Empire Rising: Spain

Aside from some simple reminiscing, Carlo and Garibaldi also chatted about his two sons, Menotti and Giotto.

It must be admitted that Garibaldi’s resume is quite impressive, and his two sons, having traveled far and wide with him, have developed quite notable abilities.

Carlo plans to appoint Garibaldi’s eldest son, Menotti, as the Minister of Royal Affairs in the Spanish Cabinet. This is considered Carlo’s trusted aide in the Cabinet, and in Carlo’s absence from Cabinet meetings, the Minister of Royal Affairs will directly represent Carlo.

This fully demonstrates Carlo’s significant trust in Menotti. Although the Minister of Royal Affairs does not wield much actual power, in terms of status and influence, it is no less than any other Cabinet Minister.

Garibaldi’s younger son, Giotto, currently holds the position of Commander of the Spanish Royal Guard, while simultaneously serving as the Commander of the Imperial Guard Division.

Although the position of Commander of the Royal Guard was established by Carlo as a nominal role to control the Spanish Military Committee, no one can be certain whether the Guard Army will expand in the future.

As Commander of the Guard Army, Giotto is undoubtedly one of Carlo’s most trusted aides. Until a trusted native officer reaches the rank of division commander, Giotto will continue to serve as the Commander of the Imperial Guard Division.

But it is certain that when future Spanish native officers possess sufficient qualifications, the candidate for the position of Commander of the Imperial Guard Division will also be replaced.

Although Carlo has enough trust in Giotto, it is not advisable for an officer to stay in the same position for too long.

The Guard Army is a private military force of Carlo and the Royal Family, and only the Royal Family and Carlo can control it. Of course, Carlo will not mistreat Giotto, who has helped him initially.

Even if Giotto is to step down from the positions of Commander of the Imperial Guard Division and Commander of the Guard Army, his new position will certainly be of a higher rank, such as Chief of Staff of the Spanish Ministry of Defense or Minister of Defense.

Garibaldi is quite concerned about his two sons, and after learning that both sons are performing quite well, Garibaldi is very pleased.

Back in his time of retreat, Garibaldi knew he could never be heavily utilized by the Italian Royal Family. Apart from Garibaldi’s earlier support for the republic, Garibaldi’s high reputation in Italy is also a significant reason.

No ruler likes a subordinate whose achievements could overshadow the sovereign; this has always been so from ancient times to the present.

Whereas in Spain, Garibaldi is just an ordinary foreigner, and his two sons naturally do not receive any additional fame there.

Moreover, given Garibaldi’s favorable impression of Carlo, this is why he is willing to let his two sons go to Spain rather than remain in Italy to serve.

Looking at it now, his choice was very correct, as both sons have been significantly utilized in Spain, potentially revitalizing the Garibaldi family there.

On Capri, Carlo had a pleasant conversation with Garibaldi, and then he took a warship back to Rome.

Because of King Umberto’s coronation half a year later, Carlo doesn’t plan to linger in Italy wasting time.

Before departure, Carlo had a complete plan to visit certain European countries.

Besides Italy as the first destination, countries Carlo will visit include Austria-Hungary, Germany, and France.

In fact, considering the current cooperative relationship between Spain and Russia, Russia could also be included on the list of visits.

But considering his father-in-law, Franz Joseph I’s poor relations with the Russians, Carlo ultimately removed Russia from the list.

Besides, the Russians are in a war recently, and Tsar Alexander II is personally leading the troops, making it unnecessary to visit Russia.

Visiting Austria-Hungary, a Spanish ally, is highly necessary. As for why Germany and France are included, the main purpose is to create a sense of crisis in France by visiting Germany, thereby extracting more benefits from France.

Carlo has a very clear understanding of the current European situation. Logically speaking, Germany and Austria-Hungary are allies, as is Italy; following the principle that a friend of a friend is a friend, Spain and Germany should logically establish an alliance too.

But in reality, at this time, the alliances between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy were more of diplomatic policies, while Germany’s closeness with Russia is an active choice.

This is not the era of World War I, and Germany and Russia have not allied together, so Germany is more inclined to befriend Russia.

More importantly, although Germany’s industry has developed rapidly during this period, Germany, like Spain at this time, is still a powerful nation lacking in financial resources.

Even if Spain and Germany were to sign a treaty, the support Germany could provide to Spain is quite limited, nowhere near as enticing as the francs that fall through the fingers of wealthy France.

Spain is a straw for France to escape its isolation from Germany. As long as the straw remains, the French will surely want to cling to it desperately.

But if the straw breaks, one can only guess how desperately the French may react. After all, France, once the dominant power in Europe, clearly overshadows Spain in overall power.

Carlo doesn’t want Spain to face France head-on but rather to adopt a stance of neutrality to extract more advantages from France.