Geographic Priorities of a Great Power Spain?

If Spain in the 19th and 20th centuries was a Great Power, its industrial capabilities on per capita level was on par with or higher than England and France, what would be its geographical insistences and interests?

For instance, both Britain and Russia tried to prevent a continental dictator forming in Europe, be it Germany or France. Would Spain have such an obsession?

Or else, would Spain be obsessed with retaking Gibraltar? Consolidating Morocco? Or taking back its colonies in Latin America?
 
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Well, Gibraltar has always been an irredentist Spanish Cliam, so you could bet for sure. It also could be Africa, because, apart the remnants of Spanish Nuevo Mundo (Cuba, Puerto Rico and, during some time, Santo Domingo), the rest was irremediably lost. Another point of interest could be Indochina, being the Phillipines relatively close, as OTL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochinchina_Campaign
 
Yes, generally it's easier to make a new empire than to try to reclaim an old one. Spain may influence some of its former possessions in Central and South America, but it won't conquer them. It may direct its energies to Southeast Asia or Africa instead.
 
If Spain in the 19th and 20th centuries was a Great Power, its industrial capabilities on per capita level was on par with or higher than England and France, what would be its geographical insistences and interests?

For instance, both Britain and Russia tried to prevent a continental dictator forming in Europe, be it Germany or France. Would Spain have such an obsession?

I doubt it, or at least not to the extent Britain was willing to go. British and Russian attempts to stop a country from achieving hegemony over a Europe has more to do with preserving either their power (either in Europe or outside it). Spain is more isolated from European affairs and would likely become involved only reluctantly.

Or else, would Spain be obsessed with retaking Gibraltar? Consolidating Morocco? Or taking back its colonies in Latin America?

Yes, yes, and no.

Morocco and Gibralter are both very close to home and necessary for Spain to control the Straits of Gibralter (which would naturally be a high priority. They would also likely look to take more land in Africa and Southeast Asia.

The Carribean and Latin America are gone. Trying to take back either one would involve fighting the juggernaut of the Western Hemisphere in her own backyard. They might be able to hold Asia against the United States in a war, but not islands that are right off the coast in comparison.
 

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Well, Gibraltar has always been an irredentist Spanish Cliam, so you could bet for sure. It also could be Africa, because, apart the remnants of Spanish Nuevo Mundo (Cuba, Puerto Rico and, during some time, Santo Domingo), the rest was irremediably lost. Another point of interest could be Indochina, being the Phillipines relatively close, as OTL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochinchina_Campaign

Actually, Spain could have kept Peru. It was the last of the Spanish new world to fall, had significant monarchist support, and is fairly east to defend via all the mountains.

Expect Peru to become a highly important and industrialized part of the empire, especially during the Guano era.
 
Actually, Spain could have kept Peru. It was the last of the Spanish new world to fall, had significant monarchist support, and is fairly east to defend via all the mountains.

Expect Peru to become a highly important and industrialized part of the empire, especially during the Guano era.
If you assume that Spain is an early "power" (let's say, no Ferdinand VII :p ), maybe it could retain Peru, Chiloé, Valdivia and enlarge a bit "Peru".
But the point here is how to make a drawback country like Spain a Great Power in XIXth century(bear in mind that Charles III and IV were good Kings after all).
 
Spain's last gasp effort at great power status was during the Pyrenees war of mid 1790's. After initial success, the military commander died (of illness, I believe) and things went south. At that point, Spain was merely a pawn of France. So, this might be a good POD (actually, a little earlier, to allow for military/financial reforms to allow Spain to have positive results in that war. Never mind if it's feasible, or how it gets done. The whole spirit of the thread is a bit implausible, so we just have to go with it. Perhaps Charles IV is born with a bit more mental acuity and Godoy never gains sway, giving way to a more able statesman who doesn't alienate the populace and can actually lead the country into a return to greatness.

If military things break differently in the mid-late 1790's, you could see butterflies of immense proportions. IF Napoleon, who took part in the War of the Pyrenees, is killed or disgraced, the entire world changes. IF he still takes over, but Spain is rendered a path to great power status, you still see some major butterflies. Spain, instead of becoming Nap's lapdog, becomes either an enemy, neutral (but still a potential foe) or a full fledged ally. Hard to see Spain looking to join in for European hegemony, and equally hard to see Nap looking for an equal partner in his conquests. Nap isn't going to leave a strong potential threat on his flank. IMO, invasion of spain comes earlier than OTL, and you may see greater success on the part of some of the early coalitions. French OTL success in Europe was aided immensely by not having to worry at all about Spain. Spain on the rise is not going to be a toady of Nap's continental plan.

If Spain escapes the Napoleonic years still a great power, they will have their entire colonial empire intact and will probably concentrate on developing/using it for further enrichment and all policies will be aimed toward such goals.

A French rise to power is a problem, as they are neighbors. A German or Russian rise to power is not, and Spanish response all depends on whether the rising power is threatening Spanish empire. British empire is a worry. One assumes that with great power status comes a reasonably strong navy, and British power OTL depended greatly on being the sole naval power. There's gonna be conflict.
 
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