Empire Rising: Spain

On the second day of the new year, January 2, 1884, Carlo received good news: the birth of his third son, Alexander.

Speaking of this, more than four years have passed since Juan Fernando’s birth.

During these years, Carlo ensured that Queen Sophie fully recuperated before considering having more children.

At this time, Carlo was not yet 33 years old, and Queen Sophie was not even 29, both still in their prime childbearing years.

Once Queen Sophie surpasses 30, Carlo will cautiously consider having more children. After all, the older the mother, the higher the risks involved in childbirth.

Time flies, and Carlo’s eldest son, Prince Juan Fernando, is almost nine years old. Even Princess Sophia and Prince Martin, who were born later, are already seven and four years old, respectively, at their playful and adorable age.

These children have brought more vitality to the vast Madrid Royal Palace, making it much livelier than before.

The three little ones showed considerable excitement at the arrival of their youngest brother, Alexander.

If not for their busy studies, they would probably spend all day figuring out how to stay by their brother’s side. Children have an innate charm, and even Carlo would make time amid his busy schedule to spend with his youngest son before returning to his demanding work.

Compared to previous years, 1884 was definitely a special year for Spain.

The first five-year development plan, proposed in 1869 and concluded in 1874, marked Spain’s official return to the ranks of European powers through reform.

The second five-year development plan was proposed in 1874 and was intended to conclude in 1879 alongside the Cabinet Government.

However, due to the assassination of Prime Minister Prim, Spain experienced a turbulent period with three governments during the second five-year development plan.

Fortunately, after Prime Minister Prim’s assassination, he willingly relinquished all power, and under Carlo’s coordination, all three Cabinet Governments continuously facilitated the completion of the second five-year development plan.

During the third Cabinet Government, in the third year of Earl Canovas as Prime Minister of Spain, the Spanish Government officially proposed the third five-year development plan, setting ambitious goals.

This year, half a decade later, it is time to evaluate the third five-year development plan.

In total, the three five-year development plans spanned 15 years, each playing an extremely important role.

The first five-year plan laid the groundwork, the second linked past and future, and the third saw the fruition of efforts.

On February 3, 1884, after his youngest son Alexander’s first month, Carlo decided to officially return to work and held a meeting in the Spanish Congress Building’s Lower House to listen to the Spanish Government’s report on the third five-year development plan.

The old practice continued: Prime Minister Canovas would first deliver a summary government report, followed by more detailed reports from various Cabinet departments.

Between 1879 and 1884, Spain’s development was rapid. By the end of 1883, Spain’s total population had exceeded 22.3 million, bringing it closer to Carlo’s goal of a 30 million population.

While other European countries also experienced population growth, many people migrated to other continents.

Compared to other European countries, Spain experienced less population outflow, mainly because Spain’s mainland still offered many development opportunities, leaving Spaniards less inclined to migrate abroad if they had a decent living standard.

Evidence of this is the increase in Spain’s per capita annual income.

Since Carlo became the King of Spain, the per capita annual income has grown at a high rate every year, never experiencing disruption.

This is quite normal, as the Spanish Government continuously invested heavily in infrastructure and various projects. For the first ten years, the Government’s finances were even in deficit, relying entirely on loans to make ends meet.

Only after the second five-year development plan did Spain’s economic situation improve, and the Government’s finances turned from deficit to surplus.

Currently, Spain’s per capita annual income has reached 157.22 Pessetas, nearly doubling since Carlo’s ascension.

This growth rate is indeed impressive, considering that this era’s currency, linked to Gold, was quite valuable, with currency exchange rates highly stable and almost no devaluation.

Of course, the poor living conditions under Queen Isabella’s rule were also a significant factor.

If Queen Isabella had been a little smarter back then, Spain’s per capita income would not have skyrocketed so quickly over these 15 years.

Although per capita income is steadily rising, most Spaniards’ income remains relatively low compared to other European powers.

This is easy to understand since the vast majority of Spain’s 22 million population are farmers, and most of Spain’s land is mountainous, resulting in low grain yields per acre.

Low grain production naturally means farmers have low incomes, which in turn affects Spain’s overall per capita income situation.