Quelling the Cuban Rebellion

With the promulgation of two decrees—one for free literacy education and another for agricultural tax reductions—Spaniards were surprised to find that the king above them was no longer as bothersome.

At least during Queen Isabella's reign, the government would not have proactively proposed agricultural tax reductions, nor would it have established free literacy education.

But for Carlo at this time, one problem had just been resolved.

As early as the Spanish Revolution, the colony of Cuba took the opportunity to launch a war of independence, occupying several cities, convening a so-called constitutional convention, and electing a president.

This was unacceptable to Spain, as Cuba was the most valuable of all its colonies and one of the few that generated positive revenue.

Losing the colony of Cuba would not only mean a significant reduction in the annual fiscal revenue for the Spanish government but also a blow to the prestige of Carlo, the new king, and the new cabinet.

As the current government of the Kingdom of Spain gradually got on track, it was time to deal with the restless colony of Cuba and generate more revenue for the Spanish government.

Currently, there were not many Cuban rebels, nor did they possess advanced weaponry. For the Spanish government, apart from the need to operate across the vast Atlantic, there were no major problems to overcome.

Thus, the first large-scale war since Carlo became king officially began.

The Minister of War, Serrano, led 5,500 soldiers on a grand expedition to Cuba to quell the rebellion, striving to eradicate the Cuban insurgents to the greatest extent possible.

This relatively small-scale pacification war was also an opportunity for Carlo. Kaman Esposito and Andrew Rosso would also join this pacification war as low-ranking officers.

Carlo's expectation for them was to achieve some merit during this pacification, which would facilitate their subsequent promotion and appointment.

Giotto, who was more capable, was kept in Madrid by Carlo to command the 500-strong Royal Guard. After all, Carlo's safety was a more pressing concern, and a trustworthy subordinate had to be responsible for the security of the royal palace.

Carlo trusted Serrano's military capabilities. More importantly, Serrano had served as the Governor-General of Cuba for three years between 1859 and 1862, and he had a relatively good understanding of the situation in Cuba.

Sending him to Cuba to quell the rebellion was the most suitable choice, and it offered the greatest hope of resolving the Cuban issue in a short period and ensuring that Cuba would not rebel again in the foreseeable future.

As for what would happen in the long term, that was beyond Carlo's scope of consideration.

For Carlo, Spain's colonies scattered across the world were, in fact, a burden to Spain.

Cuba was an entire Atlantic Ocean away from Spain, but it was only separated from the United States by the Florida Strait.

The United States, having won the Civil War, already possessed the potential to become a world superpower, and its comprehensive national strength was continuously increasing.

For Spain, having its most valuable colony located at the doorstep of the Americans meant that Spain was destined to be unable to hold onto Cuba.

Instead of that, it would be better to proactively abandon Cuba at an appropriate time and exchange it for other colonies that were less valuable but could be firmly held.

The Philippines were in a similar situation. In Carlo's future plans for Spain, both Cuba and the Philippines were to be relinquished; Spain's colonial base would be in Africa.

However, precisely because Cuba was one of the few colonies that brought positive returns to Spain, it would be very difficult to gain public approval for losing it.

At least until Carlo possessed enough prestige to withstand such a loss, or until a favorable opportunity arose, Spain would not engage in colonial exchanges.

On September 22, 1869, Carlo bid farewell to Serrano, who was embarking on the Cuban expedition, in Madrid. He personally promised all the Spanish soldiers that a victory banquet would be held for them upon their triumphant return to Madrid, and those who achieved significant merit would be granted land and titles.

The conferment of titles for military achievements held great appeal for soldiers, serving as one of the most effective opportunities for commoners to rise through the ranks.

Both Serrano himself and Primo were representative figures of this system of military meritocracy. Although Spanish soldiers did not harbor ambitions of becoming dukes or marquises, securing rewards of land and funds was certainly within their grasp.

After seeing Serrano off, Carlo, upon returning to the royal palace, soon received a report from a guard that Prime Minister Primo requested an audience.

Since Carlo had fulfilled his promises and firmly supported reforms, Primo's attitude towards Carlo had become one of deep respect, and he was willing to cultivate a praiseworthy relationship between monarch and minister with Carlo.

This was also good news for Carlo. Just like now, Primo often consulted Carlo's opinions and was willing to let Carlo make decisions on certain matters.

Although Primo did not possess the same utter lack of ambition for power and status as Garibaldi, he was not a dictatorial person either.

Carlo was pleased with this cooperative relationship. His plan was to gain some reform prestige by aligning with Primo, then gradually cultivate his own confidants within the government and the army, and prepare to take over the country after Primo.

"Your Majesty, this is a plan for industrial construction. Please approve it." Upon meeting Carlo, Primo immediately handed over a prepared industrial plan and stated his purpose directly.

"Are we starting industrial construction now? Prime Minister Primo, if I recall correctly, it seems our government doesn't have that much money to invest in industrial construction." Carlo was somewhat surprised by the speed of Primo's reforms.

Reforms in education and agriculture had been underway for less than a month, and now industrial construction was to begin immediately.

For Spain, which was currently facing a severe shortage of funds, launching so many projects simultaneously was not a good idea. Carlo understood Primo's eagerness to achieve results, but if the pursuit of speed alone led the Spanish government to the brink of bankruptcy, it would be a loss that outweighed the gains.

"The first phase of industrial construction is estimated to cost 55 million pesetas. I plan to issue approximately 25 million pesetas in industrial bonds in installments. The remaining 30 million pesetas can be obtained through loans from foreign capital.

As long as we can promote industrial construction, our economic situation will improve in the coming years, and Spain's dire circumstances can be comprehensively rectified," Primo explained.

Queen Isabella's government had focused solely on its own enjoyment and neglected national development, causing Spain's various aspects of construction to stagnate for a long time, even regressing.

The only good news was that the previous government, despite its neglect of development, had not incurred excessive foreign debt. The current Spanish government could still obtain some initial funding for projects through borrowing.

First update, seeking support!