A Lusophone World

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Lusitania

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ToasterOven456 said:
Off topic but would this type of federation develop with a liberal Portugal under Pedro V (he could lobby in the Scramble to get the Pink Map)?
Click to expand...
Hm hard to say. Pedro V was a very intriguing character and there is a lot of potential around him. Could he guide the country to greatness.
To achieve pink map Portugal would of needed to explore the interior prior to Livingstone. If as heir to the throne in 1850 he could if sponsored the exploration of the Zambezi and after becoming king sponsored the exploration of Congo. Then build forts along the Zambezi to cement Portuguese claim to the region. Even naming the great falls something Portuguese instead of British naming them.

during the Scramble for Africa portuguese claim including what today was Zimbabwe, Zambia plus all lands south of Congo River would of given Portugal a huge claim.

It could of even traded part of the territory such as Zimbabwe to British for say a much larger Portuguese India and maybe malacca. But still retain pink map. Also keeping all of Guinea that was south of Gambia river.

Another avenue for a stable and stronger Portugal could of been intervention in Spain during their upheaval from 1860-1870. Portuguese intervention could of been traded for Olivença, Spanish Africa.

all of these with say an economy 2x-3x larger could of strengthen Portugal hand in Africa.

another disaster was the loss of Flores island to the Dutch which could of been avoided. As well as stronger Portuguese could of increased the size of Macau
during the late 19th century.

As for federation it could of evolved into it in the early of mid 20th century.
 
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ToasterOven456

Lusitania said:


Hm hard to say. Pedro V was a very intriguing character and there is a lot of potential around him. Could he guide the country to greatness.
To achieve pink map Portugal would of needed to explore the interior prior to Livingstone. If as heir to the throne in 1850 he could if sponsored the exploration of the Zambezi and after becoming king sponsored the exploration of Congo. Then build forts along the Zambezi to cement Portuguese claim to the region. Even naming the great falls something Portuguese instead of British naming them.

during the Scramble for Africa portuguese claim including what today was Zimbabwe, Zambia plus all lands south of Congo River would of given Portugal a huge claim.

It could of even traded part of the territory such as Zimbabwe to British for say a much larger Portuguese India and maybe malacca. But still retain pink map. Also keeping all of Guinea that was south of Gambia river.

Another avenue for a stable and stronger Portugal could of been intervention in Spain during their upheaval from 1860-1870. Portuguese intervention could of been traded for Olivença, Spanish Africa.

all of these with say an economy 2x-3x larger could of strengthen Portugal hand in Africa.

another disaster was the loss of Flores island to the Dutch which could of been avoided. As well as stronger Portuguese could of increased the size of Macau
during the late 19th century.

As for federation it could of evolved into it in the early of mid 20th century.
Click to expand...
So basically it would be a federation that would be more accepted than TTL's federation?
 
1970s - World (Part 5)
  • Index
    • Lusitania

    Lusitania

    Donor
    1970 – 1979
    World​

    The containment of Communism (Part V)​

    Americas (Part 2 of 2)​

    The Galapagos Accord

    In 1976 as Bolivia turned a new page and started on it journey of nation rebuilding to the north news of the assassination of Columbian President Julio César Turbay Ayala and the fall of Bogota by FARC rebels had a chilling effect on the continent, this of course was soon followed by even worse news that Lima had fallen to the Shinning path at the end of 1976. The news sent a chill down most Bolivians and majority of the people welcomed news of the La Paz accord between Bolivia and its neighbors. The signatories to the treaty were Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, and Portuguese Federation. The treaty would only be ratified following the general elections and ratification vote by the new congress.

    In Columbia the remnants of the Columbian government fled Bogota to Cartegana with American assistance. The Americans held several large enclaves both along Pacific and most of the Caribbean Coast. In Peru the situation grew dire for the remaining nationalist forces after the fall of Lima and the Americans lacking both the ability and willingness to commit more troops decided to withdraw from almost all of Peru. Starting in June and ending in September of 1977 the last remnants of the US forces withdrew to Ecuador. On 6 October 1977 Genaro Ledesma Izquieta proclaimed the Peoples Republic of Peru.[1]

    The two communist governments set about to govern their countries but faced with insurmountable challenges. The two countries’ infrastructure was complete destroyed from 20 years of war. Meanwhile the US implemented a completed trade and financial embargo, prohibiting any company that conducted business with the two communist countries from conducting business in the USA. In addition, the US government published a blacklist of companies that conducted business with the communist countries and put in place severe financial penalties against corporations who did businesses with these blacklisted corporations. Leaving only communist countries’ corporations and governments that were capable and willing to do business with the South American Communist countries. Exports of minerals and commodities such as coffee, and minerals decreased as the traditional markets for those products disappeared.

    This left drugs as the two countries only remaining major export to the west. The two rebel groups had used production of drugs to finance part of their insurgency and they expanded production of drugs while other sectors of the economy of the two communist countries worsened. Following the communist takeover of the two countries mineral exports were less than 25% of pre-communist takeover. Both countries continued to bleed people as citizens in both countries fled the oppression and worsening economic situation. The Americans used the exodus as proof of the misery the Columbia and Peru communist government were imposing on their people. The situation in the countries grew worse and both governments responded by clamping down on people and it became a crime to emigrate without government authorization.

    Tensions between the communist countries and their neighbors intensified as they increasingly militarized their border with both Peru and Columbia in an effort to slow or stop the flow of drugs coming out of the two countries. Sporadic border clashes occurred on regular base. In June 1978 Brazilian and Columbian forces clashed near the Columbian border city of Mitu. The Border clash became a major battle with both countries struggling to move troops to that remote Amazon region. The Brazilian had the advantage of both Argentina and Portuguese transport planes that supplemented their own fleet. By July the Brazilians had pushed the Columbian forces from the region and the local indigenous people requested the Brazilians to stay. At same time Nationalist Columbian forces also arrived by way of Chile and Bolivia and the region became another Nationalist Columbian enclave.

    On 16 November 1979 at Organization of American States meeting in Mexico City all countries signed an agreement cutting off all trade, commercial links as well refusing all air, ground and sea access to both countries. This was followed by a meeting between the US and Lusitania Commonwealth including Portuguese Federation to implement a complete naval and air blockade of both Columbia and Peru until they stopped all narcotics production and export. Known the Galapagos Accord it divided the responsibility in enforcing the blockade at the Ecuador southern border with Peru. Both the Lusitania Commonwealth and Americans had the right to stop all ships and planes looking for contraband, weapons, and drugs.

    To add to the misery and complexity of the situation Peru and Columbia also started fighting each other. The biggest contention was the southeast part of Columbia claimed by Peru and occupied since 1973 by the Shining Path. When the government of Peru refused to hand the territory back to Columbia after FARC had seized the country led the two countries to engage in several major border clashes.

    g6YCmo8.png

    Columbia and Peru in 1979​
    Growing Uneasiness in Latin America

    In 1979 Bolivia joined the Lusitania Commonwealth as a full member bringing the number of Commonwealth full members in South America to six (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia).

    The 1970s were a difficult time for Venezuela who having finally defeated militarily its own communist insurrection and then signed a peace treaty in 1974 was faced with new problem that taxed the country. As the war in Columbia intensified Venezuela struggled to both care for over 100,000 Columbians residing in refugee camps along the Venezuela-Columbia border, maintain social harmony and peace between Venezuelans and the estimated 200,000 Columbians who were living in Venezuela and guard against more and more communist guerrilla attacks. In the first half of the 1970s the Venezuela government negotiated a peace treaty with the communist rebels in Venezuela and granted them amnesty. But in 1975 the remnants of the Columbian communist group ELN fled Columbia and established themselves amongst the tens of thousands of Columbians in Venezuela. At first, they only sought refuge but within a year were exhorting protection money from the Columbians living in Venezuela. In 1977 when Columbia fell to the communists Venezuela received an additional 170,000 Columbian refugees making the situation in Venezuela even worse. The ELN started carrying out attacks in Venezuela. At first Venezuela authorities responded with caution not trying to victimize the Columbian civilians and refugees. The ELN changed tactics and started attacking Venezuelan security forces and civilians with the express aim of toppling the Venezuelan government and then using Venezuela as a base to attack Columbia.

    Life for the Columbians living in Venezuela grew increasing difficult with both the security forces and civilians retaliating against the Columbians driving more and more people to seek ELN protection and falling under their control. On 15 October 1977 the Valera market attack resulted in 105 casualties and Venezuelans turned against Columbian civilians and carried out revenge attacks. Over 2,000 civilians were killed in the town, 90% of which were Venezuelan. The government of Luis María Piñerúa Ordaz afraid the situation was getting out of control declared a national emergency and called up tens of thousands of troops and mobilized the country’s forces. During the months of November and December 1977 all Columbians living in Venezuela were rounded up and placed in camps. Unfortunately, the majority of the camps lacked proper housing and basic necessities. In all over 500,000 Columbians were living in these squalid camps by Christmas time and disease started spreading rapidly in them. The Americans paid little notice to the plight of these refugees as they were struggling themselves with over 2 million of refuges in Panama, Ecuador and National Columbian enclaves. It was at this time that the countries of Lusitanian Commonwealth acted and began airlifting supplies and personnel to assist the refugees. Meanwhile the Venezuela Armed Forces were also having to deal with increasing border clashes with Columbia while pursuing the ELN guerrillas in the Venezuelan countryside and jungles.

    By end of February 1978 the Venezuelan Red Cross with the help of the commonwealth was able to stop the spread of disease, setup housing and provide necessities of life to the refugees but the camps continued to be severely overcrowded. In March two programs were started, the commonwealth started accepting Columbian refugees from Venezuela. The problem was that in both Chile and Bolivia there were also over 200,000 Peruvian refugees and the Commonwealth countries were also trying to absorb those refugees. The second program allowed Columbians who wanted to move to Nationalist Columbia enclaves. During 1978 296,000 refugees were accepted by Commonwealth countries with the Federation accepting 151,000 Peruvian and Columbia refugees itself. Many other countries such as Canada, Australia and countries in Europe also took in over 398,000 refugees but mostly from American controlled areas. Venezuela allowed anyone who had a residency card to apply to return to their homes in Venezuela, but many were afraid to return because of the treatment they received from their neighbors. By the end of 1979 only 53,000 Columbians most with ties or intermarried with Venezuelans moved out of the camps to resettle in Venezuela. With the situation in National Columbia also dire for the people living there less than 10,000 moved there but surprising 18,000 Columbians deciding to return to Communist controlled Columbia. The border region along the Columbia and Venezuela became a heavily militarized region and all civilians within 20 km of the border moved away due to constant danger of shelling or border clashes. At the end of 1979 the number of Columbian refugees in Venezuela was less than 100,000 while to the south in Chile and Bolivia the number of refugees had decreased to less that 76,000.

    Central America – The reforms in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua started in the 1960s continued with land and political reforms giving thousands of landless peasants’ access to land for first time and a political voice. Education reforms brought free basic education for first time to thousands of poor. While the reforms in these four countries continued to rob the communist insurgent groups of widespread support, they continued to fight government but resistance to their message by poor and attacks against the poor continued to push the poor away.

    In Mexico and Panama those governments with US military support continued to fight the communist insurgents without addressing many of the main causes of their uprising: poverty and in Panama the continued US occupation of the Panama Canal while in Mexico almost two thirds of the insurgents were indigenous who were fighting against what they considered colonial and capitalism oppression.

    Caribbean – Of the two islands that had suffered communism insurrection and fighting; Hispaniola and Cuba only Cuba continued to be scene of fighting into the 1970s. The small communist insurrection in Dominican Republic had been defeated for most part by 1975. While the island of Cuba continued to be divided between Nationalist Cuba which controlled 2/3 of the country and Communist still led by Castro controlling the northern part of the island. The last major fight in 1972 had lasted over four weeks and had resulted in over 20,000 casualties but without any major movement along the front.

    In 1973 a cease fire was negotiated between Communist and Nationalist Cuba. The communists maintained a virtual police state to keep control of its people and stop any Cuban from fleeing either north to the US or south to Nationalist Cuba which continued to see improvements in standard of living while Communist Cuba standard of living continued to suffer and only the continued support from Soviet Union allowed it to continue. Even with all the security thousands of Cubans attempted to escape Communist Cuba each year.

    wJ5esn3.png

    The Americas Cold War Alliances 1979

    Europe     ​
    NATO – The 19-country organization continued to the primary protector of Europe against Soviet aggression and attack. During the 1970s communist terrorist groups continued to be present in France, Germany and Italy. These countries suffered bombing, killing and kidnapping government officials, police and businessmen. These European governments were able to fight the communist terrorists without resorting to loss of civil liberties.

    Warsaw Pact – During the 1960s during the reform period of Brezhnev Albania had switched allegiance to China, while Yugoslavia under Tito had from WWII refused to be drawn into the WARSAW pact and remained independent. The Soviet control of the European communist countries (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria) during the 1970s became more austere with Moscow demanding strict adherence to communist ideals and direction from Moscow. The election of Gorbachev and his acceptance of capitalist capital presented a new frontier and several Warsaw Pact countries were in negotiations with several European companies about constructing manufacturing plants in several Special Zones being planned. In the 1950s the border between communist and western European countries had been heavily reinforced and all European communist countries spent a huge amount of resources guarding the border not from attack but from their citizens escaping.

    0pT1RgU.jpg

    Europe Cold War Alliance 1979​

    [1] Like in Columbia the Americans continued to occupy small sections of Peru in the name of Nationalist Peru government.

    We now concluded the Americas and Europe which by world standards continued to enjoy relative peace. The outcome of the fight against communism in the Americas would of course have direct implications throughout the region and the world. We now had two communist "narco" states. With both commonwealth and west fighting them to both contain communism and spread of drugs. How the war on drugs plays out in the 1980s we will wait to see. The clear winner in the region is the Lusitania Commonwealth (more specifically Argentina and Brazil) who continued to develop and grow economically and provide alternative to the Americans. A situation that was not lost on the countries in the region and one that would have direct implication for the future with Venezuela being the country considering becoming a full member at the end of the decade. Questions/Comments welcome.

    We will post the several posts on the situation of several countries by end of May. Obrigado.
     
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  • Index
    • A Random Man

    A Random Man

    Nice update, it should be threadmarked. Is Portugal taking advantage of the refugees by allowing them to settle in their colonies? Would love to see more of the USSR and China, keep up the good work.
     

    TanTheManJam

    Also, are the Lusitanian Commonwealth and NATO becoming closer allies? Because that would be a big plus for both alliances, extra security and manpower
     
    Lusitania

    Lusitania

    Donor
    A Random Man said:
    Nice update, it should be threadmarked. Is Portugal taking advantage of the refugees by allowing them to settle in their colonies? Would love to see more of the USSR and China, keep up the good work.
    Click to expand...
    Thank you.
    Threadmark added.

    The Portuguese Federation does not have colonies it has provinces throughout Europe, Africa, Indian Subcontinent and South East Asia. The immigration and acceptance of refugees is discussed extensively in the Security Section. But to give you a short answer the hundred of thousands of refugees and emigrants are settled through out the Federation provinces.

    As for Soviet Union and PRC we will have a little more about them in the Foreign Affairs section. As TL continues it will feature more and more from these countries which by the 1970s are witnessing major deviations from iOTL. Soviet Union has just gone through major political turmoil with Gorbachev becoming leader in 1974. A young and supporter of reform and initiated new economic partnerships with western European companies. Meanwhile with no Mao during the 1960s PRC continued its traditional Communist economy during the 1970s. We will continue to expand these two countries in the 1980s.

    Now we would like to thank EdFor for their support for this post.
    i9anMYU.png

    Edfor E750​
     

    farmerted555

    Looking at the map, it's good to see Albania aligned with Red China and (presumably) still has almost as many bunkers as people.
     
    Lusitania

    Lusitania

    Donor
    TanTheManJam said:
    What about the division of Antarctica? I would assume Portugal would get a decent chunk
    Click to expand...
    Antarctica??? lol

    Yes we will discuss Antarctica in the Science Section. As for map though I surprised no one mentioned other difference in the Americas. Prize for first person to mention the correct change. Hint it has nothing to do with a communist country.

    Todays response was made possible by the support of Grupo CVP. The Federation's most reliable automobiles.
     

    Reyne

    Lusitania said:
    Antarctica??? lol

    Yes we will discuss Antarctica in the Science Section. As for map though I surprised no one mentioned other difference in the Americas. Prize for first person to mention the correct change. Hint it has nothing to do with a communist country.

    Todays response was made possible by the support of Grupo CVP. The Federation's most reliable automobiles.
    Click to expand...
    Does Argentina conquer the Falklands in this time-line? Or does Britain abandon the people in the islands to the Argentinian? Very interesting.
     
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