With a possible telenovela adaptation, I guess.A placeholder for sappy romance novels.
.
¡Mexicanos! Valientes Seguid - A Mexican Empire TL
- Thread starter Vault boy
- Start date
-
- Tags
- mexican empire
And when are you going to update your TL, Arkhangelsk?
I have the next update about 40% done, if I'm not distracted I'll have it up tomorrow or Monday.
Keep up the good work Vault!
You bet! I don't know, however, if on this ATL the main female interest will be a white Mexican woman. Though, whatever company might be the ATL equivalent of Televisa will do a better job than the carelessness that Televisa is famous for. Anyway, when the TV and Radio equivalents of this timeline will come by, the people is going to have different tastes.With a possible telenovela adaptation, I guess.
I have the next update about 40% done, if I'm not distracted I'll have it up tomorrow or Monday.
Keep up the good work Vault!
Thanks! I'll also have the next chapter in a few days time.
OK - just wanted to know how you were going on it. Tis' a shame to let that one lie fallow, as it's so good.
Keep up the good work Vault!
I agree. Maybe, eventually, the Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas TL could also be re-booted.
But, for now, this has been great.Well, it doesn't even have to be like Televisa. Mexico could pioneer something akin to the BBC in OTL, or a hybrid of a *BBC with ~3-4 major private networks, with an analogue of Ing. Guillermo González Camarena to lead the way in innovations in broadcasting.
Well, it doesn't even have to be like Televisa. Mexico could pioneer something akin to the BBC in OTL, or a hybrid of a *BBC with ~3-4 major private networks, with an analogue of Ing. Guillermo González Camarena to lead the way in innovations in broadcasting.
Televisa becoming like the BBC? This. Is. AWESOME.
Maybe he's thinking of an alternate Televisa as a public service broadcaster just like the BBC.
It´s either Edith González or Victoria Ruffo.
My apologies for posting this when I was supposed to post this earlier. I have been having a very hard week, with the fact I got a heavy work schedule dumped on me, along with starting my Japanese course and picking up a course into Bass playing, and going to the gym to try to burn off the excess fat. Geez, I am exhausted.
But alas, before this thread degenerates into telenovelas, I will put up the 4th chapter. This will be rather different in its approach. Still, you will still be seeing spoilers about things that will happen in the future just to provide with more discussion fodder and teasers about future events.
Now excuse me while I try to figure out how did my throwaway joke about telenovelas mutated into a string of comments about fine-looking Mexican actresses. Not that I am complaining about it, I just found it amusing, even if a bit out of place. Alas, I prefer Violeta Isfel.
--------------------------------------
Chapter 4
The Republican UprisingSanta Anna’s death was only a setback for the Republican cause in Mexico. With the Spaniards out of San Juan de Ulúa, fears of a possible Spanish invasion were thwarted... for the time being. And this could mean that Iturbide this time around could focus onto establishing public works, like the now famous Hospital Imperial.
This had to be done in order to appease the constant stream of insults directed to him in the Congress. Some of them with overt Republican overtones.
There were already many a commander that was already dissatisfied with Iturbide, and the continuing budget cuts to the army that followed the retaking of the last Spanish enclave in Mexico, and the lavish pension that he bestowed himself. However, Iturbide did end up doing useful things with his money, such as building schools, hospitals and temples. A better use than what those deluded Republican fools did with their pay, which most of the time was spent on silencing rumours about illegitimate children and (not surprisingly) lavish homes, whores, alcohol, whores, and alcohol.
Whatever little money remained on the pockets of these guys ended up in the pockets of American gun runners, which, under instructions of Miguel Santa María and Joel Poinsett, managed to sneak many weapons into republican sympathizers. Incensed by this aid given by the American government and the promise of their recognition of their efforts, these people would try to start up a Republic in Mexico, a form of government that, at least in the delirious minds of these rebels, would be “the true expression of Mexico’s peoples on to forging a prosperous future”. If this sounds familiar, that would remind us to the situation in some countries in South America and Europe once the dust from the Great Recession settled down in the early 1970’s. On the other hand, Poinsett saw on the fledging “Republic” a staunch supporter of the United States, a sure and steady “partner” who would “lend” them money and resources, and most importantly, all the territories north of the Tropic of Cancer.
However, if the sending of the “Expeditionary Force” to Colombia was to be believed, the opponents of Iturbide had every right to believe that they were in the middle of a purge. Which was actually true. And while there were politicians willing to stake their necks for the noble cause of democracy (or, as called before, the “Republican Pipe Dream”), the military men were not so keen on becoming martyrs for those causes. They just wanted the easy way in by being the underdogs who vanquished the top dog.
Repression
And not only there was dissent against the government because they were the “only country ruled by a egomaniac warlord” according to those hushed secrets amongst the country’s neighbours. On Central America there was also treachery running afoul, with Manuel José de Arce y Fagoaga trying to separate the province of El Salvador from the Empire, claiming that its annexation was illegal. Colombia was also at a crossroads on whether to continue as a friend of Mexico and the remaining independent countries in Latin America, a view espoused by Bolívar, who himself was a friend of the Crown Prince, and Santander's faction, who wanted to denounce the false freedom that Mexico was trying to provide lip service to by clinging to ancient traditions; these two had also other political quarrels, but that's a story for another day. There was also the Republicans who felt that Iturbide had overstepped his own power, the government of the United States vacillating between recognizing the Empire or not, all while coveting its northern half, and the ever-looming threat of having Spanish Cuba nearby, but no way to take it.
In short, Mexico was turning into a powder keg. Which exploded in October the 1st, 1825.
Medic and former congressman Valentín Gómez Farías became the de-facto leader of the new Republican government in Mexico. Empowered by a (forged) letter supposedly made by Santa Anna [1] and given to him by Miguel Santa María. By this, and reuniting several other known characters such as Pedro Vélez and Anastasio Bustamante, who was probably the only military strongman in this ragtag bunch of misfits. Normally, in the films, you’ll get a speech exalting the values of a democracy and freedom and things like that, causing multitudes to cheer and celebrate. But in this case, this speech, a part of the Plan de Mier [1], was received with little enthusiasm from the soldiers, and some forced clapping from the population in town. This 3600-strong army, with a full cavalry corps, some artillery pieces, and dull enthusiasm set down to march towards Mexico City and force the abdication of the Emperor at gunpoint.
However, something happened to these rebels: Comanches. Many comanches. About four thousand Comanches, commanded by Guonique came down the unsuspecting army lead by Gómez Farías. The end result would give reason on why the Comanche special unit in many strategy games are the Spear Horsemen.
This battle, which occurred near Misión de Arramberri, Nuevo León, saw about 1500 or so rebel soldiers die against an incoming wall of Comanche horsemen, and the remaining soldiers were routed. It was obvious that Gómez Farías was not a military man. He was captured by the Comanches, and sent to Mexico City, escorted by many members of this brave tribe. The soldiers that surrendered were given quarter, however, those proved to have Republican sympathies were hanged later on for treason.
This caused that general Echávarri would launch his own take on trying to depose Agustín I. Naturally, as His Majesty considered Echávarri to be one of his best friends, his outrage at this act of treason, and sought out to fight him in modern day Amecameca, Altiplano. [2]
In that fateful day, brother fought against brother, and neighbour against neighbour. Soldiers who remained loyal to God, Fatherland and Emperor, and Idealists who wanted Freedom for the People in the name of Democracy. Bullets flew around, cavalry clashed, people died on both sides. The estimated casualties for both sides was of 980 men in total. Neither of the two armies were very large, but at the end, His Majesty won the battle, but at a terrible cost.
At the end, the hearsay of the Comanche warriors stomping of the rebels in Nueva Santander, and the sight of his former best friend dying of a fatal shot to the liver finally decided that enough blood has been spilled. He had to bring the rebels to the table and make them speak about their demands. It was a bitter sight to him that many of his former comrades in arms were against him, and would be something that would never leave his conscience ever again. He attempted to reach out to all the members of his war cabinet, and whoever might be with the Opposition. He also set the so-called “Presidente Gómez” free, in hopes of placating any kind of accusations of trying to stage a purge against them.
And they all reunited in Guanajuato in November the 2nd, 1825. On what is nowadays called “Teatro Iturbide”, a makeshift congress was assembled with many members of the National Board, the Congress, and both Valentín Gómez Farías and Agustín I himself.
Teatro Iturbide. Before someone asks, this picture is from the year 1924
At the end, most of their demands were met:
People would at last get to vote... in 1826. They could vote for their representatives a select pool of political parties, and in turn, the winning party would put elect the country’s President from within their ranks, which would be re-elected every four years, and could be re-elected for two consecutive terms. In exchange, Agustín I requested that he would be able to have a say in the government. Some radical liberals tried to veto this decision, but they were promptly told to take it.
Voters had to comply with a “Poll Tax” of 1 Peso and know how to read and write to be eligible for voting.
Also, the provinces of the Empire could elect their own representatives. Only a few regions would not get to vote due to their lack of population: California, Sonora and Nuevo México. The Anglo inhabitants of Texas could vote if they converted to the Catholic religion, which started to cause resentment, especially due to the fact that as a distinctive ethnic group, they were not given any special privileges and they were being forced to assimilate into the Mexican society, while the other ethnic groups were left unmolested. [3] The indigenous populations in central Mexico and some semi-nomadic northern tribes would elect a single representative amongst themselves to represent them in the Congress.
Another reform that was placed indicated also that the amount of representatives per province would be in a relative percentage from the amount of population in the state in proportion to all of Mexico.
And finally, they implemented the idea from the Republican politician José Mariano Michelena. This would create the basis of the federal system that we all know and love in the Mexican Empire. Shame that he later on had to go on
To be fair, the system was far from perfect, containing more loopholes and ways to exploit it than your average videogame in this era. But as it was said before, still better than nothing.
Pictured: Mexico in 1826
Now, due to the failure of the Republican Uprising, it was a good time for Miguel de Santa María and Joel R. Poinsett [4] to flee from Mexico. And for that, he chose to remain on the United States, where he eventually started to bring most of the most radical opposition to the Imperial regime to Washington, in the hopes that they could lobby to the American government that the tyranny that Agustín I subjected the Mexicans needed to be destroyed, and how he defiled the independence treaties to his own ends [5]. Also fanning the fires of intervention was Poinsett, who claimed that he said that it was the “so-called Mexican Democracy” was a sham, and as such, it deserved to be destroyed. This would become a focal point of Mexican-American relations, in which some governments would not recognize the Imperial government, and claim that the Mexican Republican exiles were the real government, only for the next president to go and recognize the Imperial government. This would go back and forth for quite some time, until the First Mexican-American War began about twenty years down the line, where the relations between both countries would plummet past the point of no return.
As for Arce y Fagoaga, his pathetic rebellion in the year 1823 failed. Vicente Filisola came down on him like a sack of bricks, and Arce’s army was scattered in the Battle of Mejicanos, with himself falling ill and captured by the Imperial Army. He was hanged for high treason, and his rebellion became a mere footnote in the history of the Empire.
[1] The original draft of the Plan de Casa Mata.
[2] OTL Estado de México and Morelos
[3] Well, the indigenous populations had the right to vote, though they were left unmolested in regards to their traditions. Which in many cases had syncretised Catholic beliefs with their own traditions. On the other hands, many Anglo settlers were seen as heretics, whose souls were in dire need of saving from the “soulless Protestantism”.
[4] Good riddance.
[5] Which is a crock of bovine fecal matter. Agustín I did comply with the terms of the Plan de Iguala, which were, in this order, “Establish the independence of Mexico from Spain”, “Establish the Catholic religion as Mexico’s official religion”, and “Enable the unification of all social classes.” Do you see anything that says “Establish a Republic of Mexico”? Nobody? No one? Good.
But alas, before this thread degenerates into telenovelas, I will put up the 4th chapter. This will be rather different in its approach. Still, you will still be seeing spoilers about things that will happen in the future just to provide with more discussion fodder and teasers about future events.
Now excuse me while I try to figure out how did my throwaway joke about telenovelas mutated into a string of comments about fine-looking Mexican actresses. Not that I am complaining about it, I just found it amusing, even if a bit out of place.
Alas, I prefer Violeta Isfel.--------------------------------------
Chapter 4
The Republican Uprising
This had to be done in order to appease the constant stream of insults directed to him in the Congress. Some of them with overt Republican overtones.
There were already many a commander that was already dissatisfied with Iturbide, and the continuing budget cuts to the army that followed the retaking of the last Spanish enclave in Mexico, and the lavish pension that he bestowed himself. However, Iturbide did end up doing useful things with his money, such as building schools, hospitals and temples. A better use than what those deluded Republican fools did with their pay, which most of the time was spent on silencing rumours about illegitimate children and (not surprisingly) lavish homes, whores, alcohol, whores, and alcohol.
Whatever little money remained on the pockets of these guys ended up in the pockets of American gun runners, which, under instructions of Miguel Santa María and Joel Poinsett, managed to sneak many weapons into republican sympathizers. Incensed by this aid given by the American government and the promise of their recognition of their efforts, these people would try to start up a Republic in Mexico, a form of government that, at least in the delirious minds of these rebels, would be “the true expression of Mexico’s peoples on to forging a prosperous future”. If this sounds familiar, that would remind us to the situation in some countries in South America and Europe once the dust from the Great Recession settled down in the early 1970’s. On the other hand, Poinsett saw on the fledging “Republic” a staunch supporter of the United States, a sure and steady “partner” who would “lend” them money and resources, and most importantly, all the territories north of the Tropic of Cancer.
However, if the sending of the “Expeditionary Force” to Colombia was to be believed, the opponents of Iturbide had every right to believe that they were in the middle of a purge. Which was actually true. And while there were politicians willing to stake their necks for the noble cause of democracy (or, as called before, the “Republican Pipe Dream”), the military men were not so keen on becoming martyrs for those causes. They just wanted the easy way in by being the underdogs who vanquished the top dog.
Repression
And not only there was dissent against the government because they were the “only country ruled by a egomaniac warlord” according to those hushed secrets amongst the country’s neighbours. On Central America there was also treachery running afoul, with Manuel José de Arce y Fagoaga trying to separate the province of El Salvador from the Empire, claiming that its annexation was illegal. Colombia was also at a crossroads on whether to continue as a friend of Mexico and the remaining independent countries in Latin America, a view espoused by Bolívar, who himself was a friend of the Crown Prince, and Santander's faction, who wanted to denounce the false freedom that Mexico was trying to provide lip service to by clinging to ancient traditions; these two had also other political quarrels, but that's a story for another day. There was also the Republicans who felt that Iturbide had overstepped his own power, the government of the United States vacillating between recognizing the Empire or not, all while coveting its northern half, and the ever-looming threat of having Spanish Cuba nearby, but no way to take it.
In short, Mexico was turning into a powder keg. Which exploded in October the 1st, 1825.
Medic and former congressman Valentín Gómez Farías became the de-facto leader of the new Republican government in Mexico. Empowered by a (forged) letter supposedly made by Santa Anna [1] and given to him by Miguel Santa María. By this, and reuniting several other known characters such as Pedro Vélez and Anastasio Bustamante, who was probably the only military strongman in this ragtag bunch of misfits. Normally, in the films, you’ll get a speech exalting the values of a democracy and freedom and things like that, causing multitudes to cheer and celebrate. But in this case, this speech, a part of the Plan de Mier [1], was received with little enthusiasm from the soldiers, and some forced clapping from the population in town. This 3600-strong army, with a full cavalry corps, some artillery pieces, and dull enthusiasm set down to march towards Mexico City and force the abdication of the Emperor at gunpoint.
However, something happened to these rebels: Comanches. Many comanches. About four thousand Comanches, commanded by Guonique came down the unsuspecting army lead by Gómez Farías. The end result would give reason on why the Comanche special unit in many strategy games are the Spear Horsemen.
This battle, which occurred near Misión de Arramberri, Nuevo León, saw about 1500 or so rebel soldiers die against an incoming wall of Comanche horsemen, and the remaining soldiers were routed. It was obvious that Gómez Farías was not a military man. He was captured by the Comanches, and sent to Mexico City, escorted by many members of this brave tribe. The soldiers that surrendered were given quarter, however, those proved to have Republican sympathies were hanged later on for treason.
This caused that general Echávarri would launch his own take on trying to depose Agustín I. Naturally, as His Majesty considered Echávarri to be one of his best friends, his outrage at this act of treason, and sought out to fight him in modern day Amecameca, Altiplano. [2]
In that fateful day, brother fought against brother, and neighbour against neighbour. Soldiers who remained loyal to God, Fatherland and Emperor, and Idealists who wanted Freedom for the People in the name of Democracy. Bullets flew around, cavalry clashed, people died on both sides. The estimated casualties for both sides was of 980 men in total. Neither of the two armies were very large, but at the end, His Majesty won the battle, but at a terrible cost.
At the end, the hearsay of the Comanche warriors stomping of the rebels in Nueva Santander, and the sight of his former best friend dying of a fatal shot to the liver finally decided that enough blood has been spilled. He had to bring the rebels to the table and make them speak about their demands. It was a bitter sight to him that many of his former comrades in arms were against him, and would be something that would never leave his conscience ever again. He attempted to reach out to all the members of his war cabinet, and whoever might be with the Opposition. He also set the so-called “Presidente Gómez” free, in hopes of placating any kind of accusations of trying to stage a purge against them.
And they all reunited in Guanajuato in November the 2nd, 1825. On what is nowadays called “Teatro Iturbide”, a makeshift congress was assembled with many members of the National Board, the Congress, and both Valentín Gómez Farías and Agustín I himself.
Teatro Iturbide. Before someone asks, this picture is from the year 1924
At the end, most of their demands were met:
People would at last get to vote... in 1826. They could vote for their representatives a select pool of political parties, and in turn, the winning party would put elect the country’s President from within their ranks, which would be re-elected every four years, and could be re-elected for two consecutive terms. In exchange, Agustín I requested that he would be able to have a say in the government. Some radical liberals tried to veto this decision, but they were promptly told to take it.
Voters had to comply with a “Poll Tax” of 1 Peso and know how to read and write to be eligible for voting.
Also, the provinces of the Empire could elect their own representatives. Only a few regions would not get to vote due to their lack of population: California, Sonora and Nuevo México. The Anglo inhabitants of Texas could vote if they converted to the Catholic religion, which started to cause resentment, especially due to the fact that as a distinctive ethnic group, they were not given any special privileges and they were being forced to assimilate into the Mexican society, while the other ethnic groups were left unmolested. [3] The indigenous populations in central Mexico and some semi-nomadic northern tribes would elect a single representative amongst themselves to represent them in the Congress.
Another reform that was placed indicated also that the amount of representatives per province would be in a relative percentage from the amount of population in the state in proportion to all of Mexico.
And finally, they implemented the idea from the Republican politician José Mariano Michelena. This would create the basis of the federal system that we all know and love in the Mexican Empire. Shame that he later on had to go on
To be fair, the system was far from perfect, containing more loopholes and ways to exploit it than your average videogame in this era. But as it was said before, still better than nothing.
Pictured: Mexico in 1826
Now, due to the failure of the Republican Uprising, it was a good time for Miguel de Santa María and Joel R. Poinsett [4] to flee from Mexico. And for that, he chose to remain on the United States, where he eventually started to bring most of the most radical opposition to the Imperial regime to Washington, in the hopes that they could lobby to the American government that the tyranny that Agustín I subjected the Mexicans needed to be destroyed, and how he defiled the independence treaties to his own ends [5]. Also fanning the fires of intervention was Poinsett, who claimed that he said that it was the “so-called Mexican Democracy” was a sham, and as such, it deserved to be destroyed. This would become a focal point of Mexican-American relations, in which some governments would not recognize the Imperial government, and claim that the Mexican Republican exiles were the real government, only for the next president to go and recognize the Imperial government. This would go back and forth for quite some time, until the First Mexican-American War began about twenty years down the line, where the relations between both countries would plummet past the point of no return.
As for Arce y Fagoaga, his pathetic rebellion in the year 1823 failed. Vicente Filisola came down on him like a sack of bricks, and Arce’s army was scattered in the Battle of Mejicanos, with himself falling ill and captured by the Imperial Army. He was hanged for high treason, and his rebellion became a mere footnote in the history of the Empire.
_______________________________________
[1] The original draft of the Plan de Casa Mata.
[2] OTL Estado de México and Morelos
[3] Well, the indigenous populations had the right to vote, though they were left unmolested in regards to their traditions. Which in many cases had syncretised Catholic beliefs with their own traditions. On the other hands, many Anglo settlers were seen as heretics, whose souls were in dire need of saving from the “soulless Protestantism”.
[4] Good riddance.
[5] Which is a crock of bovine fecal matter. Agustín I did comply with the terms of the Plan de Iguala, which were, in this order, “Establish the independence of Mexico from Spain”, “Establish the Catholic religion as Mexico’s official religion”, and “Enable the unification of all social classes.” Do you see anything that says “Establish a Republic of Mexico”? Nobody? No one? Good.
OMG.
So, Santander was going to fight against the Empire... Doesn't surprise me. LOL
<bilingual_bonus>Me imagino la película: "El Abominable Hombre de las Leyes contraataca"</bilingual_bonus>
Beautiful map! and of course, excellent progression
So, Santander was going to fight against the Empire... Doesn't surprise me. LOL
<bilingual_bonus>Me imagino la película: "El Abominable Hombre de las Leyes contraataca"</bilingual_bonus>
Beautiful map! and of course, excellent progression
Razgriz 2K9
Banned
Dudes be hating on Augustin's swag man. He gotta get some homeboyz and shoot up the joint.
In seriousness though, impressive update, love this federal monarchy.
In seriousness though, impressive update, love this federal monarchy.
Beautiful update, beautiful map.
Go on what.
He would keep on criticizing the regime. Albeit, most of it would fall under constructive criticism.
Also, back in OTL, he did try to compromise by re-establishing the Congress, but by that point the Casa Mata rebellion had already made too much progress to placate with that. This time around, without that plan and a weakened opposition, he's more than able to make them negotiate.
Last edited:
REMOVE KIPPER remove kipperThose Limey Bastards have are Clay!
I hope Mexico can get cuba
you are worst limey you are the limey idiot you are the limey smell return to normandy...
Couldn't avoid writing this; I find the Remove Kebab copypasta to be too hilarious and awesome and easy to mold into anything.
Oh, once we get onto updates on Colombia, you'll be surprised. For starters, there will still be a Gran Colombia. Up until modern day ITTL.So, Santander was going to fight against the Empire... Doesn't surprise me. LOL
<bilingual_bonus>Me imagino la película: "El Abominable Hombre de las Leyes contraataca"</bilingual_bonus>
Beautiful map! and of course, excellent progression
<bilingual>Suena como una película clase B... y por alguna razón sí la imagino dentro del contexto de esta LdT</bilingual>
Thanks! It contains everything that everyone likes and more.Dudes be hating on Augustin's swag man. He gotta get some homeboyz and shoot up the joint.
In seriousness though, impressive update, love this federal monarchy.
Just to mention a few things on the things to come for the next updates, all while shamelessly bumping this thread:
- Multiple part special about the Cisplatine War, including some basic background details and a sign on things to come
- A small time war in Spain.
- An update on Mexico and the 1826 general elections.
- The effect that the Republican traitors have in post 1830 USA.
- Civil War in Gran Colombia.
- A reorganization in the Spanish Empire.
- More things on Mexico.
- Mormon troubles.
- More things to come.
Razgriz 2K9
Banned
People commit atrocities against the English language every day. Heck, there is a reason Engrish exists...
Still, a multi-part Cisplatine War is nice...and a first...
Wow. Just. WOW!
besides... a civil war in Colombia... maybe the start of the conflict between Bolivarists and Santanderists?
Keep it up!
Deleted member 67076
Probably means Venezuela and Colombia are going to split in this timeline too. :/