Rebirth of the Spanish Empire.

Chapter 30 The Establishment of the Spanish-Portuguese Alliance

January 1876, 1, after the military parade.

At the request of King Luis I of Portugal, Alfonso took his sister Isabella to Lisbon, the capital of the Kingdom of Portugal, for a state visit.

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At the welcome dinner at the Royal Palace of Lisbon, the Portuguese royal family was present to show respect for the arrival of Alfonso and Isabella.

The twelve-year-old Portuguese Crown Prince Carlos, led by Queen Maria of Portugal, obediently greeted Alfonso and Isabella.

There is actually not much difference between speaking Spanish and Portuguese.

Because both languages ​​belong to the Latin family, as long as you think carefully, you can understand the general meaning of the two.

Therefore, there were not many obstacles in communication between Alfonso and King Louis I of Portugal.

In fact, this is the first time Alfonso has been invited by a leader of another country for a state visit after taking office as King of Spain.

Alfonso and Isabella, led by King Luis I of Portugal, went to the restaurant of the Royal Palace of Lisbon for dinner.

Everyone took their seats one after another. Through the chat with Alfonso just now, Louis I found that the character of the new King of Spain suited him very well.

In this regard, he believes that the two of them should become very good friends and at the same time, to a large extent, can stabilize the friendly relations between the two countries.

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"Sit down quickly, Alfonso, and have a taste of the quality of the chefs of the Kingdom of Portugal."

"Then, I would rather obey your orders than be respectful." Alfonso replied expectantly.

The maids on both sides of the table began to serve food.

In the West, a separate meal system is implemented, using knives and forks, and eating foods such as steak and pudding.

"Alfonso, how is the food in our Kingdom of Portugal?"

Louis I asked casually, not caring about the etiquette of not talking while eating.

For a straightforward man like him, this kind of cumbersome etiquette is simply an antique from the Middle Ages.

“Your Portuguese food is very good, the medium-rare steak tastes just right…

In fact, I came here upon invitation not only to promote the friendship between the two royal families.

The main purpose this time is to reach a peaceful diplomatic agreement with the Kingdom of Portugal, and even to reach a political and economic alliance between the two countries. "

Alfonso replied solemnly to Louis I.

And Louis I was also shocked by the word "alliance" mentioned by Alfonso.

For him, inviting Alfonso this time was just to promote the friendship between the two royal families.

Unexpectedly, Alfonso wanted to discuss with him this time an alliance between the two countries. Louis I raised his head and looked at Alfonso with wide eyes.

“Alfonso, are you saying that the King of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal have reached an alliance?

You should know that there have been friendly exchanges between the Kingdom of Portugal and the British Empire for more than two hundred years, but the relationship with the Kingdom of Spain is not satisfactory and even a bit bad. "

Louis I was obviously not very optimistic about the alliance between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal.

"Your Majesty Louis, you should know that the British Empire, the German Empire, the French Republic and other countries are changing with each passing day, and they are developing at a rapid speed.

As for the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal, they have stagnated and even regressed because they were immersed in the prosperous history of the past. "

At this time, Alfonso stopped his knife and fork and looked at Louis I calmly.

“And our Kingdom of Spain has recently begun to move towards the road of revival, but our road to revival in the Kingdom of Spain is bound to be suppressed by other countries.

World powers such as the German Empire, the Kingdom of Italy, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire would not allow the Kingdom of Spain to become powerful again.

After all, the world is so big, and if a powerful country suddenly appears, they will lose a benefit. "

Alfonso knocked on the table with his fork, pointed to the ground under his feet, and solemnly said to Louis I:
  "The Kingdom of Portugal is experiencing the same situation as our Kingdom of Spain at this time, and the Kingdom of Spain, which is also in the Iberian Peninsula, is the Kingdom of Portugal's best partner."

“But that does not deny the support that the British now give us in the Kingdom of Portugal.

It is precisely because of the British's strong support for us in the past history that our Kingdom of Portugal has not been annexed by our Kingdom of Spain in the past two hundred years. "

Louis I also stared at Alfonso and said, the British thighs are very thick nowadays. After all, the British Empire is still the most powerful country in the world.

Moreover, he did not want to antagonize the British Empire because of his alliance with the Kingdom of Spain. This would be completely harmful to the Kingdom of Portugal.

"Your Majesty Louis, if you think about it carefully, the British have not actually brought you any actual help.

The British only use your Kingdom of Portugal as a means to check and balance our Kingdom of Spain. "

Alfonso responded without any sign of weakness.

After all, the current Kingdom of Portugal is indeed a pawn used by the British to restrict the development of the Kingdom of Spain on the Iberian Peninsula.

“The biggest reason why the relationship between the Kingdom of Portugal and the United Kingdom can get better is because the two can fight against the Kingdom of Spain at the same time. There are clear examples of this in history!

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when our Kingdom of Spain was strong, your Kingdom of Portugal naturally held an important position in the hearts of the British.

But since entering the 18th century, our Kingdom of Spain has rapidly become lonely. After the 19th century, all the colonies in South and North America were lost.

Coupled with the decline of our Kingdom of Spain for nearly half a century, the Kingdom of Spain now no longer poses a threat to the British Empire.

So the British naturally don't care about the development of your Kingdom of Portugal. "

"Well, you succeeded in convincing me.

I want to hear how you plan to form an alliance between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal.

After all, the price to pay for the current Kingdom of Portugal is too high to give up its ties with the British. "

At this time, Louis I's face gradually became serious. After all, he had to be cautious about such a sensitive topic.

“First of all, the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal will fully open their border trade to strengthen economic exchanges between the two countries, so that our two countries can become a whole economically and achieve common prosperity.

Secondly, our two countries sign a non-aggression treaty, thereby saving the troops deployed on the border between the two countries, which can save a lot of military expenditures.

If possible, our two countries can also establish a political and military alliance.

After all, if we want to gain a decisive voice in the world, we must integrate the power between the two countries on the Iliban Peninsula.

As long as the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal become one, no world power will ignore us.

As long as we reach a political, economic, and military alliance, our two countries can gain a great say in the international community.

This is of great benefit to both our countries. "

Alfonso finished his request and then looked at Louis I.

“Your Majesty Alfonso, if we, the Kingdom of Portugal, reach an alliance agreement with your Kingdom of Spain.

Then the British support for us is bound to decline or even stop. "

Louis I said seriously, this is a very real problem.

“Your Majesty Louis, if the Kingdom of Spain becomes your country’s political, economic and military partner.

As long as there are no restrictions on trade between the two countries, it will greatly stimulate the development of industry and commerce in the Kingdom of Portugal.

And I will also let large companies in the Kingdom of Spain invest in your Kingdom of Portugal to help you promote economic development.

I will also send the Spanish Army to help your Portuguese Kingdom train its army and strengthen your national defense strength. "

Alfonso responded.

After all, it is simply a fool's errand to hope that the two countries on the Iliban Peninsula can form an alliance without paying a big price.

“Among them, the Kingdom of Spain will also invest in several steel plants, shipyards and military factories in the Kingdom of Portugal.

Globo will also set up a branch in the Kingdom of Portugal, and the Spanish government will also guide private entrepreneurs to invest in the Kingdom of Portugal. "

The conditions given by Alfonso this time are not insignificant for the current Kingdom of Portugal.

After all, steel plants, shipyards, and military factories are the foundation of a strong country for every country in the world.

Moreover, the Kingdom of Spain’s Globo is also a newspaper with strong influence around the world.

Therefore, the benefits brought by Alfonso's conditions to the Kingdom of Portugal are very huge.

“If we, the Kingdom of Portugal, are to fall to the Kingdom of Spain, then the two countries must form a military alliance.

Only in this way can we withstand revenge from the British. "

Louis I sighed, obviously he was impressed by Alfonso's offer.

After all, in this world of the weak and the strong, nothing is more important than truly improving one's own strength.

"Your Majesty Louis, as long as you agree to this matter, everything is easy to discuss.

Regarding the specific terms of aid to the Kingdom of Portugal, we can let Canovas negotiate in detail with His Excellency João. What do you think? "

Alfonso picked up the red wine glass and looked at Louis I.

"Cheers to the friendship between our two countries."

Louis I also raised his red wine glass and clinked it with Alfonso in the air.

This also marked the formal political, military and economic alliance between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal.

Regarding the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal, the alliance reached between the two countries has brought Alfonso's goal one step closer.

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(End of this chapter)