Empire Rise: Spain-Chapter 29: The Troublesome Reform Plan

The news of the Royal Military Academy opening large-scale enrollment was eagerly ed by Carlo’s Spanish Sun Newspaper and other newspapers, becoming big news around Madrid.
Thanks to such propaganda efforts, within just a few days, more than a hundred people signed up for the Military Academy.
Although only more than sixty were recruited after layers of screening, it was still considerable progress compared to the previous Military Academy.
While vigorously recruiting new students, Carlo also ordered the Royal Military Academy to learn the Prussian and French officer training systems and processes, reforming the Military Academy.
The outdated Spanish officer training system is not very suitable for the current era. Learning those already obsolete line infantry tactics—is it to make Spanish soldiers line up to be shot?
The good news is that the Austro-Prussian War and Franco-Prussian War that erupted in recent years can serve as objects for Spanish military academies to learn from. The Prussia, Austria, and France involved in this war are among the most powerful army nations in the world today.
Speaking of the Franco-Prussian War, this war, advanced by one year, was obviously fought even more fiercely than in history.
In history, the Second French Empire only held out for less than two months, and Emperor Napoleon III formally surrendered to the Prussian Army.
France in this world is not much better either. Although it held out longer, the war situation was firmly controlled by the Prussian Army.
The French Army has a large number of line infantry regiments. This line-up-to-be-shot tactic has already lost its role in the present when rifle ranges are gradually increasing.
Moreover, the problems of the French Army are not just this one. There was no sufficient preparation before the war, and after the war broke out, Napoleon III was still hesitating whether to attack or defend.
In addition, the French Army does not usually set up army and division levels. The armies and divisions hastily formed due to the war could hardly exert their due coordination and combat effectiveness.
Facing the Prussian Army, which had just experienced the Austro-Prussian War, was well-equipped, and experienced, the French Army clearly fell into a disadvantage from the beginning.
Now the only suspense is when Prussia can end the war, and whether a revolution will erupt inside France after Napoleon III surrenders.
This is the key focus of Carlo and the Spanish Government, after all, France’s situation can also affect Spain.
Under Carlo’s advice and Primó’s acquiescence, the Spanish Government also has a plan for university construction.
It is planned that within the next five years, Spain will at least build 5 universities, raising the total number of universities to more than two digits.
At the same time, most of these universities will focus on building science and engineering majors, with mathematics, physics, and chemistry as key projects of Spanish universities.
Literature, art, and other not-so-important majors will be integrated into two or three universities. After all, Spain does not need so many art talents either.
To encourage Spaniards’ willingness to apply to universities, Carlo plans to establish a scholarship system among university students.
Doing so can not only let more commoner children enter universities, but also let them receive favors from the Royal Family. It can not only cultivate talent for Spain, but also increase the prestige of the Royal Family—a win-win.
Amidst the busyness, 1869 soon entered its end,
1870 arrived on time.
If 1869 was just a test of Primó’s reforms, then 1870 is about to enter Primó’s true reform phase.
To make Spain more powerful, at the end of 1869, Primó produced a 《comprehensive reform plan》 that left Carlo dumbfounded.
In this reform plan, Primó mentioned the necessity of emulating Prussia to achieve compulsory primary education and declared to promote comprehensive literacy education in Spain.
Because the goal covers more than 16 million Spaniards, Primó also set the implementation period for comprehensive literacy education within five years.
Education is just the first step.
The second goal of Primó’s reforms is to effectively increase Spaniards’ income levels. Not to exceed great powers like Britain, France, and Prussia, but at least to surpass neighboring countries like Portugal and reach a level not much worse than Italy.
How to achieve such a goal?
Primó proposed three plans.
First, promote the implementation of Spanish labor law to effectively ensure salary treatment and wage payments for Spanish workers and other enterprise employees.
Second, effectively increase the income of the agricultural population by reducing agricultural taxes and increasing grain output. Primó also proposed that the government establish a grain price regulatory institution to ensure that grain acquirers can guarantee farmers’ income while controlling grain prices in the Spanish market.
Third, reduce the various miscellaneous taxes left over from Queen Isabella’s reign and streamline the tax items for the Spanish people. To reduce the pressure on government finances, taxes on enterprises and factories should be appropriately increased to achieve balance in the Spanish Government’s revenues and expenditures.
Carlo just looking at these two goals gave him a headache.
Although these two goals are indeed for reform and can effectively increase Spaniards’ income levels.
But the problem is that doing so will also offend Spain’s two deeply rooted major forces: the religious forces and the big bourgeoisie.
Spain’s education is currently mostly in the hands of religious forces, that is, the Catholic Church in Spain.
The reason there are more than 70% illiterates is that the schools run by the church not only have high tuition fees, but also quite high thresholds—most ordinary people cannot afford the church schools.
There is no need to say much about the big bourgeoisie. The greed of capitalists will make them continuously exploit the Spanish people. If Primó wants to ensure Spanish workers’ income, he will inevitably offend the big bourgeoisie behind the factory owners and business owners.
If you add those republican faction people waiting to see the monarchy’s jokes, as well as the hidden Carlist faction that remains unmoved, Carlo’s head is about to explode.
A small Spain actually has so many troubles. It’s no wonder that Amadeo only persisted for three years after coming to Spain and decisively chose to flee to Italy.
“Prime Minister Primó, is your reform plan a bit too radical?” In the Madrid Royal Palace, Carlo holding Primó’s plan, asked with some headache.
“But Spain can’t wait that long, Your Majesty.” Primó explained.
“This plan directly pushes the church and capitalists entirely to our opposition. Do you have confidence to deal with these two troubles?” Carlo looked at Prime Minister Primó and asked very seriously.
If the troubles from the church and capital can be solved, this reform will naturally be beneficial to Spain.
But if these two troubles cannot be solved, the hidden Carlist faction and the republican faction opposing the monarch will also take the opportunity to make trouble, and Spain’s situation may be worse than expected.
Second update, seeking support!