Part I: Fight for Independence
Firstly, I'm aware that there are a couple other Mexico timelines floating around, but I want to (or at least try to) stray away from the usual fate Mexico gets stuck with. My goal is to create a large, stable, republican Mexico, with the PoD immediately after the War for Independence begins. This is my very first timeline, so constructive criticism is welcomed and encouraged. I hope you guys enjoy the timeline! 
-“My fellow citizens of the Republic, on this most hallowed of occasions, I ask of you all to remember and honor the sacrifices the founders of our great nation made to make us proud to be Mexicans. On this, the Bicentennial of our independence let us all continue to build a just and free society, a society our founders envisioned and a society that strives to promote life, liberty and the common good of all.”
-President Patricia Jimenez Elba
(Excerpt translated from the Noticias Azteca, 16 September 2010)
Part I
Fight for Independence
Towards the end of the first decade of the 19th century, a group of like-minded individuals, prominent among them Captain’s Ignacio Allende and Juan Aldama, Miguel Dominguez-the Corregidor of Querétaro-and his wife Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez, and Miguel Hidalgo formed the core of a conspiracy to bring an end to colonial control of New Spain. Inspired by Enlightenment philosophy, the group of conspirators would meet at the home of the Dominguez’s and discuss, among other things, the possibility of independence, citing that both Madrid and the Vice regal government had failed to properly respect the rights of its subjects.
As Spanish control over the empire deteriorated, culminating with Napoleon’s overthrow of King Fernando VII in 1808, the time for the conspirators to act seemed eminent. Over the course of the year 1810, the conspirators in Querétaro began assembling armaments, clandestinely recruiting supporters, and even drafting a new government. The date was set for 8 December as the beginning of the uprising, but it was not to be. As word leaked of an eminent revolt, largely due to members of the Querétaro conspiracy betraying the cause, the rebels were forced to move the start of the uprising to October. Events took an unexpected turn that September when the authorities of Querétaro arrested Miguel Dominguez and several other conspirators. Forewarned of the authorities, Allende rode via horse to Hidalgo’s parish at Dolores in neighboring Guanajuato.
Upon arriving at Dolores on the evening of 15 September, Allende warned Father Hidalgo about the course of events in Querétaro. At this point Hidalgo decided the time had come to act. Aided by workers and followers, Hidalgo apprehended the Spanish Priest, Father Bustamante, and raised the famous rebel battle cry-the Grito de Dolores-the war for independence has begun. The following morning, 16 of September, Hidalgo, Allende and Aldama, along with four thousand rebels (mostly Indians), took Allende’s hometown of San Miguel where Allende’s regiment soon joined the rebel cause. After a dispute between Hidalgo and Allende on who should take military command of the rebel army, Hidalgo conceded to the two men to go along the Conspiracy’s original trajectory and have Allende and Aldama hold joint command, with Hidalgo as second in command. [1]
On 18 September the rebels moved on the village of Celaya, which was quickly taken and rebel forces grew tenfold. Allende, although wary about the capacity for restraint of the new recruits, who were mostly Indians with little or no military background, decided to move on Guanajuato, the capital of the intendancy. Allende and Hidalgo both promised the intendant of Guanajuato, Juan Antonio Riaño, that the citizenry would be treated humanely if he were to surrender immediately. Riaño instead vowed to never surrender, amassing the citizenry into the city granary (Alhóndiga de Granaditas) and utilize the buildings structure as a makeshift fortress until reinforcements from México City arrived. However, the strategic location of hills immediately surrounding the granary quickly turned the battle to the insurgent’s advantage. Coupled with the death of Riaño early in the battle, the insurgents soon overran Guanajuato, but not before massacring great numbers of Spaniards, even those who had surrendered. Allende’s and Hidalgo’s attempts to stop the bloodshed went unanswered, and by the end of the day 600 Spaniards and 2,000 Indians lay dead. Allende, angered at what the insurgents had done, began to rein Hidalgo in, aware that in many ways the Priest’s inflammatory rhetoric towards the Spaniards had made the Indian’s lose control. Hidalgo was made to understand that, although his inspirational language would continue to invite more people to the cause, more divisive words would be met with the Captain’s fury.
Through October 1810, the insurgents made headway in the west, capturing Guadalajara and Valladolid. Allende, who now was seen as supreme commander, began instilling proper military training and tactics to the insurgents, in preparation for an engagement with Royal forces, which had hastily asserted control over Querétaro and San Luis Potosí. In Valladolid, the insurgents were also empowered by more forces who were led by another powerful priest, Father José María Morelos. Through private funds, Allende and his army, 80,000 strong, planned to strike the Royalists at their source-México City. En route to the capital, Allende and his army met with a vice regal force under the command of General Torcuato Trujillo, near Toluca, which itself was only 60 kl from México City. Trujillo’s death early in the battle insured the insurgent’s victory. [2]
With México city literally in sight, Allende sent emissaries to Viceroy Venegas to surrender the city, but Venegas rebuffed them on threats they be shot as traitors. On 3 November insurgent forces began engaging Royalist forces under the command of Augustín de Iturbide, along the western edge of the city. In the meantime, Viceroy Venegas and other senior officials, fearing the worst, took flight to Veracruz. In street battles said to be some of the bloodiest in the war, the insurgents slowly took the capital. Iturbide, with the few troops available to him in México City, fought a battle of attrition against Allende, hoping to make seizure if the city a pyrrhic victory. It was not to be, on 6 November, Iturbide and several hundred of his remaining men retreated east to Veracruz. With fighting dying down over the course of the day, the leaders of the revolt took their victory to their advantage. The following day, Allende, Aldama, Hidalgo and Morelos issued the Declaración de Independencia y Libertad de América Septentrional (Declaration of Independence and Liberty of Northern America), whereby establishing an independent nation-los Estados Unidos Mexicanos-or the United Mexican States, a nation completely independent from Spain. The Declaration also promised several things, paramount among them the abolition of slavery and the tribute tax. At this point Allende was officially made “Captitán-general de las Americas.” Allende, through December would continue training his army. Aiding in this venture would be fresh rebel forces, a mix of Indian peasants and Creole/Mestizo soldiers, flooding in from the north. Growing to just below 100,000 men, a good portion newly freed slaves, Allende dubbed this “Las Fuerzas Armadas de la nación Mexicana.”
Upon hearing of México City’s fall, an infuriated Viceroy Venegas ordered his remaining forces farther north, under the command of General Félix María Calleja to fall back from San Luis Potosí to Veracruz, in order to better calibrate their next course of action. Venegas decided on a renewed assault on the insurgents beginning in January 1811, in order to drive them out of México City.
At the beginning of January, Allende lead the insurgent army east, capturing Tlaxcala and Puebla, although the latter proved to be a bit troublesome, as a sizable contingent of Royalist forces had been placed there on the orders of Viceroy Venegas prior to México City’s capture. With the vast majority of the Valley of México under the insurgent flag, Allende’s next move was to march on Veracruz. Not only would capture of the strategic port greatly bolster the insurgent cause, but Allende hoped to apprehend Viceroy Venegas, whom proved to be unwilling to any compromise whatsoever. On 8 January the Royalists and Insurgents engaged near the village of Santa Rosa Necoxtla, on the mountain slopes overlooking Veracruz, fighting to a stalemate. The Insurgents, though having the field advantage of overlooking the enemy, General Calleja proved to be a formidable opponent. After further engagements proved ineffective for either side, Allende and Calleja returned to Tlaxcala and Veracruz respectively. The rest of January would be characterized by sporadic fighting along the eastern rim of the Valley of México.
Both sides took this general reprieve to their advantage. Calleja and Venegas began to move Loyalist forces from Central America and Cuba to compensate for their low numbers. Although Venegas had petitioned the mother country for more troops and supplies just prior to the Insurgent seizure of México City, any help from Spain itself would be slow in coming. Spain itself was locked in a struggle for its own independence against Napoleonic France, and coupled with the Insurgencies simultaneously breaking out in New Granada, Perú and Río de la Plata, any help from Europe would be negligible for the time being. Allende also began to take advantage of the lull in fighting, this time further consolidating control of land already under Insurgent control. This included the Intendancies of Guadalajara and Valladolid, portions of Arizpe, Durango, Coahuila, México, Puebla and Guanajuato, as well as the Provinces of Nueva Santander, Nuevo León and Tejas. At this time, Allende also sent Pascasio Ortiz de Letona as liaison to the United States. Upon Ortiz de Letona’s arrival in Washington D.C. in mid-March 1811, Letona would continually lobby President James Madison and Secretary of State Robert Smith to support the “struggle for freedom of all America.” Although Madison was receptive towards the plight of the independence movements in Spanish America, his pressing international issues at the time were with the British, who were continually “impressing” American sailors caught at sea. These events, coupled with Madison replacing Smith with James Monroe as Secretary of State that following April, would make Letona’s progress for recognition slow in coming.
[1]Point of Divergence: In OTL Hidalgo ended up being Supreme Commander.
[2]In OTL Trujillo survives long enough to call a temporary ceasefire.
**********************************************
This is all I have so far, I'm kinda busy with school so the next update won't be for a while I'm afraid.
Arkhangelsk’s first Timeline
¡Por la Patria, Viva México Fuerte!
-“My fellow citizens of the Republic, on this most hallowed of occasions, I ask of you all to remember and honor the sacrifices the founders of our great nation made to make us proud to be Mexicans. On this, the Bicentennial of our independence let us all continue to build a just and free society, a society our founders envisioned and a society that strives to promote life, liberty and the common good of all.”
-President Patricia Jimenez Elba
(Excerpt translated from the Noticias Azteca, 16 September 2010)
Part I
Fight for Independence
Towards the end of the first decade of the 19th century, a group of like-minded individuals, prominent among them Captain’s Ignacio Allende and Juan Aldama, Miguel Dominguez-the Corregidor of Querétaro-and his wife Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez, and Miguel Hidalgo formed the core of a conspiracy to bring an end to colonial control of New Spain. Inspired by Enlightenment philosophy, the group of conspirators would meet at the home of the Dominguez’s and discuss, among other things, the possibility of independence, citing that both Madrid and the Vice regal government had failed to properly respect the rights of its subjects.
As Spanish control over the empire deteriorated, culminating with Napoleon’s overthrow of King Fernando VII in 1808, the time for the conspirators to act seemed eminent. Over the course of the year 1810, the conspirators in Querétaro began assembling armaments, clandestinely recruiting supporters, and even drafting a new government. The date was set for 8 December as the beginning of the uprising, but it was not to be. As word leaked of an eminent revolt, largely due to members of the Querétaro conspiracy betraying the cause, the rebels were forced to move the start of the uprising to October. Events took an unexpected turn that September when the authorities of Querétaro arrested Miguel Dominguez and several other conspirators. Forewarned of the authorities, Allende rode via horse to Hidalgo’s parish at Dolores in neighboring Guanajuato.
Upon arriving at Dolores on the evening of 15 September, Allende warned Father Hidalgo about the course of events in Querétaro. At this point Hidalgo decided the time had come to act. Aided by workers and followers, Hidalgo apprehended the Spanish Priest, Father Bustamante, and raised the famous rebel battle cry-the Grito de Dolores-the war for independence has begun. The following morning, 16 of September, Hidalgo, Allende and Aldama, along with four thousand rebels (mostly Indians), took Allende’s hometown of San Miguel where Allende’s regiment soon joined the rebel cause. After a dispute between Hidalgo and Allende on who should take military command of the rebel army, Hidalgo conceded to the two men to go along the Conspiracy’s original trajectory and have Allende and Aldama hold joint command, with Hidalgo as second in command. [1]
On 18 September the rebels moved on the village of Celaya, which was quickly taken and rebel forces grew tenfold. Allende, although wary about the capacity for restraint of the new recruits, who were mostly Indians with little or no military background, decided to move on Guanajuato, the capital of the intendancy. Allende and Hidalgo both promised the intendant of Guanajuato, Juan Antonio Riaño, that the citizenry would be treated humanely if he were to surrender immediately. Riaño instead vowed to never surrender, amassing the citizenry into the city granary (Alhóndiga de Granaditas) and utilize the buildings structure as a makeshift fortress until reinforcements from México City arrived. However, the strategic location of hills immediately surrounding the granary quickly turned the battle to the insurgent’s advantage. Coupled with the death of Riaño early in the battle, the insurgents soon overran Guanajuato, but not before massacring great numbers of Spaniards, even those who had surrendered. Allende’s and Hidalgo’s attempts to stop the bloodshed went unanswered, and by the end of the day 600 Spaniards and 2,000 Indians lay dead. Allende, angered at what the insurgents had done, began to rein Hidalgo in, aware that in many ways the Priest’s inflammatory rhetoric towards the Spaniards had made the Indian’s lose control. Hidalgo was made to understand that, although his inspirational language would continue to invite more people to the cause, more divisive words would be met with the Captain’s fury.
Through October 1810, the insurgents made headway in the west, capturing Guadalajara and Valladolid. Allende, who now was seen as supreme commander, began instilling proper military training and tactics to the insurgents, in preparation for an engagement with Royal forces, which had hastily asserted control over Querétaro and San Luis Potosí. In Valladolid, the insurgents were also empowered by more forces who were led by another powerful priest, Father José María Morelos. Through private funds, Allende and his army, 80,000 strong, planned to strike the Royalists at their source-México City. En route to the capital, Allende and his army met with a vice regal force under the command of General Torcuato Trujillo, near Toluca, which itself was only 60 kl from México City. Trujillo’s death early in the battle insured the insurgent’s victory. [2]
With México city literally in sight, Allende sent emissaries to Viceroy Venegas to surrender the city, but Venegas rebuffed them on threats they be shot as traitors. On 3 November insurgent forces began engaging Royalist forces under the command of Augustín de Iturbide, along the western edge of the city. In the meantime, Viceroy Venegas and other senior officials, fearing the worst, took flight to Veracruz. In street battles said to be some of the bloodiest in the war, the insurgents slowly took the capital. Iturbide, with the few troops available to him in México City, fought a battle of attrition against Allende, hoping to make seizure if the city a pyrrhic victory. It was not to be, on 6 November, Iturbide and several hundred of his remaining men retreated east to Veracruz. With fighting dying down over the course of the day, the leaders of the revolt took their victory to their advantage. The following day, Allende, Aldama, Hidalgo and Morelos issued the Declaración de Independencia y Libertad de América Septentrional (Declaration of Independence and Liberty of Northern America), whereby establishing an independent nation-los Estados Unidos Mexicanos-or the United Mexican States, a nation completely independent from Spain. The Declaration also promised several things, paramount among them the abolition of slavery and the tribute tax. At this point Allende was officially made “Captitán-general de las Americas.” Allende, through December would continue training his army. Aiding in this venture would be fresh rebel forces, a mix of Indian peasants and Creole/Mestizo soldiers, flooding in from the north. Growing to just below 100,000 men, a good portion newly freed slaves, Allende dubbed this “Las Fuerzas Armadas de la nación Mexicana.”
Upon hearing of México City’s fall, an infuriated Viceroy Venegas ordered his remaining forces farther north, under the command of General Félix María Calleja to fall back from San Luis Potosí to Veracruz, in order to better calibrate their next course of action. Venegas decided on a renewed assault on the insurgents beginning in January 1811, in order to drive them out of México City.
At the beginning of January, Allende lead the insurgent army east, capturing Tlaxcala and Puebla, although the latter proved to be a bit troublesome, as a sizable contingent of Royalist forces had been placed there on the orders of Viceroy Venegas prior to México City’s capture. With the vast majority of the Valley of México under the insurgent flag, Allende’s next move was to march on Veracruz. Not only would capture of the strategic port greatly bolster the insurgent cause, but Allende hoped to apprehend Viceroy Venegas, whom proved to be unwilling to any compromise whatsoever. On 8 January the Royalists and Insurgents engaged near the village of Santa Rosa Necoxtla, on the mountain slopes overlooking Veracruz, fighting to a stalemate. The Insurgents, though having the field advantage of overlooking the enemy, General Calleja proved to be a formidable opponent. After further engagements proved ineffective for either side, Allende and Calleja returned to Tlaxcala and Veracruz respectively. The rest of January would be characterized by sporadic fighting along the eastern rim of the Valley of México.
Both sides took this general reprieve to their advantage. Calleja and Venegas began to move Loyalist forces from Central America and Cuba to compensate for their low numbers. Although Venegas had petitioned the mother country for more troops and supplies just prior to the Insurgent seizure of México City, any help from Spain itself would be slow in coming. Spain itself was locked in a struggle for its own independence against Napoleonic France, and coupled with the Insurgencies simultaneously breaking out in New Granada, Perú and Río de la Plata, any help from Europe would be negligible for the time being. Allende also began to take advantage of the lull in fighting, this time further consolidating control of land already under Insurgent control. This included the Intendancies of Guadalajara and Valladolid, portions of Arizpe, Durango, Coahuila, México, Puebla and Guanajuato, as well as the Provinces of Nueva Santander, Nuevo León and Tejas. At this time, Allende also sent Pascasio Ortiz de Letona as liaison to the United States. Upon Ortiz de Letona’s arrival in Washington D.C. in mid-March 1811, Letona would continually lobby President James Madison and Secretary of State Robert Smith to support the “struggle for freedom of all America.” Although Madison was receptive towards the plight of the independence movements in Spanish America, his pressing international issues at the time were with the British, who were continually “impressing” American sailors caught at sea. These events, coupled with Madison replacing Smith with James Monroe as Secretary of State that following April, would make Letona’s progress for recognition slow in coming.
[1]Point of Divergence: In OTL Hidalgo ended up being Supreme Commander.
[2]In OTL Trujillo survives long enough to call a temporary ceasefire.
**********************************************
This is all I have so far, I'm kinda busy with school so the next update won't be for a while I'm afraid.
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