Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 610 1919
As 1919 approached, the number of daily flu infections and deaths in European countries finally began to decline.

After all, governments around the world have seen the enormous harm caused by influenza. Even the slowest-reacting governments should understand the importance of influenza prevention.

Although the flu was still spreading globally, it had begun to decline in early 1919 compared to its peak in the second half of 1918.

Today, in Europe and around the world, this flu is uniformly named the American flu, which has completely changed history.

Although the international coalition investigation team exonerated the United States, concluding that the flu was not caused by a leak at a U.S. chemical plant, but was a naturally occurring influenza.

However, such a claim cannot convince everyone, and a large number of people still believe that the United States was behind the flu outbreak.

Otherwise, why would the US government be so kind as to provide a large amount of interest-free loans to European countries? If we're talking about the countries most severely affected by the flu, the US would definitely be at the top of the list.

Under such circumstances, it is absolutely impossible for the United States to provide other countries with interest-free loans of up to $10 billion without any shady dealings involved.

The reputation of the US government also plummeted due to the flu, and coupled with the outbreak of racial conflicts and large-scale demonstrations in the United States, the number of immigrants choosing to go to the United States decreased significantly from 1918 onwards, to less than half of the previous year.

A large portion of these immigrants who gave up on going to the United States chose to go to Spain. Spain's advantages are obvious: it was less affected by the flu, and its industrial and economic development is rapid, providing ample job opportunities.

In particular, Morocco's four native provinces and its West African colonies, which are currently undergoing localization, are all sparsely populated and have various support policies for European immigrants, making them quite attractive to immigrants.

In order not to delay the introduction of immigrants, the Spanish government established an immigration entry point in the state of Essaouira, Morocco, after the flu epidemic in Spain gradually subsided.

Any European citizen wishing to immigrate to Spain can choose to go to the immigration point in the state of Essaouira, Spain, where they will undergo a period of quarantine before officially immigrating to Spain.

Immigrants who have completed their quarantine period have three options: either remain in Morocco, or travel to mainland Spain and its West African colonies.

Although the four cantons of Morocco have become localized, their appeal to immigrants is far less than that of mainland Spain due to the Strait of Gibraltar separating them from the Spanish mainland.

To boost the local population, the governments of the four Moroccan provinces have gone to great lengths, offering a series of extremely generous incentives for immigrants.

Especially for European immigrants, as long as they are willing to bring their families to Morocco, they can obtain a large tract of land, and the government will also arrange affordable housing for them.

If you can learn Spanish, there are plenty of jobs in local factories. As long as immigrants are willing to live a good life, there is absolutely no problem in making it.

Another major reason why European immigrants are willing to go to Spain is the good treatment Spain gives to these immigrants at their entry points.

After their immigration applications are approved by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European immigrants can travel to the state of Essaouira on ships arranged by Spain.

All immigrants entering Spain are entitled to free medical care and food, ensuring their survival during quarantine.

Free medical care and food are indeed a significant attraction for homeless people suffering from the flu.

Many European immigrants chose to settle in Spain because they were attracted by the Spanish royal family's benevolence towards its people.

Putting aside other matters, the Spanish royal family's donation of 5 million pesetas as relief funds during the flu outbreak is a rare occurrence among royal families throughout Europe.

5 million pesetas is no small sum; it's almost equivalent to the annual fiscal revenue of many small European countries. Whether it's a publicity stunt or not, the fact that the Spanish royal family can readily provide such a large amount demonstrates their concern for the people.

It was precisely these actions that earned Carlos the favor of the European people. Now, his influence extends beyond Spain; European newspapers and the public generally believe that Carlos was among the best of all European kings and emperors in terms of caring for his people, and that few could rival him.

Don't underestimate the power of public opinion and goodwill; they can be very effective at times. Charles Carlo is now hailed as the greatest European monarch since Queen Victoria, and even ranks among the top twenty in European history.

It's important to know that Carlo's story isn't over yet. Given Spain's current achievements, Carlo's ranking could potentially jump even higher.

Carlos's contributions to Spain far exceeded Queen Victoria's contributions to England. It was England's achievements that created Queen Victoria's status, not the other way around.

In this respect, Queen Victoria was far inferior to Carlo. Spain's current glory was created single-handedly by Carlo; this is a consensus among all Spaniards and Europeans.

Before Carlos, Spain was an extremely weak great power, almost falling from its great power status.

After decades of rule by Carlos, Spain has now fully recovered and is able to rival the mighty British Empire in terms of industry, economy, and military strength.

If Spain weren't currently only the second strongest power in Europe, Juan Carlos's historical standing could actually be even higher. This is also the question Europeans are most curious about: can Spain surpass the mighty British Empire and become the leading power in Europe in the future?
Carlo already had the answer to this question in his heart.

Spain will surpass Britain sooner or later, and its real rival is definitely not Britain. Britain's strength is built on its past glory, and its triumphs will eventually come to an end.

Spain is a rising power, far from reaching its peak, which is the biggest difference between Britain and Spain.

If we're talking about rivals, the future United States and a unified Russia are Spain's real adversaries. Britain and France will eventually be buried in the dustbin of history. Once the colonial system collapses, Britain and France will neither be a match for Spain nor an obstacle to its dominance in Europe.

To prevent the collapse of the colonial system, Spain had already begun incorporating several colonies that were relatively close to indigenization. Given the relatively smooth progress of this indigenization process, a future Spain would not only fail to prevent the collapse of the colonial system, but would actually contribute to its eventual disintegration.

In any case, the colonies did not contribute much to Spain's strength. Spain's power came from its own efforts and years of development, which is where Carlo's confidence lies.

Based on current population growth trends, Spain's population was projected to reach over 60 million by around 1920. It was even anticipated that by 1950, Spain's population could approach 100 million, making it a truly populous nation.

Of course, this is assuming that World War II will not occur. Based on historical experience, World War II was far more brutal than World War I, and the casualties were far greater.

If Spain had joined World War II, it would most likely have been impossible for it to reach a population of 100 million by 1950.

In terms of per capita annual income, by the end of 1918, Spain's per capita annual income had reached 575.67 pesetas. If it weren't for the impact of the flu, Spain's per capita annual income could actually have been even higher.

With current annual income levels, most Spaniards are already able to live a life where they have enough to eat and wear, and some are even wealthier, beginning to pursue entertainment and other forms of spiritual enjoyment.

Following the last Madrid Olympics, sports such as football and basketball gained widespread popularity among the Spanish people.

Carlos was also happy to give Spain an advantage in sports, so he ordered the Spanish sports authorities to accelerate the standardization of basketball and football in Spain.

The fastest-growing sport is football. Long before the Madrid Olympics, Spain already had a national football league.

To enhance the appeal of football matches, the Spanish Football Federation planned to hold its first national football cup in 1919, and to launch a grand prize to attract public attention and encourage more football clubs to participate.

What is this grand prize? Related news reports have already revealed it.

The first football club to win a football cup title will be awarded a royal title and will be eligible to add the word "Royal" to their club name.

This does not mean that the team will be acquired by the royal family; it simply means that they have been granted permission to use the royal title.

Although European countries do not have such strict naming rules, the word "royal" is not something that anyone can use lightly.

The word "royal" is directly associated with the Spanish royal family, which means that, under normal circumstances, only the royal family is qualified to use words related to "royal".

If a football club can be given a royal title, it is definitely an honor worth promoting for this Spanish football club.

Historically, such practices have already achieved tremendous success. The "Royal" in Real Madrid, a renowned club in the Spanish football league, comes from a privilege granted by the Spanish royal family.

There are many other examples like this, such as Real Betis, Real Sociedad, and so on.

Compared to the winding history of Spanish football clubs acquiring the title "Royal," the "Royal" designation that Spanish football clubs can obtain today is clearly much more prestigious.

This is not only due to the difference in Spain's overall strength and the status of the royal family, but also to the special nature of clubs that have been granted royal titles.

To emphasize the prestige of the title "Royal," the number of clubs qualified to be awarded the "Royal" title, whether in football or basketball leagues, is extremely limited.

In addition to gaining a more prestigious name, these clubs granted royal titles will also receive special rights, such as priority access to state-owned stadiums and tax breaks.

Carlo hopes that the title "Royal" will bring supreme glory to these clubs and their fans, and completely distinguish clubs with the "Royal" title from those without.

In the event of a financial crisis, clubs with royal titles are more likely to receive support from the royal family, ensuring that the club can continue operating rather than dissolving in bankruptcy.

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(End of this chapter)