A Headache-Inducing Reform Plan

News of the Royal Military Academy's massive recruitment drive was eagerly reported by Carlo's Spanish Sun and other newspapers, becoming a major headline around Madrid.

Thanks to this publicity, over a hundred people had signed up for the Military Academy in just a few days.

Although only a little over sixty were accepted after multiple rounds of selection, it was still a significant improvement compared to the academy's previous state.

While vigorously recruiting new cadets, Carlo also ordered the Royal Military Academy to study the training systems of Prussian and French officers and reform the academy.

The outdated Spanish officer training system was not well-suited for the current era. Were they planning to have Spanish soldiers march to their deaths by practicing obsolete line infantry tactics?

The good news was that the Austro-Prussian War and Franco-Prussian War, which had broken out in recent years, could serve as case studies for Spanish military academies. Prussia, Austria, and France, involved in these conflicts, were among the world's most powerful land armies today.

Speaking of the Franco-Prussian War, this war, which started a year earlier, was clearly more intense than in history.

In historical accounts, the Second French Empire lasted less than two months before Emperor Napoleon III formally surrendered to the Prussian army.

France in this world wasn't faring much better. Although it held out for a longer period, the war's trajectory was firmly controlled by the Prussian army.

The French army had a large number of line infantry regiments, a tactic of marching in formation that had lost its effectiveness with the increasing range of rifles.

And the French army's problems didn't stop there. They lacked thorough preparation before the war, and after its outbreak, Napoleon III was still agonizing over whether to attack or defend.

Furthermore, the French army typically didn't have corps and division structures. The hastily formed corps and divisions during the war struggled to achieve proper coordination and combat effectiveness.

Facing the Prussian army, which had just emerged from the Austro-Prussian War, was well-equipped and experienced, the French army was clearly at a disadvantage from the outset.

The only remaining questions were when Prussia would end the war and whether a revolution would break out in France after Napoleon III's surrender.

This was the focus of Carlo and the Spanish government's attention, as the situation in France could also affect Spain.

Under Carlo's suggestion and Primo's tacit approval, the Spanish government also developed a plan for university development.

It was projected that within the next five years, Spain would establish at least five universities, bringing the total number of universities to over ten.

Concurrently, most of these universities would focus on science and engineering disciplines, with mathematics and physics being key areas of development.

Literature, arts, and other less critical majors would be consolidated into two or three universities, as Spain did not require a large number of art professionals.

To encourage Spaniards to enroll in universities, Carlo planned to establish a scholarship system for university students.

This would not only allow more commoners to attend university but also allow them to receive the favor of the royal family. It would not only cultivate talent for Spain but also enhance the prestige of the monarchy, a win-win situation.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, 1869 quickly drew to a close.

1870 arrived on schedule.

If 1869 was merely a trial run for Primo's reforms, 1870 would mark the beginning of Primo's true reform phase.

To make Spain stronger, Primo presented a "Comprehensive Reform Plan" at the end of 1869, leaving Carlo stunned.

In this reform plan, Primo highlighted the necessity of implementing compulsory primary education, following Prussia's example, and declared his intention to promote comprehensive literacy education in Spain.

With a target population of over 16 million Spaniards, Primo set a five-year timeframe for the implementation of comprehensive literacy education.

Education was just the first step.

The second objective of Primo's reforms was to effectively raise the income level of the Spanish people. While not aiming to surpass great powers like Britain, France, or Prussia, the goal was to surpass neighboring countries like Portugal and reach a level comparable to Italy.

How would this goal be achieved?

Primo proposed three plans.

First, promote the implementation of Spanish labor laws to effectively guarantee the wages and salary payments of Spanish workers and other employed individuals.

Second, increase the income of the agricultural population by reducing agricultural taxes and increasing grain output. Primo also proposed the establishment of a government grain price regulatory body to ensure that grain buyers would guarantee farmers' income while also controlling grain prices in the Spanish market.

Third, reduce the various miscellaneous taxes left over from Queen Isabella's reign and streamline the tax items for the Spanish populace. To alleviate the pressure on government finances, taxes on businesses and factories should be appropriately increased to achieve a balance in the Spanish government's revenue and expenditure.

Just looking at these two objectives gave Carlo a headache.

Although these objectives were genuinely aimed at reform and would effectively increase the income level of the Spanish people, the problem was that doing so would also offend two deeply entrenched powers in Spain: religious forces and the bourgeoisie.

A significant portion of Spain's education was currently controlled by religious forces, specifically the Catholic Church.

The reason for over seventy percent illiteracy was that the schools established by the church had not only high tuition fees but also considerable entry barriers, making them unaffordable for most ordinary people.

The bourgeoisie was even more self-evident. The greed of capitalists would lead them to continuously exploit the Spanish people. If Primo wanted to guarantee the income of Spanish workers, he would inevitably offend the bourgeoisie behind the factory owners and business owners.

If one added the republican factions waiting to mock the monarchy and the Carlists lurking in the shadows, Carlo's head was about to explode.

Such a small country as Spain had so many troubles. It was no wonder that Amadeo only lasted three years in Spain before decisively fleeing to Italy.

"Prime Minister Primo, aren't your reform plans a bit too radical?" Carlo asked, holding Primo's plan with a headache inside the Royal Palace of Madrid.

"But Spain can't wait any longer, Your Majesty," Primo explained.

"This plan directly pits the church and the capitalists against us. Do you have confidence in resolving these two issues?" Carlo asked Primo, the Prime Minister, with great seriousness.

If the problems posed by the church and capital could be resolved, these reforms would naturally be beneficial to Spain.

However, if these problems could not be resolved, the hidden Carlists and the anti-monarchist republicans would also seize the opportunity to cause trouble, and the situation in Spain could become even worse than anticipated.

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