Chapter 222: Cuban Rebellion and Colonial Replacement

In July 1877, just as the development of various Spanish departments was looking bright, news from across the Atlantic immediately wiped the smiles off the faces of the Spanish government.

After Gao Da had just been crowned King of Spain, the Spanish government had once dispatched an expeditionary force to Cuba to quell a rebellion.

At that time, Cuba was not only one of the few large colonies Spain possessed, but it was also the treasure trove of the Spanish government.

The land area of the Cuba colony was less than 110, 00 square kilometers, and the population was just over 1 million.

Yet it was precisely this small piece of land that could provide the Spanish government with a massive amount of fiscal revenue every year.

With the development of the Industrial Revolution, the demand for cane sugar among European and American nations continued to increase. In 1840 alone, the total amount of cane sugar produced in Cuba exceeded the combined output of the British West Indies.

By around 1860, Cuba's annual cane sugar production had already surpassed 500, 00 tons, accounting for more than one-third of the world's annual cane sugar output.

It was precisely because of Cuba's extremely massive cane sugar production that it earned the reputation of being the world's sugar bowl. Relying on cane sugar exports alone could yield huge profits annually, not to mention that Cuba also grew large amounts of tobacco and coffee.

As everyone knows, colonization by Western nations is accompanied by cruel oppression and exploitation. Spain could obtain huge benefits from Cuba every year, which made the native-born white people of Cuba somewhat dissatisfied.

Although they also had Spanish ancestry, they did not have a very deep connection with Spain. Their ancestors had traveled across the ocean to reach Cuba, and their goal was certainly not to be exploited by the Spanish government after finally becoming wealthy.

It was precisely because of this that the native white people of Cuba became increasingly dissatisfied with the Spanish colonial government, and they were also one of the culprits behind the constant planning of independence movements in Cuba.

But the population of these white people was only a little over 450, 00; they were just one of the ethnic groups on this land of Cuba that opposed Spanish colonial rule.

Besides these white people born in Cuba, black slaves who had obtained the status of free men and the indigenous people of Cuba were also opponents of Spanish colonial rule.

Apart from the black people who were still slaves, almost all residents on this land of Cuba were opposing Spanish colonial rule.

Historically, Spain expended too much energy and funds in quelling the rebellion in Cuba, which not only caused Spain to miss the golden time for development but also depleted Spain's national strength.

Gao Da certainly knew that the complex situation in Cuba was not just a natural evolution; behind it were the machinations of the British and the Americans.

The nature of the British as the troublemakers of Europe was naturally beyond doubt; Cuba was inherently a piece of land with extreme value, and it would be strange if the British were not paying attention to Cuba.

And for the Americans, the land of Cuba was a colony located right at their doorstep; it was impossible for them not to have ideas about it.

It was just that the strength of Spain had been too powerful previously, leaving the Americans with no thoughts of opposing Spain. During the reign of Queen Isabella, Spain's comprehensive strength continuously declined, and the Americans naturally developed other ideas.

Even though Spain had already achieved a certain recovery under the rule of Gao Da, the Americans had also achieved a certain amount of development during this period.

For the Americans, the land of Cuba had become a place that could not be abandoned. Whenever Spain fell into chaos again, perhaps that would be the time for the Americans to make a move on Cuba.

Although Gao Da was clear about the chaotic situation in Cuba at this time, for Gao Da, this was also the opportunity he had been waiting for with great effort.

What kind of opportunity? Naturally, the opportunity to exchange Cuba for other more useful colonies.

Cuba was certainly an excellent colony, providing more benefits to Spain annually than underdeveloped colonies like the Philippines or the Congo territory.

But Cuba's misfortune was that it was located at the doorstep of the United States. Because it was separated from the Spanish mainland by an entire Atlantic Ocean, and coupled with the fact that Spain had already lost most of its colonies in the Americas, it was difficult for Spain to exert sufficient influence over Cuba.

Both the white and black people in Cuba were resisting Spanish colonial rule. Part of the reason for this was that Spanish colonial rule was too cruel, and another part of the reason was that Spain's reach could not extend to Cuba.

For Gao Da, Cuba was already a colony not worth investing in. Under the circumstances where both the British and American nations coveted Cuba, it was very difficult for Spain to hold onto it.

Even if they could win the Spanish-American War against the United States in the future, it seemed somewhat unnecessary. If they could exchange Cuba for other more valuable colonies and use this time and capital to invest in that more valuable colony, wouldn't it be more useful for Spain?

Through the exchange of the Cuba colony, Gao Da could even achieve some of his goals. The United States had long coveted Cuba; if Cuba were exchanged to a super power like Britain or France, would the Americans still dare to launch a war to occupy Cuba?

The answer is, of course, negative.

What kind of great power is the United States without colonies? At best, it is just an upstart with relatively developed industry and economy.

As long as the United States does not take the first step toward expansion, it is difficult for the United States to exert its influence at the international level.

Do not look at the fact that the current population and industrial economy of the United States far exceed those of Spain; in reality, in terms of international influence and status, the United States is far inferior to the five traditional great powers of Europe, only slightly better than Spain and Italy.

Upon learning that a rebellion against colonial rule had broken out in Cuba again, Gao Da immediately convened a cabinet meeting, demanding that the cabinet ministers provide a solution.

The rebellion in Cuba attracted high attention from the Spanish government; after all, the importance of Cuba to Spain at this time was still very high.

Although Spain had obtained several colonies through multiple expansions, the only ones with positive returns were actually the Cuba and Philippines colonies.

The positive return of the Philippines colony was obtained only because the Spanish government continuously squeezed the local indigenous population, and this return was not much; most of it continued to be invested in the expansion of the colony.

Only the Cuba colony, by virtue of the cane sugar trade, became Spain's most profitable colony, which is also the reason why the Spanish government in history was willing to invest 700 million pesos in the Cuban War of Independence.

This military expenditure was as high as 27 million pounds, enough to build nearly 50 ironclad warships. The Spanish government invested all this military expenditure into the Cuban War of Independence, and the result obtained was only that Cuba remained calm for a little over ten years.

After the Ten Years' War, the local white people in Cuba were still dissatisfied with Spanish colonial rule, and finally, in January 1895, they called for an uprising again, eventually forcing Spain to agree to Cuban autonomy.

The current Spain is more powerful and has the ability to suppress the rebellion in Cuba. But the problem is, there is only the logic of being a thief for a thousand days, not the logic of guarding against a thief for a thousand days.

The problem of Cuba is very difficult to solve; its root is the contradiction between the local white people of Cuba and the Spanish colonial government.

Unless Spain is willing to give up a portion of its interests and allow Cuba to achieve autonomy, perhaps it could keep Cuba calm for a period of time.

But the problem is, what value does an autonomous Cuba have for Spain? An autonomous Cuba would certainly keep most of its profits within Cuba; Spain would not make money, and naturally, there would be no need to continue holding this colony.

If it were the black people in the colony who were opposing Spanish colonial rule, the problem would be easy to solve; at worst, just get rid of these black people.

As long as the black people are gone, the problem is gone.

But the problem is, currently in Cuba, it is not just black people who are opposing Spanish colonial rule, but also white people born in Cuba and the local indigenous people.

Perhaps the only ones who do not particularly oppose the Spanish colonial government are the small number of contract Chinese laborers in Cuba. These laborers have the lowest status in Cuba; those who enslave and oppress them are the local white plantation owners, and those who bully them are the local black free men and black slaves; naturally, their hatred for the Spanish colonial government is not deep.

One cannot just get rid of all these white people who oppose the Spanish colonial government, right? The land of Cuba was already coveted by the British and the Americans; if Spain were to get rid of the white people with great fanfare, it would inevitably lead to interference from the British and the Americans.

But if these white people cannot be removed, the resistance of the Cuba colony against Spain will always exist, which will also form a vicious cycle.

As the white population in Cuba increases, the power of Cuba to resist Spanish colonial rule also becomes stronger. Therefore, for the current Spain, there is actually no choice.

If Spain had a population of tens of millions, it could dilute the population of Cuba through large-scale immigration, allowing real Spaniards to be the masters in Cuba, thereby tampering with the will of the Cuba colony.

But the problem is, Spain's population is only at the level of less than 20 million, and it is impossible to carry out large-scale immigration to Cuba.

To dilute the population in Cuba that opposes the Spanish colonial government, at least one million people would need to be immigrated to Cuba.

The Spanish government does not have such strength; losing a million people would cause heavy losses to the Spanish mainland, and even if they could control Cuba, it would not be worth it.

Furthermore, Spain's large-scale immigration would certainly also arouse the hostility of the local white people in Cuba. They were already opposing Spanish colonial rule; if Spain were to immigrate with great fanfare, it would certainly make them plan a larger-scale rebellion, instead making the current situation in Cuba even more chaotic.

Looking at the cabinet members in front of him, Gao Da's expression was solemn as he spoke first: "Gentlemen, let's hear it, how should the matter of the Cuban rebellion be resolved?"

Grand Duke Lei Madu spoke first: "Your Majesty, please give me another chance, and I will make the situation in Cuba completely stable.

Perhaps we should also strengthen the garrison in Cuba; as long as we have enough troops to guard Cuba, we don't have to worry about Cuba having problems."

The last time the rebellion in Cuba was quelled, it was Grand Duke Lei Madu who led the army there, so after this rebellion in Cuba, Grand Duke Lei Madu was the first to stand up and express his opinion.

Only seven years had passed since the last time the rebellion was quelled, which caused Grand Duke Lei Madu, who had sworn with certainty when he returned triumphantly that Cuba would never have problems again, to lose all face.

For Grand Duke Lei Madu, he needed an opportunity to prove his ability again, such as quelling the Cuban rebellion in a shorter time, while ensuring that Cuba would not have problems again, and so on.

Gao Da nodded. Regardless of what Gao Da's inner thoughts were, the rebellion in Cuba certainly had to be quelled.

Even if one wants to exchange a colony, a stable Cuba can be sold for a high price. If Cuba continues to be this chaotic, the overall value of the colony will certainly be greatly discounted.

However, Gao Da was not in a hurry to express his stance, but instead turned his gaze to the Minister of Colonial Affairs, Count Frank, who was to the side.

Long before convening this cabinet meeting, Gao Da had had a brief meeting with the Minister of Colonial Affairs, Count Frank, and had issued an order to Count Frank.

What order? Naturally, it was to propose the suggestion of exchanging the colony at this cabinet meeting.

Although Gao Da wanted to exchange the Cuba colony out of consideration for Spain's interests, it cannot be denied that the Cuba colony at this time was still Spain's most valuable colony, and the value of other colonies was far from being comparable to a small Cuba.

Proposing to exchange the Cuba colony at this time, in the eyes of ordinary people, isn't this abandoning Spain's colonial system with one's own hands?

Is Spain without the Cuba colony still the third-largest colonial empire? Does it have to rely on colonies like the Philippines, South Morocco, and Guinea to serve as a facade?

It is no exaggeration to say that the combined income of the three colonies of the Philippines, South Morocco, and Guinea does not even equal that of a small Cuba colony.

The person who first proposes the suggestion of colonial exchange will definitely suffer from the storm of public opinion in Spain. Even if handled poorly, this person who proposes the suggestion is very likely to encounter resistance from the public, thereby completely ending their political career.

For Gao Da, the one to propose this suggestion certainly cannot be himself. Even if the eventually exchanged colony possesses great value in the future, its value at this moment is certainly not as high as the Cuba colony.

Before the truth is revealed, whoever proposes the colonial exchange is likely to be attacked by public opinion.

Even if it were Gao Da, as the King, who proposed the colonial exchange, he might be attacked by the angry public.

Therefore, for the stability of the throne, the suggestion of colonial exchange can only be proposed first by other officials.

Among the cabinet departments, there are three cabinet ministers to whom Gao Da can issue orders: Canovas, who is the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry; Hoviliar, who is the Minister of Agriculture; and Count Frank, the Minister of Colonial Affairs.

Why did Gao Da eventually choose Count Frank?

First of all, Canovas is the next Prime Minister candidate chosen by Gao Da, so he is certainly not suitable to propose the colonial exchange suggestion.

If he were to be dissatisfied by the public because of proposing the colonial exchange, Gao Da's layout within the cabinet would be completely invalidated. And Gao Da does not have a next Prime Minister candidate with sufficient qualifications in his hands; if the new Prime Minister cannot suppress the cabinet and other parties, Spain is very likely to fall into chaos again.

Why not let Minister Hoviliar propose the colonial exchange suggestion? Because Minister Hoviliar is the Minister of Agriculture and has no connection with the Cuba colony.

And Count Frank, as the Minister of Colonial Affairs, proposing a suggestion related to colonies is a matter of course.

Even if he were affected by the public's anger because of proposing the colonial exchange suggestion, he could at least defend himself from the perspective of prioritizing Spain's interests.

The Minister of Colonial Affairs is a position added to the cabinet departments by Gao Da during the temporary cabinet period; the original Minister of Colonial Affairs was a department minister under the Prime Minister and was not qualified to join the Spanish cabinet.

For Count Frank, his ability to join the Spanish cabinet was entirely due to Gao Da's promotion, which is also the reason why Gao Da decided to let him propose the colonial exchange suggestion.

If the colonial exchange suggestion eventually fails, Gao Da will not treat Frank poorly. It would be nothing more than shelving Frank for a period of time, waiting for the public's dissatisfaction to disappear, and then transferring Frank to other important positions.

Moreover, Count Frank stepping forward for Gao Da is not without reward. During their previous brief meeting, Gao Da had promised that as long as he proposed the colonial exchange suggestion at this cabinet meeting, regardless of whether the final colonial exchange was successful or not, he would receive the title of Duke in the future.

A Duke title as a reward also made Count Frank eventually agree to Gao Da's suggestion.

Seeing Gao Da's gaze, the Minister of Colonial Affairs, Count Frank, knew it was time for him to perform.

Count Frank slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over the cabinet ministers, and then he slowly spoke: "Gentlemen, I have an idea.

The Cuba colony is very important to us, but is it worth it for us to invest a large amount of military expenditure every time to quell the rebellion in Cuba?

Only seven years have passed since the last time the Cuban rebellion was quelled, and the military expenditure spent last time exceeded 50 million pesetas.

If we cannot ensure the long-term stability of the Cuba colony, forgive me for speaking bluntly, the Cuba colony is not that important to us."

Count Frank's words were astonishing; after hearing his words, the cabinet ministers looked at Count Frank with surprised eyes one after another.

Regardless of what the cabinet ministers' attitude toward Count Frank's words was, the fact that Count Frank could say such things on such an occasion was enough to surprise the cabinet ministers.

This is a meeting of the Spanish cabinet government, and Gao Da, as the King of Spain, is also participating. It is no exaggeration to say that saying one wrong word at such a meeting is very likely to end one's political career.

And what Count Frank said was no longer just words that would end his political career; it was even possible to turn himself into a public enemy of all Spaniards.

There is no need to say how important the Cuba colony is; if the Cuba colony is not important, doesn't that mean that other colonies are all garbage like wasteland?

"Minister Frank, what exactly are you talking about?" Grand Duke Lei Madu could not help it first and stood up to ask.

Everyone is a member of the nobility; Grand Duke Lei Madu did not want to see Minister Frank say such astonishing things on such an occasion.

After all, the cabinet meeting is not composed entirely of nobles; there are also members of the Progressive Party and the Ziyou Party. Even if Yu Kaluo would not blame him for this, could these members of the Progressive Party and the Ziyou Party not initiate an impeachment?

As a cabinet minister, how could Minister Frank fail to even be cautious in his words and actions?

5100-word two-in-one chapter, seeking support!

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(End of this chapter)