I'm gonna leave the strategy for Britain/Portugal/Prussia/Russia for anyone willing to tackle it, and while I didn't take the colonial campaigns into account, its because its likely that France woudl have a split-strategy as they did IOTL, with trying to conquer British colonies overseas, threatening Britain proper with invasion, and supporting their continental allies. From what I laid out, Spain has the advantage in only having one front (two if you take the colonies into account) to focus on while France and especially Austria and Poland would have two or more fronts to have to fight on
Galloway and the Plan of Union: A Saga of a British America
- Thread starter PGSBHurricane
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Chapter Fourteen: The Ten Years War
Chapter Fourteen: The Ten Years War
A war between Britain and Spain seemed inevitable since 1789 with the Nootka Crisis. The commander of the outpost Santa Cruz de Nuca, Jose Esteban Martínez, seized British maritime fur trade ships and tried building a permanent post. This led to public outcry in England both sides prepared for war, only to reach a tense peace with three sets of agreements from 1790 to 1795 known as the Nootka Conventions. In 1796, Nicholas Vansittart proposed a plan for Britain to take Buenos Aires from Spain (later scrapped but revived). When word accidentally made its way to France and Spain, the response was the Second Treaty of San Ildefonso. The War in the Americas, the delayed entry of Portugal meant that France and Spain won during the Newfoundland expedition. This was balanced out in 1797 with a British victory at Trinidad, producing a 1-1 tie. Subsequent victories in San Juan, St. George’s Caye, and the Capturing of the Hermione solidified a victory in the Americas for the British and Portuguese, which led to the Dutch joining in 1802 with a promise for the Philippines. It helped that the British colonists significantly outnumbered the French and Spanish on the North American mainland which helped the British win at the climactic Battle of New Orleans in 1805. The British also beat the Spanish and French, albeit not quite as easily, in the Atlantic Theater, famous for the Battle of Trafalgar in 1803.
There were two prizes in North America the British were pursuing. One was Louisiana, the other was Rio de la Plata. Ever since the Treaty of Utrecht was signed almost 90 years earlier under Queen Anne, the British South Sea Company held trading concessions in South America. This was also when the British began harboring colonial ambitions in South America, as they considered the estuary of the Río de la Plata and the sparsely settled Patagonia as the most favorable location for a British colony. The initial plans, scrapped upon the outbreak of war, were revived in 1800 with the Maitland Plan, named for Thomas Maitland. The British were to seize Buenos Aires, move to Mendoza, and later conquer Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. Ultimately, it was decided that the British not occupy much of South America but just key locations like Buenos Aires. Commencing in June 1804, this invasion of Rio de la Plata was coordinated with the Portuguese who were promised Uruguay. The British took Quilmes on June 25 before occupying Buenos Aires two days later. The goal was to hold down Buenos Aires until it was time to negotiate its position in South America. Top government officials and merchants who fled inland to Córdoba were caught up by the Anglo-Portuguese coalition. Local creoles then organized a coalition army with blacks, mulattoes, and even some Spaniards to try to oust the British-Portuguese forces but the attempt failed and the Argentine government soon surrendered by the end of the year. To help hold it down, the British sent in reinforcements in 1805.
Europe as a battlefield was a much more complicated manner. It was essentially two theaters (the Meditteranean and Central Europe) bridged by French involvement in both areas. Portuguese forces tried holding off the French and Spanish invasion at the beginning of the war but their combined numerical strength overwhelmed the Portuguese and could not withstand it until the British helped them ease the pain, albeit not fully, against France and Spain. The Meditteranean Theater was famous for being where a notable French military genius and leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, was killed in combat in Egypt in 1799. While the Spanish Navy was quite lacking compared to the Royal Navy, the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and the Dutch Navy, the French Navy (and the navy of the Kingdom of Naples) made up for it, causing a series of Franco-Naples-Spanish victories in the Mediterranean, including at Cartagena, Punta Europa, thrice at the Bay of Gibraltar, and at both Battles of Algeciras. The other theater was in Central Europe, mostly focused on Silesia and Poland. Traditionally, Austria and Prussia were arch-enemies, competing for domination over the other German States. After Prussia gained control of Silesia in the Austrian War of Succession and the Seven Years War, Austria wanted revenge. The Austrians got their wish in 1797 with their declaration of war. Prussia had far superior military tactics and technology, but Austria had greater numbers of manpower. Britain and Hanover intervened for Prussia and France did so for Austria. The result was a win for the Prussians in German-speaking territory.
The Polish Front would decide the future of Central Europe for decades to come. The declaration of war in 1797 was not easy for Prussia to support, given that they initially did not want to risk losing Silesia. While Russia feared Austria could make a common cause with the Ottomans and put Russia in a multifront war, they feared losing power in Central Europe without Poland as a puppet. The following year, Russia invaded Austria from the East and Prussia from the North in an attempt to capture Prague, the second-largest city in Austria. Once that was complete, both their eyes were set on Poland. The areas of Poland previously partitioned by Russia rose up on June 26 and despite Austrian, French, and Saxon backing, the insurgency was crushed by Russia within a month. This inspired the rise of the Polish Legion, with its peak activity lasting until 1803. With some aid from the Austrians, French, and the Saxons, the Poles gave the Russians and Prussians a run for their money in Central Europe, but it was not enough for a while. Russian Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovic, following the Russian defeat at the Battle of Austerlitz in Moravia in 1805, became disenchanted with his brother, Tsar Alexander I for whom he had been in command of the Imperial Guard. Following Christmas, through 1807, he rose up against his brother and sent Russia into an internal conflict that would effectively knock Russia out of the War. With Russia neutralized, the Ottomans entered the war in order to advance on Crimea and team up with France in Egypt. There were calls for an armistice in the Atlantic-American Theater beginning in 1806 and Prussia, with its major ally in the Polish Front knocked out, led the calls for one in Europe in June 1807.
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WHOA
Did not see the betrayal thing coming...or the death of Napoleon in Egypt for that matter.
Have to admit, for someone who has little military knowledge, you painted a good picture of the victories and defeats for both sides.
A few things have yet to be fully resolved in terms of the campaigns:
1) Now that Russia is effectively neutralized, where does this leave Poland and Austria in terms of their conflict with Prussia (and did Saxony actually join the war)?
2) Does the Ottoman Empire potentially take advantage of the Russia debacle to declare war on them and advance on the Crimea? Are the French in Egypt to support the Ottomans?
3) Does the combined Franco-Spanish forces operating in Iberia manage to overpower Portugal before the calls for talks overwhelms the generals' demands for more territory?
4) Is there an attempt by the Franco-Spanish forces to invade England? Does Britain attempt to invade France backed by the Dutch and possibly the Prussians? If so, how far do they (meaning either) get before they either achieve their objectives or are defeated and driven out?
I think you fairly well wrapped up the colonial aspect of the war pretty well, so its the European theater that I'm wondering about
Did not see the betrayal thing coming...or the death of Napoleon in Egypt for that matter.
Have to admit, for someone who has little military knowledge, you painted a good picture of the victories and defeats for both sides.
A few things have yet to be fully resolved in terms of the campaigns:
1) Now that Russia is effectively neutralized, where does this leave Poland and Austria in terms of their conflict with Prussia (and did Saxony actually join the war)?
2) Does the Ottoman Empire potentially take advantage of the Russia debacle to declare war on them and advance on the Crimea? Are the French in Egypt to support the Ottomans?
3) Does the combined Franco-Spanish forces operating in Iberia manage to overpower Portugal before the calls for talks overwhelms the generals' demands for more territory?
4) Is there an attempt by the Franco-Spanish forces to invade England? Does Britain attempt to invade France backed by the Dutch and possibly the Prussians? If so, how far do they (meaning either) get before they either achieve their objectives or are defeated and driven out?
I think you fairly well wrapped up the colonial aspect of the war pretty well, so its the European theater that I'm wondering about
Thanks, I think I did the best I could with the military campaigns. I don't think there is an invasion of France and there certainly won't be an invasion of England. For every other question that you asked, I will go back and add answers into the chapter.
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Spoiler for either next time or the chapter after (I haven't fully decided) but...
...peace negotiations will likely involve the topic of Australia, and Sweden would be involved somewhere if so.
More specifically, British Patagonia. And with the thirteen colonies still in play, it would be unlikely for the British to prioritize having all of Oceania anyway. I also think the British would fear stretching their resources too far at this time.
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That's true.
They would, on the one hand be concerned about a Franco-Spanish invasion of the home islands (even if as you said it never happens. Fear of such a possibility would hamper them), and they'd be concerned about the potential collapse of Portugal, and on the other hand they would be feeling the financial strain of conducting the war, supporting their allies with material and financial assistance and propping up colonial defense.
I suspect that Britain's objectives as far as colonies go would be limited. Capture the Louisiana Territory with New Orleans, Occupy Patagonia with the potential to colonize it, and possibly grab some coastal trade stations in India
Maybe Australia and New Zealand too. That one I am working on.
I'm starting to forsee a situation in which there are four power-blocs in Europe:
- Great Britain
- France
- Austria
- Prussia
Poland, with any possible acquisitions at Russia's expense, would be on the fringe of great-power status, and tie with Spain, Holland and the Ottoman Empire
Because of the early civil war, as well as losses (possibly) to Poland and Turkey (?), Russia would drop.
- Great Britain
- France
- Austria
- Prussia
Poland, with any possible acquisitions at Russia's expense, would be on the fringe of great-power status, and tie with Spain, Holland and the Ottoman Empire
Because of the early civil war, as well as losses (possibly) to Poland and Turkey (?), Russia would drop.
I'm anticipating that I will have a new chapter completed no later than this weekend, so stay tuned for what happens next.
Also, who do you guys want to see replace Joseph Galloway as President-General of the UAC? As his time will likely come to an end soon, his replacement will be revealed in the next chapter.
Well the President-General would serve the same purpose as OTL's Governor-Generals. So I imagine we could see many of them be from Britain and be popular generals or something. Eventually we would see the UAC develop something akin to a Prime Minister who would take over the real reigns of government. Maybe we could see Howe, Cornwallis, Amherst , or (my personal favorite) John Burgoyne as President-General if they still are relevant.
Joseph Galloway was born in the Americas (Maryland) and the President-General is also acting as more or less the American Version of the Prime Minister, so there’s that. Unless he’s the exception since he came up with this whole plan in the first place.
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Keep in mind that John Burgoyne and Jeffery Amherst are dead by the point the next President-General takes over. Anyway, should I go back and retcon everything so that Galloway isn't President-General? He is American after all. But on the other hand, British North America, unlike India, is fairly self-ruled.
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Personally I would retcon to make Galloway the Prime Minister (or whatever title you wish to make the equivalent) and make someone from Britain the President-General. That is, unless you mean the President-General to be the "Prime Minister", in which case it's fine. If that's the case, I would name the representative of the British monarch "Viceroy".