I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 266

The political situation in 19th-century Spain can be defined in a single word: a mess.

The current Queen of Spain, Isabel II of the House of Bourbon, was a symbol that starkly illustrated this chaos.

The Queen ascended to the throne at the tender age of three after the early passing of her father, Ferdinand VII, and since that day, there hasn’t been a single day that wasn’t eventful.

As soon as she was crowned, a civil war erupted around the young Queen, and in 1837, the system was changed to a constitutional monarchy, allowing the young Queen to barely manage to hold her position.

Just when they thought it was over, Baldomero Espartero, leading the Progressive Party, staged a coup and became regent, implementing radical policies and seemingly ascending as a dictator, only to be ousted in yet another coup.

The Queen was only thirteen years old when this chaotic series of events concluded.

So, did this mean the end of the chaos and the beginning of stability? Not at all.

The cabinet would explode at the slightest provocation, the constitution was revised every time people forgot about it, and the military would riot almost every two or three years, causing chaos.

With the country in such a state, how could domestic or foreign affairs be properly managed?

Spain’s national policy was led by drift masters who would suddenly change direction if they were going to the right, and turn to the right again if they were going to the left, resulting in no significant progress for years.

Spain in 1851 was no different.

As always, Spain, consistently wavering, was led by Juan Bravo Murillo, the chairman of the Council of Ministers, who was essentially the Prime Minister.

He was a staunch conservative who opposed the wave of liberalism that had swept through Spain a few years prior, and in truth, he wasn’t very popular.

The surrounding predictions were that he would be ousted in two to three years if things continued this way, but an opportunity came to him.

It was the war between America and Mexico.

“Chairman, is the work in America that you confidently mentioned last time going well?”

“Of course, Your Majesty. The day when our Spain can regain influence in America is not far off.”

“…Is that true?”

“Mexico is taking a big hit from the war with America. America is also putting up a poor fight against Mexico, proving that they still have a long way to go before becoming a proper superpower.”

“But most importantly, we have already lost most of our colonies over there. Can we really expand our influence in America again? It doesn’t seem realistic.”

Isabel II had a trauma about her unstable position, having ascended to the throne at a young age and experienced civil war.

Although it was a constitutional monarchy, the law guaranteed her many powers, and the Queen actively used them to exert her influence and consolidate her position.

Since conservative and progressive forces were fiercely opposed in Spain, the Queen could easily overwhelm either side by skillfully playing them against each other.

However, continuing to play politics in this way only worsened Spain’s already unstable political situation.

In fact, when viewed coldly, Spain was barely clinging to its status as a great power in terms of the power it still possessed, but the reason it appeared so inept was obvious.

“Even though Mexico has suffered enormous damage in the war with America, it is somehow holding on. And if it ends like this, our influence, which has been helping from behind, will naturally grow.”

“I know that. I heard you’re going to get the mining rights to the silver mines?”

“Yes. And with that as an excuse, we plan to co-opt pro-Spanish figures in Mexico and reorganize their structure to make their economy dependent on us. Then, even if it’s not a colony on the surface, it will effectively be in a state of economic colonization. Based on that, we plan to work on other countries in South America as well.”

Turning domestic unrest abroad to boost popularity is a common tactic for politicians.

Perhaps Murillo is so enthusiastic about Mexico in order to overcome his current abysmal approval ratings and extend his political life even a little longer.

At first, it was considered a futile effort, but surprisingly, it was quite effective.

As a figure belonging to the conservative side, the slogan of restoring the glory of the Spanish Empire in the past seemed to resonate well with his supporters.

However, the Queen was also somewhat uneasy.

Is Spain now what it used to be?

It’s hard to even count how many colonies it has lost in recent decades alone.

First, Argentina declared independence and broke away.

Next, Chile, then Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and finally Uruguay.

It was no exaggeration to say that Spain had virtually no colonies left in America, except for Caribbean territories such as Cuba and Puerto Rico.

The same was true when looking at the world as a whole.

Only the Philippines, Guam, and a few colonies in North Africa were added, and the many colonies had dwindled to the point where they could be counted on one’s fingers.

But here, to restore the glory of the past?

If you fall for such propaganda, you should doubt your intellectual level, shouldn’t you?

But shockingly, it’s actually working, which is quite shocking.

‘So that’s why the country is declining,’ the Queen realized once again today.

“I heard that the United States has issued a stern warning. Is there a possibility that they, the strongest in America, will cause problems?”

“No, there isn’t. If there was, they would have already started something.”

“What is England saying?”

“England seems to be busy preparing for the Expo to be held this year. In the first place, they are just happily selling weapons right now, so I don’t think they have any other thoughts.”

“Hmm… Should I write a letter to Queen Victoria?”

They weren’t that close, but Isabel II and Victoria occasionally exchanged letters because they had the commonality of being queens.

Although there was a ten-year age difference, they had a certain connection, and she would send letters of encouragement when Spain was going through difficult times.

Nevertheless, they hadn’t been in contact recently, and the reason was simple.

[Because I’m jealous.]

Even though they were both queens, Spain was visibly declining to the point where anyone could tell, while the British Empire continued to expand.

In the Queen’s eyes, the current power of the British Empire seemed so immense that even the Spanish Empire at its peak could not compare.

If that was all, it might have been different, but Victoria had even married the person she loved and built a happy family.

On the other hand, she was continuing a marriage that was difficult to call happy even in private life through a political marriage without love.

To Isabel II, Queen Victoria was someone who had everything she didn’t, so it was difficult to treat her comfortably.

At the same time, the desire to beat her even once never left a corner of her heart.

“Chairman, if we can only expand our power again in the Americas… is it possible to gain influence comparable to Canada?”

“Are you talking about Canada, not the United States? Ah, I see, Your Majesty expects the British Empire to show interest in the hegemony [leadership or dominance] of North America.”

That wasn’t what she meant, but Chairman Murillo, as if understanding on his own, nodded and continued in a low voice.

“If Canada occupies the north and we occupy the south, we won’t know which side is superior until we compare. However, if Your Majesty regains the glory of the old Spanish Empire, you will be praised as a wise ruler unmatched by any monarch in Europe.”

She wasn’t very interested in titles like wise ruler or saintly ruler.

It would be enough if she could make Victoria feel envy towards her even once.

Isabel II suddenly recalled a letter Victoria had sent her in the past, filled with boasts about her husband, and smiled bitterly.

She didn’t mean to boast because they were both queens and married women, but from the recipient’s point of view, she couldn’t help but feel twisted inside.

‘Yes, it must be nice to have a handsome, capable, and loving husband.’

It was childish, but it was also an unavoidable part of human nature.

Isabel II gave tacit permission to Chairman Murillo’s plan by not interfering, even though she thought it lacked realism.

* * *

Could it be that the site of Buckingham Palace isn’t very good?

Or maybe my compatibility with it isn’t very good.

I don’t seem to have any memories of moving into Buckingham and staying here for a long time, but fortunately, I managed to keep my schedule this time.

To be honest, the US-Mexico war is a big deal, but it wasn’t urgent enough for me to go all the way to Canada, and Wellesley came to me because he didn’t know how much more it would escalate.

However, it was true that Spain’s intervention, which was making the situation even bigger, was an unexpected variable.

Moreover, Spain’s politicians are showing an amazing ability to misread reality, as if they were time travelers from the past, and they continue to provoke the United States.

I wonder what they’re relying on, but it’s just amazing that they’re not relying on anything.

However, it was necessary to clearly gauge whether this was real or just a kind of bluff.

Isn’t there a possibility that the United States, Canada, and Mexico are being played by some kind of sophisticated political maneuver?

My theory is that you should always do a safety check again when you feel that your footing has become solid.

Besides, if I can clearly grasp what Spain’s intentions are, I can draw the picture I want, right?

So, I left the upcoming Expo to Wellesley and Disraeli to handle, and I summoned the protagonists of this controversy to Buckingham Palace.

The first to have that honor was Fernando Córdoba, the Spanish Ambassador.

He was a fairly old man with strong conservative leanings and one of the few supporters of Chairman Murillo, the current de facto [in reality] ruler of Spain.

“It is an honor to meet such an outstanding genius produced by the British Empire, Your Highness.”

“I’m glad to see that you still look healthy, Ambassador. I should have made time more often with the ambassadors, but I’ve been too busy. I’ll make time more often from now on, so please come and visit me whenever you have time, Ambassador. Haha.”

“It would be an honor for me. Hehehe.”

He was wearing a kind, gentle smile, but he was still a seasoned old fox who had been rolling around in the diplomatic world for more than a decade.

He already knew what I wanted and what I wanted to talk about, but he didn’t show any signs of it, starting with stories about his recent activities, then stories about the last war, and even chatting about the Expo for an hour.

They say that when you get older, you get used to waiting, and that seems to be true.

After wandering off on a tangent for a long time and deliberately spouting nonsense, I subtly brought up the main topic when the desserts and milk tea in front of me were running low.

“I came back after finishing the victory parade, but the Prime Minister told me to work again. Isn’t that too much?”

“Hahaha, that’s proof of Your Highness’s outstanding ability, isn’t it?”

“Still, to make the Prince Consort, who has been fighting wars for years and returned after a great victory that shook the whole of England, work again. This, this, our Prime Minister is getting too full of himself these days. I can’t help but naturally think, ‘Should I try to discipline him?'”

“Hehehe, if the Prime Minister hears that, he’ll be chilled to the bone.”

Ambassador Córdoba poured a cup of milk tea that the servant had refilled, and surreptitiously examined my expression.

The Prince Consort of the British Empire and a war hero who is revered by all citizens.

It may seem somewhat arrogant, but this level of confidence is not at all unusual for someone with such a career.

I deliberately revealed my emotions little by little so that Córdoba could gauge me to his heart’s content.

“Honestly, the parliament has nothing to say. How much work have I done for the country? Well, as the Duke of Canada, I can’t help but look into the Canada issue.”

“I heard that Canada is quite noisy these days, so you must have a headache.”

“I believe you know who’s to blame for all this.”

“Hehehehe, I feel guilty. But thanks to that, Canada is having quite a bit of fun, isn’t it?”

“I can’t deny that. That’s why I’m here laughing and having a good time with the Ambassador, isn’t it?”

If you were to pick the country that benefited the most from the Crimean War and the Mexican War, nine out of ten people would say the British Empire, but strictly speaking, that’s wrong.

Although Europe doesn’t know it yet, the biggest beneficiary of this war was Canada, which has become my private property.

Of course, Canada is still part of the British Empire, so it’s not wrong to say that the British Empire has benefited the most.

“From now on, our Spain wants to be friendly with the British Empire, whether it’s in the Americas or Asia. In fact, we don’t have any areas where we can clash, so there’s no room for conflict, is there?”

“Of course.”

Fighting requires a certain level of fitness in the first place, and Spain wouldn’t be crazy enough to stand up straight in front of the British Empire.

In the first place, what would the current strongest country, the British Empire, want from Spain, which has lost all the areas that could make money and has become penniless?

However, that’s only from the perspective of colonies, and the story changes when you consider whether the areas that Spain has are valuable or not.

“But as the Duke of Canada, there is one thing I’m worried about in this matter.”

“Yes? What do you mean worried?”

“It’s good to sell weapons, but the British Empire can’t help but consider the international power relations. If the relationship between the United States and Spain deteriorates due to this, I can’t help but worry that the peace of the Americas will be shaken in the long run. So, I’m wondering if we should just stop exporting weapons instead of being obsessed with short-term gains… What do you think, Ambassador?”

“I am grateful that you are concerned about the relationship between our country and the United States of America, but the two countries have no problems. We are simply conducting international trade in accordance with the free trade policy, and the United States, which values the value of freedom above all else, will not express any dissatisfaction with this.”

They’re already creating an ominous atmosphere by issuing stern warnings, but are they oblivious, or do they really think it’s okay?

“Um… I heard that the United States Congress recently enacted a bill to inspect and ban the sale of war materials.”

“That’s probably a law to crack down on domestic companies. In fact, even after enacting such a law, there have been no reports of them doing anything to our merchant ships.”

“I see. Spain is Spain after all. Seeing that the United States, which was so strong against Mexico, is giving in to Spain, well, honestly, isn’t that right? The United States is only a country with less than 80 years of history, so how can they treat Spain, which has reigned as the world’s strongest country for centuries, carelessly? I think I was too worried.”

“Hehehe, thank you for seeing it that way. I also agree that the United States is a country with high potential, but I still think they have a long way to go.”

There is no compliment that works better for people in their twilight years than mentioning the glory of the past.

There’s a reason why the phrase ‘back in my day’ comes out.

“So, can I send an order to sell weapons to Cuba without worrying about Canada?”

“Yes. Your Highness will not be disappointed either.”

Seeing his eyes sparkling, it seems that their goal isn’t just to sell weapons and make a profit.

I knew they would have another ulterior motive.

In fact, knowing the nature of those who try to suck the marrow out of a pushover, it wasn’t difficult to guess what they wanted.

They want to take this opportunity to stick a huge straw into Mexico and suck it dry until it’s on the verge of death, right?

To do that, they need the bait of weapons.

“Speaking of which, the home country has concluded that it will lower its assessment of the United States by one or two levels. No, honestly, I thought they would be a little stronger, but seeing them struggle against Mexico, well… Could it be that the weapons we export are that good?”

“Oh, is the British Empire also analyzing it that way? That there was a bit of a bubble in the existing assessment of the United States?”

“Yes. It seems like the bubble is rising more severely than when I pour my favorite Guinness beer carelessly.”

The United States is just a bubble, so Spain, you can definitely win!.

As Disraeli and Wellesley had already proven, this was the standard perception of the British Empire, so Ambassador Córdoba chuckled and agreed with me.

This confirms it. Spain’s confidence is 100 percent genuine.

After that, I added a lot of seasoning to how shabby the United States was, based on what I had seen when I went to America in person before.

And how weak their spirit was, as they immediately lowered their tails as soon as the Royal Navy of the British Empire set out.

The very next day after personally seeing off Ambassador Córdoba, who had returned full of confidence.

I secretly summoned the American Ambassador, Abbott Lawrence, to the palace.