Empire Rising: Spain

As Carlo anticipated, the French, after concluding the war with Asia, immediately turned their focus to Africa.

The situation in Africa had undergone significant changes, with European countries rushing to carve up this large cake.

Due to conflicts with their colonial plans with Spain, Italy, and even the United Kingdom, the French also wanted to quickly finalize their plans and bring the lands they desired under their colonial rule.

Perhaps the French were already aware that the weapons sold to Asia came from Spain, so the first target of the French was the Senegal Colony.

The Senegal Colony was located north of Spain’s West Africa Colony, with the two colonies directly adjoining each other.

Due to previous occupations by the United Kingdom and Portugal, it had formed a relatively stable triangular relationship with the French further north. Although there was colonial competition among the three countries, great conflicts did not arise.

With Spain successively acquiring the Gambia Colony from the United Kingdom and the Guinea Colony from Portugal, this balance was gradually disrupted.

Now, only the French Senegal Colony and the Spanish West Africa Colony remained, and because only the two parties were left, the colonial competition and conflict between France and Spain intensified.

Additionally, with Spain secretly undermining France in the war, it was certain that the French intended to take revenge.

June 22, 1885, in the capital of the Spanish West Africa Colony, Banjul.

As time entered June, Africa ushered in its hottest season. Although it was hot all year round, compared to the unbearable summer, the other seasons weren’t as difficult to endure.

However, the good news was that the hot, rainy climate also facilitated the rapid growth of crops. Currently, the West Africa Colony had become one of Spain’s most important agricultural areas, and each harvest saw a massive fleet of cargo ships heading to Spain from Banjul.

Due to the large volume of cargo transportation, Banjul had become the largest port in Spain’s West Africa Colony, playing a crucial role in transportation.

Most of the supplies needed by the West Africa Colony had to be transported through Banjul Port, which was Spain’s largest port in West Africa, without exception.

The current Governor of West Africa, Harrison, along with some officials, was inspecting the transportation of grain at Banjul Port.

Coincidentally, late June marked the first rice harvest in the West Africa Colony. This made the entire West Africa Colony extremely busy, with large amounts of grain being harvested daily, dried, and then transported to mainland Spain for storage.

The grains transported to mainland Spain, in fact, represented Governor Harrison’s political achievements. This made Harrison place great importance on the harvesting and transportation of grain, personally overseeing every major harvest and transportation to ensure nothing went wrong.

In reality, no problems ever arose. The West Africa Colony indeed had a large amount of black labor, but this labor force was under strict supervision.

Although nominally not slaves, they lived lives no different from that of slaves.

The eight Colonial Defense Corps stationed here were the greatest guarantee of the safety and stability of the West Africa Colony, leaving the natives with no courage to resist.

Although Spanish colonizers did not engage in random killings on the surface, any native who dared to resist Spanish colonial rule would not meet a good end.

In places like the West Africa Colony, there were no prisons; any criminal would be sent to mines or other dangerous places, sentenced to a life of endless labor.

Watching the bustling scene at the port, Harrison felt quite relieved.

Being the Governor of West Africa was a relatively easy task. Simply supervise the black workers to plant and harvest rice and other crops in suitable seasons, and transport the harvested grain to Spain, thereby earning significant political achievements effortlessly.

Because the grain transported from the West Africa Colony to Spain reached a new high last year, Carlo specifically sent a telegram to praise Governor Harrison and promised that after Harrison’s term ended, he would be offered a position in Spain.

This was tremendous news for Harrison. The Governor of the Colony in Spain was originally a gilded position, and upon returning to Spain, he would either assume a high-ranking position like a Cabinet Minister or a senior military post, paving a bright future.

Besides the promotion in position, because the Governor of the Colony belonged to the noble class, there was also the potential for elevation in nobility ranks.

After all, Governors of the Colony were mostly close confidants of the King, and neither Carlo nor kings from other countries would be stingy in promoting their own people.

”Tell those black workers to be careful; this grain is destined for Madrid, and I don’t want any waste in this damned place,” Governor Harrison said to the officials beside him.

”Yes, Governor,” the official nodded, clearly agreeing with Harrison’s statement.

This grain was indeed Harrison’s political achievement, as well as that of these colonial officials. The main difference between Harrison and the officials was that the latter had settled in the colony, whereas Harrison’s home was still in mainland Spain.