Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 177 Collaborative Colonization
"The government is planning to colonize the island of New Guinea. If your country is interested, perhaps we can cooperate in the colonization of New Guinea." Carlo said with a smile.

Joint colonization of New Guinea was the goodwill expressed by Carlo, and it was also a condition for Portugal to synchronize its railway tracks.

Carlo knew that for countries like Spain and Portugal, which had already gained enough benefits from colonization, colonizing new colonies was a huge temptation.

Carlo planned to colonize New Guinea together with the Portuguese after careful consideration.

As one of the former colonial empires, the Portuguese were also very experienced in colonization. More importantly, Portugal also had a small colony in Southeast Asia and had the conditions to colonize New Guinea.

Pulling Portugal to join in colonizing New Guinea, on the one hand, meant that the combined strength of Portugal and Spain could cope with the colonial competition from the great powers and speed up the progress of colonization.

Secondly, Spain alone could not develop the vast territory of New Guinea, and the Portuguese, who lacked colonies, could contribute.

It would be fine if the relationship between Spain and Portugal continued, but if the two countries started a fierce competition or even a war broke out, it would be hard to say who would have the final say in this colony.

The Portuguese and Spanish are indeed different, but they are the easiest to assimilate compared to other populations.

Especially for these Portuguese immigrants, to a certain extent, they would not reject Spanish rule. On the premise that the Spanish colonial government respected their interests, they would not cause conflicts with the colonial government over the homeland they had left.

Louis I was visibly stunned when he heard Carlo's words.

Unexpectedly, the price Spain had to pay was to invite Portugal to jointly develop the New Guinea colony.

Which good person can resist the temptation of developing colonies? For Portugal, which once was a colonial empire, this was indeed very attractive.

Louis I was stunned for a moment, then asked: "New Guinea colony? Do you mean that Spain is willing to develop the New Guinea colony together with Portugal?"

Of course Portugal knew about New Guinea, after all, Portugal's colony East Timor was across the sea from New Guinea Island.

Speaking of Timor Island, the first colonizer to arrive on this land was Portugal. But as the Dutch established the East Indies colony, Portugal's colonial power was wildly squeezed out and was almost squeezed out of Timor Island.

Finally, through the contract signed with the Dutch more than ten years ago, the Portuguese finally obtained the land in the eastern part of Timor Island and some nearby small islands, and barely established their own colony in Southeast Asia.

This period of history is quite humiliating for Portugal. After all, it was Portugal that first arrived on Timor Island, and it was also Portugal that was almost driven out.

When Louis I heard Carlo invite Portugal to colonize New Guinea together, he was indeed tempted, but hesitant.

The main reason is the presence of the Dutch in this area and the British behind the Dutch.

Of course, in terms of comprehensive national strength, Portugal is far inferior to the Netherlands.

Spain was once the overlord of Europe, but Portugal has never been the overlord of Europe. It only established its own colonial empire by colonizing America.

After Brazil's independence, Portugal's colonial empire collapsed.

Although the Dutch are not large in size, they were once one of the overlords of Europe and were also known as the "Coachmen of the Sea".

The Low Countries have always been a relatively developed region in Europe, and shipbuilding and shipping are still one of the economic pillars of the Low Countries, especially the Netherlands.

If we only talk about the comprehensive national strength, the Portuguese are really not as good as the Dutch. That is, the Netherlands is between the three powers of Britain, France and Germany, and none of the three countries allow the Netherlands to be too powerful.

Louis I's worries mainly came from the Dutch. It was impossible for the British to take direct action against Portugal. After all, the British did not want to see Portugal side with Spain.

But the problem is that the Netherlands is really rude when it comes to colonization. A small island like Timor can attract colonial competition from the Dutch. If the battlefield is moved to the larger island of New Guinea, wouldn’t it trigger a larger-scale colonial conflict?

Although the temptation is great, the risk is also great. If the colonies that the Portuguese worked so hard to build were occupied by the Dutch or Spanish, wouldn’t it mean that the Portuguese’s years of hard work would be wiped out in an instant?
As if seeing the hesitation in Louis I's heart, Carlo smiled and continued, "Your Majesty Louis, I believe you are also aware of the huge size of the New Guinea colony. Not only the Dutch, but also the British, Germans and French have colonized this land.

Spain is also a small country compared to these countries. The colonial cooperation between Portugal and Spain can solve this problem, at least we can unite to fight for a piece of land in New Guinea.

We can also establish an alliance treaty between the two colonies, at least between the two colonies, we can reach a certain offensive and defensive alliance agreement. "

What Louis I was worried about was that the Portuguese might not be able to hold on to their colonies, as had happened previously on Timor.

But if Portugal chooses to cooperate with Spain, the power of the two Portugals' alliance will still be very great, and even the powerful countries will be able to challenge it.

Unless they intended to break off relations, even powerful countries like Britain, France and Germany could only choose to respond to the colonial alliance between Portugal and Spain with a relatively mild competition.

After all, it was just a fight for colonies, and there was no need to elevate it to the level of local competition. Apart from Britain, France and Germany, the rest of the Dutch were nothing to be feared.

Not to mention the union of the two countries, even if it was just Spain alone, it would not be afraid of the Netherlands, a medium-sized country that was not considered strong.

Spain's strength is relative, and the Dutch's strength is even more relative. Although Spain has weakened a lot, its comprehensive strength is still able to crush the Netherlands, a country with a relatively small land area and a small population.

After all, the Netherlands is only a country with a population of more than 400 million, and its size is limited. Even though its industry and economy are more developed than those of Iberian countries, it is obviously not enough to make up for the population gap between it and Spain.

Hearing what Carlo said, Louis I nodded, and the hesitation in his eyes had disappeared a lot.

Out of consideration for Portugal's strength, Louis I always thinks too much when making decisions, considering the pros and cons for Portugal.

At present, it is also beneficial for Portugal to cooperate with Spain to colonize New Guinea. If what Carlo said is true, Portugal does have the hope of taking a piece of land on New Guinea as a new colony.

Although it was impossible to obtain too much land, it was at least a certain gain. For King Louis, if he could obtain a colony for Portugal during his reign, no matter how big or how economically valuable the colony was, it would always be a certain political achievement to promote.

Politicians need achievements to promote themselves, and the same is true for kings. A king who expands the territory is always better than a mediocre king who maintains the status quo, and a mediocre king who maintains the status quo is better than an incompetent and foolish king.

If possible, which king would not want to expand his territory and build a bigger kingdom?

Although it is only a colony, the most promising expansion for Portugal at present is in the colonies. After all, Portugal has only one land neighbor, which is Spain. There is still a gap in strength between the two countries. It is much more difficult for Portugal to expand on land than to expand in colonies.

“I have to admit that what you said, Your Majesty Carlo, is indeed very attractive. But as you said, national affairs cannot be decided by us alone. They still need to be decided after discussion with the politicians in the government.

But I personally agree with your proposal. If nothing unexpected happens, I believe we can see cooperation between Portugal and Spain on the island of New Guinea." Louis I gave his answer with a smile.

Although he personally preferred cooperative colonization with Spain, the specific cooperation matters still needed to be discussed with government officials.

It’s not that Louis I cannot make decisions for the government, but some interests need to be fought for by government officials rather than the king himself.

It would be too embarrassing for the two kings to argue and debate over some interests. Since the general direction of the cooperation has been finalized, the details of the clauses will naturally be discussed by government officials.

Of course, since Portugal agreed to cooperate with Spain to colonize New Guinea, it must make certain concessions in terms of railway tracks.

The good news is that the difference between Portugal's railway track width and Spain's is only 9 mm, so it is relatively simple to adjust. In addition, Portugal's total railway mileage is not large, so if you really want to adjust the width of all railway tracks, you can do it effectively in a short time without spending too much money.

But would Louis I be so honest as to adjust all the railway tracks in Portugal to the same width as those in Spain?
Of course not. Even if Portugal agreed to Spain, it could have some reasons to delay. The width of the synchronous orbit must be increased. After all, going back on one's word is not a good thing for Portugal.

Not only will it make Spain more hostile to Portugal, but its diplomatic reputation will also plummet.

Portugal only has this one neighboring country, and although it needs to be on guard, it does not mean that Portugal is willing to engage in a more intense struggle with Spain.

The political discussions were soon over, and the real main topic of the meeting between the two royal families was the endless banquets and outings.

After all, they were his sister and brother-in-law, so Carlo was quite generous in spending. Not only did he invite Louis I and his wife to visit his private winery, he also organized a grand hunting trip, allowing Louis I to have a good time with the Spanish Vitali M1872 rifle.

Portugal is currently still in the transition period between muzzle-loading rifles and breech-loading rifles, and has not yet fully equipped itself with advanced breech-loading rifles.

There are many reasons for this. In addition to the fact that Portugal has a small population and does not pay much attention to the army, Portugal's military technology is not well developed and it lags behind in the development of breech-loading rifles.

Although the current breech-loading rifle technology is not mature, the Spanish Vitali M1872 rifle is the second improvement of the Italian improved rifle, and is much better than the original breech-loading rifle.

The advantages of a breech-loading rifle over a muzzle-loading rifle are very obvious, which also made Louis I very excited about the rifle in his hand.

"Carlo, is this your latest Vitali M1872 rifle?" Louis I asked with a little interest.

As a neighbor of Spain, Portugal is of course aware of the standard weapons that the Spanish Army is equipped with.

However, the relationship between Spain and Portugal was not good at that time, and there was no strong demand for replacement rifles in Portugal, so the Portuguese Army has not yet fully used the latest breech-loading rifles.

"Of course." Carlo nodded, as if he had seen that the Royal Arsenal had received an order: "This is the latest model of the gun after a second improvement based on the Italian Vitali rifle. How about it? Does it feel good?"

"It's really good. It feels great." Louis I nodded and liked the rifle in his hand very much. "How much does this rifle cost?"

Louis I did not ask Carlo about the advantages and disadvantages of this rifle. After all, how could one ask a merchant whether a product is good or not?
As for Louis I's personal experience of using it, he thought it was a good rifle. Even if it was not the best, it was definitely a first-class product compared to the rifles used by European countries.

If we can take this opportunity to purchase a batch of rifles to equip the Portuguese army, it will also effectively improve the combat effectiveness of the Portuguese army.

In the era before the invention of machine guns, the firepower means of various countries were relatively scarce. In addition to the rifles used by infantry, the mainstream firepower output of the army was artillery.

As the saying goes, a cannon shot is worth a fortune. Not all countries can equip themselves with cannons on a large scale like France and Germany, and Portugal is no exception.

Since there were not enough artillery as a means of fire output, the Portuguese army could only rely on rifles to inflict casualties on the enemy.

But since the Franco-Prussian War, wars between European countries are no longer an era of line-up shooting. Countries are also paying more and more attention to the range, rate of fire and power of rifles. If they can be equipped with a rifle with a faster rate of fire, it means that the troops have more powerful firepower in a head-on confrontation.

"Before the Royal Arsenal expanded its production, the cost of the Vitali M1872 rifle was still relatively expensive. But now, with the expansion of the Royal Arsenal, the cost of this rifle has been reduced by more than half. If your country wants to purchase the Vitali M1872 rifle, I can let the Royal Arsenal provide your country with an internal price. After all, we are close partners, aren't we?" Carlo said with a smile.

This is really a case of "it's better to arrive early than to arrive early". After the Royal Arsenal expanded its production, the output of weapons increased several times in a short period of time.

According to the current trend, the Spanish army's full replacement of Vitali M1872 rifles is expected to be completed within a year.

After completing this order, the Royal Arsenal did not receive any other orders in a short period of time, which was inevitably a problem.

Although Portugal's army is not large, it is still of a certain size. If Portugal decides to purchase the Vitali M1872 rifle, the Royal Arsenal's production line, which has been expanded with great difficulty, can continue to operate.

Louis I nodded. Although he was somewhat tempted, he did not rush to make a decision.

Although Louis I was willing to compromise in some aspects, this did not mean that Portugal would fully move closer to Spain.

After all, Spain is not as strong as Britain. What Portugal needs to do is to strike a balance between Britain and Spain and ensure its own security and development.

Louis I would only consider moving closer to Spain if Spain recaptured Gibraltar and occupied Morocco without the intervention of Britain.

But before that, Spain was ultimately a beast trapped in a cage. Not to mention that it could not protect itself, at least its movements were restricted.

Portugal can reach certain compromises for its own stability, but will not give up too many interests.

Although he agreed to synchronize the width of railway tracks with Spain, the biggest reason was that Louis I believed that the British would not allow Spain to influence Portugal.

Getting a little closer to Spain has its benefits. At least it can make the British understand that sometimes they cannot ignore Portugal's opinions too much. After all, Portugal is an important part of the British defense against Spain.

If Portugal cannot hold out, it will not be a problem for Spain to have a greater influence on Portugal or even dominate the country.

After Spain gained control of both Gibraltars, could Gibraltar continue to remain safe and sound?
Seeing Louis I avoiding the question, Carlo knew that Louis I had other plans in mind.

Although he failed to bring in an order for the Royal Arsenal, the impact was not significant and Carlo did not care.

Carlo had long expected that Portugal would not completely side with Spain. After all, this would mean giving all the initiative to Spain.

Smart people will definitely choose to jump back and forth between the British and the Spanish to ensure their own interests.

If you completely rely on one side, you will be easily ignored. After all, what you get is the least valued. Properly giving a sense of crisis can also make you more cherished.

During the week that Louis I and his wife were in Spain, they visited many areas of Spain, including Madrid, and even watched the construction of the Spanish Renaissance-class ironclad ship HMS Renaissance.

Louis I could only look with envy at Spain's resumption of ironclad construction. Portugal was still too small compared to Spain, and it was not that they were not tempted by the ironclad ship that cost 50 pounds, but they simply did not have the ability to own it.

A single ironclad ship may not be expensive, but what role can an ironclad ship play? The purpose of building an ironclad ship is to have a strong navy, which also means that many other warships must be matched to build a comprehensive fleet.

Unable to afford a powerful fleet, this was the reason why Louis I envied Carlo.

Although he was also a king, Carlo was younger and the kingdom he ruled was Spain, a country that was weak but had a certain foundation.

Portugal's decline is not as exaggerated as Spain's, but Portugal itself is not a strong country. After losing Brazil, Portugal's presence in Europe is already very low.

Ruling such a not-so-powerful country made the ambitious Louis I helpless and shed tears of envy.

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(End of this chapter)