63. The Great Game (1870-71)
Britain, Russia and France have been in a series of maneuvers to gain influence in the Americas, Europe and Asia as Great power competitors.
In Central Asia, Qing China, Russia and British empire vie for control. British fears of Russian invasion of India immensely increase after the defeat in Crimea. The victory of Russia over Britain and the Ottoman empire during the Crimean War in the 1850s convinced Russia the superiority of peasant conscripts of the Russia army over any modern army.
In East Asia, China is dominated by dual influence between the British empire and the Empire of the Philippines. Russia several attempts to gain warm port in the Pacific have failed leaving Manchuria under Qing control. Russia also feared the quantitative advantage of banner armies of China as much as Russia is feared in Europe. Czar Alexander II of Russia shifted policy by concentrating more in the Balkans and Central Asia.
France had won favors over Japan imperialist restoration. However, Japan has made haste their deal with the Empire of the Philippines to make sure to impose their will over the Korean peninsula in return for buying Philippine made products. Japan also has occupied half of the Sakhalin islands challenging Russian occupation North of the island. The occupation of Sakhalin angered China but can only do as much as give protest to Japanese and Russian occupation of Sakhalin Tributary.
In Latin America, independent governments are a mixed of stable and unstable democracies, monarchy, unstable and stable authoritarian rulers. Gran Colombia is very much influenced by the French and the United States. Gran Colombia was invited to declare war on Mexico but rejected the offers by diplomats from the French and the United States.
Since the time of Emperor Andres in the Philippines, the Andean Union have been modelling their army and navy based on the Empire of the Philippines which to an extent modelled their navy from the British and patterned themselves based on the Prussian army.
The authoritarian model adopted by the Andean Union was not very popular among the people and support slowly waned. By start of 1860, luckily, the invasion of Spain fueled their patriotism with mass of citizens joining the army and navy.
With Andres de Santa Cruz death in 1865, rather than popular vote to choose a replacement as the leader of the Andean Union, the army and navy voted in their behalf. The military justified the move due to the war of survival against Spain.
Ramon Castilla had won the “vote” as Supreme Protector of the Andean Union continuing the fight against Spain. This tradition continued even after the war versus Spain with the military voting in behalf of the populace. By this time, most of the able-bodied men either was a veteran of army or navy.
The change of government in the Philippines also change their point of view with the Andean Union. Emperor Andres Novales and his prime ministers were very friendly with authoritarian rulers. In contrast, Emperor Alfred and Prime Minister Ibarra dislike being friendly with any Caudillo or strongman rule.
However, investments from Philippine Trade company and even Emperor Alfred’s personal profits from the Andean Economy. The United States have her own influence over the Andean Union with Boston born entrepreneur Henry Meiggs investing in Andean railways.
Andean army buys most of their rifles from the Philippines or bought Sharps rifle and Winchesters from the United States. Artillery is monopolized by licensed Whitworth rifled artillery from the Philippines. There is more shipping coming from Manila than ships that pass the Magellan strait bound for Lima that logistic supplies are tied to Manila than Europe or the United States.
The Railroads and Telegraphic lines of Andean Union is the envy of South America. The Andean Union spent on railroads and telegraphs which is valued as part of military infrastructure. Railroads within the Andean Union were partially funded by private Filipino citizens to fulfill the demands of metals in Luzon. These are considered profitable ventures by Emperor’s estate and Ibarra despite their dislike of the Andean government.
The literacy of the Andean Union is the highest among independent Latin American nations ahead of Mexico, Gran Colombia, Brazil, Argentina and Chile.
By the end of 1860s, the Guano site in Chincha islands was near depletion. An alternative was discovered, sodium nitrate. The sodium nitrate was discovered in abundance in the Atacama Desert within Andean Union’s borders and Chile.
The Andean Union wants a monopoly in the sodium nitrate in Atacama Desert. Negotiations with Chile failed leading to war just as Britain, France and the United States locked in their own wars.
Chile has been under the Conservatives since 1830 with the Conservatives triumphant during the revolution of 1829. The Conservatives, supported by the Pelucones, dominated Chilean politics. Support of Oligarchic control landowners, miners and merchants was encouraged. Catholicism was made state religion. Order was the primary goal to encourage peace and prosperity. Britain had been the main foreign power influencing Chile until the reign Napoleon II. The French slowly crept influence supporting the Pipiolos or Liberals. By the time, Philippine merchants frequent Chile, the Emperor in Manila made friendly relations with the Conservatives and Pelucones in Chile influencing Chilean politics. Philippine diplomats and businesses colluded with the Conservatives to keep trade with the Philippines flowing. The view of the Philippines is that any liberal government in Chile would be bad for business and create anarchy. Conservative control of Chile continued even after the death of Emperor Andres in 1863.
The Chilean Army had been patterned after the French army with all of her weapons imported from France. The Chilean army was armed with French Chassepot and Minie Rifles. The Chilean army size during peace range from 2,000 to 3,000. The Chilean General Staff was similar to French military staff with collection of assistants for the line commanders. The Chilean army at this time was drilled with Napoleonic tactics, tactics similar to the U.S. Civil war with infantry fighting in a line formation. Chilean Army also had a separate branch the deals with skirmishing.
In 1870, the size of the Andean army had 6,000 regulars. However, the Andean army had already mobilized its own version of Landwehr and planned for the invasion and was estimated to be around 30,000 when the war started. The Andean General Staff was modelled from the Prussian General Staff. The Andean Army focused on mission-type tactics and Andean doctrine is more similar to the Prussian army than the Philippine army focusing on avoiding casualties. The Andean army regulars and reserve constantly drilled. The officers of the Andean army regularly did war games training. Line infantry and skirmishers were unified into just infantry. Infantry doctrine of the Andean army used both rifle and skirmish tactics. Unlike the Philippine army which was trained with jungle warfare, the Andean army is well trained for mountain warfare. The Andean army also had more artillery and was more mobile than the Chilean army despite Chile’s home advantage.
The Chilean Navy had no ironclads and had mostly wooden ships.
The Andean Navy had roughly the same wooden hull ships as the Chilean navy but also had several ironclads.
Both the Andean Navy and Chilean Navy are much influenced by the Royal Navy.
The Andean army uses railroads to send supplies and troops to and from anywhere there is rail line. However, the contested area of Atacama Desert had very few roads and rail lines to speak of. The control of seas was crucial in winning the war.
The declaration of war, naval and amphibious assaults by the Andean Union took the Chileans by surprise or at least ill-prepared to fight the Andean invasion. In 1870, Chile had just started its campaign against the Mapuches declaring war against the Mapuches. Thus, tying resources that could have defended against the initial onslaught of the Andeans.
The lack of railroad transportation and limited shipping prevented the whole of Andean military to bring majority of their manpower to the campaign. However, it was still larger than the whole Chilean army and navy, better equipped and better trained.
There is a drawback with this Andean military system. Majority of the Andean Union budget was for the military. Economic development is relied upon investors from Britain, the Philippines or the United States. Chinese migrant laborers are relied upon once labor shortages occur during military campaigns. There was no freedom of sort unless you join the army or navy. People who were suspected of revolt or any whisper of disobedience were quickly rounded up. The wealthy and the powerful who resisted the system were thrown to forced labor camps while their properties were confiscated by state. The state then either used the property for the benefit of state coffers or distributed among those loyal members of the army and navy.
The occupation of Santiago by Andean army ended the organized resistance of Chile.
The treaty of Santiago forced Chile to accept Atacama Desert as Andean Union territory. The annexation was a big blow to Chile as mines and infrastructure like railroads developed by Chile were now under Andean Union control.
The Andeans learned from the Spanish bombardment of Valparaiso. Not to antagonize foreign owners nor bombard their property. Foreign owners and their property were left untouched. However, Chilean citizens or migrants who had at least a certain freedom were now under a military regime. All of the abled bodied males were forced to join the army or navy. Those who did not, personally property were confiscated along with being thrown to forced labor.
Paraguay led by Francisco Solano Lopez modernized her military hiring British advisors in the beginning of 1860s. In 1863, Uruguyuan General Flores leader of Colorado Party, invaded Uruguay with the open support of Argentina. Uruguayan President Bernardo Berro of the Blanco Party was allied with Paraguay. This led to a civil war and with Brazil and Argentina’s help Venacio Flores overthrew the Uruguayan government. In 1865, Brazil, Argentina and the new Uruguayan government signed an alliance and declared war on Paraguay.
Brazil which had fractured relationship with Britain made sure it gains assurances from Andean Union not to support Paraguay. Argentina followed with her own treaty with the Andean Union. In return for these assurances, Andean Union will get in return still unnamed demand of support in 1865.
Napoleon II, when Brazil severed ties with Britain in 1863, was willing to support Pedro II. However, despite fractured relationship with Britain, the British empire financed Brazil’s war effort to further enhance British interests and weaken French influence within the Brazilian court.
Philippines under the reign of Alfred and Ibarra’s administration preferred to aid monarchies like Pedro II in Brazil than the rulers in Lima. However, the length of voyage, the shipping from Europe and Americas comes more frequent in Brazil. While the shipping coming from Manila, the Andean Union buys most of exports coming thru the Manila-Pacific shipping.
In Argentina, the Unitarians are very much supported by the foreign powers over the Federales. A Federales revolt in Entre Rios occurred during the Presidency of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento.
The war in South America between the Triple alliance and Paraguay ended in 1870 with the allies occupying Paraguay.
During the Second Austrian-Prussian war, both Hungary and Russia redeployed their troops. France made an agreement with both Hungary and Russia with regards to the Ottoman empire. Russia gets financial support and French help against the Ottomans while Russia agrees that Hungary will get Ottoman Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The freed Balkan states right after the Russian victory during the Crimean war was encouraged by Napoleon II to unify as allied nations. With the blessing and support of Russia, these Balkan nations namely the Kingdoms of Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Montenegro and Serbia signed an alliance against the Ottoman Empire.
Rebellions have sprung up within the Ottoman empire in Crete, Albania, Bosnia and most of the Balkans under Ottoman control. Ottoman suspicions on French instigation but publicly is blamed on local agitation or the Russians.
When revolts in Ottoman Europe sparked in 1870, Russia and Hungary declared war on the Ottoman empire. The Balkan alliance was called by Russia to declare war on the Ottomans.
The British aided the Ottomans but only to an extent. British resources are tied in the English Channel and Americas fighting the French allied forces. However, the British is vying for influence among the Balkan nations nor would the British have enough resources available to invade the Balkan alliance.
