Empire Rising: Spain

Tunisia’s ability to attract the attention of France and Italy is not without reason.

Besides being located in North Africa and facing France and Italy across the sea, Tunisia’s 160,000 square kilometers of land includes nearly 90,000 square kilometers of arable land, which is an exceedingly large scale.

Ninety thousand square kilometers is equivalent to 9,000 hectares, 22.2395 million acres, and 1.35 billion mu of land.

If calculated based on the hundreds of jin per mu grain yield of later generations, 1.35 billion mu of land would produce at least 70 to 100 billion jin of grain annually, which is between 35 to 50 million tons.

According to later generations’ grain consumption levels, this amount of grain is enough to feed over a hundred million people. Even based on the current global average grain consumption per person, just 35 million tons of grain would suffice to feed at least 120 million people.

Of course, the actual situation cannot be calculated so straightforwardly. Even if all the 90,000 square kilometers of land were cultivated into farmland, there would definitely be some loss.

Between farmland, there is a need for inclusion of canals, roads, farmers’ residences, living facilities, and a series of other constructions, and the land eventually cultivated into farmland certainly would not be as extensive as 90,000 square kilometers, and the current per mu grain yield does not reach such exaggerated levels.

But one thing is certain: whichever of France or Italy gains Tunisia would be able to fully capitalize on this naturally abundant land ripe for development.

While Tunisia’s land might not currently support hundreds of millions of people, with slight reclamation, it could still provide Europe with enough grain to feed millions.

More importantly, although Tunisia has long been under the Ottoman Empire, it has existed as a vassal rather than being integrated into the Ottoman Empire.

Tunisians live a semi-nomadic, semi-agricultural lifestyle. The region of Tunisia can serve not only as a grain-producing area but also as an overseas pasture, providing substantial amounts of grain and meat products to either France or Italy.

Although there is no specific population data for Tunisia, it is certain that the total population of Tunisia does not exceed one million, approximately between 600,000 to 800,000.

For France and Italy, annexing Tunisia would be very straightforward, and integrating Tunisia domestically would be easily achievable.

This is one of the reasons Italy has its sights set on Tunisia; for Italy, with not so large a population, controlling a land that can be domestically integrated is much more appealing than a large colony far away.

Moreover, Tunisia is right there in front of Italy.

The distance between the Apennine Peninsula and Italy’s Sardinia is at least about 200 kilometers, whereas Sicily is less than 150 kilometers from the Tunis Peninsula, effectively making it a doorstep location.

As for why Italy has not taken over this doorstep land of Tunisia for so long, one can simply look at a map of the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean stretches from the Gibraltar Strait in the west to the western coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the east, spanning an impressive 3600 kilometers.

The shape of the Mediterranean resembles the number 7, and Italy is located at the bend of this number 7. If Italy acquires Tunisia, the southern to northern bend of the number 7 would be completely controlled by Italy.

This scenario signifies that Italy, having unified and become a world power, could any time divide the vast Mediterranean into two.

Such a situation would not only disrupt the United Kingdom’s layout at the two exits of the Mediterranean but also jeopardize the connection between France and its African colonies.

This has led to a rather rare phenomenon where both the United Kingdom and France maintain opposition to Italy’s colonization of Tunisia.

It is this joint opposition from the United Kingdom and France against Italy’s colonization of Tunisia that has kept Italy, which had long set its sights on Tunisia, from acquiring this land.

France, understanding the United Kingdom’s apprehension regarding Italy possibly cutting off the Mediterranean, had reached a related compromise with the British Government years ago.

France agreed to relinquish its disputes with the United Kingdom over the Cyprus region in exchange for British amiable neutrality during France’s colonization of Tunisia.

The so-called amicable neutrality means that the United Kingdom would not issue any statements during France’s invasion of Tunisia but would also not take any hostile or rejecting actions.

Rufelli dared to plan the invasion of Tunisia precisely because it was certain that the United Kingdom would not interfere with France’s actions.

As long as the United Kingdom does not interfere with France’s actions, France’s invasion of Tunisia is bound to succeed. As for France’s neighbor and arch-enemy, Germany at this time also cannot possibly stop France’s colonial expansion.

The fundamental reason is simple: at this time, Germany also does not wish to face a war.

In fact, as far back as after the Franco-Prussian War, during negotiations with the French Government, significant internal disagreements emerged within the German Government.

Back then, Prussian Prime Minister Bismarck’s original plan was to demand a war indemnity of 1 billion francs from the French Government, establishing Prussia’s superiority in its disputes with France.

However, the Junker Nobility was evidently more ambitious, and it was their exorbitant demands that led to the French Government’s indemnity escalating from 1 billion to 5 billion francs.

Though the German Government obtained more funds, the hatred between France and Germany also intensified. This is why Bismarck strived to build a system to isolate France, fearing that if the French found an opportunity, they might launch a retaliatory war.