The wheels of human civilization rolled ever onward, the tides of the age surged mightily forward. With the advance of science and technology, the footsteps of a great era drew ever closer to this world.
Perhaps everyone had grown weary of fighting, or perhaps God had grown tired of watching war films every day. In 1897, the world suddenly fell quiet.
Apart from France, where the flames of war still burned, Cuba, the Philippines, and Morocco all quieted down. The Kingdom of Spain, exhausted from rushing about, could finally stop and catch its breath.
Yet this peace had not been won entirely on the battlefield. More than anything, it was the result of compromise by all sides.
No matter how far the Kingdom of Spain had declined, it was still no match for a few indigenous tribes. After a prolonged and bitter struggle, the rebel forces ultimately could not hold out.
The victorious Kingdom of Spain was not faring well either. Having suffered grievous casualties and piled up crushing debts, the Spanish Government no longer had the means to continue encircling and suppressing the rebels who had abandoned the cities and retreated into the jungles.
Since neither side could keep fighting, they could only sit down and negotiate. Through treaty after treaty of compromise, the Kingdom of Spain finally pacified the colonial rebellions.
Clearly, this was not the end. Once hatred had taken root, it was not so easily dispelled.
Compromise was merely a temporary truce. No one knew when, in the future, the flames of war would rise again.
But the miserable Spanish Government had no time to worry about the future now. The war was over, but their troubles had only just begun.
Leaving aside how they were meant to repay that enormous debt, the French mercenaries in