Chapter 139: Subject to Others (Combined Chapter)

On September 27, 1872, the train station in Madrid, the capital of Spain, appeared exceptionally lively.

Early in the morning, the train station was already filled with guards enforcing martial law; the station was even temporarily sealed off, allowing only departures and no entries.

On a small square nearby, Prime Minister Prim of Spain and several cabinet ministers had been waiting for a long time.

The person capable of making Prime Minister Prim mobilize in person was naturally a guest of rather distinguished status.

The first president of the French Third Republic, the controller of a powerful France, and the current supreme leader of the French government, Louis-Adolphe Thiers.

Much like the chaotic situation within France, the political system of the newly established French Third Republic was also relatively chaotic.

France not only had a president but also a prime minister. However, there was no power struggle between the president and the prime minister; instead, there was a rather intense power struggle between the president and the parliament.

The French president was elected by the people, and the prime minister was appointed by the president. However, both the president and the prime minister needed to be accountable to the parliament, and the parliament had the right to pass a vote of no confidence to force the prime minister to resign.

Unlike the semi-presidential system of the French Fifth Republic, the current Third Republic theoretically still had a higher concentration of power in the parliament. The current French president was not the center of power in France; members of parliament had the power to supervise the government, and they could easily question the government's decisions or even eventually topple the cabinet through their own power.

However, in the initial stage of the French Third Republic, Thiers, as the first president, still held a certain amount of power in his hands.

If one had to describe it, the current Thiers was more like the first monarch in the stage of transition from a monarchy to a constitutional system in various European countries.

The power of the French president was similar to that of a king in a constitutional monarchy; except for the inability to confer titles of nobility, he was the nominal supreme leader and commander-in-chief of the military of the country.

Although France had failed in its struggle for hegemony with Prussia, it was, after all, an old-established great power in Europe and was still very strong compared to Spain.

To express the importance attached to French President Thiers, Prime Minister Prim specifically borrowed the royal band and mobilized a newly reorganized army to serve as guards to maintain order at the scene.

Of course, doing so was not without purpose. The mobilized army came from the 1st Infantry Division of the Spanish Royal Army, which could be considered elite among the Spanish forces.

Having this army come to welcome French President Thiers not only showed the importance the Spanish government attached to Thiers but also highlighted the strength of the Spanish military.

Although Spain no longer possessed its former glory, it was still a power to be reckoned with on the European continent. If the French wanted to win over Spain, they at least had to show their sincerity.

Currently, the initiative lay with the Spanish side. Because of Spain's important geographical location, it had become an object that various countries were scrambling to win over.

Of course, there were also countries like Britain that directly occupied Gibraltar, keeping the important geographical location directly in their own hands.

But for France, it was obviously impossible for them to do as the British had done. After all, France and Spain shared a direct border, and what threatened France was not any one specific region, but Spain's overall geographical position.

"Respected President Thiers, welcome to Spain!" On the square of the train station, Prime Minister Prim met the new French President Thiers and expressed his welcome with a very bright smile.

"It is an honor to come to Spain, Prime Minister Prim." French President Thiers nodded, also wearing a very friendly smile, and took the initiative to converse with Prime Minister Prim: "Spain is truly a great country; the grandeur of Madrid is not far behind that of Paris!"

Prime Minister Prim would not believe these empty words from President Thiers. Although Madrid was Spain's largest city, it was still a long way from international metropolises like London and Paris.

In terms of population alone, it was destined that Madrid's overall scale and economy could not compare to Paris. Saying that Madrid was not far behind Paris was, in reality, just friendly politeness.

"Although Madrid is prosperous, it is far from being comparable to Paris. However, Madrid also has its own unique characteristics. I hope Mr. President has a pleasant time in Madrid," Prime Minister Prim said with a smile.

Thiers nodded and, under the guidance of Prime Minister Prim, headed to the hotel specifically prepared by the Spanish government for foreign guests.

Apart from a small-scale welcome banquet held by Prime Minister Prim for President Thiers that evening, the next day, Prime Minister Prim and President Thiers did not even have any overt communication.

Both seemed to treat the arrival of this French delegation as an ordinary trip abroad and did not take the initiative to bring up any government affairs regarding the relationship between the two countries.

In diplomacy, the person who speaks first often ends up at a disadvantage. The person who speaks later occupies the initiative, because the person who speaks first is often the one asking for something.

It was precisely because Prime Minister Prim knew this that he had great patience to drag things out with the French delegation.

In any case, this diplomatic visit did not require much expenditure from the Spanish government; it was all French money being spent, so there was naturally no need to feel distressed.

The one with the terrible diplomatic environment was the French, and the ones who should be having a headache were also the French. For the Spanish government, if they could facilitate cooperation with France, that would naturally be for the best, but if cooperation could not be reached, there would be no loss.

And for the French government, things were indeed not as wonderful as imagined.

The reason why President Thiers was slow to take the initiative to speak was precisely because taking the initiative would cause him to lose the right to speak.

Although France wanted to facilitate cooperation with Spain more, President Thiers wanted Prime Minister Prim to take the initiative even more. Even if the French government provided more loans and assistance in industrial technology, it was still better than taking the initiative and falling into a disadvantageous position.

But looking at the current situation, Prime Minister Prim was definitely an old fox in politics. If the two just kept silent like this, I am afraid that this cooperation would not only fail to be reached, but to a certain extent, it would push Spain even further away.

"The Spanish must have seen through our purpose. It's all the fault of the damned Germans; otherwise, the great France would not face such a predicament!" French President Thiers, who had been in Madrid for only a few days, was somewhat losing his composure, as the process of visiting Spain was not as smooth as imagined.

"I am afraid so, Mr. President." French Foreign Minister Jacques-Victor-Albert nodded helplessly, sighed, and said: "I am afraid we must offer some sincerity to win over the Spanish; otherwise, once Germany and Spain reach cooperation, France's situation will become even more difficult."

Even the French had to admit that Prime Minister Bismarck posed too great a threat to France.

The German region, which had been filled with states and fighting each other since the time of the Holy Roman Empire, was integrated under the hands of Prime Minister Bismarck and formed into a unified German Empire.

One must know that in this process, the enemies Germany fought against were not just within Germany, but also powerful enemies like Denmark, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and France.

And after defeating France, Prime Minister Bismarck not only had no arrogance or complacency but also proposed a policy of isolating France, which gave the French a massive headache.

"As long as the Germans have not taken the initiative to contact Spain, we still have a chance." President Thiers rubbed his furrowed brow and said: "We must ensure at all costs that Spain does not join an alliance with Germany; otherwise, France will fall into an abyss of eternal damnation.

If Spain is determined to move closer to Germany, then for the sake of France's future security, we can only protect our country through war."

On the last day of September, President Thiers acted contrary to his usual behavior; instead of maintaining his previous good mood for sightseeing, he found Prime Minister Prim early in the morning and got straight to the point about the purpose of his diplomatic visit to Spain.

"Prime Minister Prim, Spain was once a great country. I believe that Spain's decline is only temporary. The Spain of the future will eventually return to the throne of the great powers," President Thiers said with a smile:

"France is very willing to help our neighbor become strong again. We have no conflict of interest, do we?

If your country is willing, we can provide your country with a portion of financial loans and sign a trade treaty to deepen economic cooperation between the two sides."

If one speaks of France, the most impressive thing to people might be the glory of the Napoleonic Empire. Napoleon once conquered more than half of Europe and almost completed the legend of unifying Europe.

At that time, France was the most powerful country on the European continent, and it was only by relying on the anti-French alliances formed by many countries that the then-ascendant France was finally defeated.

But in fact, before the Napoleonic Empire, France was already a famous hegemon on the European continent.

Because of the grain production brought by vast plains and a denser population compared to other countries, France had been one of the most famous countries in Europe since the Middle Ages.

France's glory lasted until the end of World War I, eventually failing because it lost too many people in the war.

France during World War II was indeed not as strong as it was during World War I, but it was still one of the world's top five great powers.

It was just that the French, having experienced the cruel World War I, were already tired of war, and even more tired of France resisting Germany on the front line while other countries sat back and enjoyed the fruits of victory behind France.

Other countries did indeed pay a certain price, but such a price was not worth mentioning compared to what France had paid.

However, there was no help for it. The German-French conflict was the main contradiction in World War I, and coupled with the fact that Germany and France were neighbors, the war that broke out between them was definitely the most intense in World War I.

Although the conflict between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia was also a main contradiction in World War I, the military strength of these two countries was obviously a level lower compared to Germany and France.

It was precisely because it suffered too many casualties in World War I that France finally chose to "slack off" in World War II and completed a task that most countries could not complete: "It is impossible to occupy Paris before France surrenders."

Facts also proved that France's choice in World War II might have been the wisest for France itself. Other countries in World War II bore heavy casualties, while France, because it surrendered early, suffered losses that were not as severe as other countries.

"If we can obtain aid from your government, it will accelerate the process of Spain's industrial construction. On behalf of the Spanish people, I thank the French government for its help. May the friendship between France and Spain last forever," Prime Minister Prim nodded, with a smile on his face, and said:

"However, in terms of basic industry, the Austro-Hungarian Empire has already given us great help. If possible, we hope to introduce production technology for heavy industry and chemicals from your country. I wonder if your country can sell it to us?

Originally, our plan was to go to Germany to purchase technology. If we can introduce a portion of technology from your country, that would naturally be for the best."

Although Prime Minister Prim's words expressed joy at the French willingness to provide technical assistance, to President Thiers, it was actually a blatant reminder that if France was unwilling to provide aid to Spain, the Germans would also be willing to join in the fun.

"Of course, no problem." The smile on President Thiers' face was slightly ugly, but he quickly changed it back and said with a very kind smile:

"As countries on the European continent, we should naturally help each other. Prime Minister Prim, we are of course willing to provide your country with technical data on heavy industry and the chemical industry to help your country better build its industrial system.

But you know, this matter is not enough with just the government's approval; it also requires the consent of the parliament.

If possible, I hope we can sign an alliance treaty, and we will provide this part of the aid in the form of an alliance.

I believe the parliament will not stop the alliance between France and Spain. We are natural allies, and we are also partners fighting side by side."

President Thiers' meaning was also very clear. Aid could be given; the French were, after all, wealthy. But the French money and technical data were not given for free; it required the Spanish government to give a clear guarantee, binding Spain to the French war chariot in the form of a military alliance.

As for whether Spain would tear up this military alliance later, President Thiers was not too worried.

First, his presidential term was only five years, and a small half had already passed. By the time his term ended, the development of the relationship between Spain and France would have nothing to do with him.

Secondly, France could also bind Spain to France by providing a large amount of loans, industrial equipment, and technical data to Spain.

The more French technology and equipment Spain adopted, the deeper its connection with France would be. Once the economic exchanges between the two countries became increasingly close, it would not be so simple for Spain to clear its relationship with France.

After all, Spain's industry was built on the foundation of massive French aid. If they were to clear the relationship, where would Spain find replacements for the French industrial equipment used in those industrial systems?

"This is probably difficult to do, President Thiers." Prime Minister Prim showed a troubled expression and explained: "As you know, Spain is a peace-loving country.

We are not willing to participate in the military competition between European countries; we yearn more for a stable and peaceful environment.

Precisely because of this, we do not intend to join a military alliance with any country. If possible, Spain is willing to sign an economic cooperation treaty and a customs union treaty with France to strengthen the economic ties between our two countries."

The alliance mentioned by the French was a military alliance, and this kind of alliance was also something Prime Minister Prim wanted to avoid at all costs.

For Spain, it was indeed possible to profit from the wooing of various countries by relying on its own superior geographical location.

But the problem was that a military treaty would completely bind Spain to France, which also meant that it would be difficult for Spain to obtain aid from Germany in the future.

To put it bluntly, if the current Spain wanted better development, it was undoubtedly more cost-effective to be a "sea king" (playing both sides).

Such a military alliance was more like a marriage contract, tying Spain tightly to the French war chariot. Countries like Germany that opposed France would then stay away from Spain, which was unfavorable to Spain's future plans.

Hearing Prime Minister Prim say that the Spanish government could only sign documents for an economic cooperation treaty and a customs union, President Thiers was suddenly somewhat annoyed.

To put it bluntly, the Spanish government's attitude was that it did not intend to cooperate closely with France, but rather wanted to "freeload" French aid.

If Spain freeloaded this aid and then turned around to join an alliance with Germany, wouldn't President Thiers become a clown?

This matter truly concerned his own interests, and President Thiers could not easily let go: "Prime Minister Prim, an economic cooperation treaty and a customs union alone cannot persuade the French parliament.

If your country wants to cooperate with France, a military alliance is a more stable guarantee of the relationship. What do you think?"

"No, President Thiers." Prime Minister Prim still shook his head, insisting on his own opinion: "Spain will not join a military alliance with any country; we only accept an economic alliance treaty.

However, I can guarantee to your country that Spain has no intention of being an enemy of France. As long as your country does not regard Spain as an enemy, Spain will not take the initiative to join in the blockade against your country.

We need a peaceful environment for development, and we are not interested in any conflict or competition. Please rest assured, Spain will not join a military alliance with any country, whether it is France or Germany."

Although French aid was very tempting, if one had to completely board the French war chariot for the sake of French industrial aid, that would be more than the loss was worth.

In the current general environment of Europe, the conflict between Germany and France was the most intense contradiction, followed by the conflict between Britain and France and the conflict between Austria and Russia.

Outside of Europe, there was also the conflict between Britain and Russia; the relationships between the several great powers of Europe were relatively complex.

Under these circumstances, Prime Minister Prim indeed did not think about letting Spain join these competitions. For Spain, reform was the most important thing, and developing industry and the economy came second.

As for participating in the competition between these great powers, that was a matter for long after. The current Spain did not have that kind of strength; if it were forced to join, it would easily become cannon fodder in the struggle for hegemony among various countries.

Hearing Prime Minister Prim say that Spain would not join a military alliance with either France or Germany, President Thiers' expression improved significantly.

The main purpose of this trip was to ensure that Spain would not join the blockade against France, and Prime Minister Prim's promise still carried a lot of weight.

However, whether Spain was a military ally of France also concerned the extent of France's aid to Spain.

If Spain were a military ally of France, President Thiers would not mind providing more favorable industrial aid to Spain, helping Spain return to the throne of European great powers once again.

However, since Spain is unwilling to conclude a military alliance treaty with France, the aid provided by France to Spain will naturally not be overly generous.

After all, this is merely an exchange of interests between the French government and the Spanish government, using industrial aid as a means to ensure that Spain maintains a neutral stance in the competition between Germany and France.

Since it is only a routine exchange of interests, there is naturally no need to bring out France's relatively advanced industrial technology; simply using some already outdated industrial technology to make up the numbers is sufficient.

Prime Minister Primo seemed to understand President Thiers's thoughts, and before President Thiers could take the initiative to speak, Prime Minister Primo took the initiative to say: "

But sometimes the development of events will not be as expected. You know, Mr. President. Although Spain is a constitutional monarchy, the power of the parliament is greater than that of His Majesty the King.

If the Spanish public chooses to support one side in the competition in Europe, it will greatly influence the opinion of the parliament.

The cabinet government is elected by the parliament; to a certain extent, the opinion of the parliament represents the opinion of the cabinet government. Although the current Spain will not conclude a military alliance treaty with any country, if your country wins the support of the Spanish public, I am also willing to follow the public opinion."

The smile on President Thiers's face froze once again.

Prime Minister Primo's words appeared to be explaining the situation of the Spanish government to President Thiers, but in reality, they were still reminding President Thiers that if France lacks sincerity in its cooperation with Spain, Spain might lean towards the German side.

In Spain's political system, the parliament indeed holds significant power. The cabinet government is entirely elected by the parliament, and the King only has the power of appointment after the parliamentary candidates are determined.

But the problem is, the majority of seats in the current Spanish parliament are controlled by Prime Minister Primo. President Thiers is no fool; he had already understood most of the situation regarding the Spanish government before visiting Spain.

Rather than saying the opinion of the Spanish public influences the parliament, it would be more accurate to say that Prime Minister Primo is able to control the parliament's decisions.

If Prime Minister Primo believes that France's aid lacks sincerity, perhaps the Spanish parliament will lean towards the German side; this is precisely the reminder, or rather the veiled threat, in Prime Minister Primo's words.

Six thousand words in a two-in-one chapter, seeking support!





(End of this chapter)