Empire Rise: Spain

Chapter 184: Joint Agricultural Development Company

The establishment of the Congo Territory caused a sensation both inside and outside Europe, as this was the first time a European country had established a large-scale colony in the interior of the African Continent.

In addition to attracting the attention of governments and royal families from various countries, it also attracted the attention of a large number of Spanish nobles.

Currently, the vast majority of Spanish nobles share one characteristic: they are all landowner nobility, that is, nobles who rely on the land in their hands for survival.

The majority of the nobles’ income comes from the land and castles in their hands, with little involvement in industry or finance.

This also led to the royal family’s land scale being inferior to these nobles, but in terms of total assets, it quickly surpassed these nobles.

After all, farming cannot compare to engaging in industry and finance; the most profitable industries in this era are industry and finance. Especially after the Spanish Government promulgated policies for tax reduction and rent reduction on land, the income the nobles obtained through land decreased even further.

The newly established Congo Territory is absolutely a piece of undeveloped land, possessing enormous economic interests and potential value.

Do not underestimate the ambition of European colonists; basically, in this era, regions not yet tread upon by European colonists are all barren areas not worth colonizing.

Spain’s ability to establish the Congo Territory in the upstream highland area of the Congo River Basin also represents that the Spanish Royal Family has determined this land possesses development value, and establishing the Congo Territory can bring huge income.

Some nobles did have ideas about the newly established Congo Territory, but Carlo made no statement, and the nobles could only drop the matter. After all, the Carlo at this time is no longer the young king who once had no power at all. To bypass Carlo and establish plantations in Carlo’s Congo Territory would simply be wishful thinking.

While the nobles were anxious, Carlo had already arranged for the church and a small number of trustworthy nobles to develop the Congo River Basin first.

The King of Belgium, Leopold II, in history made enormous wealth from the large number of natural rubber trees in the Congo, but obviously the current Carlo cannot completely imitate this.

These natural rubber trees are indeed a massive fortune, but they must wait until rubber truly becomes valuable to turn into income.

Although rubber currently has other uses, the time when rubber truly becomes valuable still awaits the successive emergence of tires and cars.

It is precisely because the uses of rubber were greatly expanded that its value continued to grow, and rubber manors and rubber companies sprang up like mushrooms after rain in various places.

Currently, the value of rubber is about the same as petroleum, both having relatively low prices due to the lack of discovery of their greatest uses. The rise in petroleum prices is also due to the inventions of various internal combustion engines and engines, plus the emergence of machinery using these engines, which caused the value of petroleum as an energy source to rise steadily.

Rubber follows the same logic. Before the emergence of tires and a series of other rubber products, natural rubber did have some value, but it was not high.

Although it is impossible to make big money from rubber plantations, the land in the Congo currently still has many uses.

In fact, the Congo, which is almost entirely irrigated by the Congo River, is quite suitable for agricultural planting.

But due to the Congo Basin being covered in tropical rainforests, various diseases and poisonous insects rage rampant, making the environment in this region extremely harsh and agricultural development extremely difficult.

On the contrary, the upstream highland area has less dense vegetation and fewer poisonous insects, making development relatively simple. Plus, being located in the tropics, it is quite suitable for planting rice, cotton, oil crops, as well as cocoa, rubber, bananas, etc.

Since rubber plantations cannot be pursued, attention can instead be turned to cotton plantations, banana plantations, and so on. Anyway, there is a large amount of indigenous labor locally that can be exploited; as long as the plantations are established, there are various ways to make money.

After the Congo Territory announced its establishment, crops and agricultural products from the upstream highlands could be transported in two ways. The first is by railway to the port of the Spanish Guinea Colony, and the other is by river, all the way down the Congo River to the estuary.

For Spain, both methods are naturally necessary. Although the first method via railway can also smoothly transport materials, this railway is after all a single-track railway, so there is an upper limit to transporting materials.

Secondly, it is to strengthen control over the Congo River Basin. Since the Congo Territory has already been established, the most important thing next is to control the entire Congo River, extending through the river to the entire river basin, thereby controlling the entire Congo Region.

In this regard, the greatest colonial competitor Spain faces is Portugal. Portugal has been carrying out colonial aggression against the Kingdom of Congo for a long time in the past and has established its own West African Colony.

Although they have not yet fully mastered the downstream of the Congo River, if Spain does not speed up, Portugal is very likely to fully master the downstream of the Congo River before Spain’s colonial forces arrive.

This is unfavorable for Spain. After all, the upstream of the Congo River is an inland region, and without river transport and port support, economic development will be somewhat restricted.

On this point, even if relations between Spain and Portugal have eased somewhat, Carlo will not retreat even a single step.

If Portugal is determined to engage in colonial competition with Spain in the downstream of the Congo River, Carlo would not mind deploying the power of the Guard to forcibly seize this region.

If Portugal is dissatisfied, the worst that can happen is a war breaking out between the two Iberian powers. For Spain, a war would instead serve to train its own army.

Such colonial disputes are not enough to cause other great powers to forcibly intervene; at most, they would mediate from the middle. As long as the great power countries do not intervene, Carlo will have no fear at all in the Iberian dispute.

Not to mention a small Portugal. Even if two Portugals united, they could not be Spain’s opponent.

The gap between Portugal and Spain does not exist only in territory area and population, but in comprehensive backwardness in economy, industry, population, agriculture, and other aspects.

The land in the Congo is extremely important to Carlo. Here, not only can agriculture be developed and economic crops planted, but it also has extremely rich natural resources and mineral resources.

The Congo in posterity is known as the world’s raw material warehouse, possessing various rich natural resources and multiple rare metals.

Among them are more than 75 million tons of copper ore, 5 million tons of cobalt ore, 7 million tons of zinc ore, 600 tons of gold ore, and 200 million carats of diamond ore. It also has more than 25 million tons of petroleum, 40 billion cubic meters of natural gas, and more than 60 million tons of coal mine.

Such rich mineral resources are a very good supplement to the Spanish Mainland, and plus being located in Africa, transportation is also relatively convenient.

More importantly, the Congo also has a large amount of high-purity uranium ore, which is an important raw material for making atomic bombs in the future.

Although the atomic bomb is a very distant future, even if Carlo does not think for himself, he must think for his future heirs.

If it can become the first country in the world to possess an atomic bomb, Spain will have much more confidence in future world wars; this will have a tremendous impact on changing the war situation and an enormous impact on changing Spain’s future destiny.

As the first native Spanish duke that Carlo became acquainted with, Duke Jacopo plays a considerable role in Carlo’s plan.

After receiving Carlo’s summons, Duke Jacopo hurriedly went to the royal palace and very respectfully requested to see Carlo.

At this time, Carlo was completing his Congo River Basin development plan, and when Duke Jacopo arrived, this plan had just reached its conclusion.

“Your Majesty the King.” Duke Jacopo bowed very respectfully, showing no disdain at all toward the king before him who was only 24 years old, but instead treating him with great importance and respect.

Duke Jacopo understood that the young king before him was no immature child in terms of methods. To disdain such a king would simply be joking with one’s own nobility title and future.

Although European kings rarely abolish nobles’ nobility titles, this does not mean kings lack such power. Moreover, Carlo is not a native Spaniard and has no deep affection for these native Spanish nobles.

If these Spanish nobles ignorantly stood in Carlo’s path forward, perhaps incidents of Carlo abolishing certain nobles would occur in the near future.

Whether a king can abolish a certain noble actually depends on the power the king himself possesses and this king’s influence in the entire European noble system.

After all, nobles are also human; when facing such power that can strip them of their noble identity, they will also be afraid. Once nobles become afraid, they will naturally unite to oppose royal power.

If the king cannot cope with the opposition from nobles united, he naturally has no right to deprive nobles of their titles. Otherwise, if it triggers a civil war between king and nobles, lightly it causes national turmoil, heavily it leads to the royal family or nobles being abolished, and monarchy suffering heavy blows.

Therefore, in general, European kings rarely fall out with the nobles under them. Unless the nobles court death themselves and violate the interests of the king and most other nobles.

Such nobles do not even need the king to act personally; the nobles themselves will unite to eliminate the traitors.

Carlo nodded with a smile on his face, then got straight to the point: “Duke Jacopo, I plan to establish a United Agricultural Development Company in the Congo. Are you interested in serving as the company’s manager?”

The United Agricultural Development Company, as the name implies, is actually Carlo’s main institution for developing Congo agriculture. The reason it is a united company is also considering the matter of nobles participating in Congo development later.

“United Agricultural Development Company?” Duke Jacopo was first stunned, then raised his question: “Your Majesty, what is the purpose of this company? Is it only engaged in planting and sales of agricultural products, or is it to develop agriculture on a large scale in the Congo Region?

Although it is developing agriculture in the Congo Region, there are several different ways. The first is to establish plantations of a certain scale and exploit the interests of the Congo in the simplest way.

The second is to develop agriculture and construct transportation roads on a large scale by building plantations, monopolize agricultural products trade in the Congo Region, and infiltrate influence into other places beyond the Congo, such as Portugal’s West African Colony, etc.

Different choices naturally lead to different power and status for the so-called United Agricultural Development Company.

If it is only the first way, then this so-called company is actually just an institution formed by uniting several agricultural product plantations, with no great power.

But if it is the second way, the agricultural development company becomes an important means for Spain to exert influence in Central Africa, even able to control Central Africa through the company.

Do not underestimate the influence of such a company. When the United Agricultural Development Company holds massive agricultural products production volume, it can influence the agricultural products prices of a region or even a country.

And fluctuations in agricultural products prices affect the income in farmers’ hands, and farmers’ income concerns the stability of the entire country.

Especially for regions like Portugal’s West African Colony that cannot achieve self-sufficiency and need material transport from Portuguese Mainland, a large-scale agricultural development company can cause great influence.

“For the development of the agricultural company, I have always maintained high expectations. According to the exploration team’s survey of the Congo Region, the entire Congo River Basin possesses high agricultural development value.

Especially the upstream highland area of the Congo River, because there is no dense tropical rainforest, developing agriculture is relatively easy.

The task of the United Agricultural Development Company is first to establish a large number of plantations in this region and increase the crops production volume of the Congo.

Only after the United Agricultural Development Company achieves profitability can subsequent expansion be possible. Specific matters cannot be explained clearly in a few short words. If you are willing to serve as the general manager of the United Agricultural Development Company, the company’s development can be decided by you; you only need to be responsible to me.” Carlo said with a smile.

Duke Jacopo agreeing to a matter only after asking clearly first is what satisfies Carlo the most. If he nodded and agreed without asking anything clearly, Carlo would instead doubt his ability.

To deal with a matter, the most important thing is to understand the cause and process of the matter, so as to solve it more reasonably. Duke Jacopo’s relatively steady attitude greatly satisfied Carlo; the yet-to-be-born United Agricultural Development Company needs such a leader to pioneer a great cause in the barren Congo River Basin.

After hearing Carlo’s answer, Duke Jacopo had no more concerns and nodded before respectfully saying to Carlo: “Willing to share Your Majesty’s worries, Your Majesty.”

Carlo nodded with a smile again, already regarding the honest and dutiful duke before him as one of his own: “The church side will also participate in the agricultural development work of the Congo Territory. After the company is established, cooperation can be carried out with the church side.

Once the plantations of the Congo Territory have reached a certain scale and begun profiting, a large number of propaganda means can be used to spread these matters, best to let all the nobles know.”

Hearing that the church would also participate in the agricultural development of the Congo Territory, Duke Jacopo was first stunned. But hearing Carlo say to carry out large-scale public opinion propaganda after the plantations profit, striving to let these Spanish nobles all know, Duke Jacopo thoroughly understood Carlo’s intentions.

In plain terms, the church’s participation is more like bait hung on a fishhook to lure nobles these fish to bite.

The clever Duke Jacopo even thought of more, such as the government previously purchasing a portion of nobles’ land at high prices, then renting it out at low prices to Spanish farmers for planting.

In plain terms, nobles hold too much land, which not only affects Spain’s agricultural development but also harms the interests of Spain’s majority agricultural population.

Especially given that Spanish land is not very fertile, the amount of land in farmers’ hands directly concerns their income.

And Spain’s majority land is held in nobles’ hands, which also means a large portion of Spain’s agricultural income is occupied by nobles.

What is Carlo attracting nobles to engage in agricultural development in the Congo for? Is it not for those lands of nobles in Spain?

Thinking of this, Duke Jacopo’s understanding of Carlo’s plan became even clearer, and he sincerely admired Carlo for coming up with such a plan.

For current Spain, this is indeed a very good method that can effectively alleviate the problem of nobles holding the vast majority of land.

More importantly, this method will not overly stimulate the nobles. After all, the Congo River Basin does have more land; if it is truly more fertile land even more suitable for agricultural planting, nobles exchanging land would not lose out at all.

One must know that the establishment of the Congo Territory has only been a very short time. Carlo being able to propose such a plan proves he had this idea even before the Congo Territory was established.

From Carlo’s current performance, he is much better than Spain’s previous two monarchs. How could Duke Jacopo not understand the importance of the United Agricultural Development Company? This is not only an important institution for Spain to control the Congo Territory and Central Africa through economic means, but also an important means for Carlo to deal with the landowner nobility problem.

And as the first manager of this company, Duke Jacopo’s importance in Carlo’s heart will naturally rise.

Thinking of this, Duke Jacopo naturally had no hesitation; for him, this is also a good opportunity to enhance his influence in the Spanish political arena and status among nobles.

“I understand, Your Majesty. After the agricultural development company is established, I will contact the church side and jointly carry out agricultural development in the Congo Territory.

But regarding public opinion propaganda, perhaps the cooperation of the Sun Newspaper and Spanish national newspapers will also be needed.” Duke Jacopo stood up very solemnly and gave his answer and promise.

A yet-to-be-established agricultural development company wanting to vigorously develop plantations in the Congo Territory is obviously somewhat powerless. But with the support of the church, or rather cooperation with the church, the construction progress of the plantations will also go much more smoothly.

The influence of the Spanish Church is still very great. Through church propaganda, a portion of Spaniards can be attracted to go to the Congo River Basin for development.

Plus the efforts of church missionaries and the large number of local indigenous people, the establishment of plantations will be very smooth, and achieving profitability or even making big profits is just around the corner.

5000-word two-in-one chapter, seeking support!