Empire Rising: Spain

If Spain once again pacifies the rebellion, it will certainly not give up the Cuban Colony so easily. The United Kingdom can only seize this opportunity; if Spain is really unwilling to give up the Cuban Colony, they can only cause greater problems for the Cuban Colony in secret, forcing the Spanish Government to abandon it.

The one approaching the British ambassador is Prime Minister Canovas. Upon hearing the probe from the British side, Prime Minister Canovas did not rush; instead, he expressed an unwillingness to give up the Cuban Colony.

However, Prime Minister Canovas’ stance was not that firm, revealing a hint of an opening to the British ambassador.

The British Government did not doubt much because it had communicated with the British Government earlier. The British ambassador thought that Spain might already have the idea of abandoning the Cuban Colony but was unwilling to admit it due to fear of public opposition.

Since Spain already has the idea of abandoning the Cuban Colony, the next steps are straightforward, which is to persuade the Spanish Prime Minister Canovas to agree to give up the Cuban Colony and start negotiations between the British and Spanish governments for a colonial exchange.

Spain is different from those small or indigenous countries; because Spain has regained its status as a great power through reforms, its strength should still be respected.

The British Government has no plans to use threats to force Spain to give up the Cuban Colony, as this might backfire, making Spain resolutely defend the Cuban Colony and seriously damaging the relationship with Spain.

It wouldn’t be good news for Gladstone to offend a great power just after taking office. His advocated policy of anti-war and anti-aggression would also be completely overturned, especially since even the former Prime Minister Disraeli dared not easily provoke disputes with great powers.

Regarding the British Government’s gradual probes, Prime Minister Canovas could see it clearly and was quietly pleased.

For Spain, the more proactive the British are about exchanging colonies, the more Spain can remain in control.

Although Spain is the party wanting to exchange colonies, it is not in a hurry in this situation.

After all, the current state of the Cuban Colony is relatively stable, and as long as no major problems break out, the value of the Cuban Colony will not depreciate.

With the development of the Cuban sugar industry and population growth, the value of the Cuban Colony might even increase.

If the British Government is unwilling to pay a high price, they will certainly choose to quickly proceed with the colonial exchange when the value of the Cuban Colony is impaired, which is recently due to small-scale rebellions causing chaos in the Cuban Colony.

The British ambassador was probing step by step, and Prime Minister Canovas was also gradually loosening up. After all, Spain also wanted a colonial exchange, and if they didn’t loosen up, what if the British Government gave up?

With both sides willingly cooperating, the Spanish Government and the British Government reached an agreement that Prime Minister Gladstone of the United Kingdom and some government officials would make a diplomatic visit to Spain in early September, where both sides would negotiate the exchange of colonies during the meeting.

Of course, until the final negotiations conclude, both sides agreed not to release any news to avoid any external factors disrupting the talks between them.

After formally reaching an agreement with the British Government, both Prime Minister Canovas and Carlo breathed a sigh of relief.

Next, they just need to wait for the formal negotiations with the British Government to achieve the goal of colonial exchange.

The hot potato of the Cuban Colony can finally be handed over. Although Spain may lose on the surface, as the lands acquired hold little value, the actual loss is not as severe as imagined.

The profits brought by the Cuban Colony to Spain have been continuously decreasing. Accounting for the military expenses invested in Cuba each year, the income from Cuba needs to be downgraded further.

Although the exchanged colonies may not match Cuba in terms of income, their strategic value might be as important as Cuba’s.

Especially the lands in the Middle East, whether it be the Truce States or Oman, their value is not lower than that of the Cuban Colony.

If both these colonies can be obtained simultaneously, Spain will definitely find it profitable. Although the apparent benefits are a loss, the prestige brought to the government by Spain’s reforms can ensure the public’s dissatisfaction is minimal.

After all, the government has already opened up a Congo Territory encompassing millions of square kilometers; losing a small Cuba would not be significant.