Assessment

It had to be admitted that, looking over the history of Italian Unification, aside from the unexpected factor of Garibaldi, everything else could be summed up as relying entirely on luck, without the slightest shred of real strength.

The Austro-Prussian War had allowed Italy to easily acquire the Venetian region and the southern part of South Tyrol. Now, the Franco-Prussian War sparked by the Spanish throne had also let Italians glimpse an opportunity to recover Rome.

At this time, Catholicism's Holy See occupied Rome—the so-called Papal States. Supporting the Papal States was France, the hegemon of Europe. This was also why Italy, despite having clearly unified already, had been unable to reclaim the vital region of Rome for so long.

But after the war broke out, the French army stationed in Rome had gradually begun withdrawing.

Italy was waiting for the moment when all of France's troops had withdrawn. The Holy See's forces would be unable to halt the march of Italian Unification, and Rome would soon become the official capital of the Kingdom of Italy.

Just as Vittorio Emanuele II waited anxiously for the French army to withdraw completely from Rome, the Spanish government sent the Italian government a request for a diplomatic visit.

The delegation Spain dispatched this time was exceptionally grand. It was headed by Prime Minister Primo, accompanied by several government ministers, as well as several high-ranking Spanish military officers.

Considering the recent Election of the King in Spain, Vittorio Emanuele II seemed to have somewhat understood the purpose of Spain's diplomatic visit.

Yet there was one thing Vittorio Emanuele II did not quite understand: when the Spanish government investigated candidates from other nations, it had only conducted secret inquiries.

Why had it become a matter of dispatching a diplomatic delegation for a visit when it came to Italy? Moreover, the man leading the delegation was Primo, Spain's new prime minister. He was a figure who held both military and political power in his hands; calling him the most powerful man in Spain today would not be an exaggeration.

Though they did not fully understand Primo's intentions, Spain was, after all, a major power along the Mediterranean Sea. Italy naturally would not refuse the Spanish government's initiative to visit.

Carlo, who had been closely following news from Spain, naturally also learned of the Spanish government's request for a diplomatic visit to Italy.

For something that had never happened in history, Carlo could not help but entertain a few more speculations.

If Amadeo had been the only name on the list of candidates for the Spanish throne, they most likely would not have come to Italy.

After all, three of the four historical contenders had already withdrawn. If there were no other competitors, Amadeo should already have won.

Combining this with the Spanish government's request for a diplomatic visit, Carlo could basically conclude that he was likely also on the candidate list for the Spanish throne, and had already entered the final round of competition against his brother Amadeo.

This also meant that the choice of Spain's king would become clear with Primo's diplomatic visit. If Carlo wanted to become King of Spain, he had to firmly seize every opportunity during this visit and show Primo his strengths.

The good news was that Amadeo had not become King of Spain in history because he was particularly outstanding.

In fact, compared with the other three candidates, Amadeo could only be considered barely qualified. It was precisely because Ferdinand, Portugal's regent, voluntarily withdrew, and because people in France fiercely opposed Prince Leopold becoming King of Spain, that Amadeo benefited from the situation and ultimately emerged victorious.

However, compared with Carlo, Amadeo also had his advantages. First of all, he was six years older. At twenty-five, he appeared more mature and steady, which was still rather important to Spain.

But Carlo was not without his own strengths. When it came to Spain's current two men in power, Carlo was certainly more familiar with them than Amadeo was.

Compared with Primo's pursuit for Spain, Amadeo's mere six-year age advantage was not much at all.

Moreover, for Primo, who held military and political power in his hands, he might not necessarily want to see a more mature and steady king competing with him for authority.

Though being young meant lacking maturity and steadiness, it also meant being easier to control than someone older.

At least for Primo, who was currently bent on bringing about Spanish reform, Amadeo did not necessarily hold the advantage.

After silently weighing the respective strengths of himself and his brother Amadeo, Carlo began considering how he could display his advantages during this diplomatic visit and make Primo choose him.

The first thing he needed to do was recognize his own position.

In truth, whether Amadeo or Carlo became Spain's king, neither could possibly wield much real power in the early stages.

It would be fine if they had the support of Primo and Serrano. Both men held military and political power in their hands, and would be no small aid to the king.

Without the support of those two, however, the King of Spain would be a commander without an army, with not even a single reliable subordinate under him.

Under such circumstances, Carlo's initial plan after becoming King of Spain had never been to seize power, but rather to help Primo and Serrano reform Spain on the foundation of stabilizing his own throne.

Though Spain was still a second-rate European nation at present, it had already fallen far too far behind Great Powers such as Britain and France, Prussia, Russia, and Austria.

Even Italy, which had only unified not long ago, surpassed Spain in overall national strength. If Spain did not reform and continued dragging things out like this, it might even become a third-rate European nation.

Both Primo and Serrano possessed enormous prestige. Having the two of them take the initiative in reforming Spain would go far more smoothly than Carlo pushing reforms himself, and Spaniards would find it easier to accept as well.

More importantly, both Primo and Serrano wanted to see a monarch who supported reform appear in Spain.

Primo in particular, as the most powerful man in Spain, was a reformist through and through.

Although Primo had been assassinated in history before Amadeo arrived in Spain, during his brief time as Spain's prime minister, he had pushed through the promulgation of multiple decrees and became a representative figure of Spain's Reformists.

If Carlo could show his support for reform while Primo visited Italy, he believed he would earn Primo's favor.

So long as either Primo or Serrano supported him, Carlo did not think he would lose to his brother Amadeo in this competition among candidates for the throne.

After all, during Amadeo's three years as King of Spain, he had not shown himself to possess exceptional ability, nor had he displayed much ambition or lofty aspiration.

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