Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 439 Mobilization before the war
Two months passed quickly, and Britain mobilized nearly 100,000 troops from its homeland and colonies to support Portugal.

In order to boost the morale of the Portuguese Republican government and the soldiers of the Republican Party, and also to show the Portuguese people the strength of Britain, when the first batch of British troops arrived in Lisbon to support Portugal, the British side had no intention of concealing the whereabouts of their troops.

Indeed, things unfolded exactly as the British government had predicted. The arrival of British troops effectively boosted the morale of the Republican Party in resisting the Iberian Party's offensive, and led many Portuguese citizens to believe that the fighting would soon spread to the area surrounding Lisbon.

For most Portuguese people, the outcome of this civil war is irrelevant. However, whether the civil war will affect their own cities is something that the Portuguese care deeply about.

With the continuous influx of British troops into Portugal, the Portuguese Republican army at the front lines finally stabilized, and morale was no longer as chaotic as it had been a few days earlier.

For nearly two months afterward, British troops landed in Lisbon almost every few days and then joined the front-line fighting.

These armies came from all over the world; they included whites, blacks, and people of Asian descent. This was a characteristic of colonialism in that era: colonial empires were able to effectively utilize the diverse ethnicities within their colonies, arming them all into their own armies.

Of course, with such a mixed skin color in the army, one cannot expect good discipline and combat effectiveness.

If the fighting strength of the British mainland standing army could be considered above average, then the fighting strength of these colonial armies from all over the world could only be described as barely adequate.

The only advantage these colonial armies had over the Portuguese Republican army was that British officers could execute these native soldiers with impunity.

Under the extremely strict orders of the supervising corps, these native soldiers had no choice but to charge at the enemy with reckless abandon. If they stopped, even just to rest, they risked being labeled deserters by the supervising corps behind them.

In this era, soldiers in these colonies had no human rights compared to white Europeans. White soldiers from Canada and Australia enjoyed the same treatment as the British Army, and in November they received winter uniforms from the British government to keep them warm on the battlefield.

Besides their uniforms, these white soldiers also received better food than soldiers of color from other regions. White soldiers could eat white bread, while soldiers of color could only eat black bread.

Besides the different treatment they received, white soldiers and soldiers of color also faced completely different circumstances on the battlefield.

While British soldiers were generally less combat-effective than Spanish soldiers, they could still hold their ground if they put in the effort. The situation was different for the native soldiers from the various colonies. Aside from the question of whether they could hold their positions, their casualties were enormous, averaging nearly two thousand casualties per day.

A colonial division of over 10,000 men could be completely rendered ineffective within days of being deployed to the battlefield. This forced the British to commit even more colonial troops to the front lines, barely managing to hold their defensive positions by having these native soldiers constantly sacrifice themselves.

Although this would result in heavy casualties among native soldiers, the British government considered it perfectly acceptable as long as the casualties among its native troops were not significant.

Britain had no shortage of native soldiers. The Indian colony alone could provide Britain with millions, even tens of millions, of native troops. Even if the daily casualties were only one or two thousand, or even tens of thousands, it would not be a crippling blow to the British government.

And it must be said, the British colonial army's relentless defense, regardless of casualties, effectively halted the Spanish army's advance.

Although the Spanish attack was merely a feint to draw British attention, the firepower of the Spanish forces at the front was undeniable. Under such intense bombardment, the British forces held New Montmorre firmly, preventing the Spanish from advancing even a kilometer for several days.

Although the British and Portuguese armies suffered considerable casualties, for them, simply stopping the Spanish advance was already a major victory.

The poor performance of the attacking front is bad news for Spain, but it is also good news.

While Britain and Portugal focused all their attention on the front lines, an inspiring pre-war mobilization was taking place on the outskirts of Madrid, the Spanish capital.

Soldiers from several divisions participating in the attack on Lisbon had already assembled around Madrid. They were about to travel by train south to Andalusia, then board ships at the port there, and under naval protection, head north to Lisbon to forcibly occupy this city, which was extremely important to both the Portuguese and the British.

Since it was a forced landing, it meant that the battle would inevitably result in heavy casualties. These troops even had to prepare for the possibility of a failed landing, with a significant number of soldiers potentially losing their lives in Lisbon and the surrounding waters.

This is an extremely difficult task, and both the Spanish government and the soldiers involved understand how arduous it is.

For Carlo, although he could accept the casualties of Spanish soldiers in this war, it did not mean that he was indifferent to the heroic sacrifices of these soldiers.

Before these soldiers headed south to Andalusia, Carlo decided to hold a small mobilization ceremony, which would also let these heroes who were about to go to the battlefield know that no matter what the outcome of the battle, they were heroes of Spain.

Only officers of these armies participated in the mobilization ceremony; ordinary soldiers had no opportunity to participate. After all, Spain had mobilized tens of thousands of troops, involving several divisions, for the attack on Lisbon.

If all these soldiers were to participate in the mobilization ceremony, the scene would be massive, making it even more difficult to keep it secret.

To maintain secrecy, only these officers could participate in the mobilization ceremony, and then they would convey Carlo's promise to all the soldiers.

The so-called mobilization ceremony was actually very simple, and Carlo's speech was also very brief.

Carlo first affirmed the contributions of the soldiers who were about to go to the battlefield to Spain, and said that no matter what the outcome of the battle was, all the soldiers who participated in the battle would receive a large reward, and the soldiers who died in the battle would also receive a reward, and the government-stipulated pension would be doubled.

Carlo then emphasized the importance of the attack on Lisbon to the war. Carlo promised that if the attack on Lisbon was successful, he would hold a grand victory banquet for them in Madrid and personally award medals, ranks, and rewards to the officers and soldiers who made outstanding contributions to the landing operation.

No one could refuse to be awarded a medal by the king himself, especially these soldiers who were loyal to the royal family.

It was a tremendous honor for them to be awarded a medal by His Majesty the King himself. This honor also helped them overcome their fear of death, making them feel excited and thrilled about the landing operation instead of fearing it.

Death is indeed terrifying, but if your death can bring your family a large sum of money, then what is there to be afraid of?
Moreover, this mission wasn't a matter of life and death. The landing operation would only involve huge casualties, but with Spain deploying tens of thousands of elite troops, the probability of success was still extremely high.

With the support of the navy, a successful capture of Chrisburn would be a tremendous honor and opportunity for all the soldiers and officers involved in the campaign.

Not only could they quickly accumulate merit and gain promotions, but they could also obtain a large number of rewards, including funds, land, and even titles, enabling themselves and their families to achieve upward social mobility. With all these rewards, Carlo could clearly see the excitement and anticipation on the faces of these officers.

Realizing the mobilization had been effective, Carlo no longer hesitated and immediately issued the order to officially begin the attack on Lisbon.

The plan to attack Lisbon was known in the Spanish Ministry of Defense as Operation Tsunami. The Spanish Ministry of Defense likened the soldiers heading to Lisbon to a tsunami, hoping that this tsunami would easily destroy Lisbon and advance eastward, annihilating all British and Portuguese forces.

If the outcome of the operation can be decided in one battle, then Operation Tsunami will not only bring great credit to the officers and soldiers involved, but also to the Department of Defense and the General Staff who formulated the plan.

Of course, Carlo, who initially proposed the plan, was probably the biggest beneficiary. But it didn't matter to Carlo anymore; he was already the supreme ruler of Spain, and these achievements would only enhance his reputation.

Unlike Britain, Spain enjoyed extremely high support for the war. Carlos was already a popular monarch, and the Spanish army's outstanding performance in the war greatly increased public confidence in victory.

More importantly, the Spanish royal family did not back down in this war, which showed the public a completely different attitude from the previous royal family.

Carlo's two younger sons, Martin and Alexander, both participated in the war. Martin, the older son, served in the army as the commander of the 3rd Artillery Division, holding the rank of Major General in the Royal Army, and was about to participate in the landing operation against Lisbon.

The younger Alexander serves in the navy and is currently the first vice-captain of Spain's first dreadnought battleship, the dreadnought, holding the rank of Royal Navy captain.

The fact that the two princes personally participated in the war was not unfamiliar news to the Spanish people. Since the royal family was not afraid of the war at all, why should the people be afraid of it?

It was precisely because the two princes directly participated in this war that the Spanish people's support for it increased significantly.

In other words, Spain has not yet launched a nationwide mobilization. Otherwise, one could easily see the enthusiastic scenes of Spanish people signing up for military service at recruitment offices in various Spanish cities.

In fact, since the outbreak of this war, numerous demonstrations have taken place in various cities.

The people marched with only one goal: to demand that the government begin a large-scale mobilization, as they were eager to enlist in the army to serve their country.

Unfortunately, the scale of this war has remained relatively limited to this day. Although both Britain and Spain were determined to fight this war, the two superpowers exercised considerable restraint. Both Britain and Spain wanted to keep the war at the level of the Portuguese Civil War, rather than escalating it into a full-scale war between Britain and Spain.

This is why, as the war has progressed to this point, the battlefields of both countries have remained confined to Portuguese territory and have not expanded to the mainland and colonies of other nations.

After all, both Spain and Britain knew that once the war reached their own homeland, the impact would be far greater than simply investing manpower and funds.

Limiting the scale of the war to the level of the Portuguese Civil War, even if the war were lost, it would only be a minor injury for Britain and Spain, far from being a crippling blow.

If Britain were to lose the war, it would simply lose all control of the Strait of Gibraltar. However, Britain would still control the Suez Canal, and as long as its Egyptian colonies remained, its influence in the Mediterranean would persist.

Moreover, the threat from Russia that Britain has always been concerned about is mostly manifested in East Asia and Central Asia, which are closer to the Suez Canal.

Although the Russian navy could access the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar, they still needed to circumnavigate the entire African continent to reach Central and East Asia, which was still acceptable to Britain.

Moreover, if Spain were to win, relations between France and Spain would likely be far from amicable. Could a country capable of defeating Britain truly pose no threat to France?

Especially given that Spain has taken control of the Iberian Peninsula and recaptured Gibraltar, this means Spain has complete control of the Strait of Gibraltar. France's Mediterranean fleet will then have to rely on Spain's approval to enter the Atlantic.

Because of this thinking, the British did not take any action to escalate the war. Their frequent troop movements to Portugal were actually a way of sending a message to the Spanish government, indicating that they had no intention of launching an attack on other parts of Spain.

Unable to enlist in the army, the people could only express their support for the war to the government and the royal family in various ways.

In the months since the outbreak of the war, the Spanish people have donated tens of millions of pesetas in funds and supplies to the government.

This kind of donation is not only seen in individuals, but also in some companies.

Many private companies donated large quantities of supplies to the government, including clothing, boots, flour, and so on.

These private companies demonstrated their patriotism, and the royal family's businesses naturally did not remain indifferent. The Royal Mercedes-Benz Motor Company alone, controlled by the royal family, donated hundreds of vehicles of various models to the government for use by the military.

Some large-scale car transport companies have also stated that they can transport troops and supplies for the government free of charge, if needed.

However, given that Spain's domestic transportation infrastructure was already more than sufficient to supply the troops on the front lines, these transport companies had no choice but to give up.

These factors demonstrate the level of support within Spain for the war, a level of support far exceeding that of the chaotic British government.

The advantages of a government system where power is held by the king become apparent. At such a crucial moment as the outbreak of war, the entire nation of Spain shared only one thought: to win the war at all costs.

Individuals and businesses alike are willing to express their support for the government, something the British government completely ignores.

Such public support alone shows that Spain had the advantage of favorable timing, location, and popular support to win this war, making victory inevitable.

(End of this chapter)