Earlier British River Plate

There has been a lot of discussion on a British River Plate from the 1807/8 invasion attempts. The consensus seems to be that the Brits could pull off an autonomous protectorate but not a full blown colony. But what if an attack is successful during a longer Seven Years War? The Spanish population is much smaller, meaning it will likely be overwhelmed by migration. In addition, the River Plate was not its own viceroyalty yet. That meant much less sense of local national identity and severe economic restrictions, having to trade only through Lima. British liberalisation would likely cause an economic boom, substantially benefitting the existing population, meaning the criollos could easily become pro-British.
 
In a biography of Pitt I have, he wanted an extra year of war, including "attacks on Spanish possessions in the South Sea". The South Sea was the name of the South Atlantic and there are not many Spanish possessions there. The Wikipedia article also claims the British long thought of the area as a good place for a colony, due to the fertile land, but it is unsourced.
 
There has been a lot of discussion on a British River Plate from the 1807/8 invasion attempts. The consensus seems to be that the Brits could pull off an autonomous protectorate but not a full blown colony. But what if an attack is successful during a longer Seven Years War? The Spanish population is much smaller, meaning it will likely be overwhelmed by migration. In addition, the River Plate was not its own viceroyalty yet. That meant much less sense of local national identity and severe economic restrictions, having to trade only through Lima. British liberalisation would likely cause an economic boom, substantially benefitting the existing population, meaning the criollos could easily become pro-British.

If you have It happen earlier, the british ability to project power is also weaker than It was by the late 18th early 19th century. So I don't mean that the invasion will necessarily fail, but spanish resistance has as much probability of being successful than It was OTL.
 
It is certainly an interesting idea. A River Plate colony would be a huge change in the demographics of South America. It also means that there are two routes to Oz/NZ and therefore India - if for some reason the South Africa route is blocked.

It does increase the British focus to the South Seas. I wonder what this colony would do to British Politics? Would the British be able to deal with the inland tribes more effectively than the Spanish did?

Plus, with resources in the Seven Years war put into South America - where would they be lost, and what impact would that have in the USA?

Assuming it declares and goes fully Teddy - would there be a special relationship between Britgantina and America?
 
If you have It happen earlier, the british ability to project power is also weaker than It was by the late 18th early 19th century. So I don't mean that the invasion will necessarily fail, but spanish resistance has as much probability of being successful than It was OTL.

I don't see what major differences there were in the British ability to project power between the 1760s and 1800s.
 
Noralot! The major difference was in the ability of the infantry until after the american war, the navy was just coming into its own as the best in the world - a tight distinction as the French were chuffin good, but the brits were just that chuffin bit better!
 
I have this scenario in my "Doofus King" TL. The British conquer the area in the Napoleonic War and the locals, with a reasonable amount of autonomy, definitely would benefit economically by introduction into the vastly more prosperous British Empire than the moribund Spanish Empire.
 
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