Chapter 372: History of the Iberian Nation (A 10,000-word Chapter!)

Gao Da was not very interested in the war between Italy and the Abyssinian Empire. The Ethiopia region was too far from Spain, and Spain could basically not intervene, so there was naturally no need to pay much attention to it.

Starting from the annexation of Morocco, the Spanish government formulated a relatively thorough assimilation plan.

Because the vast majority of Moroccan civilians were white, this race was not rejected by the Spanish. As long as they were willing to accept the Catholic faith and learn Spanish, they were regarded as part of the Spanish people.

In order to make these Moroccans no longer resist joining the large Spanish group, Gao Da intended to start from the cultural aspect and tailor a Moroccan history book for the Moroccans.

There is a saying that history is written by the victors.

As the victor, Spain naturally had the right to write the history of Morocco and let all Moroccans understand more accurate historical knowledge.

Moroccans were the unique white people of Africa, which was also the entry point for all Spanish writers and historians.

It was not a big deal that Moroccans believed in Islam; after all, before the Reconquista, large swathes of Spanish territory were also occupied by infidels.

In just a few short months, several books on the history of the Iberian Peninsula were published in Spain. The most famous of these was titled "History of Iberian Ethnic Integration," which detailed the history of the Iberian Peninsula over the past millennium and boldly proposed a suggestion: that all ethnic groups on the Iberian Peninsula, including the white population of Morocco, should all belong to the same ethnic group, namely, Spanish.

Spanish did not refer to a single ethnic group, but was a collective term for all ethnic groups on the Iberian Peninsula.

Such a statement seemed bold, but if one thought about it carefully, it actually had some merit.

How are different ethnic groups distinguished? Roughly speaking, they can be divided by different languages, scripts, and ethnic customs.

For example, the British and the French have completely different languages and scripts, and their living customs also have significant differences. As long as one understands the customs of these two nations slightly, and then comes into contact with a British person and a French person of unknown identity, one can clearly distinguish which country they come from.

But if one were to replace the British and French with Spanish and Portuguese, it would be impossible to tell them apart in a short time without a relatively detailed understanding of these two ethnic groups.

The difference between Portuguese and Spanish is not great; it is more like the dialect differences in different regions. The living customs of the Spanish and Portuguese also have great similarities; after all, these two countries are closely connected, and their latitudes and longitudes are not much different.

Even the histories of Spain and Portugal have astonishing similarities.

Both Portugal and Spain were gradually unified and formed their current territories during the Iberian Reconquista, and after unification, they both pioneered the colonial era.

When Spain established the Empire on which the sun never sets, Portugal's maritime colonization was also in full swing. When Spain lost its American colonies for various reasons, Portugal's colonies were also constantly being lost.

It is precisely for this reason that Spain and Portugal are highly similar; saying that the Spanish and Portuguese are similar ethnic groups is really not nonsense.

As for the Moroccans, the difference between Moroccans and the Spanish is certainly greater than the difference between the Portuguese and the Spanish.

But the problem is that compared to Portugal, the education situation in Morocco is worse. To put it bluntly, most Moroccans do not know the history of their own country at all.

Perhaps through word of mouth among Moroccans, they understand to a certain extent what happened decades or even hundreds of years ago.

But Moroccans are not very clear about things from longer ago, and they naturally do not know how the Moroccan ethnic group was formed, nor why Morocco is the only indigenous country in Africa dominated by white people.

Since the Moroccans do not understand, Spain has the responsibility and obligation to make them understand.

Half a month after the Moroccan colony was established, the People's Government announced that it would implement two-year compulsory education throughout Morocco, allowing all school-age children in Morocco to enter school for free for two years.

As for those Moroccans who are already adults, they can also choose to obtain the opportunity to enter training classes for free through compulsory labor.

By working for the colonial government for just three months, they can gain the opportunity to enter the training classes. In addition to teaching Spanish and some simple theoretical knowledge, the training classes will also teach Moroccans about the history of Morocco and Iberia, allowing them to shed their status as illiterates.

After all, these Moroccans are to be assimilated, and Spain's exploitation of them will not be too harsh.

During the period they work for the colonial government, they can also receive remuneration issued by the colonial government. Although it is not as much as the remuneration for Spanish workers, compared to those African natives, their income is several times higher.

Distinguishing the treatment of Moroccans from other African natives is also a way to divide the natives in Spanish colonies.

In this way, these white people in Morocco are destined not to get along with other black natives in Africa. Coupled with Spain's assimilation methods, these millions of Moroccans will eventually have no choice but to obediently join Spanish nationality.

While the assimilation work is being carried out, the Moroccan colonial government is also gradually transferring the local Moroccan population.

Looking at the area of Morocco, accommodating tens of millions of people is easy. The Morocco of later generations had a population of nearly forty million, let alone Morocco under Spanish control.

Of course, Gao Da will not excessively exploit the potential of the Morocco region.

Spain proper carries a population of about fifty million, the Portugal region carries ten million, and the Morocco region carries forty million, which is enough to support a scale of one hundred million people.

As long as it can have a population scale of one hundred million, whether now or in the future, Spain will not be at a disadvantage in terms of population.

If one looks solely at the upper limit of population capacity, Spain, which has localized Morocco and annexed Portugal, can really rank among the top in Europe.

Don't look at the fact that France and Germany have vast areas and large plains; if they were really made to carry a population of up to one hundred million, they might not be able to handle it.

The policies launched by the Moroccan colonial government throughout the Morocco region soon had an effect; after all, the materials provided by Spain were real, and the current Moroccan public lacked these materials to maintain their lives.

As long as they are willing to work for the Moroccan colonial government, the colonial government will issue materials or currency of different values according to each person's working time and effort.

Various materials such as food can be exchanged, and for Moroccans, this is indeed a good way to maintain their lives.

Of course, these Moroccans have another choice, which is to obey the arrangements of the colonial government and go to other Spanish colonies.

For those Moroccans who voluntarily go to other Spanish colonies, Spain's performance is quite generous.

As long as they are willing to go to other colonies, they can receive a piece of land for free in other colonies for cultivation, and this land is exempt from any taxes in the first year.

As long as they cultivate it for more than three consecutive years, they can directly obtain ownership of this land. This has considerable appeal to these Moroccans; after all, land is the foundation of farmers.

Of course, such a policy is destined to attract only a portion of Moroccans. Most people are unwilling to leave their hometowns unless they have no other choice.

What's more, this is not just leaving their hometowns, but directly leaving the motherland where they have lived for a long time and going to a distant foreign land.

It is very necessary to transfer a portion of Moroccans, and the colonial government will not be indecisive on such a policy. Once all those Moroccans who are willing to proactively go to other colonies have been transferred, the colonial government will then adopt mandatory measures to forcibly reduce the population of the Morocco region by about half.

This matter concerns Spain's assimilation progress in Morocco and the future stability of the Morocco region; there will absolutely be no concessions.

While transferring Moroccans from the Morocco region to other colonies, Spain is also transferring population from the mainland, other European countries, and other colonies to the Morocco region.

Although these immigrants only add up to tens of thousands of people per year, over time, it is not difficult to gather hundreds of thousands of people.

The first step in Spain's assimilation of Morocco is to take the lead in completing the localization of some large cities in the Morocco region.

The northern port cities of Ceuta and Tangier are among them, as well as Morocco's original capital, Rabat, and the central port city of Casablanca.

After completing the localization of these cities, use points to drive the area and influence a wider Moroccan territory.

By then, the assimilation work in Morocco will be almost complete. Once the proportion of Moroccans is reduced to less than half, this region will be successfully incorporated into Spain's pocket.

A Morocco that has completed assimilation will be as solid as a rock, and it will be impossible for Moroccans to want to seek independence.

This also means that the assimilation work in Morocco is very important; whether the assimilation is smooth or not will directly determine whether Morocco can become Spain's mainland in the future.

Mainland and colony are two completely different meanings. If Morocco always remains just a Spanish colony, this also means that on the day the colonial system collapses in the future, Morocco will break away from Spain's control.

But if Morocco successfully becomes Spain's mainland, none of this will happen. Mainland is mainland; this is something no country can take away. At that time, if other countries still want to support Moroccan independence, that would be interfering in Spain's internal affairs, and even the powerful United Kingdom would have to weigh the consequences of offending Spain.

Since Spain established the Moroccan colony, the Minister of Colonial Affairs, Count Menotti, has become the busiest cabinet minister.

This cannot be blamed on him; after all, the assimilation work of the Moroccan colony is carried out by the Colonial Affairs Department, and its success or failure also concerns Count Menotti's personal political career.

Incorporating Morocco into the Spanish mainland is a stroke that will be written in heavy ink in history, and it is naturally a very rich political achievement.

If Menotti can successfully complete it during his tenure, his future potential will not be weaker than his brother, Qiaodi, even if Qiaodi holds the more important position of Minister of National Defense.

In just two short months, Count Menotti has already come to the Wang Gong four times. In addition to reporting the assimilation progress of the Moroccan colony to Gao Da, he is also requesting more fiscal budgets from Gao Da.

If nothing else, the educational activities carried out in Morocco are a huge expense. It is fine for free education involving all Moroccans, after all, the prerequisite for participating in such free education is to work for the Moroccan colonial government for three months.

Although there is remuneration for the work, the colonial government will only earn more during this period. This money is just enough to promote education and popularize the history of the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco, as well as the Spanish national concept.

What is really expensive is the two-year compulsory education implemented in Morocco. Compulsory education is free, and the scope is all school-age children in Morocco.

Although it is only two years, considering that the Moroccan government's finances will definitely be in deficit in the short term, it is definitely impossible for the Moroccan colonial government to pay for this education funding.

Although it is related to education, because it is in a colony, the Ministry of Education will definitely not intervene.

After all, this is a thankless task. Even if the Ministry of Education spends money to help the Moroccan colony popularize two years of compulsory education, the future credit will only belong to the Colonial Affairs Department.

There is no way; in the short term, this education funding can only be covered by the Colonial Affairs Department. This is not a small expense, and Count Menotti can only come to see Gao Da to ask for more fiscal budgets.

Although the current Prime Minister of the Spanish Cabinet is Evan Bradley, the cabinet ministers all know that this Prime Minister from a military background is completely obedient to the King.

Even if several cabinet ministers agree on something, this Prime Minister may not necessarily agree. But if His Majesty the King nods and agrees in person, even if the Prime Minister has rejected the proposal before, the Prime Minister can immediately abolish it and change to support the King's point of view.

It is precisely because of Prime Minister Evan Bradley's high loyalty to the King that all the cabinet ministers dare not look down on this Prime Minister from a military background.

With the King's support and a military background, even Deputy Prime Minister Huweiliar Solair dares not go against the Prime Minister's opinion.

The Spanish government is quite efficient under such circumstances. Generally, it is discussed by the ministers of the cabinet government, but if they encounter any relatively important matters, they generally listen to the Prime Minister's opinion.

Where does Prime Minister Evan Bradley's opinion come from? Of course, it comes from Gao Da.

This can also be considered Gao Da's little trick. Although Gao Da does not express his views much in cabinet meetings, through Prime Minister Evan Bradley, Gao Da can still ensure that the cabinet operates within the scope Gao Da wants.

The benefit of the King not showing his face is that if there are any disadvantages in the future, it has nothing to do with the King. If there is any credit, by virtue of the fact that the cabinet government obeys the King, the King will not lack credit.

Gao Da certainly understands the importance of Moroccan localization. Regarding Count Menotti's repeated requests to increase the fiscal budget, Gao Da finally agreed.

Not only will this year's fiscal budget increase by 20 million pesetas, but in the next five years, the fiscal budget of the Colonial Affairs Department will also increase by 20 million pesetas.

If it is not enough, this fiscal budget can be increased again. Gao Da's only requirement is to complete the localization of the Morocco region as soon as possible and incorporate the local Moroccans into Spain's rule.

The first thing the Colonial Affairs Department did after having money was to increase the propaganda for the history of the Iberian Peninsula and the history of the Spanish nation.

After a few months, more than a dozen related books and hundreds of related newspapers have been published, and these related histories have also been hotly discussed by the Spanish.

Regarding these views that the Spanish, Portuguese, and Moroccans should belong to the same ethnic group, there are voices of support and some voices of opposition within Spain.

However, on the whole, there are still more supporters. Those who oppose it are more skeptical about the Moroccans, and there is not much doubt about the view that the Spanish and Portuguese originally belonged to the same ethnic group.

Those who really understand Spain and Portugal know that there is really no big difference between these two ethnic groups. The establishment of Portugal was originally independent from the predecessor of Spain, and later it merged with Spain, so the two ethnic groups are naturally relatively similar.

The similarity between the Spanish and Portuguese is not only reflected in appearance; in terms of language, living customs, and dietary differences, the difference between the Portuguese and the Spanish is not great, even smaller than the difference between people from two different provinces of a certain country in later generations.

After all, to put it bluntly, the total area of the entire Iberian Peninsula is only equivalent to one or two provinces of a certain country in later generations.

The gap between the Spanish and Portuguese is really not big; broadly speaking, it can be classified into the differences between two ethnic groups, and narrowly speaking,

it can also be classified into different differentiations of one ethnic group.

With the popularity of such views, a kind of thought has received more enthusiastic support within the Iberian scope.

What kind of thought?

Of course, it is the Pan-Iberianism that had previously swept almost the entire Iberian Peninsula.

As early as when Portugal was still a kingdom, there were already many people in Portugal who supported Pan-Iberianism.

Especially after Portugal's Pink Map plan was personally shattered by the United Kingdom, while the Portuguese hated the United Kingdom, they also longed for themselves to be a more powerful country, so as to avoid bullying by other powerful countries.

Pan-Iberianism is a beautiful wish, fantasizing about the merger of the two countries on the Iberian Peninsula to create a more powerful power that makes other powers tremble.

If the reason why the Spanish support Pan-Iberianism is that they want to annex Portugal, then the reason why the Portuguese support Pan-Iberianism is because the performance of the Portuguese government when facing powers like the United Kingdom made them feel cold.

Against the backdrop of the law of the jungle, a weak country will definitely attract the covetousness of a powerful country.

How to avoid this? Either make your own country more powerful, or find a powerful ally to protect your country. The Portuguese originally chose the United Kingdom, but because the Pink Map plan was personally shattered by the United Kingdom, the choice of a good ally in the hearts of many Portuguese changed from the United Kingdom to Spain.

After the revolution in Portugal, Pan-Iberianism was suppressed to a certain extent.

The Republic of Portugal, established by the propaganda of the Republican Party and run by the Portuguese, won the support of many Portuguese, who also believed that such a republican state might be a better choice.

But since the establishment of the Republic of Portugal, the Portuguese do not seem to have seen any hope.

The current situation in Portugal is still as bad as ever; the taxes of the Portuguese have not decreased in the slightest, and the political rights of the Portuguese have not seen much improvement.

Don't look at how the Republican Party claimed during the revolution that they would establish a republic run by the Portuguese themselves; once the Republic of Portugal was established, the Portuguese realized that this so-called republic had almost nothing to do with them.

Who becomes the president of this republic is decided by the Republican Party, and it has nothing to do with the Portuguese at all.

The high-level government of the Republic of Portugal is appointed by the president, and the Portuguese have no say in that either. Thinking about it this way, what is the difference between the current Republic of Portugal and the original kingdom?

The great mountain of feudal nobility has been removed from the heads of the Portuguese, but it has been replaced by the so-called mountain of bureaucracy. The living standards of the Portuguese have not improved in the slightest; instead, the political infighting between the Republican Party and other factions has affected the political stability within Portugal, causing even more serious economic turmoil.

At such a moment, the Portuguese realized how important a peaceful, stable, and prosperous environment is.

If they didn't have one, the Portuguese wouldn't have much resentment. But the problem is, there is such a country right next door to Portugal, and even most Portuguese are clear about what the political environment in Spain is like.

Although Spain is a monarchy, the political environment within Spain is quite stable, and there is basically no phenomenon of fighting for power and profit.

Under a stable political environment, Spain's industry and economy have also developed rapidly, and per capita income has climbed steadily.

Originally, the per capita income of the two Iberian Peninsula countries, Spain and Portugal, was about the same, and the common people in both countries were not living very well.

Ever since Hu An became the King of Spain, the per capita income of the Spanish has been growing continuously, and it has now far exceeded the per capita income of the Portuguese.

This naturally aroused the envy of the Portuguese. Why can't they have such a wise monarch to make Portugal stronger and let the Portuguese live a better life?

Under these circumstances, Pan-Iberianism received stronger support from more Portuguese.

After careful comparison, the Portuguese suddenly discovered that the difference between Portugal and Spain seems to be really small.

According to the books passed over from Spain, Spain and Portugal were originally one family, and both sides even fought together to win the Reconquista.

Since there is such an intimate relationship between the two peoples, how did it eventually evolve into two mutually hostile peoples and countries?

After much thought, the Portuguese public placed their resentment on the original royal family. Perhaps it was because the original royal family was unwilling to give up their throne that eventually led to the Portuguese and Spain drifting further and further apart.

Two peoples who were originally one eventually evolved into two countries with a certain degree of competition and conflict; isn't this just mutual slaughter in disguise?

If the Spanish and the Portuguese were originally one people, how powerful would a country formed by this people be?

If Spain and Portugal were to unite, where would this country that occupies the entire Iberian Peninsula rank in the world?

This is the question in the hearts of most Portuguese after Pan-Iberianism became prevalent.

If nothing else, just looking at some of the data made public by the Spanish and Portuguese governments, one can see that if these two countries were unified, the potential would truly be limitless.

Currently, Spain already has a population of over 30 million, and Portugal also has a population of over 5 million.

Even without counting Morocco, the two countries combined have a population of over 35 million. Such a population scale is no longer a disadvantage compared to other major powers in Europe, and this also means that this country formed by the merger of the two countries has the potential to become a super power.

Or rather, this two-in-one country must have been a super power from the moment of its birth.

Once the idea of a super power was born in the minds of some Portuguese, it could never be shaken off.

Thinking that their country could become a super power, many Portuguese were moved. Especially those Portuguese factions that originally supported Pan-Iberianism, they are now promoting Pan-Iberianism extensively within the current Republic of Portugal, seeking the support of more Portuguese citizens.

Compared to the original monarchy, the republican system has one advantage: these factions do not have to be so timid or worry about government arrests when promoting their theories.

The original Portuguese government was particularly strict in managing these factions within the country. Especially for opposition factions led by the Republican Party, let alone promoting their political ideas, as long as one was suspected of being a member of the Republican Party, they could not avoid a round of arrests and interrogations.

It was precisely the Portuguese Kingdom's massive suppression and arrest of these faction members that caused so many opposition factions to rise up.

Although the Republican Party has now become the ruling party of Portugal, they dare not completely ban these factions from operating within Portugal.

After all, when the Republican Party launched the revolution, many factions also contributed. Before the Republican Party fully controls the political situation in Portugal, it is not cost-effective to fall out with these other factions.

Hu An is certainly aware of the Pan-Iberianism prevalent in Spain and Portugal; after all, this idea was originally spread by people sent by Hu An within Spain and Portugal.

If annexing Morocco could be done by force through war, then annexing Portugal should be done with more gentle means.

Pan-Iberianism is a very good stepping stone, capable of attracting a large number of Portuguese to support this ideology and support joining the big family of Spain.

With the support of this group of people, Spain can effectively divide the Portuguese, preventing them from twisting into a rope to resist Spain's annexation of Portugal.

This is the initial stage of the formation of nationalism, where statism and nationalism do not yet have such clear definitions.

If Spain can annex Portugal at this time, as long as ideological propaganda work is done well in the future, it can ensure that the Portuguese integrate into the big family of Spain.

If it were a few decades later, even if Spain could become more powerful, annexing Portugal would not be such an easy task.

After all, decades later, statism and nationalism would have long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and by then, the Portuguese would have long been clear about the differences between Portugal and Spain.

Unless the support of all Portuguese can be obtained, forced annexation will only result in both Spain and Portugal suffering.

In later generations, the Catalonia and Basque regions of Spain are both clamoring for independence, even though these two regions have been annexed by Spain for hundreds of years.

From this aspect, one can also see the importance of assimilation work. If ethnic assimilation is not done well, even if Moroccans and Portuguese can be brought under their rule, they will sooner or later clamor for independence when Spain shows weakness in the future.

Internal conflicts cause deeper damage to a country than external ones. Rather than waiting for these peoples to clamor for independence within Spain in the future, it is better to completely assimilate them into the big family of Spain now.

As long as the concepts of Moroccans and Portuguese no longer exist, and as long as these people identify with the national concept of Spain, the prevalence of independence movements in the future can be well prevented.

In order to promote the "Iberian History" and "Iberian Ethnic History" compiled by the cultural department, Hu An spent a large amount of propaganda funds and even used various types of newspapers under the royal family to report on them.

Not only is Spain a key area for propaganda, but Portugal and Morocco are also within the scope of the propaganda.

Hu An has secretly established several newspapers in Portugal, and two of them have already reached the top five in Portugal.

Under the instruction of Hu An, these two newspapers are also reprinting the content reported by Spanish newspapers. After a few years, perhaps most Portuguese will understand the viewpoint of Pan-Iberianism.

Although they cannot obtain the support of most Portuguese, as long as a portion of the Portuguese are willing to support this viewpoint, it means that Spain still has hope of annexing Portugal.

Compared to the cultural influence on Portugal, which is like boiling a frog in warm water, Spain's cultural influence on Morocco appears somewhat mandatory.

In the third month after the establishment of the Morocco colony, a two-year compulsory education was officially launched across the Morocco colony.

As long as they are of school age, Moroccan children are required to go to official schools stipulated by the Morocco colonial government to learn Spanish, Iberian history, Iberian ethnic history, and other knowledge, and to come into contact with and understand Catholicism.

As the saying goes, education must start from childhood. As long as Moroccan children start learning Spanish, what they will be familiar with in the future will certainly be Spanish.

The same logic applies to Catholicism. The fact that this generation of Moroccans believes in Islam does not mean that the next generation of Moroccans will still believe in Islam.

One must know that the Iberian Peninsula once had vast territories occupied by Muslim believers.

Why was Spain able to quickly popularize Catholicism after recovering these areas? It relied on the system of the Inquisition.

Of course, such a cruel system is definitely not needed now. However, this speed of religious popularization also proves one point: the faith of Muslims is not unchangeable.

If the previous generation cannot be changed, their next generation can certainly be changed. Not everyone is a loyal religious believer; for the sake of their own survival and the future of their descendants, I believe quite a few people will choose to convert to Catholicism.

The Moroccans in the South Morocco colony are a good example.

At the beginning, the South Morocco colony had a population of nearly one million, and Spain eventually assimilated about 400, 00 Moroccans.

All these 400, 00 people converted to Catholicism and learned Spanish. About half of these Moroccans obtained Spanish citizenship, and they eventually went to various states in Spain proper, becoming truly glorious Spaniards.

The remaining Moroccans were also dispersed to various Spanish colonies. Although they could not go to Spain proper, they were noble immigrants in the colonies, no different from those foreign European immigrants, and were all the upper-class people of the Spanish colonies.

As for the lower-class people, they are naturally the natives of the African colonies.

It must be admitted that there are truly many natives in the African colonies. Currently, the African natives in all of Spain's colonies add up to at least tens of millions.

Don't look at how Spain has consumed millions of African natives through various means over these many years; in reality, there are still a vast, uncountable number of natives in each colony.

Among all of Spain's African colonies, the ones that have done relatively well are the Morocco colony and the West Africa colony.

Because the original Morocco was a white country, there are still not many black people in the Morocco colony to this day.

The West Africa colony, on the other hand, reduced the proportion of black people by expelling them. Except for the need for a large number of black slaves for the initial reclamation of farmland in the colony, for most of the remaining time, the West Africa colony has been transporting African immigrants out.

These African natives either went to other Spanish colonies, such as the Guinea colony and the Congo territory, which have broader land and larger black populations, or they went to other countries arranged by Spain, such as the United States.

There is no other way; who told the United States to recognize black people as American citizens?

Hu An doesn't care about how black people are treated within the United States; just the fact that the United States, a major power, recognizes black people as American citizens is enough to attract a large number of African black people to go to their dream paradise.

In the many years that Spain has colonized Africa, it has transported at least several hundred thousand black people to the United States alone.

If it weren't for the fear of being discovered by the United States for transporting so many black people, I am afraid the number of black people Spain transported to the United States could have increased several times over.

And let's not say, transporting black people to the United States has indeed solved the worries of the Spanish government.

The proportion of black people in the West Africa colony has already dropped by more than half, and this is all thanks to the United States.

As for whether the United States will become more chaotic because of these continuously arriving black people, that is not a problem for Spain to consider.

Since the United States has the ability to fight a Civil War, Hu An believes they have the ability to fight another Civil War. Let the white people and black people fight the second war; whoever wins will be the master of the United States, and Spain will just watch the show.

With the passage of time, the propaganda of Pan-Iberianism achieved good results.

In Spain alone, there are already quite a few people who support Pan-Iberianism. Some members of parliament are even openly proposing motions regarding the merger of Spain and Portugal, and the Spanish covetousness for the Portuguese has been put on the table.

And let's not say, as long as such a proposal is put forward, it can get the support of many members of parliament and the Spanish public.

Expanding territory is something the Spanish are willing to see, not to mention the land of Portugal, which is right before their eyes.

The geographical environment of Portugal is much better than that of Spain, which is also the reason why Spain has always been drooling over the land of Portugal.

These vast plains are natural treasures for agricultural reclamation and are also the granary that the Spanish dream of.

Unfortunately, due to population limitations, the Portuguese have never made good use of the plains within their country.

In the eyes of Spanish farmers, this is simply a waste of natural resources. If only the land of Portugal were handed over to the Spanish to cultivate, the Spanish are confident that they could expand Portugal's agricultural output by several times.

Unfortunately, such a phenomenon cannot be realized through peaceful means. If the Spanish want to cultivate the land of Portugal, perhaps they can only annex Portugal through war.

The good news is that the opposition to Pan-Iberianism within Portugal is not very strong.

The so-called Pan-Iberianism mainly harms two groups: one is the landlords and feudal nobility of Portugal, and the other is the power holders of the Portuguese government.

The former naturally goes without saying. Like Spain, most landlords in Portugal are feudal nobility. After the Kingdom of Portugal was overthrown, these nobles naturally lost their titles and land.

The biggest power holder in the current Portuguese government is the Republican Party. However, the Republican Party's revolution succeeded because of support from Spain; although this was not made public, the high-level members of the Republican Party are clear about it in their hearts.

If the Republican Party were to openly oppose or even suppress the people who support Pan-Iberianism, would that annoy Spain?

The relationship between Portugal and the United Kingdom is not very good right now; if they were to offend Spain again, wouldn't that mean Spain's guns would soon be turned toward Portugal?

The performance of the Spanish army in Morocco is still fresh in everyone's memory; even if it cannot be called the top army in Europe, it is definitely at a first-class level.

What's more, Spain did not deploy many of its main forces at all. Just looking at the performance of the army, among the three major powers—Spain, the United Kingdom, and Italy—that were conducting wars at the same time, Spain's performance far exceeded the other two.

For the Portugal ruled by the Republican Party, there is really no confidence to fall out with Spain at this time.

Unless they can once again obtain the support of the United Kingdom, but considering that the Portuguese government-in-exile has already arrived in London, the difficulty for the Republic of Portugal to obtain the support of the United Kingdom is imaginable.

The second day of ten-thousand-word updates, two more days to go, seeking your support!

(End of this chapter)