Chapter 617 - 292: Colonizing Oman (3)

As long as the weaponry is not too outdated, I believe the Vietnamese army can withstand for a period of time.

After all, not all of the French mobilized troops are composed of native French armies; there are still many indigenous troops mixed in.

If Vietnam and the country behind it are willing, Spain could even sell warships to them.

From Spain’s two models of ironclads to various cruisers and coastal defense ships, these are all available for sale.

To catch up with the war, Spain could even sell the currently active navy ships. After all, Spain’s shipbuilding plans are steadily building ironclads and other warships; selling old ships to build new ones is profitable for the Spanish Navy.

Following Carlo’s orders, sales personnel from the Royal Military Factory traveled across the seas to Southeast Asia, not only carrying some of the weapons and equipment data Spain could sell abroad but also bringing images of Spain’s active-duty warships.

Only by fully showcasing the strength of Spanish weaponry to Vietnam and the country behind it can they foster an interest in purchasing.

Due to the distance of tens of thousands of kilometers between Spain and Southeast Asia, the Royal Military Factory’s sales personnel need at least more than a month to reach Southeast Asia.

Before that, Carlo can only have the Royal Security Intelligence Bureau closely monitor the actions of the French Government, using France’s movements to gauge the war situation.

Carlo is not idle either. Since France is too occupied to care, Spain must certainly launch a colonial war to expand its own territory.

The next target for Spain’s expansion is also quite obvious, which is the Oman region that the British previously agreed to let Spain colonize during a colonial exchange.

For Spain, aside from the oil in the Oman region, its geographical location is also very important.

Spain owns the Philippine Colony in Southeast Asia, which is currently Spain’s second largest colony by area.

The distance between Spain and the Philippine Colony is tens of thousands of kilometers, and there are no Spanish colonies along this vast distance that can serve as transit stations.

In other words, on the journey of tens of thousands of kilometers from Spain to the Philippine Colony, Spanish merchant ships and warships can only dock at ports of other countries, subject to restrictions of other nations.

Although currently with the increase in ship tonnage, the mileage of warships sailing across seas is also increasing, the current warships are far from achieving a voyage of tens of thousands of kilometers without coastal docking. Besides replenishing coal, there is also the need to replenish life materials for the crew.

The map shows that although Oman is off the route, it is roughly in the middle between Spain and the Philippines.

If Spain can occupy Oman, it can use it as a transit station, allowing ships traveling between home territory and the Philippine Colony to dock on Oman’s coast, replenish supplies, and take a break.

Of course, occupying Oman is not all beneficial.

This area is close to the British India, and as early as more than a decade ago, the British invaded Oman and forced the locals to sign several unequal treaties.

Although Spain obtained the right to colonize Oman through a colonial exchange, the indigenous countries around Oman have long been infiltrated by the British.

Even in Oman, there are traces of British presence. As Spain grows stronger, the British will undoubtedly become more wary of Spain’s occupation of Oman and may even seek opportunities to reclaim Oman.

Occupying Oman means further deterioration of the relationship between Spain and the United Kingdom.

But this land must be occupied nonetheless, not only for its geographic location but also because it hosts numerous oil fields; when oil appreciates in the future, its economic value will be considerable.

If Spain can preemptively annex the Truce States while the British are bogged down in warfare, the revenue generated from selling oil alone could suffice for Spain to conduct various military actions.

The so-called Truce States refer to the future United Arab Emirates region, which, while a desert now, is quite famous later on.

With oil, the indigenous countries here are quite affluent, and even Dubai, the city desired by the world, emerged.

Of course, now that Middle Eastern oil has not been discovered, it’s still just an ordinary desert.

Various states exist locally, but these small indigenous states have little presence in the face of the British or Spain.

Compared to what France is seeking with the Vietnamese, the enemy Spain faces in colonizing Oman is noticeably weaker, which is why Carlo decided readily to initiate a colonial war.

This is still the age of great colonization, where European countries are continuously exploring colonization.

If Spain, as a great power, does not proactively engage in colonial expansion, it will surely fall behind in colonization.

The indigenous forces in the Oman region are not strong, which is why after Carlo proposed the war plan, the Lower House quickly approved the government’s proposal.

Because of previous agreements, the British will not interfere with Spain’s colonial actions in Oman. France is also engaged in the Vietnam War, which means no country will interfere with Spain’s actions.

With no intervention from other major powers, Spain naturally doesn’t need to make significant moves.

According to the Defense Department’s estimates, conquering Oman requires deploying four Colonial Defense Corps and less than ten thousand troops, plus a small fleet.

The military expenditure needed for this small-scale war is even less than 5 million Pesseta, which for the current Spanish Government’s finances is a mere trifle.

On March 12, 1883, the Spanish Government formally initiated the colonial action against Oman. The transport ships carrying over 8,000 troops were escorted by a fleet, majestically heading to the Oman region.