With a POD of 1861 Could Spain become an industrial power

Not saying the equal to Britain, the USA or Germany but France at least ? My European history isn't that great I know the basics but that's it.
 
Well, Spain did become a secondary industrial power. Hispano-Suiza, a lot of motorcycle manufacturing. Some steel manufacture, textile manufacture. From about 1856 on, according to one Julio Martinez-Galarraga.

There were some good points, iron ore, early railway development. Some negatives that possibly preclude top rank industrial status (no large scale coal, no oil, I think); others that could be changed c- lousy banking industry, educational issues, civil war, attempted insurrections.

Probably not to hard to make it a bit more of an industrial state than OTL, but first rank would be hard.
 
Spain was really unstable in the 19th century; avoid a lot of that instability somehow and development is sure to follow. I don't think becoming a power on the same level as France is really feasible, given the population and resource differences between the two countries, but it certainly could have done better.
 
Well, if Japan could I see no reason Spain couldn't. Not being remotely an expert on things Iberian, however, I would defer the details to others.
 
Not saying the equal to Britain, the USA or Germany but France at least ? My European history isn't that great I know the basics but that's it.

IOTL, Spain was interested in having a Hohenzollern on the Spanish throne (one of the Catholic branch that is), but Prussia backed down initially (though further French demands eventually resulted in the Franco-Prussian War regardless). You could have Bismarck tell France to mind its own business, resulting in a war that Prussia wins (making unification somewhat earlier).

Spain gets King Leopoldo I and of course the Spanish Hohenzollern branch gets support from its German cousins: commercial agreements, military trainers etc. and German help makes Spain much more stable. While Spain may not become quite like France in terms of power, it could be on the same level as Italy. A Spanish-German alliance against France is possible (I do wonder what kind of consequences such an alliance would have for the Spanish-American War though, assuming the US still want to fight that war considering Germany isn't beaten so easily as Spain, assuming a revitalized Spain can't bloody the Americans by itself).

If some kind of WW I analogue occurs, Spain might get some nice French colonies too if TTL's Central Powers win, giving it some resources of its own.
 
Last edited:
IOTL, Spain was interested in having a Hohenzollern on the Spanish throne (one of the Catholic branch that is), but Prussia backed down initially (though further French demands eventually resulted in the Franco-Prussian War regardless). You could have Bismarck tell France to mind its own business, resulting in a war that Prussia wins (making unification somewhat earlier).

Spain gets King Leopoldo I and of course the Spanish Hohenzollern branch gets support from its German cousins: commercial agreements, military trainers etc. and German help makes Spain much more stable. While Spain may not become quite like France in terms of power, it could be on the same level as Spain. A Spanish-German alliance against France is possible (I do wonder what kind of consequences such an alliance would have for the Spanish-American War though, assuming the US still want to fight that war considering Germany isn't beaten so easily as Spain, assuming a revitalized Spain can't bloody the Americans by itself).

If some kind of WW I analogue occurs, Spain might get some nice French colonies too if TTL's Central Powers win, giving it some resources of its own.

I believe Tochomocho did a TL about this. It showed modest, yet significant gains to both Spain and Germany's global spheres of influence, larger Equatorial Guinea, German Venezuela, etc.
 
Perhaps some larger Spanish colonial claims in Africa could help? How could we have it gain some more prosperous colonies like Britian?
 
If Spain gets a Hohenzollern on its throne, then there would be a big effect on whether or not they'll end up selling all of their colonies.
 
While I like Onkel Willi's positivism and ideas, Romania had a Hohenzollern on the throne and this did not greatly influence strategic direction. Romania had to consider the proximity of Russia and Austria-Hungary, just as Spain would have to consider that of France and Britain.

I don't know what I'm saying, I just thought I'd say it

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
While I like Onkel Willi's positivism and ideas, Romania had a Hohenzollern on the throne and this did not greatly influence strategic direction. Romania had to consider the proximity of Russia and Austria-Hungary, just as Spain would have to consider that of France and Britain.

I don't know what I'm saying, I just thought I'd say it

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

I'd say Romania's position was determined by the fact that Germany ultimately attached higher value to Austria-Hungary as an ally. I imagine Spain would be in a different position because Germany would be very keen on building up Spain as a viable ally to attack southern France.
 
A TL where the Spanish-American War gets France (as US Ally) and Germany (as Spanish ally) starting WWI early?
 
Top