Rise of Empires: Spain

Prime Minister Primo and Carlo both understood the thoughts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Franz Joseph I.

No matter what the considerations were, neither of them would refuse Franz Joseph I's request.

After all, the larger the scale of the Austro-Hungarian navy and army, the more it proved that the Austro-Hungarian Empire valued the eldest princess, Archduchess Sophie.

Since the Austro-Hungarian Empire valued Archduchess Sophie so much, wouldn't it be equivalent to the Austro-Hungarian Empire also valuing Spain as an ally?

Although it didn't help much in terms of national interests, it could still be used to gain power at the diplomatic level. Spain or the Austro-Hungarian Empire alone was not that powerful, but if the two countries were to unite, even superpowers such as Britain, France and Germany would have to carefully consider the pros and cons.

This also made people have to be thankful that the relationship between Italy and Spain was very good at this time, and the King of Italy was also Carlo's father, Vittorio Emanuele II.

If someone else were to be the King of Italy, he might not be able to rest assured about the troops invested by Spain and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in this wedding reception.

If the king was more suspicious, he might not be able to sleep all night. After all, if these troops were to attack unexpectedly, it would be enough to make Italy suffer.

Fortunately, Italy was also an ally of Spain at that time, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire did not have too many ideas about Italy. Otherwise, Italy, sandwiched between the two countries, would become the most painful role after this marriage.

Since the Austro-Hungarian Empire has dispatched more than 5,000 troops to accompany and protect, Spain will naturally not remain indifferent.

Prime Minister Primo made some changes to the process of receiving the bride. After the fleet of the bride docks at the port of Valencia, it will be escorted by an army of more than 10,000 people until it arrives in Madrid.

In order to ensure the safety of the road from Valencia to Madrid, Prime Minister Primo specially approved an action, which is to carry out a cleaning operation on this road one month in advance to prevent any possible accidents.

Finally, the time came to February 1872.

Carlo personally led the army through many difficulties to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and under the reluctant eyes of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I and Queen Sissi, he took Archduchess Sophie away and boarded the fleet to Spain.

The journey was very smooth. After arriving at the port of Valencia, they took the modified royal train and slowly traveled from Valencia to Madrid.

Madrid in February has been carefully dressed up by the government, and at first glance it seems to be preparing for some grand event.

The closer you get to the Royal Palace of Madrid, the more you can feel the government's attention to this wedding. Not only around the palace, but even on the streets and alleys of the Madrid neighborhoods, you can see the fluttering colorful flags and the extremely eye-catching Spanish flag.

Spanish newspapers have also been publishing news about the friendship between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Spain these two days, as well as news praising Carlo and Archduchess Sophie for being a perfect match.

The Royal Palace of Madrid was unusually lively on the wedding day. Not only a large number of nobles are trying their best to attend this wedding, but also many officials and capitalists are trying to get a seat.

If they are not qualified to attend this wedding, they will try their best to send a gift to the royal family to express their loyalty to the royal family and Carlo.

At this moment, it is different from when Carlo came to Spain before. Carlo's current throne has long been firmly established, and naturally he is no longer the powerless king that anyone can despise.

Especially after the marriage with the royal family of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Carlo's influence in Spain is infinitely high. The Savoy family only has a certain influence in Italy, but the Habsburg family, where the Austro-Hungarian royal family is located, has great influence in Europe.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the Habsburg family is currently the world's first family, and it is more influential than the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha family and the Hohenzollern family.

In the heyday of the Habsburg family, they once ruled Spain, the Two Sicilies, Hungary, Austria and a large number of German regions, and held the only throne in Europe at that time, that is, the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

Of course, the Habsburg family still holds the title of emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to this day, but the Habsburg family at this time is only a collateral branch, and its full name is the Habsburg-Lorraine Dynasty.

The Habsburg family once ruled Spain, and it has ruled Spain since the early days of Spain.

The famous Iberian wedding marked the official merger of Castile and Aragon into Spain, which is also the origin of the birth of Spain.

The first generation of the kings of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty were the two protagonists of the Iberian wedding, the descendants of Queen Isabella of Castile and Juana, the daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, and Prince Philip of the Holy Roman Empire.

The reason why the throne of Spain fell into the hands of the Bourbon dynasty was the result of negotiations between the Habsburg family and the Bourbon dynasty after the outbreak of the Spanish Succession War.

Although the Bourbon dynasty obtained the Spanish throne, it also returned the Netherlands under Spanish control, namely the three Low Countries, as well as the Kingdom of Naples, Sardinia, Sicily and part of Italian territory to Austria.

So compared to the royal family of Savoy, which has a less prominent history, the dynastic family of Habsburg has a very prominent history and has a certain influence on the Spanish people.

After Carlo married Archduchess Sophie of the Habsburg family, it also means that their future offspring also have the blood of the Habsburg family.

The Habsburgs' rule in Spain lasted for nearly 200 years, which is longer than the Bourbon dynasty's rule in Spain.

Compared with the Bourbon family, which has a bad reputation in Spain, the Spanish people are more supportive of the Habsburg family. The Spaniards are also quite willing to see the marriage between the king and the Habsburg family.

After all, Spain under the rule of the Habsburg family was still the hegemon in Europe at that time, even stronger than France.

At that time, Spain also ruled a large area including the Two Sicilies and the Netherlands. Whether it was the strength of the army or the navy, it could be called the hegemon of Europe.

It's a pity that while other countries were becoming stronger, Spain's weakening was also ongoing.

The British Empire eventually became history, and Spain became weaker and weaker, being trampled under the feet of rising powers such as France and Britain.

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