Challenge: Mexico becomes a great power

I've wondered whether maybe an earlier gold rush in California or the Rockies would help this? Maybe during the mid-late 1700s, so that Yankees can't wander around and just populate the area more than OTL?
 
Err. Russia, which collapsed in revolution and fell behind? And was clearly not the greatest power on the continent?

And the French had a little social upheaval around 1789 that pretty well did in the Bourbons...some practical reforms earlier on might have saved the monarchy's collective and individual heads.

The PRC is having its moments as well. Tienanmen was only the beginning. Tibet, the Moslem insurgency in Xinjiang, and lots and lots of disaffected non-Han minorities throughout the country are wanting their piece of the pie. The whole history of dynastic change in China--including the PRC itself, which is nothing more than another imperial dynasty with the serial numbers filed off--has been fueled by people not happy with the system as it is.

S. Korea and Taiwan are however good examples of authoritarian states that knew exactly when to release the reins.
 
I've wondered whether maybe an earlier gold rush in California or the Rockies would help this? Maybe during the mid-late 1700s, so that Yankees can't wander around and just populate the area more than OTL?

Then New Spain/Mexico runs into conflicts with the British and Russians, both of whom had claims in the area at the time and neither of which would hesitate to back up those claims with gold at stake. The Russians could barely hold out against the Native Americans in the area, but the British could do some serious damage.
 
Then New Spain/Mexico runs into conflicts with the British and Russians, both of whom had claims in the area at the time and neither of which would hesitate to back up those claims with gold at stake. The Russians could barely hold out against the Native Americans in the area, but the British could do some serious damage.

Well, at that time the British had not been that successful in the Pacific coast either. And if the gold is discovered in the 1770s or 1780s any British interference could have been completely avoided due to them being distracted/weakened by the ARW.
 
Railroads will be necessary to hold onto distant California, but Mexico at it's greatest extent has a whole lot of resources and excellent land.

I'm not sure that it has 'excellent land'. Geographically speaking most of it is pretty inhospital terrain. California is virtually isolated from overland travel by deserts and mountains. Mexico probably can not keep most of its inherited territory since it doesn't have the population to fill a lot of land that nobody can easily develop and establish a sustainable economy on.
 
given how overextended Mexico was in more power.

For me that's a big issue. Like some said, I think a delayed Independence would have allowed for some much needed consolidation. I actually don't think the defeat in the Mexican-American war really impacted their power status ... at least not for that time and for some years afterwards. I think you would have to see some kind of alliance or investment from another power for them to really jump to any kind of 'power' status. It's unlikely the US wanted to take on that role and also because the US it's unlikely any power would have reason or would want to do so. I guess the best outcome would be a successful and accepted French imposed monarchy that outlasted the second empire. If consolidated and accepted by a majority of the public and when imperial or official ties to Europenean France are cut after the Franco-Prussian war then the US would be resolved to accept the government. Mexico would have to maintaine close relations with France or other parts of Europe to draw money, technology, and the right people to Mexico enabling her to grow on the world stage. Perhaps an alliance or more stable economic group with the regional smaller powers would also assist a more powerful Mexico in asserting herself.
 
Not necessarily Spanish and Italian immigrants, though - there could also be the possibility of major waves of immigration from Central and Eastern Europe, as with the rest of North America around that time.

Germany in particular sent thousands of immigrants to Texas during the 19th century; German-language newspapers were common in Texas until the 1950's and there's even a recognized Texas German dialect still spoken to this day.

A Mexico that keeps Texas would absorb much of this immigration as the goal of the junkers who started the Texas settlements remains the same: form an economic colony at the expense of a weak central government. Only Texas being annexed by the United States slowed down the German settlements and cultural assimiliation took much longer.

Mexico OTOH would welcome large numbers of Catholic settlers backed by wealthy Europeans and probably would grant them the land to do it in order to secure its claims against the United States. Settlement from Spain, France, Italy, other Latin American countries, and some Eastern European countries (Poland and Hungary in particular) would counter the German influence. Maybe even some Russian and Ukrainian Catholics as well, although how well the Ukrainian Catholics get along with the traditional Latin Rite Catholics in Mexico is another question. But having Hungarian and Ukrainian cavalry officers in Mexico's army would be pretty cool...Hussars and Cossacks on the Texas prairie! :D
 
The answer to this thread is: make Mexico a monarchy under don Carlos María de Borbón. A monarchical government will give the country unity and a centralised state. If México achieves stability it could make a counterbalance to the power of the United States at least until ACW.
 
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