Stability in Europe is collapsing. We can only hope for the future.
-Napoleon Bonaparte
This is Civil War. Yet it is fought in Parliament, not on the battlefields of war. We are among the final monarchies. Yet these Frankist Republicans and Scottish Populists would like to bring down London. May they be cursed.
-King George IV
Down with the British and down with George for invading Argentina. The freedom of this people and of the British Isles is lost for that decision.
-Jose de San Martin
CHAPTER VIII: ERA OF GOOD FEELINGS
INSTABILITY IN EUROPE
Jose de San Martin, Spanish General during the Argentine War
Jose de San Martin was born on February 25th, 1778, in Argentina. He had trained with other Latin American generals, such as Simon Bolivar, the Colombian Revolutionary. He participated in the Napoleonic War, and the War of 1814, both of which near Brazil. He had developed a close relationship with many Brazilian leader, and when he had first enlisted in the Spanish army he became close with Simon Bolivar. He looked on from afar at the Colombian Revolution, and led a mutiny against the Portuguese nation that had inherited the Spanish military. He was a major naval leader and was a very popular resident of Buenos Aires. In 1825, he had moved to Valparalso, a port outside Santiago, on assignment from Madrid, who was suspecting a possible revolution in the country. Then, on Valentine's Day in 1825, he saw the British jack flying from on of the ships out at sea. He sent a small vessel out to check on the ship, due to some suspicions he had. The vessel was the Barcelona
Sketch of the Leopard-Barcelona Affair, briefly before the Battle of Valparalso
The
H.M.S. Leopard fired on the
S.N.V. Barcelona, capturing the ship and the crew. Half a dozen more vessels appeared on the horizons, a total of eight British ships. The Spanish Navy had nine ships stationed in the harbor, including one experimental ship, the
Ironwall. The Ironwall technology was pioneered in the post-War of 1814 conflict by American Shipbuilders. Commissioned by Stephen Decatur, the ships where built out of fine Massachusetts and New Hampshire wood, then sent to quarries in Alta California, where Iron siding was built. The siding had Iron on all four sides, and was four inches thick. The actual metal was half an inch thick, and encased compartments of air in three by three inch sections. The Americans had 12 of these ships, the French 8, the Spanish, Germans, and Dutch all had 6. Greece, China, and Colombia each had one. The
S.N.V. Pride of Madrid was the only Ironwall in South America. That, and if it fell into British hands, it would cause a naval arms race.
The British had though the Ironwall was in Buenos Aires, but Jose de San Martin had it moved to Valparalso to defend from what he thought would be an attack. He was right to expect an attack. But now, he would have to defend the ship at all coasts. The city was built upon a mountainside, with a small fortress built on a peninsula just to the Southwest. The Spanish strategy was to force the British force into the bay between the city and the fort, and sink the ships their. San Martin quickly boarded the
Pride of Madrid, and led the charge. He had used several ships as bait, going southward, including the
Pride of Madrid. All the ships went into the bay, except the
Pride of Madrid. Armed with 60 cannons, the ship helped funnel the British ships into the harbor. They took the bait, except the captain of the
H.M.S. Leopard. He sailed back West, beyond the horizon, then to Cook's Islands. The British had 40 vessels stationed their, and Captain James Cook led them back toward South America.
The Spanish quickly won the Battle of Valparalso, but San Martin knew they had lost the element of surprise of the Ironwall. He sailed south toward Terra al Fuego, with two other Spanish vessels. However, they where cut off by James Cook's force. The two accompanying Spanish vessels moved alongside the
Pride of Madrid, and moved all the crew, cargo, and cannons of their ships on board the
Pride of Madrid, then burnt their own vessels. The Spanish ship now had 100 cannons, and over 2,000 men and enough supplies to return to Europe and start the next World War. Cook knew as much, and with 40 on 1 numbers, he still excepted to take the ship. Mother Nature had other ideas. As the British where about to attack the
Pride of Madrid, a storm came in. Smaller ships where sinking like craz
y. The British where left with 25 vessels. The
Leopard led the charge on the
Pride of Madrid.
San Martin had enough sense to abandon ship at this point. He knew that he couldn't survive the British crusade, so he decided for an alternative. He evacuated 98% of his forces, leaving him with just 40 men, mostly his closest officers. He lit the Captains quarters and the mast of fire, hoping to sink the ship. Little did he know, the Ironwalls where unsinkable unless the metal siding is pierced... over 500 times. He didn't know this, and he went ashore. When the
Pride of Madrid never sank, James Cook captured the ship. San Martin and his men made a month-long march to Commodore Rivadavia. The British saw the ship as unable to be repaired, but discovered the technology they needed to make the
Leopard, for example, an Ironwall. They took the ship to the Falkland Islands and burnt out the wooden interior of the ship. They dismantled some smaller ships and assembled them into a Frankenstein Ironwall known as the
H.M.S. Pride of London. On May 1st, they left the Falkland Islands. They would reach Commodore Rivadavia a week after San Martin, and little battle was put up. The Spanish General had left for Buenos Aires, and was already their, due to a series of horse rides. The Spanish and Brazilian Navies readied as quickly as they could, with the Brazilians bringing their only Ironwall, the
Rio de Janerio to the fight. The final battle would be in Montevideo, traditionally considered Brazilian but was Spanish for the time being. British and Brazilians, Spaniards and Slaves, everyone fought with every last breath for ten days. Afterward, the Union Jack was raised over Buenos Aires. Spain was outraged at the surrender, and a war without Parliament would cause problems for the British.
"George!" Prime Minister George Canning yelled.
"Oh, your worse then Gates. He was ready to pick a fight. You just yell. What is the matter?" The King replied
"You've heard, correct."
"Of what, Canning?"
"Our victory in Argentina!"
"Yes, what's wrong with it?"
"Whigs are saying you are denying Parliamentary decisions in war!"
"I had no say in this!"
"Neither did Parliament!"
"So?"
"
So the Whigs are in full Civil War. They've created a Constitutional Convention to dissolve Great Britain and form what they call the
United Kingdom."
"What territories are rebelling?"
"Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Cardiff, even riots in London proper!"
"Put them down."
"We can't. Where spread to thin between India, the Cape, the Pacific..."
"Take the forces from Argentina and have them fire on Scotland."
"I can't this requires a..."
"Parliament is dissolved! They are all treasonous rebels! I want them all HANGED! HANGED!!!"
"You've gone mad!"
"I have not. Your not my doctor, your with these rebels aren't you! I should!"
George threw a punch. Canning stood in shock, and prepared to fight back, but Royal guards locked him up instead. This would give power to the Frankist, rebels who wanted to abolish the Monarchy and create a pure Republic, like France. George IV would have none of it. He had armies from Argentina, Russia, Portugal, Denmark, Italy, and the homeland put down the rebellion. He dissolved Parliament and made a pure dictatorial system. When he met with his doctor, he recognized the King George IV was showing signs of insanity like his father. His brother William and his kid sister Victoria spearheaded the Royal Parliament faction, which wanted to keep things the way they where. King George IV didn't like his own family and potential heirs betraying him, so he sentenced them to death. William and Victoria fled to France, but Victoria went on the America when William died. William would also show signs of insanity and be put in an insane asylum in Lyon. Victoria would continue on to Springfield, Illinois, and met Abraham Lincoln. They would fall in love and get married in the Washington D.C. Anglican Church, and later moved West to San Antonio.
The Civil War in England would have consequences. Scottish leaders created a new ideology, called Ελεύθερος, or in Latin script, Eleftism. The doctrine supported freedom of the populous, by equal distribution of wealth and a massive global state to secure such. The doctrine would not be adopted for decades by any major nation, the some Eleft villages would spring up in all nations, never growing very large. However, Eleftism would shape the course of the 20th Century. The Dictatorial Monarchy in Great Britain was looked down upon in shame by her enemies, but appreciated by her allies. The House of Hanover had only one hope. Princess Charlotte was the last branch of the royal line, and had given birth to her son, George, in 1817. She was the only heir, aside from her nine year old son. She died in late 1825 after complications in birth, leaving her son, George V, the heir. Many of George III's other living descendants vied for the throne, but ultimately it would be the father of George V who would rule until George V turned 18 in 1836. Britain was destabilized, and many hoped that it was not contagious.