Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 454 The Vision of a Commonwealth

The wave of discussion about Portugal's future in Portugal lasted from the end of 1905 to the beginning of 1906. Almost half of the Portuguese population read the news reports, and many people seriously considered what Portugal's future should be like.

More than a decade has passed since the establishment of the Portuguese republic. Has Portugal truly become better because of the republic? Probably not.

Most of the people were blindly following the crowd. The democracy promoted by the Republican Party may not have been much better, but the Portuguese people at the time had suffered under the monarchy for too long, which is why the Republican Party was able to gain widespread popular support immediately.

Some people may genuinely support a republic, but many more are simply following the crowd. They can't even distinguish between a monarchy and a republic, or understand the difference between absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy.

Although the Iberian Peninsula, where Spain and Portugal are located, is directly connected to the European mainland, the Pyrenees Mountains make them relatively remote European countries. Central and Western Europe do not actually have much interaction with the core of the European continent.

Spain is in a better position because it borders France directly and was once ruled by the Habsburg dynasty, so its connections with the European continent are deeper than those with Portugal.

Portugal was not only isolated by the Pyrenees Mountains, but also completely surrounded by Spain. This made it difficult for Portugal to establish connections with other European countries, so only Britain, for its own strategic purposes, would choose to actively seek cooperation with Portugal in certain areas.

Although Portugal has vast plains, it can only be considered a remote and impoverished region in Europe, one of the most prosperous parts of the world.

Portugal has a relatively high illiteracy rate. Expecting these illiterate people to understand the merits of monarchy versus republic is less helpful than relying on the truth that political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

The fact that the Portuguese had a low level of education was actually good news for Spain. Lower education levels meant they were more easily swayed by public opinion and therefore more likely to accept the fact that Portugal had been annexed by Spain.

Even if Spain were to eventually annex Portugal, those with higher levels of education would likely seek national independence again, which would create even greater trouble.

Originally, Portuguese newspapers and media were only discussing Portugal's future and debating whether Portugal should choose a monarchy or a republic.

However, on January 25, 1906, the Portuguese newspapers immediately shifted their focus after the Spanish newspaper Il Sole published an article entitled "Discussion on the Idea of ​​the Iberian Empire".

This article, "Discussion on the Conception of the Iberian Empire," is actually based on existing Pan-Iberianism, offering reasonable suggestions on some directions that are difficult to achieve, and also envisioning a more profound future.

The so-called Iberian Empire actually refers to the state formed after the merger of Spain and Portugal. Since the Portuguese did not want to be annexed by Spain, they could have formed a personal federation similar to that of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

With the current King of Spain as King of Portugal, Portugal can have a monarch like Carlos who is capable of leading Portugal to revival, without having to worry about being annexed by Spain.

After all, Portugal still has an independent government; it is still Portugal, only now it shares the same monarch as Spain.

This phenomenon did not only occur in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Throughout Europe's long history, similar personal federations have appeared many times, creating several very famous European countries.

For example, the King of Poland also served as the Grand Duke of Lithuania, the King of England also served as the King of Scotland, and the King of Castile was also the King of Aragon, and so on.

There have been several instances of this within Spain, including the union of Castile and Aragon, the Habsburg dynasty's succession to the Spanish throne, which ultimately led to Charles V's rule over the Holy Roman Empire and Spain.

Compared to a series of other random speculations, the Portuguese were more willing to accept the formation of a federation of leaders with independent status in all aspects.

If Carlos were to become the King of Portugal, most Portuguese people would not feel any resistance.

After all, King Carlos's performance is still fresh in everyone's memory. Whether it was leading Spain back to its former glory or implementing various reform policies within Spain, Carlos's influence was evident.

The reason why the average annual income of Spaniards has been rising is precisely because of the impact of various reforms in Spain.

The Portuguese had once envied Spain for having such a great monarch, but now, with this news report, they suddenly realized that they too could become subjects of Carlos, a great monarch worthy of being recorded in history, just like the Spanish.

This news report, first published in the Spanish newspaper El Soleil, quickly spread throughout Portugal and became the most talked-about news story in the country.

Most Portuguese people were influenced by this news report, and they began to think about what changes Carlos could bring to Portugal if he became King of Portugal.

If Portugal could implement reforms similar to those in Spain, even if it doesn't achieve the same level of revival as Spain, it could at least significantly improve the quality of life for the Portuguese people and substantially enhance Portugal's existing industrial and economic level.

What did the Portuguese have to give up? It was simply that they had another king. But since they were certain that this king was a wise and virtuous monarch, could such a sacrifice be considered a bad thing?

In fact, even a small number of people can see some of the details. For example, the article was first reported by Spanish newspapers and media, and after it was published, it was quickly reprinted by major Portuguese newspapers and media, which seems to indicate that there is an even greater force manipulating things behind the scenes.

If you think about it carefully, you'll realize that the reason why King Juan Carlos of Spain was mentioned so many times in this article seems to be because someone did it on purpose.

Either the Spanish royal family wants more territory, or the Spanish government still has its sights set on Portugal and wants to bring Portugal under its rule through this means, and then gradually assimilate it.

It's not that no one has raised objections. For example, in a federation of states, there will definitely be a party with more say, and Portugal is unlikely to compete with Spain for that say.

Even if Portugal and Spain form a personal federation, Portugal will ultimately be the one with less say, and most of the policies of both countries will have to be subject to Spain's, which may not necessarily be a good thing for Portugal.

Although these dissenting opinions were successfully published in the newspapers, they had very little effect.

It's clearly impossible to dissuade the already interested Portuguese with just a few words. Furthermore, Spain's behind-the-scenes encouragement has led many Portuguese to believe that forming a personal federation is a better option for Portugal.

As for the occasional objections, they are merely the current rulers of Portugal's anxieties about the potential loss of their political power; they are not truly acting in Portugal's best interests.

As related news reports spread widely in Portugal, many people were paying close attention to the stance of the ruling party of the Portuguese Democratic Republic, the Iberian Party.

The Iberian Party is a political party based on Pan-Iberianism. What they emphasize and pursue is the union of Portugal and Spain, to unite Iberia and build a country that can rival the superpowers.

News reports have now pointed to a clear path for Iberian unification, and some political parties in Portugal are watching closely to see if the Iberian Party is willing to actually form a personal federation with Spain as the news reports suggest.

At this time, the Iberian Party was also paying attention to domestic public opinion. As a political party supported by Spain, Spain wielded considerable influence within the Iberian Party.

During several meetings held within the Iberian Party, many core members believed that uniting with Spain was a very good way to completely shed Portugal's status as a weak country, to no longer be alienated from the European continent, and to trade with European countries through Spain.

While the alliance with Spain weakens Portugal's voice, there are always advantages and disadvantages, and Portugal cannot afford to give nothing in return.

There are quite a few people within the Iberian Party who support this view, which is why the Portuguese government remains indifferent to these media reports.

Especially after the Spanish newspaper El Soleil reported the news, the Iberian Party immediately realized that the public opinion in Portugal was being driven by the Spanish.

Under such circumstances, they are even less likely to stop domestic public opinion and can only consider what choice they should make.

Whether to follow the trend and facilitate a union between Portugal and Spain became the most hotly debated topic within the Iberian Party. More than whether Portugal should become a monarchy or remain a republic, many high-ranking members of the Iberian Party were more concerned about whether their power and status could be maintained after a union with Spain.

Their opposition to the proposal by some to unite with Spain is actually just a fear of their own power.

This issue was resolved amicably during a meeting between the Portuguese government and the Spanish ambassador to Portugal.

Spain was naturally not going to let go of Portugal, a piece of meat that it had already acquired. Now that the public opinion had been laid out, the next step was to bring Portugal under Spanish rule as soon as possible to avoid any unforeseen complications.

At present, France and Germany are still in a confrontational phase in Europe, Britain has just been defeated by Spain, Austria-Hungary and Italy have too little say, and Russia is thousands of miles away. This is the best time for Spain to annex Portugal.

Once the British have had a chance to catch their breath and resolve their domestic crisis, or once the confrontation between the two major military blocs on the European continent has ceased, it will become extremely difficult for Spain to completely annex Portugal.

The Spanish ambassador to Lisbon approached the Portuguese government with the aim of promoting cooperation between Spain and Portugal.

Spain has placed many intelligence agents within the Iberian Party and is therefore well aware of the thoughts of some of its high-ranking officials.

As long as their power can be guaranteed, they will not care whether Portugal will actually be annexed by Spain after the union.

Spain is willing to make a commitment on this point. After all, in the early stages of the personal union between Spain and Portugal, Portugal will certainly gain a certain degree of autonomy, including independent finance and military power.

The Portuguese government will remain in place, meaning that current senior officials will retain their positions after the union of Portugal and Spain.

After several meetings between the Spanish ambassador to Lisbon and the Portuguese government, many senior members of the Iberian Party finally dispelled their concerns.

They no longer oppose a union with Spain, and many members of parliament have proactively raised the issue of a union between Portugal and Spain in parliament.

When discussions in newspapers and among the public evolved into a proposal in parliament, it signified that the union of Portugal and Spain had transformed from speculation into an ongoing action.

Although there has been no actual progress yet, given that public opinion has shifted towards a Spanish-Portuguese alliance, rapid progress is only a matter of time.

On February 3, 1906, during a routine session of the Portuguese Parliament, an Iberian Party member proposed a motion suggesting that Portugal and Spain unite to form the Iberian Empire in order to deal with the increasingly complex situation in Europe.

The proposal outlines numerous benefits of a Portuguese-Spanish union and argues that the unified Iberian Empire would officially become one of the most powerful nations in the world, capable of challenging superpowers like Britain, France, and Germany in any field.

The unified Iberian Empire would have a population of over 4500 million, more than the combined populations of Britain and France.

Although Portugal lacks a strong industrial and economic base, its vast plains can provide Spain with more food and meat production, allowing the Iberian Peninsula to accommodate a larger population.

More importantly, once Portugal and Spain form a personal union, the new nation will possess a larger African colony than the combined African colonies of Britain and France.

The new federation would also inherit the influence of Spain and Portugal in the Americas, and it is possible that it could once again become an empire on which the sun never sets.

After listing the benefits of forming a personal federation with Spain, the proposal also mentioned some of the disadvantages of such a federation.

However, the proposal also mentioned solutions to these shortcomings, such as Portugal should strive for financial and military autonomy and stand with Spain only in diplomatic matters.

If Portugal could form a personal federation with Spain, it could also leverage Spain's booming industry and economy to rapidly develop its own domestic economy.

With the help of Spanish capital, Portugal's economy can also achieve rapid growth, and per capita annual income and domestic economic level can also be greatly improved.

This proposal can be said to highly affirm the idea of ​​a union between Portugal and Spain, and believes that forming a personal federation with Spain is the most suitable option for Portugal.

Portugal alone could not establish itself on the European continent. If any major power set its sights on Portugal, it could lead to another Portuguese civil war.

Rather than that, it would be better to form a personal federation with Spain. As long as the Portuguese government can guarantee a certain degree of autonomy, it will not be annexed by Spain, much less become part of Spain.

This proposal was put forward by a member of the Iberia Party, and it actually represents the attitude of the Iberia Party.

The fact that the Iberian Party controls a majority of seats in the Portuguese parliament means that the outcome of the vote on this proposal was already predetermined.

As expected, after a voting process that lasted for more than an hour, the proposal was passed with more than 60% of the votes in favor, which means that Portugal has officially decided to align itself with Spain and form a personal federation similar to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Of course, so far, the idea of ​​forming a personal federation is just wishful thinking on Portugal's part.

Whether a personal federation can be truly formed, and whether Portugal can obtain financial and military autonomy as desired, depends on subsequent negotiations with the Spanish government.

As the Portuguese parliament passed a proposal suggesting that Portugal and Spain form a personal federation, the news quickly spread throughout Portugal.

Political parties of all sizes in Portugal are paying close attention to the public's reaction to this matter and then taking appropriate measures based on the public's response.

To the surprise of many political parties, when the Portuguese people learned that the parliament had passed the proposal, they did not feel that the parliament was selling out the country; on the contrary, they believed that this was the most suitable path for Portugal.

This is precisely the effect of the long-term public opinion campaign. Pan-Iberianism is already very prevalent in Portugal, so proposals related to Pan-Iberianism naturally receive public support.

Portuguese newspapers have reported countless times on various speculations about Portugal's future path. After discussions among these newspapers, they generally believe that a monarchy is more suitable for Portugal at present.

As for the republic, so far it has been more like an attempt by Portugal to reform, only it failed.

After confirming that the majority of the public supported the parliament's passage of the proposal, the leaders of the Iberia Party were completely relieved.

The Portuguese government also began formally contacting the Spanish government to discuss the formation of a personal federation.

Although the Portuguese government and people strongly support a union with Spain, this does not mean that the Portuguese government will allow itself to be dominated by Spain.

At least the previously agreed-upon autonomy in fiscal and military matters, as well as the handling and reform of Portugal's existing political structure, all require lengthy discussions.

After forming a personal federation with Spain, some people will inevitably have to relinquish their interests. How to persuade these people to willingly give up their gains is a problem the Portuguese government should consider.

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(End of this chapter)