Chapter 254: Madrid: The City That Never Sleeps

The relationships between European countries are quite complex, a point well-reflected in the Triple Alliance.

Although Germany did not favor the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the peace negotiations, its self-proclaimed impartial neutral stance still annoyed Russia.

The Russo-Turkish War, which Russia won at a great cost, ended up benefiting the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the United Kingdom instead. This caused Tsar Alexander II to harbor resentment toward Germany, and German-Russian relations deteriorated accordingly.

For Germany, how to manage the progression of its relationship with Russia became a very difficult choice.

German Chancellor Bismarck was secretly preparing a treaty with the Austro-Hungarian Empire to guard against Russia, which might ally with France, while simultaneously wanting to repair relations with Russia to continue maintaining his policy of isolating France.

Amidst such seemingly contradictory diplomatic stances, the German-Austrian Alliance was successfully signed, though it was not made public. This alliance treaty was more like a private agreement between Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with both sides jointly guarding against a possible defection by Russia.

In this alliance treaty, the two countries agreed that if either party were attacked by Russia, the other would assist with its full military force and neither would conclude a separate peace.

If one party were attacked by a European country other than Russia, the other party would adopt benevolent neutrality. If the attacking country received support from Russia, the other party would be obliged to join the war in accordance with the treaty.

This military treaty, specifically designed to guard against Russia, allowed the Austro-Hungarian Empire to breathe a sigh of relief and also brought the relationship between Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire formally closer.

Germany also began to value the Austro-Hungarian Empire as an ally; at the very least, compared to the greater threat of Russia, the Austro-Hungarian Empire's stance toward Germany was more firm, making it an ally that Germany could more easily control.

Although Russia's strength was formidable, such an ally could easily cause a backlash against Germany. A German-Austrian Alliance treaty led by Germany was clearly more reassuring to Germany than the Triple Alliance, where the three countries each had their own agendas.

Relying on intelligence brought by the Royal Security Intelligence Agency, Gao Da naturally learned of the secret meeting between the diplomatic representatives of Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Looking at the historical trajectory, Germany ultimately chose the Austro-Hungarian Empire, while Russia and France came together, thus giving birth to the two most powerful military blocs in Europe to date: the German-Austrian Alliance and the Franco-Russian Alliance.

The evolution of the current European situation already shows this trend, though the situation is not yet that clear. Gao Da is also considering that when the two major military blocs evolve into their final forms—that is, the Anglo-Franco-Russian Entente bloc opposing the German-Austro-Italian Alliance bloc—which side should Spain choose?

Gao Da does not yet have a clear answer; perhaps only when that moment truly arrives will Gao Da be clear about which side Spain should choose.

And for now, Gao Da's most important task is to help Spain establish more advantages during the Second Industrial Revolution and minimize the gap with other European countries.

Although the two major military blocs each have three great powers, their actual comprehensive strengths are not proportional. The three great powers of the Anglo-Franco-Russian Entente are all hegemon-level strong nations; the only one slightly weaker is Russia, which suffers from frequent domestic problems.

But even such a Russia still exceeds the Austro-Hungarian Empire in comprehensive strength.

On the side of the German-Austro-Italian Alliance, the only one that can truly rival the three countries of the Anglo-Franco-Russian Entente is Germany; the Austro-Hungarian Empire is one level weaker, and Italy is another level weaker still.

Furthermore, Italy is not a firm ally at all; after the war broke out, it ran over to the side of the Anglo-Franco-Russian Entente instead.

This also led to the situation in World War I effectively being Germany and Austria fighting the whole of Europe alone. In the middle and later stages of the war, it evolved into Germany fighting the whole of Europe alone.

Spain must at least grow into a great power on the level of France or Russia to have any hope of changing the situation of World War I by its own strength.

By then, whether joining the Anglo-Franco-Russian side or the German-Austrian Alliance side, Spain would have a choice and could guarantee its own final victory.

As time reached September 1879, Gao Da also welcomed two pieces of good news.

The first piece of good news was that with the help of Tesla, Gramme's electricity laboratory successfully developed a generator with higher power.

The generator Gramme mainly researched was a ring-armature generator; by using hydropower to drive the generator, the maximum power could reach 6. kw.

After Tesla joined the electricity laboratory, he proposed a concept for a two-phase giant generator that was completely different from Gramme's.

With the help of many scientists at the electricity laboratory, after more than a year, the electricity laboratory finally manufactured the first-generation finished product, which was also the world's first high-power generator.

The power output of this high-power generator reached an astonishing 26. kw, a full four times the power output of the previous generation of generators.

This also means that electricity now truly has the hope of being put into industrial production, allowing Spain to truly open the age of electricity.

Of course, there are also some difficulties that need to be solved. Although the power of the generator has increased, the transmission of electricity is still a big trouble.

The current electricity supply is fine for lighting electric lamps, but if it is to be used for industrial production, at least several power plants must work together.

Unless the problem of high loss during electricity transmission can be solved, the door to the era of the electric industry will not open.

Although there are many limitations, the birth of the high-power generator also means that more street lamps can appear on the streets and alleys of Spain, providing more sufficient lighting for people getting off work at night.

Currently, Spain only has street lamp lighting on its two most prosperous streets. Gao Da's next plan is to have street lamp lighting on the main roads of Madrid and Barcelona, letting Spaniards feel the beauty of the electric age.

According to Tesla's report, the current high-power generator still has many problems. If these problems can be solved one by one, the maximum power of this generator even has the hope of reaching over 50kw.

This is the so-called "everything is difficult at the beginning." Once the two ways of using electricity—electric motors and electric lamps—are clarified, the arrival of the electric age is only a matter of time.

Perhaps it won't be long before the electricity laboratory can manufacture large generators with power outputs as high as hundreds of kw. These large generators are the hallmark of the arrival of Spain's electric industry age, because only larger generators can drive larger electric motors, thereby driving Spain's industrial production.

The birth of the high-power generator also marks a decline in power generation costs. As street lamps begin to appear on the streets and alleys of Spain, electricity will surely be emulated by other countries, thereby allowing more people to invest in the electricity industry and promoting the popularization of the electric industry worldwide.

Gao Da has a crazy idea, which is to have street lamps installed on the streets and alleys of Madrid before Christmas this year, and to light up the entire Madrid on Christmas night.

Doing this is very meaningful; at least it can be widely publicized, letting all Europeans understand that Spain possesses a city that never sleeps, making people spontaneously curious about electric lighting, and curious about the country of Spain.

Once the impression Spain gives to Europeans becomes developed and advanced, there will naturally be a steady stream of immigrants scrambling to join Spain.

This is just like the United States in later generations. Regardless of what the domestic environment in the United States is like, to the people of other countries, the United States is advertised as a beacon of human civilization, so naturally, many people who do not know the truth will yearn to join this so-called world pearl, the United States.

By the time they truly arrive in the United States, it is too late to regret. Because immigration requires costs, not everyone can afford the expenses of immigration, and not all countries will accept these people who want to return just after immigrating.

And in this era without the internet, once Spain's external impression becomes civilized and advanced, it will naturally increase its attractiveness to immigrants in an invisible way.

Even if it doesn't rely on this to attract immigrants, strengthening international influence through means of displaying technology is also feasible for the current Spain.

The current situation of Spain is very awkward. In terms of strength, Spain has returned to the ranks of the great powers. In terms of international status and influence, Spain's situation is similar to that of Italy, and it will not receive true attention from other countries.

Therefore, improving Spain's international status and influence becomes very important. Enhancing military strength is one way, and displaying technology and increasing presence is also a way.

The technologies of electricity and electric lamps are not secrets at all; other countries are all researching them. But as long as Spain becomes the first country to eat the crab, when people use electricity, they will often think of Spain, the first country to use electricity on a large scale.

A city that never sleeps is clearly a good gimmick. Before electric lamps, there was never a way to illuminate an entire city and maintain it for a whole night.

If Spain achieves this, it is certain that such a scene will be scrambled to be reported by the newspapers of various European countries. As long as it can attract the attention of the European media and the curiosity of the European public, then Gao Da's goal will have been more than half accomplished.

To complete the miracle of the Madrid city that never sleeps, building enough power stations is very necessary.

According to the electricity laboratory's estimates, currently one set of generators can light up nearly 1, 00 small light bulbs or 700 large light bulbs. To complete the grand goal of the Madrid city that never sleeps, at least 5 large power stations need to be built around Madrid, so that more than 3, 00 large light bulbs can be lit on Christmas night.

These 3, 00 large light bulbs will cover several main roads in the center of Madrid, allowing the center of Madrid to achieve the grand goal of a city that never sleeps on Christmas day.

The street lamps around the city center will be replaced with small light bulbs to provide lighting. Although the brightness is not quite enough, at least it can ensure that one won't bump into walls under the night.

By then, the photos in the newspapers will only publish the bright scenes of the city center; the dim areas outside the city center will not be mentioned by the newspapers.

At this time, there are only three months left until Christmas. To build five large power plants and install more than 3, 00 street lamps in Madrid within these three months, the difficulty is still quite great.

More importantly, the power company also has to install wires for these 3, 00 street lamps to ensure that all 3, 00 street lamps can be lit normally on Christmas night.

Gao Da personally guaranteed to Gramme and Tesla that as long as the grand goal of the Madrid city that never sleeps could be achieved, the research budget for the electricity laboratory for the coming year would be directly doubled, and Gao Da would also hire more electricity experts from Europe to come to Spain to join the electricity laboratory.

The benefit of the research budget being directly doubled made Tesla and Gramme determined to complete this goal at all costs.

In order to make the researchers at the electricity laboratory full of energy, Gao Da even stated that as long as the plan was successfully completed, all personnel in the electricity laboratory would receive a bonus.

Gao Da's generosity toward researchers is well-known, which also made those ordinary scientific researchers look forward to it. They were full of motivation when working, not only to get the bonus promised by Gao Da, but also to realize the unparalleled feat of the city that never sleeps, and to personally create a great milestone in electricity.

With everyone putting in their best effort, there is no difficulty that cannot be solved.

The facts are indeed so. One week before Christmas, the electricity laboratory had already completed the installation of all street lamps and the construction of the power plants, and had already tested the lines to ensure that the line connections had no problems.

Now they are just waiting for the arrival of Christmas, waiting for Madrid to become a hot topic among the European public, and waiting for Spain to become a symbol of advancement and development in the minds of the European public.

On December 25, 1879, with the arrival of Christmas night, the street lamps in the center of Madrid were successfully lit.

The citizens of Madrid also took to the streets one after another; their eyes were full of excitement and agitation. Looking at the Madrid city center, which was as bright as day, the eyes of the Spaniards were full of excited tears.

"Father, what is this? Why does it glow?" Under a street lamp in the center of Madrid, a little boy who looked only a few years old asked his father very curiously.

The street lamp in front of him was so bright; this was a brightness he had never seen before, as if it were the sun during the day.

Hearing his son's question, Francesco's gaze finally moved away from the street lamp reluctantly, and he smiled and introduced to his son: "The newspaper says this is a street lamp; this is something that provides us with lighting.

We are the first country to use street lamp lighting on a large scale, and Madrid is also the first city to achieve night as bright as day. And all of this was brought by our great King Your Majesty; the current Spain is the most powerful country in the world!"

As early as the day before Christmas, the Spanish government announced the city that never sleeps plan to the outside world. This statement caused a sensation throughout Spain, and many Spaniards even decided not to celebrate Christmas, but to go to Madrid in person to see the so-called city that never sleeps.

The Francesco family was just like that. They lived in Toledo in the south, and they didn't even celebrate Christmas, running directly to Madrid.

The facts were just as they had hoped; at this moment, Madrid was as bright as day. This light was not emitted by the street lamps, but the light blooming in the hearts of the Spaniards who were full of hot tears under the street lamps.

Facts have proven that Spaniards are so in love with their country. When Spain showed its strength with the city that never sleeps, the Spaniards were all full of hot tears; they used various ways to vent their emotions and to celebrate the strength of the country.

Tonight, Madrid is a city that never sleeps, and for all the Spaniards in Madrid tonight, this is another sleepless night.

A city that never sleeps actually made many Madrid citizens unable to sleep all night; this was something Gao Da had not expected at all.

However, this also proves that the effect brought by the city that never sleeps plan is indeed good, and the news from various countries the next day also proved this point again.

First of all, the major newspapers in Spain proudly reported the success of the Madrid city that never sleeps, and proudly announced that Madrid was the first city that never sleeps in human history, and Spain also announced its strength and return in this way.

The photos of rows of street lamps in the center of Madrid as bright as day in the newspapers were reprinted by newspapers in other European countries, and their news also reported on Spain's Madrid city that never sleeps.

Because Europe was in a state of peace, such news, which is rare in a hundred years, immediately became the front-page headline of various countries, causing discussions among many European people.

Of course, while these European people envied Spain for having a city that never sleeps, they also began to condemn their own country's government one after another.

Especially in major European countries like the UK and France, the British and French people's condemnation of their own governments was even more intense.

In the eyes of the British, the British Empire is the most powerful country in the world, and London is the beacon of the world.

How come London did not achieve the grand goal of a city that never sleeps, but instead allowed a small city like Madrid to achieve it?

In the past, Londoners looked at Spain as a remote and backward countryside, but at this time, this remote and backward rural area had turned into a developed modern city, while London was the one that was inferior.

This is something the British absolutely cannot accept. The British can be proud of the strength of the country, and of course, they can also be angry because the country is one step behind others.

On the second day of Christmas, as newspapers from various countries reprinted the news of the Madrid city that never sleeps, London citizens also took to the streets one after another; they protested against the government's inaction and demanded that London also install street lamps, so that London could also become a city that never sleeps.

Also protesting against the government like the London citizens were the Paris citizens. The struggle of the Parisians was even more intense, and the French government did not dare to underestimate the opinions of the Parisians at all.

This is not something to joke about; the Paris citizens really dared to overthrow the government. The British cabinet could still turn a blind eye to the parades of London citizens, but if the French government handled the people's protests like the British cabinet, I am afraid the life of the French government would come to an abrupt end.

The people's opinions cannot be violated, but achieving a city that never sleeps is a heavy burden that the UK and France cannot bear.

Thanks to the strength of the UK and France, the populations of London and Paris are also extremely large. This also means that if London and Paris want to achieve the goal of a city that never sleeps, they must help with more street lamps than Madrid and build more power stations than Madrid.

Looking at the angry emotions of the people, these constructions must also be completed in a short period of time, so that the anger of the people can be calmed.

How much of an expenditure would this be? The two governments didn't even dare to calculate it. If they really did a city that never sleeps like Spain, and it was just to illuminate one city, then what about the other developments of the two governments?

Furthermore, even if they were willing to imitate Spain and do a city that never sleeps, does their electricity development have such ability?

Not only do they need high-power generators, but they also need electric light bulbs that can provide stable lighting. On the premise of having both, they also have to save costs as much as possible and reduce expenses, which made the two governments have a headache instantly, and they also blamed Spain for why it wanted to do a city that never sleeps; isn't this putting their two governments on the fire to roast?

5200-word two-in-one chapter, asking for monthly tickets!

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(End of this chapter)