Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 425 Declaration of War
"The task force encountered the Spanish fleet in the Strait of Gibraltar and engaged in battle with the enemy for unknown reasons. It was then surrounded by the Spanish fleet from the east and west and was completely destroyed. There are currently no reports of surviving warships. Spain did not declare war before the naval battle, and no news has been sent back after the naval battle."

Looking at the astonishing telegram before him, British Prime Minister Arthur James Balfour's gaze turned cold, a mixture of surprise and anger in his eyes.

After a silence of about a minute, Prime Minister Arthur James Balfour slammed the hot telegram in his hand on the table and shouted, "Summon the cabinet! Tell them that the Spanish have launched a surprise attack!"

After giving his orders, Arthur James Balfour ignored his subordinates' reactions, took a deep breath, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and seemed to be deep in thought.

The British cabinet members acted swiftly; in less than 20 minutes, ministers from all cabinet departments gathered at the Prime Minister's residence, 10 Downing Street.

The cabinet ministers all looked solemn. They either whispered among themselves or stared at the contents of the telegram on the table, their expressions indifferent, their thoughts unknown.

"Gentlemen, take a look. This is the latest news from Gibraltar. Six hours ago, our detachment to the Mediterranean was surrounded by the Spanish Navy, and a fierce battle ensued. Our detachment was completely annihilated, and so far there has been no news of any surviving warships."

Can anyone tell me how these damned Spaniards dared to provoke the British Empire? They launched a barbaric and shameless sneak attack on us without any prior declaration of war or notification!

We must respond immediately! I want the Spanish to understand that there is only one consequence of angering the British Empire: utter destruction!
Can the navy be mobilized within hours? Now that the Spanish have launched an undeclared war, they will surely attack our Gibraltar fortress.

"I need the navy to guarantee the safety of Fort Gibraltar. I will never allow Fort Gibraltar and the Strait of Gibraltar to fall into Spanish hands," Prime Minister Balfour said, enunciating each word clearly.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, while I am also outraged by the barbaric and shameless attack by the Spanish, I must remind you that our finances cannot afford the expenditure of declaring war on Spain."

To defeat Spain, in addition to deploying the navy, we would also need to mobilize hundreds of thousands or even millions of ground troops.

To this day, we still have over 20 troops stationed on Boer soil in South Africa. I simply cannot imagine how staggering our financial expenditure would be if a war against Spain were to be opened in Iberia and Northwest Africa.

"If we rashly declare war on Spain, it may not be Spain that collapses, but the empire's finances." Chancellor of the Exchequer Austin Chamberlain clearly held a completely different view and stood up to voice his opposition.

For a long time, the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer was held concurrently by the British Prime Minister. This demonstrates the importance of the Chancellor's position. Austin Chamberlain also wielded considerable influence within the British Cabinet, as the budgets of various departments required approval from the Treasury.

Although he understood the importance of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Prime Minister Balfour was at a loss for what to do. What would the British public think of him if he didn't respond to this matter swiftly and forcefully?
The British Empire, once the world's leading navy, suffered a complete defeat, a disgrace not only to the British Navy and the Cabinet government, but also to the entire British people.

"There are many ways to solve the financial problem, but there is only one way to solve the annihilation of the entire fleet: declare war on Spain!"
If the news of the annihilation of the entire fleet in the Strait of Gibraltar could incite public anger, and then war bonds could be issued nationwide, it would likely raise some war funds.

We cannot accept Spain's wanton slaughter of our soldiers. For the sunken warships, for the fallen soldiers, and for the dignity of the empire, we must give Spain a strong response. This is our only option.

Furthermore, diplomatic condemnation of Spain is also necessary. I originally thought only barbaric island nations would resort to undeclared war to gain an advantage, but I never expected that such scoundrels would emerge in Europe as well.

"Since Spain dared to wage war against us without a declaration, they should be prepared to be condemned by the whole of Europe. The Foreign Ministry must act immediately. I hope that within 48 hours, news of Spain's undeclared war and surprise attack on our fleet will be circulating in most major cities throughout Britain and even Europe," Prime Minister Balfour said angrily.

Whether he can handle this matter well is crucial to whether he can retain his position as prime minister. If he doesn't handle it well and causes public dissatisfaction, he may have no choice but to resign from his premiership.

The Prime Minister of the British Empire wielded considerable power. After all, the British monarch rarely participated in political affairs, and the Prime Minister was not only the nominal head of government but also the de facto holder of the greatest power.

Just like this meeting, as long as Prime Minister Balfour is determined to declare war on Spain, even the opposition of important officials such as the Chancellor of the Exchequer cannot stop the process of Britain declaring war on Spain.

While Britain was engaged in heated debates and ultimately decided to declare war on Spain, Spain also held a small meeting regarding the naval battle.

In the large conference room of the Royal Palace of Madrid, Carlo summoned all the cabinet members and, in his very first words, emphasized the main point of the meeting: from this moment on, Spain would be at war with Britain.

Spain's pursuit and interception led to the outbreak of a naval battle, which seems somewhat unexpected, but upon closer examination, it makes perfect sense.

While Spain's hardline stance can indeed force Britain to back down in some situations, this can only be achieved if the bottom line is not crossed.

The British Empire was, after all, still the most powerful European hegemon. Once its bottom line was crossed, Britain would certainly spare no effort to protect its interests.

Clearly, for Britain, Spain's repeated interference in Portuguese affairs has crossed its red line.

Britain did not stop Spain from annexing Morocco because Britain was in the midst of the Boer War and had little money or energy to wage another large-scale war.

After Spain annexed Morocco, the British government paid even more attention to Spain and was determined to prevent Spain from annexing Portugal again.

Because if Spain were to annex Portugal, it would not only integrate the entire Iberian Peninsula, but also gain actual control over the Strait of Gibraltar between the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco.

The Gibraltar fortress built and operated by the British became a mere decoration, since the land and sea surrounding Gibraltar were almost entirely under Spanish control. Even if the British continued to occupy Gibraltar, the right of passage through the straits was definitely not up to them.

"I am not surprised by the outbreak of war. If Spain wants to truly achieve its revival, the recapture of Gibraltar is essential. To recapture Gibraltar, it must become an enemy of the British Empire." Looking at the cabinet members with their varying expressions, Carlo slowly began to speak:

Now that war has broken out, we need to be fully prepared and respond to ensure that there is only one victor in this war, and that is the Kingdom of Spain.

"Minister Jorti, tell us about the defense department's operational plans." Carlo finally turned his gaze to the current Defense Minister, Jorti, who was also the person most familiar with Spain's operational plans against Britain.

"Your Majesty, gentlemen," Defense Minister Jyoti stood up and reported the defense department's operational plans to those present.

Our operational plan will be divided into land and sea components, to address the threats posed by Britain from land and sea, respectively.

First, in the land operations, we plan to use the Royal Army's 1st Infantry Division and 1st Artillery Division to launch a strong offensive against Gibraltar, capturing it as much as possible before British reinforcements arrive, thereby increasing public support for the war.

In response to a potential British landing operation, we plan to deploy the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Infantry Divisions, the 1st Cavalry Division, and the 2nd Artillery Division to the north coast to protect our long Atlantic coastline.

The 5th, 6th, and 7th Infantry Divisions, along with the 2nd Cavalry Division, 3rd Artillery Division, and 4th Artillery Division, were positioned on the Portuguese border to guard against a possible British landing in Portugal and a surprise attack on our inland areas.

Other armies should also be prepared for war, and should provide immediate support to the front lines should a crisis arise.

On the naval front, our battleship HMS Dreadnought achieved a surprise effect, and with the two fleets encircling from the east and west, we annihilated the British squadron while suffering only heavy damage to one armored cruiser and two light cruisers.

Currently, our home navy can still mobilize 20 battleships and 40 cruisers. Provided that Britain does not divert other naval forces from outside Europe, we are fully capable of confronting the British Navy.

Furthermore, our battleship HMS Dreadnought has not yet been exposed. If we can continue to achieve the same surprise effect at crucial moments in the battle, as we did in this naval engagement, we could inflict a heavy loss on the British.

Unless the British have already begun developing a powerful battleship of equal strength to the Dreadnought-class battleships, they will have no means of resistance against our Dreadnought-class battleships for the next two years.

Even if we encounter a large British fleet, the HMS Dreadnought can simply retreat if it can't win. The vast majority of British warships are slower than the Dreadnought, which is our greatest advantage. To prevent the British Home Fleet from joining forces with the Mediterranean Fleet, I plan to attack British naval bases in Malta and Egypt before the British Home Fleet reaches the Mediterranean.

If we can inflict heavy losses on the Mediterranean fleet before the British Home Fleet arrives, we will have no fear even if all of Britain's European fleets come together.

Although the so-called offensive plan was divided into land and sea parts, it could actually be simplified to one sentence: a land attack on Gibraltar and a sea surprise attack on Malta and Egypt.

There's not much to worry about regarding the army; the Spanish army can easily crush the British army, especially with the added bonus of reclaiming territory and defending the homeland.

If the British army dares to come, they will all die, no matter how many come. There is absolutely no possibility that they cannot defeat the British army.

The only way for the Spanish army to fail was through a forced landing on British soil. Without completely defeating the Royal Fleet, Spain was not qualified to land on British soil, meaning that the Spanish army could not possibly lose this war.

The only concern might be the navy. It must be admitted that, to date, Spain still lags significantly behind Britain in naval power.

The only thing they can boast about is the Dreadnought-class battleships, but currently only HMS Dreadnought is in active service. HMS Courage and HMS Fury are still in the naval aviation testing phase, and forcibly deploying them into war could easily lead to problems.

The good news is that after losing five battleships, Britain's total number of battleships was reduced to only 35. Of these, the three European fleets—the Channel Fleet, the Home Fleet, and the Mediterranean Fleet—had a total of 27 battleships, a number not significantly different from Spain's 21.

If we include the two battleships, HMS Courage and HMS Fury, which are currently undergoing naval trials, Spain has 23 warships, three of which are the more powerful Dreadnought-class.

While the difference might not be apparent in battleships, Britain truly demonstrates its status as the world's leading naval power in cruisers.

Even after a rather disastrous defeat, Britain still possessed more than 120 cruisers, three times the total number of cruisers in Spain.

Britain already possessed more than 70 cruisers in Europe, while Spain's two fleets on the mainland had a total of only 35, meaning Britain still had twice as many cruisers as Spain.

Under these circumstances, it would be very difficult for Spain to defeat the British navy.

This is also why Minister Jordi planned to launch surprise attacks on the British island of Marta and Egypt. Even if he couldn't prevent the British Home Fleet from joining the Mediterranean Fleet, he could at least inflict heavy losses on the Mediterranean Fleet in advance, thus preventing the combined British fleet from overwhelming the Spanish fleet.

After hearing Minister Jyoti's report on the operational plan, the cabinet ministers engaged in a lengthy discussion.

Although there was no objection to Britain's declaration of war, the specific battle plan still needed to be carefully discussed.

After all, the other side is the world's strongest country and the world's leading naval power. If Spain loses this war, all the reforms and development of the past 30 years will have been in vain.

Considering the reparations France paid after its defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, if Spain had lost this war, the amount of reparations it faced would have been enough to bankrupt its finances.

Therefore, for Spain, this is a war they absolutely cannot afford to lose.

After a period of discussion, Finance Minister Orr Acosta spoke first: "Minister Jyoti, I agree with your battle plan."

However, I believe that it is far from enough to only mobilize the army on our homeland. In addition to our homeland, our vast colonies may also be attacked by Britain.

I believe that we should build more troops in the colonies to guard against British colonial invasion. At the same time, we should conduct localized mobilizations in some coastal and border areas to ensure that we always have hundreds of thousands of troops available for deployment to the battlefield.

If the British insist on fighting us, then it is essential to make them understand that the Spanish are not to be trifled with, that we are not natives they can easily manipulate, and that Spain will never accept defeat, even if it means shedding its last drop of blood.

The biggest difference between the British and Spanish cabinets is that the important position of Chancellor of the Exchequer is held by Carlos.

Since Carlo supported the war, it was natural that his trusted finance minister, Orl Acosta, couldn't object. In fact, Orl Acosta himself was a radical.

He believed that either they should not fight the British at all, or they should completely defeat the British to prevent them from going back on their word later.

Only by inflicting a heavy blow on the British could Spain achieve its goal of recapturing Gibraltar and annexing Portugal.

Following Finance Minister Orr Acosta's speech, other cabinet ministers also offered their suggestions, but most of them supported the war.

Unfortunately, the Spanish cabinet was formed according to the wishes of the King and the Prime Minister, so they naturally have to express their attitudes according to the King and the Prime Minister's ideas.

For the sake of Spanish unity in this war, Carlo had expressed his support for it early on. This war was not only about whether Spain could recapture Gibraltar and annex Portugal, but also about whether Carlo and the House of Savoy could secure their thrones.

Once this war is won, Spain will solidify its status as a superpower, and the Savoy dynasty's hold on the Spanish throne will be far more secure than that of Italy.

After everyone had expressed their opinions, all eyes turned to Prime Minister Angelo Orcajo. If Finance Minister Orr Acosta was one of Carlo's confidants, then this Prime Minister, whom Carlo had personally promoted, was Carlo's absolute confidant and loyal follower.

Everyone understood that the Prime Minister would never go against the King's wishes. Rather than waiting for the Prime Minister to express his opinion, it was more like the Prime Minister was summarizing the meeting and announcing the plan that the King had already devised.

When it was his turn to speak, Prime Minister Angelo Olcajo stood up and said with a very solemn expression, "Your Majesty, gentlemen, this is the most crucial moment for Spain, for us."

We must admit that Britain is a very powerful enemy, and their difficulty is even comparable to that of the Napoleonic Empire a hundred years ago.

But this is not a reason for us to back down. The dignity of the kingdom and the honor of the nation will not allow us to retreat even a step.

We will never allow foreign powers like Britain to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries on the Iberian Peninsula, and we will never accept Britain's wanton annexation of our territory and occupation of Gibraltar, which originally belonged to us.

Now, it's time to declare those damned British driven out of Iberia! Iberia can only be ruled by Iberians; outsiders will forever fall under Spanish guns!

The Prime Minister's speech was met with support from the crowd, and the cabinet ministers were also passionate and eager to execute all the British people on the spot to protect their beloved country.

At the last minute of the meeting, Carlo gave his orders: "The Foreign Office shall notify the Ambassador in London to deliver our declaration of war to Britain. At the same time, a press conference shall be held to condemn the British Empire for using a voyage as a pretext to trample on Spanish dignity."

Furthermore, we need to present our evidence to prove that the British warships fired first. I don't want to be falsely accused of being treacherous island nations that waged war without declaration.

Now that war has broken out, we must defeat Britain honorably and make them understand that the Victorian era is over and the Savoy era is here!
The Ministry of National Defense issued an order to all military forces on the mainland, requiring all forces to enter a state of war and immediately commence operations according to their pre-arranged combat missions.

I hope to hear news of the recapture of Gibraltar within three days. I will personally celebrate the victory of the first army to enter Gibraltar at the Royal Palace in Madrid after this war is over!

(End of this chapter)