Empire Rising: Spain

This approach also ensures the localization of the Moroccan region, with no further concerns. Due to the small Spanish population, under the premise of being able to assimilate the Moroccans, Carlo still wants to acquire Morocco’s millions of people.

Otherwise, more brutal methods would await the Moroccans. Before the end of World War II, Spain still had enough time to conduct various assimilation experiments in the Moroccan region.

In fact, Carlo had underestimated the allure of Spanish nationality, or rather the status of a free citizen, to the Moroccans.

Although the Moroccans are white, this is a backward African region. Morocco still practices slavery, and it is quite a feudal monarchy.

Although Morocco has millions of people, a considerable portion of them are slaves of the nobility.

As long as they obey Spanish rule, joining Spanish nationality could grant them the status of free citizens, which is extremely attractive to those Moroccan slaves.

As for the Spanish enslavement of the entire Moroccan population, what does that matter to the Moroccan slaves?

Before the arrival of the Spanish, the Moroccan nobility and other landlords enslaved them in the same way. The difference is merely a change of oppressors, which makes no difference to the slaves.

Those who truly hated Spain, or the more extreme Moroccan nationalists and extreme Muslim followers, were already enslaved to death in the early years of the South Morocco Colony’s establishment.

The founding of the South Morocco Colony was quite bloody, and this was the standard process for European countries establishing colonies.

Most of the manpower involved came from the local indigenous people, and their life and death were not significant matters to the European colonizers, even completely unconcerning.

This might also be good news, for after the more extreme Moroccans died, those who remained were more obedient.

According to reports from the South Morocco Colony, there are currently over ten thousand Moroccans who have mastered the Spanish language, and more than a hundred thousand who have ostensibly converted to Catholicism.

This truly proves the adage that if Spain were not so stringent about introducing newcomers, the number of people holding Spanish nationality in the South Morocco Colony would have long surpassed ten thousand.

Whether these Moroccans who converted to Catholicism are sincere or not, one can see the allure of Spanish nationality for Moroccans in this respect.

This also means that such a plan can be equally applicable to the entire Moroccan region. Morocco has millions of people, which would be an excellent supplement for Spain.

Even if only half or less than a third of the population could be absorbed, it would still amount to millions.

Of course, whether Moroccan immigrants or immigrants from elsewhere, Spain handles them with considerable caution.

These immigrants will be dispersed, mainly filling the nationalist fervent regions of Catalonia and the Basque Country.

Only by continuously diluting the population of Catalonia and the Basque Region can stability in these regions be ensured.

Currently, the Spanish handling of Catalonia is relatively effective. By building the Barcelona Industrial Base, it has helped Catalonia attract over one hundred thousand immigrants.

This also has effectively reduced the proportion of Catalans in the Catalonia Region, and the number continues to decrease.

With the development of the Barcelona Industrial Base, the proportion of Catalans is expected to fall even below 60%.

And among these 60% of Catalans, how many truly consider themselves purebred Catalans?

The Basque Region is being handled similarly. Although the Basque Region has fewer people, it is still relatively challenging to carry out large-scale immigration to the Basque Region.

Compared to the Catalans, the Basque are more radical and have a clearer sense of national identity.

If a significant number of Catalans are uncertain whether they are Spanish or Catalan, almost all Basque are clear about their Basque lineage.

The Basque Region is sparsely populated, with only hundreds of thousands across its two major regions. This also means most of these regions’ populations are Basque, possessing entirely different national cultures and personalities from the Spaniards.

Handling the Basque Region has always been a problem, even more troublesome than the Catalonia Region. The Barcelona Industrial Base shows promise in solving Catalonia’s issues, but the Basque Region still lacks an effective solution.

Fortunately, there aren’t many Basque, and they do not substantially threaten Spanish rule.

Perhaps only when Spain seizes the opportunity for massive immigration and settles tens or hundreds of thousands into the Basque Region can the problem be resolved.

Otherwise, if Basque nationalism becomes more radical and fervent, and the Basque feel they deserve autonomy or even independence, Spain will inevitably face an internal war.

Carlo often asks himself, why are Spain’s problems always so dire?

Indeed, Spain’s problems are quite severe.

Compared to Spain, a country unified for hundreds of years, the German Empire and the Kingdom of Italy, both unified for only a few years, have far fewer issues.

The Germans and Italians still recognize the concept of the nation quite strongly, even if there are issues of national independence, they are not as radical.

However, Spain, a country unified for centuries, faces Catalans and Basque making radical demands for autonomy or even independence, which is somewhat baffling.

Luckily, while Spain’s problems are numerous, they are not insurmountable. Once the issue in Catalonia is resolved, the Basque region is merely a minor trouble.

Whether through massive immigration or achieving victory via internal war, the ultimate victor will undoubtedly be the Spanish Government.

The Basque population’s size limits its capability to defeat the Spanish Government, unless supported by other major powers.

But on that note, the major powers have their own troubles. The most troublesome British, their backyard will catch fire too. The Indians also seek autonomy and independence, and even the later Boer War left the British red-faced.

Ultimately, everyone is on shaky ground; it’s merely a matter of whose problems and troubles are smaller, dictating who achieves ultimate victory.

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