Empire Rising: Spain

But if they can’t even survive and have to rely on the lifeline of the Philippine Colony, then naturally no one will pay attention to them, and whether they can survive will depend solely on their efforts.

After dealing with those who opposed political reform plans with thunderous methods, Spain’s reform process was able to proceed rapidly.

Both Barcelona and Madrid have been given new names, they are named Special Cities. Other regions have been renamed as states, after the Parliament and Cabinet Government issued the relevant decrees, each region announced and changed the names of regional governments and regional councils within days.

At this moment, within the Madrid Royal Palace, Carlo looked at the Spanish administrative map hanging in his office, feeling a surge of pride.

Although Spain’s land area is not large, it’s still a major country with an area exceeding 500,000 square kilometers and a population of 22 million.

Currently, the burden of developing the 12 domestic states of Spain and 2 special cities rests entirely on Carlo’s shoulders. This is a supreme power, but also a responsibility as heavy as a mountain.

Carlo first glanced at Spain’s administrative divisions, then turned his gaze to the Andorra Duchy in the northern part of Spain, then shifted his gaze to Portugal in the western part of Spain, and finally to the south, Morocco.

As his gaze shifted, a hint of ambition was revealed in Carlo’s eyes, an ambition to completely unify the Iberian Peninsula and transform Spain into a superpower spanning both the European and African continents.

As for Gibraltar, located between the European and African continents, Carlo fixed his gaze on it for the longest time.

If unifying the Iberian Peninsula could make Carlo one of Spain’s greatest monarchs, then reclaiming Gibraltar could make Carlo Spain’s greatest monarch.

Carlo even hoped that by doing so, he could be canonized, becoming the greatest ruler in the hearts of all Spaniards and earning the title of Emperor.

In April 1885, Carlo officially launched a national tour visiting each state.

This tour aimed not only at urging each state’s reform but also at stabilizing the people’s hearts, ensuring Spain’s reforms could continue stably and ultimately achieve complete success.

The first stop of Carlo’s tour was Spain’s newly established administrative area, the Barcelona Special City.

For Spain, Barcelona’s importance is no less than Madrid’s.

Madrid is Spain’s political center, cultural center, and railway transportation center, as well as the city with the largest population in Spain. Meanwhile, Barcelona is Spain’s industrial center, economic center, and maritime center; Barcelona along with Catalonia is recognized as the most developed region in Spain.

After establishing the Barcelona Special City, the capital of Catalonia was moved from Barcelona to the more southern Tarragona.

However, it’s clear that Tarragona cannot replace Barcelona.

This is also evident from Spain’s railway construction, where Madrid is the center of all railways, connecting Galicia, Andalusia, and the three most populous states of Catalonia.

And Barcelona is the center of the Catalonia Railway, connecting west to Zaragoza in Aragon State and south to Valencia in Valencia State, serving as an extremely important transportation hub.

Though Tarragona is a seaport city with a good geographical location, compared to Barcelona, located in the central region of Catalonia, Tarragona cannot become a transportation hub and can only be an ordinary seaport city on the railway line.

Losing Barcelona is a tremendous loss for Catalonia, sure to impact the economy of Catalonia.

However, given the support Barcelona can receive from the Spanish Government as a Special City, Catalonia’s sacrifice is worthwhile.

For this tour, Carlo decided to use his private train, taking a train to one of Spain’s brilliant twin star cities.

However, different from the previous journey through Zaragoza to Barcelona, Carlo this time chose to first travel east to Valencia, then head north from Valencia to Barcelona for inspection.

The scenery of Spain in spring is still quite beautiful, at least around Madrid it is.

But once you leave Madrid and enter the mountainous area, the scenery is no longer as pleasing. Carlo admired Spain’s unique landscape while planning the tasks to be undertaken upon arriving in Barcelona.

This trip includes sufficient security forces to prevent any counterattacks by the Catalans.

Although on the surface the radical elements of Catalans and Basques have already been dealt with, who can guarantee that no one has gone underground, secretly plotting assassinations against the King and other high-ranking government officials?

Carlo still places significant importance on his personal safety.

Along with the private train going to Barcelona this time, besides some servants and government officials, there were also hundreds of guards and Guard Army soldiers.

This scale of defensive force is sufficient to ensure Carlo’s safety in any area of Spain. Even if Catalonia indeed has radicals causing chaos, Carlo’s safety can still be assured.

Time flew by, and Carlo’s entourage took a train to Valencia, then traveled north from Valencia, passing through Tarragona, and finally reached Barcelona.

At the train station in Barcelona, the Mayor of Barcelona, along with numerous officials and council members from the city government and council, were respectfully waiting.

Although the establishment of the Barcelona Special City is a grievous loss for Catalonia, for Barcelona itself, the benefits actually outweigh the drawbacks.

For instance, the Mayor of Barcelona, whose administrative level is merely a mayor. Although Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain, housing Spain’s largest industrial zone, this does not alter the administrative level and status of the Mayor of Barcelona.

But after the establishment of the Barcelona Special City, the Mayor of Barcelona jumped from an ordinary mayor to a new prestigious figure in the Spanish political arena.

Indeed, compared to other states, Barcelona’s land area and population are smaller.

However, Barcelona’s superior economic and industrial conditions also mean that the Mayor of Barcelona has more opportunities to establish political achievements.

Standing beside the Mayor of Barcelona were either important city government officials or the Speaker of the city council and some council members.

One person’s identity was somewhat special, standing behind the Mayor of Barcelona with a demeanor likened to the second person in the Barcelona City Government.

That person’s appearance was quite familiar, and Carlo recognized him at a glance; he was Angelo Orkaho, a favored down-and-out nobleman Carlo had once highly regarded.

Speaking of which, Baron Angelo Orkaho had been serving as the district chief of the Barcelona Industrial Zone for several years. Spain’s rapid industrial development could not have been possible without the swift development of the Barcelona Industrial Zone.

And the rapid development of the Barcelona Industrial Zone was attributed to the excellent leadership of Baron Angelo Orkaho. Facts proved that Carlo’s judgment was indeed quite remarkable.

Though merely a down-and-out noble, Baron Angelo Orkaho’s abilities were undeniably excellent, successfully utilizing his skills during his tenure as the district chief of the industrial zone, creating the industrial heart of Spain.

With the establishment of the Barcelona Special City, Baron Angelo Orkaho also stood a good chance of elevating his administrative level.

There were even rumors circulating within Barcelona that during the next mayoral election, Baron Angelo Orkaho was likely to be elected as the new Mayor of Barcelona.

It should be noted that Baron Angelo Orkaho was still under the age of 40. Being elected as the Mayor of Barcelona, an equivalent status to that of a governor at such an age, signifies that he still holds great potential for further advancement.

In other words, Baron Angelo Orkaho undoubtedly belongs to the new elite of the political arena, one with substantial potential.