The Sun Never Sets In Spain

In the next few days, Alfonso bought several newspapers in Italy in the name of a private royal family.

These were newspapers in the original small country of Italy. After reunification, they were struggling to support the newspapers controlled by the government and were on the verge of bankruptcy. Alfonso did not spend much to buy them.

The first news published in the newspaper revealed that the Savoy royal family had sent troops to interfere in the Spanish Civil War.

This matter is not a secret in the upper classes of Europe, but the Italian people don’t know much about it.

As the newspaper did not report on this under the direction of the government, other regions, especially southern Italy, knew nothing about this matter.

This is also the reason why King Vittorio dared not redeem people.

However, the truth is about to be revealed.

The newspaper reported the whole process in sections. On the first day, it did not mention the ending of the volunteers. It only mentioned that the royal family recruited 28,000 troops from Florence and Milan to go to Spain for training.

I have to say that this report makes the Italians quite refreshing. There are not many white leftists in this era, and being able to interfere in the civil war of another great power by force just hits their national pride.

Although the ending of the Spanish Civil War has long been spread, Italians who can turn their minds know that this volunteer army will not have any good results.

It's a pity that Italy lacks illiteracy. Basically, it doesn't have any derivation ability and forward-looking.

Therefore, the joint reports of these several newspapers quickly aroused heated discussions across the country.

The Italian royal family and the government immediately noticed this. However, the Italian government is not too powerful, and there is no way to directly shut down these newspapers for no reason, at least not for a short time.

The next day, the newspaper described how the Italian army was defeated and retreated by the Allied Forces of West France, but did not say that the Italians could not do it. It emphasized that the reason for this result was that the Savoy royal family had not received it for their own benefit. Too many trained troops are sent to unfamiliar battlefields.

The people have already felt that something is wrong, and most of them now remember that the free government they support seems to have lost.

There was no time left to respond, and the third report arrived as scheduled. The content was that the free government and the Italian volunteers were defeated, and 25,000 Italians were captured, but the Savoy royal family concealed the news and refused to take them back to the country.

The reaction of the people can be imagined. The government building was instantly crowded with protesters.

At the same time, angry northern Italians began to attack the Spanish embassy. Fortunately, the embassy had been expected to close ahead of schedule and did not suffer too much loss.

Southern Italy is a different scene. The northerners and southerners of Italy are quite uncomfortable. The 25,000 prisoners of war who are trapped are not southerners. They are mostly gloating about it, and they want to see the unlucky northern compatriots aloft. .

All in all, Spain has received some pressure from the Italian people, but the Italian government has suffered far more than this. After all, most people still believe that this matter is their responsibility.

In Florence, King Vittorio was extremely angry. They had negotiated with the government of the autonomous region where the newspaper was located and immediately shut down the newspaper, but it was too late, everyone knew.

As the first king of Italy, his prestige is not low, but he is far from being as high as other normal founding kings. The French, Garibaldi, Mazzini, Cavour and others have shared too much of his glory.

This incident undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the royal authority.

He wanted to spend money to redeem it immediately, provided that he had money.

He previously lent Francisco millions of pounds in his personal capacity, and also subscribed for a portion of the national debt. Now these are all in vain.

If he fully accepts the Spanish terms, he will have to pay at least another 5.5 million pounds. Where does he get so much money?

8 years ago, he was just a small king of Sardinia, and he was not a big figure in the European royal family.

The small savings also consumed a considerable part in the Italian unification movement.

Queen Isabella collected aggressively, and only brought out more than 3 million pounds, 5.5 million pounds before she fled, and she had to sell the Savoy royal family to get it together.

In the final analysis, Spain's price is too high.

Vittorio ordered someone to publicize it, trying to put the blame on Spain.

However, the effect is destined to not be too good. In the eyes of the public, 200 pounds per person is a bit expensive, but it is not too outrageous.

Regardless of the price, if you send someone out, you are responsible for bringing them back. This is the plain thinking of the people.

Vittorio was helpless, wishing to return to two months ago, completely cut off contact with Francisco, and then expelled his son Amedio from the house.

Now, taking advantage of the surging public opinion, the idea of ​​war with Spain has briefly surfaced in his mind.

It is a pity that Italy has not been able to fight, and international and domestic forms are not allowed.

As for borrowing money... How much does he have to mortgage to borrow such a large sum of money, Savoy's royal territory is not much.

Even if he could borrow it, it would be difficult for him to repay the interest.

"Is Spain still unwilling to lower prices?" Vittorio asked hoarsely, and in just a few days, he was much older.

Foreign Secretary Timothy hesitated for a while before repliing: "Not only did they not reduce the price, they also asked for extra money for the newspaper."

"Puff." Vittorio felt the blood churn in his chest, and after a while he barely calmed down, said in an imploring tone:

"The government, it's just 4 million pounds. It's not that the government can't get it out."

"This matter is not my responsibility. You should talk to the Prime Minister." Timothy said embarrassedly: "I'm afraid it will be difficult. Many people oppose the government to bear this amount. After all, the amount is too big..."

...

In the end, the two sides could not get together. The Savoy royal family paid all the funds that could be paid, and only redeemed more than 7,000 soldiers, and more prisoners of war were forced to stay in Spain.

The ransom of the Savoy royal family saved them a bit of impression, but the incident still severely damaged the image of the royal family and the government.

The families of more unredeemed prisoners of war, with the funding of Spain, protested at the gate of the government day and night, and from time to time appeared in the newspapers to win sympathy, adding a beautiful landscape to Italy.

Especially in southern Italy, the indifferent attitude of the Italian government planted a seed of suspicion in their hearts.

The Northern Italians hate the government and Spain at the same time, but they are simply suspicious of this unified government. After all, they are like the Northern Italians, not to mention the unwelcome Nan Italians.