Chapter 177: The Iberian Defense Line

After a burst of simple pleasantries and politeness, the next step was the time to talk about business.

Wang Hou Suofei is very smart. Feeling that the time was about right, she invited Gao Da's sister, Wang Hou Maria, to tour the gardens and other attractions in the palace, giving Gao Da and King Luis enough private space to talk about the business that should be talked about.

The two queens walked out of the banquet hall one after another, and the conversation between Gao Da and King Luis became more formal.

After all, Gao Da and King Luis themselves have no blood relationship, and they are not familiar with each other, so naturally, they can only have a relatively formal conversation.

"King Gao Da, the changes in Spain in these few years are not small. Perhaps in a few years, Spain will indeed have hope of realizing revival under your rule, and Spain will once again become one of the six major European powers alongside Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Austria." King Luis I of Portugal first praised the changes in Spain over these few years and flattered Gao Da.

In the eyes of Luis I, Gao Da is under 24 years old; even if he doesn't have much fondness for such flattering words, he certainly won't have obvious opposition.

After all, who doesn't like to hear good words? What's more, he is still a young king.

"This is the result of Prime Minister Ma Deli's efforts; it is his reform that has created the powerful Spain of today." Gao Da said with a smile.

The revival of Spain is indeed the result of Prime Minister Ma Deli's reform, and Gao Da's contribution to it is not large. Saying this, in addition to affirming Prime Minister Ma Deli's credit, is also to tell Luis I that he does not have much power in the current Kingdom of Spain, so that the Portuguese royal family should not have too many expectations for the Spanish royal family.

"The Prime Minister is also under the leadership of the King; the King is the master of a country." Luis I gave an opposing opinion with a smile, which was also his heartfelt words.

For traditional European nobles like Luis I, they have always believed that the King is the master of the country. Even if most of the power is taken away by the constitutional system, as long as the King is still there, the country is the property of the King.

This point can also be seen from Gao Da's sister, Wang Hou Maria. Although Wang Hou Maria has a good reputation in Portugal and is even called the Charity Angel and the Mother of the Poor by the Portuguese.

But Wang Hou Maria's squandering behavior and some relatively stubborn thoughts have also been opposed by some people, especially some officials.

Several small stories handed down later also prove this point. At a masquerade ball, Wang Hou Maria changed her clothes three times in one night, and the cost of each piece of clothing was as high as hundreds of pounds, which is equivalent to wearing a suit of gold and jewelry on her body.

This is not an exaggeration at all; after all, 1 pound at this time is equivalent to 7.33 grams of gold. The cost of clothing is as high as hundreds of pounds, which is actually equivalent to several kilograms of gold.

When the Portuguese parliament discussed the Wang Hou's huge expenses, Wang Hou Maria gave her own attitude: "If you want a queen, you must spend money for her."

Wang Hou Maria also carried this out. Most of the interior decoration of the Ajuda Palace in Lisbon was carried out under the leadership of Wang Hou Maria, and the funds spent by the Portuguese royal family and the government combined have already exceeded an ironclad warship.

And Wang Hou Maria's stubborn attitude and thoughts on absolute monarchy are reflected in an event that Gao Da heard with his own ears.

In the year Gao Da came to Spain, Wang Hou Maria had a small-scale conflict with the current Duke of Saldanha in Portugal.

Conflicts between the Wang Hou and the nobility are inevitable, but Wang Hou Maria expressed a very tough and firm attitude, threatening the great noble of Portugal, the Duke of Saldanha: "If I were the King, I would shoot you directly!"

The reason why Wang Hou Maria has such a tough attitude is naturally that her father, Vittorio Emanuele II, is the King of Italy, her brother Gao Da is the King of Spain, and her husband Luis is the King of Portugal.

In fact, Wang Hou Maria's way of doing things and thoughts are not wrong; after all, the thoughts of many nobles and kings at this time are also like this.

It is not that there are no nobles who are more squandering than Wang Hou Maria, and there are plenty of nobles who are more stubborn and autocratic than Wang Hou Maria.

The only problem is that Portugal faces the same serious decline as Spain, and Portugal's own strength is not powerful, which also exacerbated the changes in the country.

After King Luis passed away, Maria continued to be active in Portugal as the Wang Hou Mother, and even served as the Regent.

Under her teaching, the successor Carlos I also showed a relatively autocratic attitude and carried out a very strict and autocratic rule.

Long-term autocratic rule made the Portuguese quite dissatisfied, and after the Braganza dynasty's rule in Spain was maintained for 270 years, it finally collapsed.

The responsibility for the destruction of the Kingdom of Portugal cannot be counted on Wang Hou Maria, but some of Wang Hou Maria's behaviors did indeed exacerbate the destruction of the Kingdom of Portugal.

But this is not bad news for Gao Da, and it may even evolve into an opportunity for Spain to re-annex Portugal.

Yes, in Gao Da's future plan for Spain, annexing Portugal has always been an extremely important part of Spain, second only to Gibraltar in importance.

These two things are actually one thing; whether it can be completed depends on the attitude of the British. By the day Spain is no longer afraid of the British, perhaps recovering Gibraltar and annexing Portugal can be carried out at the same time.

The complete Iberian Peninsula is an extremely perfect land, surrounded by the sea on all sides, and only bordering France on the northeast side.

One only needs to deploy troops and build fortresses on both sides of the Pyrenees to block the enemy outside the Iberian Peninsula.

If the vast plain area of Portugal is added, Spain will obtain a large amount of arable land area, strengthening Spain's agricultural strength.

The complete Iberian Peninsula can accommodate over 70 million people without any problem. Coupled with the Morocco region that Gao Da plans to localize, the population capacity of these lands alone has already approached 100 million.

Although it cannot compare with huge countries like the United States that possess vast land and plains, compared with other European countries, this population capacity is not weak.

Coupled with controlling the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain will become the controller of the traffic arteries of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and the hegemon of the Western Mediterranean, and it may not be impossible to obtain the opportunity to sit on an equal footing with great powers like Britain, France, and Germany.

Although such an idea is beautiful, it is quite difficult to realize. At least for the current Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, and Morocco are all bombs that cannot be touched.

Gibraltar is guarded by the British, and the British will not allow Portugal and the Morocco region to be annexed by Spain.

What's more, for Spain at this time, even if there is an opportunity to annex Portugal, Gao Da will not allow Spain to do so.

Don't look at the fact that Portugal's area is not large, but Portugal possesses a population of over 4.5 million. These populations are already close to one-quarter of Spain's population, and the difficulty of assimilation is quite large.

What's more, the Portuguese are orthodox Europeans, so naturally, it is impossible to use relatively tough assimilation means. Annexing Portugal is a very difficult process, and one must wait for a very suitable time, at least until the Portuguese themselves are not so opposed to it.

Before that, the relationship between Spain and Portugal must still be maintained at a certain level. Both countries are declining colonial powers, and to a certain extent, they can also reach cooperation.

At least one cannot let Portugal completely lean towards Britain, which will increase the difficulty of annexing Portugal and also make Spain's other plans more difficult.

"King Gao Da, Portugal and Spain are neighbors in Iberia. I think it is necessary for us to maintain the peace of Iberia and jointly deal with enemies outside Iberia.

The Portuguese government is very happy to sign relevant treaties with the Spanish government to build a solid Iberian defense line, allowing us both to focus on the outside and focus on the management of the colonies." King Luis I of Portugal said with a smile.

As two former colonial powers, the colonies of Spain and Portugal have one characteristic, and that is that they are spread all over the world.

Spain has many colonies in Africa and Asia, and Portugal is also like this.

And the comprehensive strength of Portugal and Spain has already declined by more than half. Luis I's meaning is very clear, which is to hope that Spain, like Portugal, will focus its main gaze on the colonies outside, rather than things inside the Iberian Peninsula.

After all, colonies can produce continuous wealth, and many places, including Africa, have vast colonies waiting for the development of Portugal and Spain.

Gao Da has no ideas about Portugal in the short term, but this does not mean that Gao Da will easily agree to the cooperation request of King Luis.

The current Portugal belongs to the weaker side; if it wants to exchange for a non-aggression treaty with Spain and further cooperation, it must definitely pay for something.

Strictly speaking, there is not much difference between the Portuguese and the Spanish, and the languages can barely communicate with each other.

If one can introduce a portion of high-quality Portuguese talent, not only can one test the possibility of assimilating the Portuguese in advance, but one can also fill the talent gap in Spain again.

Another thing is the entry of Spanish industrial products into the Portuguese market. Because they are both on the Iberian Peninsula, the transportation cost between Spain and Portugal is very low.

If Spanish industrial products can enter the Portuguese market, although it is only a small-scale market with a population of a few million, the purchasing power is even stronger than the 10-million-level market of the colonies.

A large number of industrial products entering the Portuguese market can also destroy Portugal's industrial system. By the time Portugal reacts, the industry would have long been destroyed by industrial products with lower prices.

Controlling Portugal's economy through this method can also influence the Portuguese government's decisions in certain situations. If the time is right to annex Portugal, it can also accelerate the annexation of Portugal.

Gao Da nodded, but did not directly agree to King Luis's proposal, but changed the topic and said with a smile: "The problem of different train track widths has plagued us for a long time. Currently, the Spanish government is considering modifying the train tracks to align with the track widths of mainstream European trains, facilitating Spain's better economic exchange with the European continent.

King Luis, what do you think of the proposal to modify the train track width?"

Although countries around the world are vigorously building railways, the widths of railways built by different countries are also different. Britain, as the country that built railways earliest, built railways with a width of 1435 millimeters, which is also the standard width built by most countries.

The benefit of using this as the standard width for railway tracks is that railways can easily realize cross-border docking, strengthen the transportation capacity of railways, and avoid some unnecessary transfer and docking processes.

But not all countries will adopt the standard width of 1435 millimeters; the two countries on the Iberian Peninsula each have their own railway track width standards.

Spain's railway width is 1674 millimeters, which is a broad-gauge railway in the true sense. The benefits of broad-gauge railways are many; first, the wider carriages make trains more comfortable to ride, and also strengthen the transportation capacity of train carriages.

Whether it is used for carrying passengers or pulling goods, trains running on wider tracks can transport more total tonnage and have stronger transportation capacity.

Wider tracks are also more stable, greatly strengthening the safety of trains and making it less likely to cause derailment.

But this does not mean that broad-gauge railways have no disadvantages. Broad-gauge railways occupy a larger area, require more steel rails and other materials to build railways, and the corresponding costs are also higher.

Especially in countries like Spain with more mountainous areas, building railways requires digging tunnels, which greatly increases the construction cost of railways.

Why did Spain, knowing that building railways this way would infinitely increase its costs, resolutely choose broad-gauge railways that are very different from mainstream European countries?

The main reason is to guard against France to the north. As Spain's only neighbor apart from Portugal, France's strength has always been very powerful before.

From the Napoleonic Empire era, France has always been the hegemon on the European continent. France during the Napoleonic Empire also occupied Spain, which also made Spain's defense against France increasingly deep.

During the period when France was powerful, the French army could easily break through the Pyrenees and enter Spain's territory.

If the train tracks were exactly the same as France's, the French could easily use the railways built by Spain to greatly strengthen their logistical supply capacity.

It is precisely because of this reason that the railways of the two countries on the Iberian Peninsula are completely different from the standard railways used by France, making it difficult for the French to use the railways of Spain and Portugal.

Similarly, in order to guard against the Spanish, Portugal also made certain modifications on the basis of broad-gauge railways. Although Portugal and Spain both use broad-gauge railways, Portugal's railway track width is slightly narrower by nine millimeters, ensuring that the Spanish also cannot easily use Portugal's railways.

Gao Da suddenly raised the issue of Spain and France's railway docking; naturally, it is impossible that he really wants Spain and France's railways to dock.

Spain's industry is not as powerful as imagined, and docking with the railways of the European continent will only allow the industrial products of industrial powers like Germany and France to quickly enter the Spanish market.

This is not a good thing for Spain, and it will also strengthen France's influence on Spain.

The reason for raising the issue of train tracks at this time is actually to tell King Luis that if he wants Spain and Portugal to sign a non-aggression treaty, Portugal must let its railways dock with Spain's railways, and the two Iberian countries must adopt the same railway track standard.

To a certain extent, it is very beneficial for the two Iberian countries to adopt the same railway track standard.

The train lines between the two countries can be easily connected, and trains can reach Portugal's railways from Spain's railways without any special steps, and can pass through smoothly.

This can greatly facilitate the flow of people and the transportation of goods, and the economies of Portugal and Spain can also quickly obtain improvement.

But this is on the premise of ignoring the impact of industrial products flooding into the Portuguese market on Portugal's industry. Doing so can indeed promote economic improvement, but what is sacrificed might be Portugal's industry.

Spain's industrial scale is not large compared to super great powers like Britain, France, and Germany; for a great power tail-ender like Italy, Spain's industry is still very competitive.

And for Portugal, a country that cannot even be counted as a great power, if Spanish industrial products enter the Portuguese market, what it brings to Portugal's industry might be a devastating blow.

The larger the industrial scale, the lower the price of industrial finished products. Small-scale Portuguese industry simply cannot compete with Spanish industry, unless the government can vigorously support the development of local industry, such as increasing tariffs, restricting imports, etc.

But wouldn't doing so directly offset the impact of synchronizing train tracks? Will the Spanish allow this?

Facts have proven that Luis I is not a stupid king. He immediately understood the meaning in Gao Da's words, but precisely because of this, he was very hesitant.

With Luis I's power, wanting to promote the synchronization of Portugal and Spain's train tracks basically has no resistance.

But the impact of doing so on Portugal needs deep thought; is it really worth it for Portugal to pay such a price just for a non-aggression treaty?

"King Luis, our country has already achieved a comprehensive victory in the East Indies colonial war. I think your country must have already learned this news, right?" Seeing that Luis I was slow to react, Gao Da changed the question and asked with a smile.

"Of course." Luis I nodded, with a trace of envy in his eyes, and said: "The powerful combat effectiveness of your country's army is enviable, and Spain's colonies have expanded by another large piece."

Gao Da smiled; King Luis clearly did not know that Spain had already begun to colonize the even more vast land in the Gangguohe basin in secret.

Portugal's West African colony happens to be in the lower reaches of the Gangguohe basin; it can be said that it is only separated by a wall from the land of the Gangguohe.

This behavior of secretly colonizing the land in the Gangguohe basin behind the back of the largest colonizer near the Gangguohe even gave Gao Da a feeling of "cuckolding."

(End of chapter)