Galloway and the Plan of Union: A Saga of a British America

[PGSBHurricane]

Hmm France was basically attacked by the Royalist counter revolutionary powers so its not really an aggressive war at first anyway. I wish the British would not back Prussia and Russia 2 powers whose power Should NOT INCREASE ONE IOTA. Far more dangerous than France in the long run.

Britain is only really allies with Prussia. Russia just happens to be on the same side because they share the same position as Prussia regarding Poland.

 

[Gabingston]

Napoleon wasn't the ruler of France until 1799 and France was already in the midst of the coalition wars by then. Unlike OTL Coalition Wars, this war was triggered by imperialist competition more than anything else, much like the Seven Years War. With no revolution, France would arguably by the wealthiest country in Europe from what I've gathered.

Speaking of that, do you have any plans for Napoleon ITTL?

 

[PGSBHurricane]

Speaking of that, do you have any plans for Napoleon ITTL?

He won't rise to political power the way he did OTL and likely not to political power at all. He'll play a role on the battlefield but not sure to the extent. Either way, with or without the French Revolution, France would probably seek vengeance on Britain after enough time following the Seven Years War and Britain ITTL sees the French Kingdom as the biggest threat to the balance of power in Europe having not undergone any major revolutionary conflict. It helps that France has a stronger navy than at this time OTL.

 

[PGSBHurricane]

I think that the results of the poll are conclusive enough that I'm going to decide soon what to do with the Holy Roman Empire. Odds are, it won't collapse but rather see some major changes.

 

[PGSBHurricane]

Sorry if I've been bombarding you guys but here's a new poll, this time about the upcoming war. Military history is not my strong suit so any input is welcome. https://www.strawpoll.me/42956784

 

[TimTurner]

Sorry if I've been bombarding you guys but here's a new poll, this time about the upcoming war. Military history is not my strong suit so any input is welcome. https://www.strawpoll.me/42956784

"Bombard" us all you like. We don't mind it.

 

[PGSBHurricane]

New update coming soon. I don't think I've ever been able to write something like this so quickly as it only took two days. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it since the next chapter after this won't be up for a while as I need to develop the war properly.

 

[PGSBHurricane]

Chapter Thirteen: American Ambition In the 1790s

While the Declaration of Commonwealth and Constitution Acts were issued in the 1770s and the foundation and building blocks were laid in the 1780s, it was not until the 1790s that the UAC began forming its modern identity. There was a thirst for expansion in every aspect of society: the government itself, the number of provinces in the Commonwealth, and, most importantly, for land. The dominion government system changed during this time rather substantially. The structure was amended so that the new Prime Minister following the end of Joseph Galloway’s term would be from the party that holds the most seats in parliament following a general election, is a member of Parliament, and is appointed by the Crown. While there was a de facto leader of the opposition party, there was no de jure leader until the plan created a Leader of the Official Opposition. There was also to be a cabinet with members of the majority party consisting of a crown-appointed General Treasurer, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a Secretary of State for the Home Department, Secretary of State for War, and Attorney General. The cabinet came into effect in 1793 when the Fourth Parliament Session (and the first since Vermont became a Province) began. At this time, the President-General was renamed as Prime Minister.

Territorial expansion played an important role in British colonial development in the 1790s. As previously mentioned, Vermont joined the UAC as its own province in 1791. But they were far from the only ones joining at this time. In June 1797, the Province of Niagara (or formally the Province of Niagara in Upper Canada) was created and admitted into the Union. To prepare for such a move, the capital of the territory was relocated from Newark to York across Lake Niagara in 1796. In November 1798, the tiny island of St. John’s applied for membership into the UAC as its own province as well. This was approved in February 1799 and formally admitted in June. Predictably, the slaveholding southern Provinces of Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware were not thrilled since it would further upset the balance of power between pro and anti-slavery provinces as they could interfere with the Transatlantic Slave trade but the Southern Senators and Representatives in Parliament kept their complaining to an expected minimum. On the slaveholding side, the admittance of Prince Edward Island in 1799 would be coincidentally matched with Westylvania. East and West Florida, Tennessee, and Transylvania were expected to join the Union by 1810 and there was no other free territory eligible for admission before then. With this, the balance of power would be restored.

Meanwhile, the settlers on the ground had their own ambitions. Americans east of the Appalachian Mountains, both in the North and South, were itching to push west to the Mississippi River. The Proclamation Act of 1763 made this largely impossible before 1776 although there were many restrictions still in place. Still, South of the Great Lakes and bounded by the Mississippi River and the Northern Indian Reserve was the territory that would become the Charlotina, which was officially open to settlement in 1800 and became a colony in 1805. While there were settlers, there were fewer in number compared to other places west of the Appalachians due to its long distance inland and hostile Natives. Closer to home, in the northeast of what became Ohio, settlers from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and especially Connecticut were trying to pour into the area. The land was unofficially known as West Connecticut. In their efforts to forestall settlement on the Northern Indian Reserve, Anglo troops, under orders from London, expelled settlers from West Connecticut in 1800. Things fared far better south of the Ohio River. Bounded by the Cumberland River to the north, the Tennessee River to the east and south (along with the 35th Parallel west of the Tennessee River), and the Mississippi River to the West, the colony of Tennessee was proclaimed and open to settlement in 1796 from much of North Carolina's relinquished claims. Much like Transylvania to the North, relatively large numbers of settlers poured in mostly from the Upland South.

None of these matched up to the big prize that was located west of the Mississippi River: Louisiana. In Spanish hands since 1763, the Spanish were hostile to any non-Spanish settlers there, especially in the coveted port city of New Orleans which determined control of the Mississippi River. The Anglo-Americans wanted control of New Orleans so shipping could get through to the West. The rest of the Louisiana Territory also provided large swathes of land for farming. The federalization of the Spanish Empire under the Aranda Plan in 1792 incorporated Louisiana into the Kingdom of Mexico, which angered many Americans, especially in the South. Britain, not wanting to anger the Spanish, ignored this until August 1796 when Spain declared war on Britain. Seeing that Spain’s top ally was France, with a revitalizing economy and strong navy of its own, it could no longer ignore the issue, not helping that the British claimed Spanish Nutca for themselves. Generally along regional lines, support for the war was strongest in the South and Middle colonies while opposition reigned in New England and the Maritimes because of fears of interference with shipping and mercantilism. Quebec, despite not being part of the UAC, opposed it too as most Quebecois did not want to take up arms against France. While always there to a degree, antiwar sentiment reached its peak in New England from 1798 to 1800. Would the Ten Years War cause the UAC to dissolve?

 

[Ultima Ratio]

Yes, it is true that France has surmounted its debt since the Seven Years War but even though the Estates-General was declared, I don’t think that the debt would be quite as high thanks to no true American Revolutionary War (and its being managed better here). The uprisings, apart from two days in 1794, are nowhere near as violent and turbulent as OTL Storming of the Bastille and Reign of Terror.

And OTL French Revolution didn’t stop France from plunging into a series of wars from about 1790 to 1815, so why would that be the case here, given that a balance of power war between Britain and France occurred every 25-30ish years or so which there is no reason the cycle wouldn’t continue here. These wars are all about power, pride, prestige, and the chance to topple Britain as the dominant power of Europe and challenge them in the colonial sector.

As for Portugal, I figured they would’ve declared war sooner or later since their top ally was Britain and they got shoehorned into OTL Seven Years War and Anglo-Spanish war because of the Anglo-Portuguese alliance so I don’t see how that would change. I’m not exactly a military historian so these kinds of things aren’t my top strength per se, just doing the best I can with the knowledge that I do have.

That's fine, but I still don't see any reason for the war. What is France trying to gain? What is the casus belli? Remember, during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars France did not declare war on the Coalitions.

 

[PGSBHurricane]

That's fine, but I still don't see any reason for the war. What is France trying to gain? What is the casus belli? Remember, during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars France did not declare war on the Coalitions.

France is trying to gain status as top dog in Europe and regaining some colonies in the colonial world. At least that that’s the case in the American theater. They clearly want revenge after the loss in the Seven Years War. I will make that clear in the next update. In Europe, they’re mostly helping out Austria defending Poland.

 

[PGSBHurricane]

Actually, I decided that the causa belli will involve Latin America and the invasion of the Rio de la Plata. And the Franco-Spanish vs Anglo-Portuguese theater is going to be based on this. If anyone has any ideas on how this should play out in each theater (the Atlantic, Meditteranean, and Americas not including Rio de la Plata), please DM me with any feedback. Also the name of the war will likely change from the Ten Years War when it’s all written out.

 

[GenghisKhanfan]

Chapter Twelve: The Road to The Ten Years War

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The Union of American Commonwealths was a successful prototype for similar future experiments. The biggest of what became known as “Dominion Systems” was courtesy of Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea, the 10th Count Aranda of Spain. This could be traced back to 1783 as the Count anticipated the expansionist ambitions of the Anglo-Americans He hoped that this “Spanish Commonwealth” would challenge the British in North America. As minister of King Charles III, he presented to him a proposal that would divide the Spanish Americas into three Dominions comparable to the British UAC: Mexico (Mexico and Louisiana), Peru (Peru and Rio de la Plata), and Costa Firme (Granada and Venezuela). Like the UAC, each of these three dominions would be semi-autonomous and have their own kings, with the King of Spain serving as the unifying Emperor of all three kingdoms. Only the Caribbean would be directly ruled by Spain. For nine years, the plan was rejected and shelved. It was brought back in 1792 when the COunt became the Prime Minister of Spain under King Charles IV. With a narrow approval in the Cortes Generales, Abarca de Bolea got his wish. This left Russia and, more so, Britain, in anger. The Territory of Nutca, part of Mexico, was claimed by Russia and Britain alongside Spain, while the British were considering taking the empty southern half of Rio de la Plata, known as Patagonia.

In neighboring France, the transition into a Constitutional Monarchy began in 1793 following the Convening of the Estates-General. The surmounting debt of the French nation, the harsh winter of 1788, and peasant revolts left King Louis with no choice. But not everyone was happy with the decisions at Versailles. From the First Estate, the noble Bishops were not sympathetic to the commoners and feared that this would usurp the position of the Catholic Church in France. In the Second Estate, you had some nobles who believed that they did not get enough power from this meeting in a short enough time. The Third Estate still had the double representation issue where, despite having twice as many representatives as the other two Estates, each Estate had one vote and the first two could collectively outvote the Third. This says nothing of the peasants who were angry at no representation at all at Versailles despite being the majority of the country. The days of July 27-28, 1794 marked the height of liberal and monarchist mobs clashing with each other in the streets, with some republicans and anarchists even trying to overthrow the French government. This flared on and off until Prussia recognized the new government on April 5, 1795, and the Spanish recognition of it on July 22 followed by other European countries soon after. All riots and insurrection were put down by the King’s troops by the end of August 1795.

In Eastern-Central Europe was the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was once the most prosperous state in the region, but by 1793 it looked like it would cease to be. The First Partition of Poland had taken place in 1772. This was engineered by King Frederick the Great of Prussia to prevent Austria from going to war with Russia, the former jealous of the latter having military success against the Ottoman Empire and to restore the balance of power in Central Europe. Austria, under statesman Wenzel Anton Graf Kaunitz, gained the Duchies of Zator and Oświęcim as well as parts of Little Poland. Austrian Empress Maria Theresa herself criticized the partitions, with Frederick the Great testifying that she cried when she took more land from the Poles, and the more she cried, the more she took. Austria refused to partake in the Second Partitioning of Poland (occurring between Prussia and Russia) in 1793, which was caused by the aftermath of the Polish-Russian War of 1792 and the May Constitution, which itself was inspired by the English Bill of Rights and the Constitution Act of 1777. Austria realized that Russian collusion with Prussia over Poland was dangerous and forged an alliance with the Poles (alongside France) to guarantee their remaining territories.

There were two sparks to the Ten Years War. The first was the Treaty of San Ildefonso, signed on August 19, 1796, between the Spanish Empire and the French Kingdom. It called for the renewal of the Franco-Spanish alliance and essentially declare war on the British. On January 29, 1797, Portugal received an ultimatum from France and Spain that it abandon its traditional alliance with Great Britain forged in the Treaty of Windsor, close its ports to the British and open them to the Spanish and French, surrender at least one of its provinces in exchange for Spanish territories held by the British, and pay war indemnities to France and Spain. If the Portuguese denied the ultimatum, they would be invaded. They refused to sever its alliance with Britain and declared war on France and Spain that February. The second spark occurred on January 26, 1797. Like the French and Spanish did with the Portuguese, the Prussians and Russians gave an ultimatum to Austria to abandon its alliance with Poland in exchange for Polish land or else face the threat of invasion. Austria refused and, also itching for the return of Silesia, declared war on Prussia on the Polish and Silesian fronts and Russia on the Polish front. The system of alliances had tied Austria, France, Spain, and Poland onto one side and Britain, Portugal, Prussia, and Russia on the other. This war would affect not only Europe but the Americas and the rest of the colonial world.

A/N: So this was sooner than I anticipated in all honesty despite having some school work to attend to. But, I'd like to thank all of you readers for supporting this timeline, as would not be possible without you guys. Special mentions go to @Leonidas and @GenghisKhanfan for helping me with this particular chapter.

I appreciate the special mention. Glad I could be of some help to you.

 

[GenghisKhanfan]

Sorry if I've been bombarding you guys but here's a new poll, this time about the upcoming war. Military history is not my strong suit so any input is welcome. https://www.strawpoll.me/42956784

This is what I voted:
One side wins in Europe, while the other wins overseas.
This is only my opinion, so feel free to disregard it, but I feel like the French/Austrian/Polish alliance should win in Europe. Call me a softie if you wish but it always seems as though Poland gets the raw deal. Maybe for once Poland could come out of this engagement with little or no territorial losses, maybe even gain back some territories already taken, along with a guarantee by both France and Austria to defend Poland from further predation by Prussia or Russia.

On the other hand, Britain could gain some territory which they could either keep or award to the UAC. Russia would have to seek compensation at the expense of Turkey, and Prussia might win some Spanish or French colonies.
Again, only my opinion.

 

[PGSBHurricane]

This is what I voted:
One side wins in Europe, while the other wins overseas.
This is only my opinion, so feel free to disregard it, but I feel like the French/Austrian/Polish alliance should win in Europe. Call me a softie if you wish but it always seems as though Poland gets the raw deal. Maybe for once Poland could come out of this engagement with little or no territorial losses, maybe even gain back some territories already taken, along with a guarantee by both France and Austria to defend Poland from further predation by Prussia or Russia.

On the other hand, Britain could gain some territory which they could either keep or award to the UAC. Russia would have to seek compensation at the expense of Turkey, and Prussia might win some Spanish or French colonies.
Again, only my opinion.

Fair, that's what the poll is leaning towards anyway. Anyway, what do you think of the Spanish Philippines being a prize promised by the British to, say, the Netherlands or Prussia?

 

[HonestAbe1809]

Fair, that's what the poll is leaning towards anyway. Anyway, what do you think of the Spanish Philippines being a prize promised by the British to, say, the Netherlands or Prussia?

I like the idea of the Philippines getting a new colonial master who has a much lighter touch than the Spanish did. It would definitely help the Dutch if they kept the Cape, though.

 

[PGSBHurricane]

I like the idea of the Philippines getting a new colonial master who has a much lighter touch than the Spanish did. It would definitely help the Dutch if they kept the Cape, though.

They are, don't worry. Without Napoleon coming to power, the British don't have much of an incentive to take over the Cape Colony as the Netherlands would still be independent. Natal will be a different story, but that won't be for several decades.

 

[Gabingston]

Fair, that's what the poll is leaning towards anyway. Anyway, what do you think of the Spanish Philippines being a prize promised by the British to, say, the Netherlands or Prussia?

A Prussian Philippines would be interesting, although I'm not sure how they'd manage it without any other colonies/waystations in between (and The Philippines being mainly Catholic while ruled by a Protestant power, then again, I did have a British Philippines in my TL). It could also lead to Prussia (and possibly Germany if it still unifies under Prussian rule) having a greater role in the Far East.

 

[PGSBHurricane]

I think I'm going to look for a beta reader for the next chapter. Up until this point, I say that the timeline is fairly plausible but with military history being one of my weak spots I think it could start to go off the rails here without another pair of eyes. I'm particularly concerned about how France/Austria/Poland could beat Prussia and Russia. If anyone wants to DM me about this, I would gladly appreciate it.

 

[GenghisKhanfan]

I think I'm going to look for a beta reader for the next chapter. Up until this point, I say that the timeline is fairly plausible but with military history being one of my weak spots I think it could start to go off the rails here without another pair of eyes. I'm particularly concerned about how France/Austria/Poland could beat Prussia and Russia. If anyone wants to DM me about this, I would gladly appreciate it.

Okay, I can't DM, but I can try to lend some assistance, though I wont claim to be a military history expert either.
A possibility to consider is that it may become necessary to bring in some middling and smaller nations into the fight. Turkey could be one such potential ally. In exchange for military assistance against Russia, Turkey (and I do mean the Ottoman Empire) could take the Crimea and the Caucasus region back, blocking Russia's access to the Black Sea, along with a joint guarantee of both Austrian and Turkish territories. Naples could also be enticed into the Franco-Austrian coalition with the promise of fair trade and maybe even a colonial acquisition from Britain or Portugal. Saxony (still in personal union with Poland as far as I know ITTL) could be awarded territory in the western part of Brandenburg as a condition of joining.

A strategy that could be devised to combat Prussia and Russia could happen like this:
Three Austrian armies could be formed. One would move into Poland and join with a Polish force to advance into Russia with the objectives of capturing Minsk, Kiev and Smolensk (these were at one time part of the PLC before Russia took them as prizes in previous Russo-Polish wars). Poland might even choose to advance on St Petersburg or Moscow, which could force Russia to sue for terms, assuming nothing happens in any of the other theaters.
The second Austrian army could link with a Saxon army with a smaller Polish force attached, and advance up through Silesia with the objective of capturing Breslau and eventually Brandenburg (the city) and Berlin. Coupled with a possible Polish seizure of Konigsberg, and a French attack on their westernmost districts, Prussia could also be forced to capitulate-again assuming nothing happens in the other theaters that threatens to undo these gains. The third army would be left to serve as either support for the other two armies or as a means of defense should Russian or Prussian forces manage to avoid the other fronts and make a run at Vienna. It could even be dispatched to Istanbul to assist the Turks in defending their capital from a Russian landing.

France would likely invest most of its military force on defending their home territory and/or launching an invasion of Britain, but assuming their financial situation doesnt collapse for some time, they could field an additional two to three armies with the purpose of attacking any minor powers that align with the British/Prussian/Russian alliance, assisting Spain in their offensive against Portugal, and providing auxiliaries to the Austrians and Poles. France might use the conquests they make in Europe to bargain for either the return of any colonies seized by the enemy or to exchange for colonies they want. It would be the same for Spain, but their main European focus would initially be Portugal and then Britain.

 

[PGSBHurricane]

Okay, I can't DM, but I can try to lend some assistance, though I wont claim to be a military history expert either.
A possibility to consider is that it may become necessary to bring in some middling and smaller nations into the fight. Turkey could be one such potential ally. In exchange for military assistance against Russia, Turkey (and I do mean the Ottoman Empire) could take the Crimea and the Caucasus region back, blocking Russia's access to the Black Sea, along with a joint guarantee of both Austrian and Turkish territories. Naples could also be enticed into the Franco-Austrian coalition with the promise of fair trade and maybe even a colonial acquisition from Britain or Portugal. Saxony (still in personal union with Poland as far as I know ITTL) could be awarded territory in the western part of Brandenburg as a condition of joining.

A strategy that could be devised to combat Prussia and Russia could happen like this:
Three Austrian armies could be formed. One would move into Poland and join with a Polish force to advance into Russia with the objectives of capturing Minsk, Kiev and Smolensk (these were at one time part of the PLC before Russia took them as prizes in previous Russo-Polish wars). Poland might even choose to advance on St Petersburg or Moscow, which could force Russia to sue for terms, assuming nothing happens in any of the other theaters.
The second Austrian army could link with a Saxon army with a smaller Polish force attached, and advance up through Silesia with the objective of capturing Breslau and eventually Brandenburg (the city) and Berlin. Coupled with a possible Polish seizure of Konigsberg, and a French attack on their westernmost districts, Prussia could also be forced to capitulate-again assuming nothing happens in the other theaters that threatens to undo these gains. The third army would be left to serve as either support for the other two armies or as a means of defense should Russian or Prussian forces manage to avoid the other fronts and make a run at Vienna. It could even be dispatched to Istanbul to assist the Turks in defending their capital from a Russian landing.

France would likely invest most of its military force on defending their home territory and/or launching an invasion of Britain, but assuming their financial situation doesnt collapse for some time, they could field an additional two to three armies with the purpose of attacking any minor powers that align with the British/Prussian/Russian alliance, assisting Spain in their offensive against Portugal, and providing auxiliaries to the Austrians and Poles. France might use the conquests they make in Europe to bargain for either the return of any colonies seized by the enemy or to exchange for colonies they want. It would be the same for Spain, but their main European focus would initially be Portugal and then Britain.

I will consider this advice, thank you.