Challenge: South American Nation Attacks Australia

[BlackMage]

Now THAT'S a challenge.

In my other 'Australia gets invaded' thread (which itself is one of my manifold Australian threads), someone suggested that there have been scares, deep in the nineteenth century (which is pretty much the only time the suggestion wasn't laughable, and even then it was pretty suspect), that a South American nation could invade or attack Australia. It seemed like SUCH a cool idea that I thought it deserved its own thread.

So, your challenge, should you choose to accept it (which you probably won't, because this is rather far out), is this: with a POD of any time, have a South or Central American nation attack Australia. Bonus points if there's a landing of troops, and celestial accolades if they actually succeed in conquering the continent.

Yes, I know it sounds deeply implausible, but those butterflies can do wonderful, implausible things sometimes.

 

[Douglas]

You know, you're a bastard, in the kindest possible sense of the word. I was about to post this.

 

[BlackMage]

You know, you're a bastard, in the kindest possible sense of the word. I was about to post this.

Awfully sorry. Maybe we could both post it at the same time? Get as many responses as possible? Because this is a rather difficult challenge, after all; we might as well trap the unsuspecting posters with as many threads as possible.

Anyway, the best prospect probably lies in a South American nation going fascist during World War II, and attacking Australia. Brazil is probably the best bet. You'd have mostly attacks on Pacific islands and freighters, but the notion of a coastal shelling wouldn't go amiss. There's still the problem of the UK...and, ff course, once the US gets involved they're royally screwed, but if they DON'T get involved then we could see some interesting stuff. Could Australia hold up to a combined assault involving Japan and a fascist South American nation? Of course, any sort of sustained assault would require a Pacific nation, and even from there conquest is probably out of the question. If we find a way of neutralising the Royal Navy yet keeping the US out of the war, this could develop into an interesting TL. Any takers?

 

[Douglas]

Hmmmm...my own thoughts on the subject.

18th Century:
The Dutch take a small interest in Van Diemen's Land (eventually shortened to Diemensland). A tiny colony is established at the present-day site of Melbourne, called Tasmanstad.

Early 19th Century:
Gran Colombia succeeds somewhat, consisting of all of the Spanish South American Colonies except Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Upon Bolivar's death in the 1830s, it is renamed Los Estados Unidos Bolivarianos, or the United States of Bolivaria.

Britain decides to play hardball, and it annexes all of the Dutch East Indies except the Moluccas. Diemensland remains Dutch, and grows extremely slowly.

Mid-19th Century:
The semi-centralized government of the USB decentralizes into a very loose confederation quickly after Bolivar's death. A Napoleon III-like figure emerges in the 1860s, who crushes dissent, and is proclaimed President-for-Life in 1870.

Diemensland is still very lightly populated. Wars with the Aborigines take a terrible toll on the colonists, and the Netherlands is forced to spend many resources trying to keep their colony afloat, for prestige's sake.

Late 19th Century:
The USB industrializes at a steady if not incredible pace under the leadership of the President-for-Life. A small but well-trained military trained by European professionals is nurtured by El Presidente.

The Great Aborigine Revolt begins in Diemensland in 1886: the Dutch are forced to use a policy of concentration camps to try to defeat the native insurgency. Funds for the navy and for the improvement of the army are stripped away over the next ten years to purchase equipment and conscript warm bodies to use them in the seemingly endless war in Diemensland, which seems to be a losing battle by 1896.

Aging, the President-for-Life of the USB desires to leave the legacy of a victorious war behind him. In 1896, after suitable (and meaningless) provocation, Bolivaria fights a "splendid little war" against the Netherlands. This brief war features the quick occupation of Suriname before any Dutch fleet can arrive there, and an island-hopping and naval campaign in the Antilles. But the war is also fought in the Pacific. The arrival of the Bolivarian Pacific Squadron at Tasmanstad, followed by the quick annihilation of the obsolete Dutch squadron there, and the brief siege of the city result in the surrender of the remaining Dutch troops in Diemensland, and the annexation of the entire continent by Bolivaria after paying several million dollars for it.

1900: El Presidente dies, leaving behind a powerful Bolivaria. Unfortunately, the professional army he so painstakingly built is needed in Diemensland, where the Aborigines continue to fight for their freedom...

 

[BlackMage]

Hey, nice! Technically, though, Van Dieman's Land was Tasmania, the small island south of Australia. And if it's so sparsely populated, why don't the British take it during the Napoleonic wars?I 'm not sure Australia can be kept so thinly populated for so long, especially considering that we're so rich in resources.

Aside from that, a good scenario, and probably the most plausible we can get.

 

[Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy]

Maybe a dispute with Peru or Chile over some Pacific islands leads to war. Not likely though.

You need a strong state on the Pacific coast of South or Central America, then you need to make the disputed islands more important. Peruvian slave raiders managed to hit pretty close to Australia in the 19th century, so you can pick some islands in that area to get the war started.

 

[Tocomocho]

1886 - Chilean Admiral Policarpo Toro shows the important strategic position of Eastern Island to President Balmaceda. If it is not claimed by any European power, Chile will occupy the island.

1887 - Germany takes control over Eastern Island, despite Chilean wishes.

1914 - Britain convinces the Chilean government to join WWI in exchange of some German colonies in the Pacific. The combined British and Chilean war fleets defeat Von Spee at the Battle of Coronel.
However, by December 1914 Australia had occupied German Samoa and Eastern Island. Chile protests, but Australia doesn't retire its troops.

1919 - The Treaty of Versailles recognizes the cession of German Samoa and Eastern Island to Australia. The Chilean government is heavily depissed and feels that it had been betraied by the British Commonwealth.

1922 - Second Pacific War erupts between Chile and Australia.

 

[MerryPrankster]

Maybe a dispute with Peru or Chile over some Pacific islands leads to war. Not likely though.

You need a strong state on the Pacific coast of South or Central America, then you need to make the disputed islands more important. Peruvian slave raiders managed to hit pretty close to Australia in the 19th century, so you can pick some islands in that area to get the war started.

Peruvian slave raiders? I've never heard of that. Tell me more.

If they attack an Australian settlement and carry people off, there's going to be hell to pay.

 

[Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy]

Peruvian slave raiders? I've never heard of that. Tell me more.

I don't know much about it, unfortunately. Google "peruvian slaver", "peruvian slave trader", and "peruvian slave raider". Also see the wiki articles on Kanakas and blackbirding. From what I could find, it seems they raided the whole South Pacific in the 1860s to provide Kanakas for Australia.

@Tocomocho: It's "Easter Island", not "Eastern Island".

 

[MerryPrankster]

I don't know much about it, unfortunately. Google "peruvian slaver", "peruvian slave trader", and "peruvian slave raider". Also see the wiki articles on Kanakas and blackbirding. From what I could find, it seems they raided the whole South Pacific in the 1860s to provide Kanakas for Australia.

@Tocomocho: It's "Easter Island", not "Eastern Island".

Wait...the Peruvians were raiding the South Pacific to provide slaves for the Australians?

Perhaps the various nations of the South Pacific get sick of this and decide to raid Australia, since the Aussies are the ones buying all of them.

 

[Douglas]

Hey, nice! Technically, though, Van Dieman's Land was Tasmania, the small island south of Australia.

*handwaves* But Tasman thought that it was part of the continent, and eventually the name stuck to the whole landmass even after it was discovered to be a separate island.

And if it's so sparsely populated, why don't the British take it during the Napoleonic wars?

Because they're too lazy. Instead they take the wealthy Dutch East Indies.

I 'm not sure Australia can be kept so thinly populated for so long, especially considering that we're so rich in resources.

Substitute Alaska for Australia, and it doesn't necessarily hold true. If no one finds anything exciting, then the population will remain low.

Aside from that, a good scenario, and probably the most plausible we can get.

Yay! I'm going to try to develop it further...

 

[BlackMage]

1886 - Chilean Admiral Policarpo Toro shows the important strategic position of Eastern Island to President Balmaceda. If it is not claimed by any European power, Chile will occupy the island.

1887 - Germany takes control over Eastern Island, despite Chilean wishes.

1914 - Britain convinces the Chilean government to join WWI in exchange of some German colonies in the Pacific. The combined British and Chilean war fleets defeat Von Spee at the Battle of Coronel.
However, by December 1914 Australia had occupied German Samoa and Eastern Island. Chile protests, but Australia doesn't retire its troops.

1919 - The Treaty of Versailles recognizes the cession of German Samoa and Eastern Island to Australia. The Chilean government is heavily depissed and feels that it had been betraied by the British Commonwealth.

1922 - Second Pacific War erupts between Chile and Australia.

Actually, that's a fantastic idea (presuming you mean Easter Island). May I please develop it in a future TL?

Considering the strength of the Royal Navy at the time, Chile wouldn't have much of a chance, but you could definitely have attacks on Australian Pacific territories (like Samoa, Nauru, or maybe even Papua). More significantly, such an event might even keep Billy Hughes in power for longer, thus maybe preventing the Country Party coalition and maybe allowing the Nats and Labor to make up lost ground in regional areas. What would THAT do?

 

[Jared]

Decades of Darkness may see multiple South American nations declare war on Australia. Whether they ever actually land troops is a whole other story.