Uruguay was originally a Spanish colony. Why are there so many Germans and Italians?

Uruguay, located in the southeast of South America, at the mouth of the La Plata River and across the river from Argentina, is one of the most fertile lands in South America. Historically, Uruguay was a colony of Spain and was ruled by Spain for a long time. Surprisingly, there are a large number of Germans and Italians in Uruguay, and there are even more descendants of Italians and Germans than the Spanish. This is rare in western colonies, which is also an important reason why many Germans fled to Uruguay after World War II. So why are there so many descendants of Germany and Italy in Uruguay?

First, Uruguay has a superior geographical position and good natural conditions, which is very similar to Europe. The fertile pampas grassland, humid and pleasant climate and beautiful scenery make Uruguay the first choice for European immigrants to South America. Because Italy, Germany and Spain are inextricably linked (Spain split from the Habsburg family that ruled half of Europe in the middle of the16th century), Germany and Italy were still in a state of chaos and poor economic conditions, so many Italians and Germans crossed the ocean to Uruguay. They soon fell in love with Uruguay and settled there.

Second, because Uruguay has good natural conditions and is suitable for agriculture and life, Spain regards Uruguay as a settlement. Uruguay has no gold and silver mines like Chile and Peru, nor plantations in the Caribbean, but it has fertile land. The Spanish mainly promote planting and grazing in the local area for economic production activities. So they don't need Indians or blacks. What they need is high-quality immigrants. High-quality immigrants need to be introduced from Europe, but Spain's competitors, the French and the British, are unpopular. The Spanish colonial government is more willing to accept capable, down-to-earth Germans and Italians who rarely cause trouble for themselves. In fact, at that time, southern Italy still belonged to Spain, so it is not surprising that there are many descendants of Italians and Germans there.

Third, after independence, Uruguay has closer relations with Germany and Italy. After World War I, many Germans and Italians came across the sea to Uruguay, and Uruguay became closer and closer to the Axis. 1939, German warship "Graf? Admiral Spee was stuck in the port of Uruguay, and Uruguay refused to deliver the ship, but in the end, under the threat of British force, Uruguay was overwhelmed and German warships were helpless. The honeymoon in Germany and Uruguay is over. After World War II, many Germans still fled to Uruguay. After World War II, the United States found abandoned German submarines off the coast of Uruguay.