated by other officials.

In the cabinet department, there are three cabinet ministers to whom Carlo can issue orders, namely Canovas as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Jovillar as Minister of Agriculture, and Count Frank as Minister of Colonial Affairs.

Why did Carlo finally choose Count Frank?
First of all, Canovas was Carlo's choice for the next prime minister, and he was certainly not suitable to propose the exchange of colonies.

If the people were dissatisfied with the proposal to exchange colonies, Carlo's layout in the cabinet would be completely invalidated. And Carlo did not have a candidate with sufficient qualifications for the next prime minister. If the new prime minister could not suppress the cabinet and other parties, Spain would likely fall into chaos again.

Why not let Minister Jovillar propose the exchange of colonies? Because Minister Jovillar is the Minister of Agriculture and has no connection with the Cuban colony.

As Secretary of State for the Colonies, it was natural for Earl Frank to make proposals related to the colonies.

Even if he was affected by public anger because of his proposal for colonial exchange, at least he could defend himself from the perspective of Spain's interests.

The Secretary of State for the Colonies was a position added to the cabinet by Carlo during the Provisional Cabinet. The original Secretary of State for the Colonies was a departmental minister under the Prime Minister and was not eligible to join the Spanish Cabinet.

For Count Frank, his ability to join the Spanish cabinet was entirely due to Carlo's promotion, which was also the reason why Carlo decided to let him propose the exchange of colonies.

If the proposal to exchange colonies failed, Carlo would not treat Frank unfairly. He would just keep Frank in the dark for a while, wait for the public discontent to subside, and then transfer Frank to other important positions.

Moreover, Count Frank's standing up for Carlo was not without reward. During a brief meeting before, Carlo had promised that as long as he proposed the exchange of colonies at this cabinet meeting, he would be awarded the title of Duke in the future regardless of whether the exchange of colonies was ultimately successful or not.

A dukedom in return made Count Frank finally agree to Carlo's proposal.

Seeing Carlo's gaze, Earl Frank, Secretary of State for Colonial Affairs, knew it was time for him to show his abilities.

Count Frank slowly stood up, glanced at the cabinet ministers, and then slowly said: "Everyone, I have an idea.

The Cuban colony is very important to us, but is it worth it for us to invest large amounts of military expenditures every time to quell the Cuban rebellion?

Only seven years had passed since the last Cuban rebellion was put down, and the military expenditure last time exceeded 5000 million pesetas.

If we cannot ensure the long-term stability of the Cuban colony, then, with all due respect, the Cuban colony is not that important to us.”

Count Frank's words were shocking. After hearing his words, the cabinet ministers all looked at Count Frank in surprise.

Regardless of the cabinet ministers' attitude towards Count Frank's words, the fact that Count Frank could say such words on such an occasion was enough to surprise the cabinet ministers.

This was a meeting of the Spanish cabinet government, and Carlo, the King of Spain, was also participating. It was no exaggeration to say that if one said something wrong at such a meeting, it was very likely that one's political career would end.

What Count Frank said was not just words that would end his political career; it might even make him the public enemy of all Spaniards.

There is no need to explain how important the Cuban colony is. If the Cuban colony is not important, doesn't it mean that the other colonies are all wasteland-like garbage?

"Minister Frank, what are you talking about?" Grand Duke Serrano couldn't help but stood up and asked.

They are all members of the nobility, and Archduke Serrano does not want to see Minister Frank make shocking remarks in such an occasion.

After all, the cabinet meeting was not full of aristocrats, there were also members of the Progressive Party and the Liberal Party. Even if Carlo would not blame him for this, wouldn't these members of the Progressive Party and the Liberal Party launch an impeachment?
As a cabinet minister, how could Minister Frank not even be careful with his words and actions?
5100 words two-in-one chapter, please support!


(End of this chapter)