Chapter 84: Colonial Plan
“How many troops do we have available to deploy to Morocco?” Carlo thought carefully for a moment before asking.
Seeing that Carlo had an idea, Serrano quickly replied: “20,000 Spanish troops can be mobilized at any time, Your Majesty.
If we add the troops we have deployed in Ceuta and Tetouan, there will be about 30,000 troops available, which is fully sufficient to deal with the Moroccan army.”
Ceuta and Tetouan are Moroccan cities militarily occupied by Spain, so they naturally require more troops for suppression.
Spain also regards these two cities as bridgeheads for colonizing Morocco, and whether during Queen Isabella’s reign or now, the garrisons in these two cities have never been reduced.
“What does the government plan to do?” Carlo turned his gaze to Prime Minister Primó.
“Make the situation in Ceuta more lively, so that it can affect the entire Moroccan region.” Prime Minister Primó said with a smile: “As long as these Moroccans’ rebellion causes casualties to Spanish commoners, it will be the time for our army to declare war on Morocco.”
The Moroccan government cannot escape responsibility for the Moroccans’ rebellion, and as long as it causes casualties to Spanish commoners, Spain will have sufficient reason to militarily intervene in Morocco’s situation.
Once war breaks out, the final outcome will no longer be up to the Moroccan government.
If the great powers do not intervene, directly turning Morocco into a colony is not impossible. Anyway, the distance to Spain’s homeland also***rebelling is quite convenient.
Through continuous exploitation of Morocco, Spain can accelerate industrial construction and economic growth, and also divert domestic conflicts.
“Very good, let’s do that.” Carlo nodded, no longer hesitating.
“As you command, Your Majesty.” Prime Minister Primó smiled and nodded upon hearing this, and left the royal palace together with Serrano.
Although Spain is not a great power, its desire for colonies is no less than that of great power countries. As the world’s first empire on which the sun never sets, Spain once possessed vast colonies.
Although the current colonies are few and far between, the Spanish government, including Prime Minister Primó, still has a desire for colonies.
This is also the norm for European countries in this era. If Spain and Portugal showed European countries the huge income brought by colonialism during the great colonial era, then the strength of the British Empire made European countries’ ambitions for colonialism continuously expand.
As long as it is a European country, it basically has the idea of expanding colonies.
Countries like Portugal and Belgium having colonies in Africa is enough to prove the influence of colonialism on European countries in this era; it can quickly make a country wealthy, and it does not require too much investment.
When Prime Minister Primó and Serrano walked out of the royal palace, Carlo called for his butler Loren.
Prime Minister Primó and Serrano’s desire for Morocco also reminded Carlo. Although Africa is extremely vast, almost all great powers have focused their attention on this continent.
If Spain does not participate early in the partition of Africa, what will be left for Spain in the future may only be uninhabited deserts and uninhabited primary forests.
Africa has an area of up to 30 million square kilometers, with countless mineral resources and immeasurable economic value.
As long as it can occupy a part of the African region, it will be a good boost for Spain.
Since Morocco is already being targeted by the government, Carlo naturally set his goal on other regions of Africa, such as the Congo that Belgium historically obtained.
There are too many reasons why Belgium obtained the Congo, but in the end, it was because several European powers did not want each other to get this land.
And the King of Belgium happened to appear at this time and began the exploration and occupation of the Congo.
Compared to the Congo being occupied by other great powers, a Belgium with obviously weaker overall strength is naturally no threat.
It is precisely because of this that this land ultimately fell into the hands of Belgium, allowing the Congo to snatch this fat piece of meat from the hands of many great powers.
How vast is this Congo colony obtained by Belgium? The total area is up to 34 million square kilometers, and it possesses a large amount of mineral resources.
The Congo’s copper reserves are about 75 million tons, accounting for 15% of the world’s total reserves, cobalt reserves are about 5 million tons, accounting for 50% of the world’s total reserves, and tantalum concentrate reserves are about 30 million tons, accounting for 80% of the world’s total reserves.
In addition, the Congo also has 206 million carats of diamond reserves and extremely rich iron ore, non-metallic minerals, and other resources.
Besides minerals, the Congo also has large reserves of petroleum and natural gas, with economic value far exceeding that of ordinary colonies.
Of course, what moves Carlo even more is that the Congo has a large amount of uranium ore, and the purity of these uranium ores is extremely high.
The uranium-235 refined from uranium ore is the main raw material for making atomic bombs. If the Congo can be occupied, it will play a very important role in Spain’s future research and development of atomic bombs.
Higher-purity uranium ore can help Spain better refine uranium-235, which is extremely important for Spain’s future strategic deployment, no less than the other mineral resources of the Congo.
Not to mention anything else, just these extremely high-purity uranium ores alone made Carlo determined to take the Congo at all costs.
Currently, the biggest enemy for Spain to take the Congo is actually Belgium, or rather King Leopold II of Belgium.
Because King Leopold II of Belgium did not use government funds in the process of colonizing the Congo; all expenses came from the property of the Belgian royal family.
This also led to Leopold II smoothly turning the Congo into his own territory after obtaining the rule over the Congo.
Carlo does not believe he will lose to Leopold II in this colonial struggle, after all, he can also rely on the Spanish government, which is far stronger than Belgium.
Even without rising to the national level, Carlo is confident of defeating Leopold II.
After Spain’s five-year development plan for industry is completed, Carlo’s factories will have long since made a fortune.
At least in terms of spending money, Carlo really is not afraid of Leopold II. Anyway, with his insight from posterity and vast capital, Carlo can earn sufficient funds at any time.
For example, the engine research that Benz and others are currently conducting. Once cars are manufactured and production costs are greatly reduced through assembly line production, car sales will be enough to make Carlo no longer worry about funds.
How much property does Leopold II have? And how much is he daring to put forward to struggle with Carlo for colonies?
When Carlo explores the Congo region earlier than Leopold II, it has already doomed Leopold II to be at a disadvantage in this colonial struggle.
Riwandi Day 2/7, today updated 6200/
