Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology

European Continent, Iberian Peninsula, The Spanish Empire

September 28th, 1655

On that day, the Treaty of Salamanca was signed between Portugal and Spain, according to the treaty...

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Treaty of Salamanca

Between His Majesty Philip IV Habsburg, Emperor of Spain, and His Majesty Alfonso IV de Braganza, King of Portugal

Date: September 28th, 1655

Location: University of Salamanca, Salamanca City, Spain

Preamble:

In the spirit of fostering lasting peace and mutual respect between the Kingdoms of Spain and Portugal, and recognizing the desire for independence and sovereignty of the Portuguese people, His Majesty Philip IV Habsburg and His Majesty Alfonso IV de Braganza have convened to negotiate and agree upon the following terms:

Article I: Independence of Portugal

1. Spain hereby accepts the independence of Portugal from the Iberian League.

2. Spain acknowledges that the Portuguese kingdom is no longer under the Crown of the Habsburg.

3. Spain recognizes that Portugal is henceforth under the sovereignty of the Ducal family of Portugal, the Braganza Noble family.

Article II: Establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal

1. Spain officially accepts the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal.

2. Both Spain and Portugal commit to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Portugal.

Article III: Treaty of Peace

1. Spain and Portugal hereby sign a treaty of peace for a duration of 10 years, commencing from the date of this treaty.

Article IV: Border Security

1. Spain and Portugal agree to maintain a minimum personal agreement whereby only 20,000 soldiers shall remain at the border at any given point of the year.

Article V: Reparations

1. Spain agrees to pay reparations of one tonne worth of silver for the attack on Lisbon.

2. Portugal accepts the reparations offered by Spain.

Article VI: Exchange of Prisoners of War Nôv(el)B\\jnn

1. Both Spain and Portugal agree to the exchange of Prisoners of War, following established protocols and procedures.

In witness whereof, the undersigned, duly authorized by their respective governments, have signed this treaty on the date and place first above mentioned.

Signed,

Philip IV Habsburg, Emperor of Spain

Alfonso IV de Braganza, King of Portugal

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The Portuguese celebrated that day as their independence day, whereas Philip, who was disgraced, humiliated, and lost, was filled with anger, rage, and fury.

Philip’s actions on the following day sent shockwaves throughout Europe, leaving a lasting horror that transcended centuries. With the independence of Portugal secured, Philip made a drastic move: he swiftly diverted a significant portion of his forces stationed on the Portuguese border to crush the rebellion in Catalonia.

The 23,000 soldiers who had been struggling to suppress the Catalan revolt, initiated by discontented nobles, were suddenly bolstered by an additional 60,000 troops. This overwhelming display of military might underscored Philip’s determination to maintain control over his empire at any cost, fulfilling his intentions after suffering major setbacks.

The Catalan nobles, especially Gaspar de Bracamonte y Guzmán, the traitor of the Spanish Empire and the head of this revolt, were taken aback by the sudden move of the emperor.

"What is the meaning of this? Why is the emperor flooding Catalonia with soldiers?" Gaspar exclaimed, his voice echoing in the chamber as he faced his fellow nobles. He couldn’t comprehend the sudden irrationality of the Spanish Emperor. What had changed?

"Perhaps it’s a pressure tactic to force our surrender," suggested one noble cautiously.

"If that’s the case, it’s certainly working. We cannot withstand such a vast army, even with our knowledge of the terrain. With the resources and arms provided by the French, we’ve managed to hold our ground, but with these additional soldiers pouring into Catalonia, our advantage won’t last long," added another noble grimly.

"Should we seek support from France again?" inquired another noble.

Gasper pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "That’s impossible. If France provided any more support by sending troops, it could be interpreted as a declaration of war against the Spanish Empire. Despite their current might, France is still recovering from the Fronde rebellion and facing economic difficulties due to crop failures and an epidemic.

Moreover, since the Spanish Empire had supported the Fronde rebellion, a lot of French resources were used to suppress this rebellion. It’s one of the reasons why both nations agreed to end the war, and with the Spanish Princess marrying the French King Louis XIV, it’s highly unlikely that France would risk going to war again for our cause."

Listening to Gasper’s analysis, everyone was taken aback. Did that mean they were at a dead end?

"Looks like we should have accepted the terms of negotiation that were originally settled upon. Now it seems our greed for an independent nation is about to be the end of us," a noble among them finally said what no one wanted to admit, though they all knew it to be true.

That’s exactly what happened on September 30th, 1655. The Spanish Emperor waged war against a province in his own empire. Hundreds of cannons were used to raze the city of Catalonia to the ground. There was indiscriminate bombing, and nobles and commoners alike suffered.

Most nobles tried to flee Catalonia, but Philip, who had lost his mind, warned all neighbouring countries in a tough tone, "If I find out any country provides asylum to these traitors, the Spanish Empire will declare war on you." This warning might not have worked in ordinary times, but now that Philip had become mad and nearly destroyed Catalonia by continuously shelling it for 12 hours a day, they knew this madman could do anything.

Even the French, where most of the refugees tried to flee, only took in the civilians and denied entry to the Catalonian nobles. The massacre ensued for a few days until there was no voice left in Catalonia to speak of its independence. This bloodbath came to be known as the massacre that started a new era.

The nobles in the empire trembled in fear of the emperor. Despite the decline in the wealth of the Habsburgs, what wealth remained was still beyond the reach of most nobles, exceeding what they could amass in several lifetimes. Philip leveraged this wealth to sway individuals to his side.

Servants of the nobles turned on their masters, resulting in gruesome outcomes: some were killed, others imprisoned, and a few were banished to Argentina. Ultimately, Philip centralized the military. He made a lot of enemies along the way, but fortunately, he didn’t have to bear the consequences.

With this massacre, unknown to Philip, Spain had gained significantly. Unlike the previous timeline, the Spanish Empire did not have to make any concessions to the Catalonian nobles. Even the territories of Artois and Roussillon were not ceded to the French, as they were in the last timeline.

Although the war with Portugal was still lost, it was lost 13 years in advance, saving a lot of bloodshed for both the Spanish and Portuguese Empires. Unfortunately, Philip did not know any of this.

After the Catalonian massacre, Philip’s health deteriorated further as he caught a fever. Sadly, his condition, which resembled that of a 70-year-old despite his actual age of 50, could not withstand the bloodletting treatment. He soon passed away on October 1, 1655.

The news of the massacre and Emperor Philip’s death from the Spanish Habsburg sent shockwaves across the European continent. His demise left a dilemma for the countries on the continent—whether to berate Philip for his massacre or send condolences for his death. Overall, the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III, feeling some pity for his distant cousin, sent a delegation carrying his condolences.

He wanted to come to see his cousin off, but unfortunately, he was too old to travel, and the situation in the empire was dire.

The Ottoman Emperor Mehmed IV berated Philip for his massacre. France took a careful approach, with Louis XII sending condolences while the nobles criticized the actions of Spain. England followed a similar approach, with His Excellency Oliver Cromwell sending condolences, but his son, Richard Cromwell, his successor, berated the massacre.

The Dutch William III of Orange criticized Philip IV for his massacre. Christina of the Swedish Empire sent condolences to Spain. The Czarist of Russia, Alexio, sent condolences, while John of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Giovanni Morosini from the Republic of Venice, and Ferdinand Williams of Prussia took a neutral approach, each expressing their sentiments through different channels.

Overall, the death of Philip IV unintentionally became a barometer for testing various countries’ attitudes towards the Spanish Empire.

In the original timeline, Philip IV’s death in 1655 would have left him without any heirs. However, in this altered timeline, his son Balthasar Charles, who was expected to succumb to his fragile health, defied the odds and thrived. Unlike his past frailty, Charles’ health improved as he matured. His remarkable transformation earned him the moniker of the "miracle child of Spain" among the people.

At the age of 26, on October 5th, 1655, Balthasar Charles of the Spanish Habsburg ascended to the throne inherited from his father, the previous Emperor of Spain, His Majesty Philip IV Habsburg, with the blessing of His Excellency the Pope.

Philip may have felt like a failed king and emperor, but he could never have imagined that his departure would leave his son with a united and centralized empire, forged from the aftermath of the Catalonia massacre. Moreover, the nobles relinquished their powers, diplomatic relations with Portugal and France were established, and a decade of peace ensued.

Charles astutely utilized these advantages to further consolidate the empire’s power, akin to the absolute monarchy of France. The nobility, intimidated by Philip’s display of royal authority, dared not challenge the new regime, still haunted by the memory of Catalonia’s fate.

Capitalizing on this centralized power, Charles embarked on a program of modernization, drawing inspiration from Portuguese industrial methods. He introduced the Indian assembly-type production method, revolutionizing the empire’s industrial capabilities. With these reforms, the Spanish Empire once thought to be a sinking ship, began to regain its former glory.

Its gears, once rusted and stagnant, slowly began to turn again, shedding the rust and decay.

Europe took notice of this resurgence, reminiscent of the days of Charles V Habsburg when the Spanish Empire was at its zenith. The empire, where the sun never set, started to regain its former standing on the global stage, under the leadership of Emperor Balthasar Charles.