Kuando el Rey Nimrod (When King Nimrod)

This is all fascinating history. Especially the General Beresford Cult, would you for inquiring minds suggest some additional reading on that topic. I love to read about crazy religions.

I actually made that one up. :D
 
Great AH too. What about the rest of the world though, are there going to be many butterflies?

Thanks. :cool:

I'm going to try to focus mainly on Latin America (especially the Southern Cone), but I might have some secondary focus on certain other regions. And of course, there will be butterflies.
 
I'm loving this. Just one tiiiiiny nitpick...

In the mad rush to get anything and everything done at the same time, here's this week's update.
OOC Note:
[1] El Telegrafo, for its first few years of existence, was nothing more than a pro-British newspaper and, as some would say, a propaganda piece for the Government of the day. Over time, it moved away from being a propaganda piece to a more intellectual, highbrow newspaper equivalent to the British newspaper The Times. It is one of the more successful Spanish-language newspapers in the Nation. The other newspaper that Francisco Cabello y Mesa published in OTL, the Southern Star (which was published around the time of the second British invasion), does not exist in TTL since El Telegrafo essentially replaces the Southern Star in the role of “pro-British propaganda piece”.

So ITTL, El Telegrafo is the oldest newspaper to have the name (OTL The Daily Telegraph was founded in 1855). Still possible, though improbable. France was at the time the only country to have an optical telegraph network worth speaking of, and though the Spanish optical telegraph system was better designed, it was not implemented in the colonies.

Might I suggest El Imparcial instead? It is not an unlikely name for a newspaper even if it wasn't used in a newspaper until the 1860s that I know of...
 
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What a great timeline! This period doesn't interest me in the slightest usually, but I've just read through this and I'm hooked! Looking forward to seeing how everything develops! :D
 

maverick

Banned
I'm loving this. Just one tiiiiiny nitpick...



So ITTL, El Telegrafo is the oldest newspaper to have the name (OTL The Daily Telegraph was founded in 1855). Still possible, though improbable. France was at the time the only country to have an optical telegraph network worth speaking of, and though the Spanish optical telegraph system was better designed, it was not implemented in the colonies.

Might I suggest El Imparcial instead? It is not an unlikely name for a newspaper even if it wasn't used in a newspaper until the 1860s that I know of...

Yeah, the Telegrafo Mercantil existed IOTL, for a few months in 1801 in Buenos Aires, founded in Buenos Aires...thanks for participating, though...next luck next time

N%C2%BA_19_del_tel%C3%A9grafo_mercantil.jpg
 
Thanks for all the compliments, guys. :D

Here's another update for this week - there's only one more chapter for Part I after this one, and then I can concentrate on exams and finding a job. At least it fulfills one expectation of Argentina-related TLs in this period - the presence of the gauchos. :cool:

Chapter 9
England Expects Every Man Will Do His Duty

January, 1807
Córdoba, Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata

The Córdoba Offensive is one of those areas of history that barely anyone wants to talk about, let alone mention - unless you live in Córdoba itself. Indeed, whilst Córdoba-ites proudly talk about the Offensive as their success at defending their city from the British - largely, they claim, without the help of the Spanish - the porteños prefer not to talk about it, since not only do they remember it differently, what actually happened has been largely wiped out from the collective memory and national narrative. However, I think it is important to go over the Córdoba Offensive, since it is an important part of the history of the region. Maybe the reasons for the failure of the Córdoba Offensive and why both Córdoba and Buenos Aires remember it differently can be explained.

As we have seen already, capturing Córdoba was one of the objectives of the British campaign to further “punish” the Spanish for trying to threaten the British hold on Buenos Aires. Though Córdoba was well in the interior and away from the estuary, it was believed that gaining control of Córdoba would help remove (what was seen) as a major enemy presence and thus end a potential threat from the interior. Porteños also probably saw it as a way to hit back at a rival. Then, finally, there were those who believed in the “Idea Gigante” - the liberation of the entire Viceroyalty as an independent nation under British protection. However, unlike the invasion of Montevideo, the invasion of Córdoba had always been a low priority. Indeed, unlike the expansion to the area around the estuary and the invasion of Montevideo, the expedition to Córdoba was heavily undermanned. Thus began a chain of events that more or less followed Murphy’s Law. With some exceptions, anything that could go wrong for those British soldiers who made the trek north did go wrong.

By contrast, the Marquis de Sobremonte had been preparing the town in case the British invaded it. Vast defences and fortifications had been built and the size of the Spanish garrison was increased. In addition, garrisons were placed or were increased throughout the Viceroyalty. To make matters more complicated, the old Intendancy of Buenos Aires was scrapped and replaced by the Governorate of the Rio de la Plata [1], with its capital in Santa Fe. He had also increased his agitation and propaganda, presumably to get people motivated, and got his indigenous allies ready to mobilize. If one believed the Marquis [2], the British were seen as “Satan reincarnate”, ready to destroy families, the Spanish language, the Catholic faith, and life as people knew it. At the same time, though, he also became increasingly paranoid and people thought that he was a lunatic. Even the bishop was worried about the Marquis’s sanity. Yet the Marquis thought that what he was doing was the right thing to do.

However, Santa Fe had not yet received its Spanish garrison when the British arrived. Indeed, when British troops arrived, it was a booming little town with no sign of any defence mechanisms. Thinking that it was possibly a trap, the British were cautious when dealing with the locals. However, the British badly needed supplies, and with good reason. Their first mistake was heading north towards Santa Fe instead of northwest, via an established trail known as the “Camino Real”. During the trek north, an outbreak of cholera broke out among the troops, decimating their numbers. To make matters worse, attacks on their formations by gauchos and indigenous peoples killed more British troops. Indeed, it is said that the gauchos were more feared than the indigenous people among the British troops. [3] Heatstroke and heat exhaustion claimed additional lives, including the General responsible for the trek and many of their accompanying senior officers. Thus, when the British arrived in Santa Fe, the force sent to Córdoba was smaller than when they left in Buenos Aires. They were also tired and exhausted. Although the locals in Santa Fe were probably a bit suspicious of the motives of the British, they dealt with them cordially. In the end, many of the soldiers who made it this far decided to stay in Santa Fe (mainly to avoid being court-martialled), married local women, and settled down. This bore fruit later on - Santa Fe eventually pledged allegiance to the Intendencia Libre over the authorities in Córdoba, and the Buenos Aires-Santa Fe route would eventually become one of the major highways in the Intendencia Libre.

Few soldiers wanted to continue the trek towards Córdoba, but those who did make the decision were determined to continue on what they had set out to do, even if it meant even fewer men than what they started out with and even though it meant people thinking that they were on a suicide mission. Nevertheless, those soldiers who were determined to continue the trek northwards did, and eventually made it to Córdoba. Although outnumbered and outgunned, they fought the Spanish garrison, even though they knew what the outcome would be. The Spanish garrison was probably surprised at the number, which was both underwhelming and disappointing at the same time. [4] Most of those remaining were either killed or taken as prisoners. However, during the fighting at Córdoba, the British managed to accomplish at least one thing - the death of the Marquis de Sobremonte, who just happened to arrive at the scene to witness the events. [5]

The death of the Marquis de Sobremonte threw the city into a bit of chaos, from which Manuel Belgrano emerged as viceroy. In actuality, Belgrano was mainly filling a power vacuum that existed after the Marquis’s death and was not even appointed by Spain; thus, his position as viceroy was more in an unofficial capacity as an “emergency” measure. However, his term as viceroy was very short - about three weeks - and each day he became more unpopular among the townsfolk in Córdoba. His liberal views were not highly welcome, and it is said that he was combative with the Córdoba Cabildo. Córdoba-ites also believed that Belgrano was stubborn and cynical. [6] Finally, his highly unusual step of essentially appointing himself as viceroy managed to make him unpopular from the very beginning. These same townsfolk, who welcomed instead the appointment by the Spanish of Juan Martín de Pueyrredón as viceroy, later deposed him. Belgrano later fled to Paraguay, where he would be more famous. [7]

Today, the Córdoba Offensive is seen as an important part of the history of Córdoba. As such, the day of the invasion of Córdoba - traditionally the 16th of January - is a public holiday in that area. At the same time, porteños - if they talk about it at all - prefer to see it as some foolhardy soldiers playing “Don Quixote” - a form of “structural adjustment”, to use terminology now in vogue. By contrast, the attempted Spanish version on Buenos Aires is well remembered with the same intensity that Córdoba-ites celebrate the Offensive on their city.

OOC Notes:
[1] In actuality, it had always been there, but covered the same territory as the Intendancy of Buenos Aires.
[2] Which few people actually did in the first place - indeed, some people were actually a bit suspicious regarding the motives of the Marquis.
[3] And what good is a South America-related TL – especially one set in this region – without gauchos, the answer to the legendary American cowboy? :cool: A big reason why the gauchos were feared among the British was because the gauchos were armed with knives, not guns. As such, they could easily camp at night and slash the throats and bodies of resting soldiers, not to mention cut off body parts or steal weapons. Thus, in TTL, although the primary means of defence for the gauchos remained the knife, a few managed to get hold of guns.
[4] The Spanish troops probably believed in the Marquis’s rhetoric more than anyone else in the Viceroyalty did.
[5] Since nothing was heard of that trek ever again in Buenos Aires, it seems that the reinforcements came just in time. Hence, the porteños prefer to remember it as an old version of “structural readjustment”.
[6] Probably due to his health problems, people tended to perceive him in that way.
[7] We will hear more about these two men as this timeline progresses.

Below: Portrait, in B&W, of Juan Martín de Pueyrredón


200px-Juan_Martin_Pueyrredon.jpg
 

maverick

Banned
Now that I think about it, Pueyrredon is an often overlooked figure, even though he was, ironically, more active in Argentine history and politics than San Martin...then again, maybe that's why he was overlooked by history:p

Also, interesting to note that IOTL Argentina would be a "Greater Argentina" to ITTL's version of the country...
 
Also, interesting to note that IOTL Argentina would be a "Greater Argentina" to ITTL's version of the country...

Hey, stop giving away spoilers, s'il vous plaît! :D Though it will be true that the area under the direct jurisdiction of Buenos Aires is going to shrink dramatically, which might cause some problems down the road.
 
Here's the last chapter for Part I

Expect a long hiatus for Part II.

Chapter 10
Consolidating a Revolution

May, 1807
Buenos Aires, Intendencia Libre del Buenos Aires, British South America

In order to have a successful revolution, say the experts, it is necessary to follow through several different phases. The old order is toppled from power and power is transferred to a new order that quickly consolidates its hold. The old order is then displaced and any pre-revolutionary points of access to power are blocked. The new order then institutionalizes its hold on power via new constitutions, laws, behaviour patterns, and political support groups, completed when a mechanism for regulating succession is in place. Finally, power tends to re-concentrate in the hands of the new order, who become the new elite in society. [1] In the Buenos Aires case, the first step had already been taken. The second and third steps were being done concurrently, what many here call “consolidating the Revolution”. The fourth step was to follow later, with the approval of everyone involved. As we have seen, the Revolution was far from bloodless, as many porteños would wish to claim. However, this consolidation process was going to get a big boost by the old order trying to use these pre-revolutionary access points of access to power - and being quashed in the process. Such was the case with the attempted Spanish “re-conquest” of Buenos Aires, whose attempts were quashed by a combination of British soldiers and determined porteños.

The person leading the effort to retake Buenos Aires was a man named Juan Martín de Pueyrredón. Having distinguishing himself already by leading the efforts to defend Córdoba and among the people who, behind the scenes, led the deposition of Manuel Belgrano, his appointment as viceroy (by Spain) helped to calm things down in the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata. Eventually, he dominated politics in the interior for many years, and thus is an important figure in the region’s history. He is one of those people who defies easy categorization. However, it is during the “re-conquest” of Buenos Aires where he made his name - in a way that was not expected. Interestingly, he never actually went to lead the “reconquest” himself - he delegated that responsibility to a minor Spanish general.

This time, the situation was reversed. The Spanish troops were well manned and well equipped, and planned to strike Buenos Aires using the familiar route that linked Buenos Aires to the interior and the silver mines in far-away Potosí. [2] In this, they were also helped by their indigenous allies, who began attacking Buenos Aires for a few weeks. At the same time, the British had already begun preparing defences for Buenos Aires that actually anticipated such a land invasion and had already started arming the porteños by forming an irregular militia. That was in large part due to another person - Martín de Álzaga, the merchant who left Buenos Aires several months earlier because of the Cabildo’s adoption of free trade. He retained a large spy network, from which the Spanish accordingly made their plans to take back Buenos Aires. He also heavily backed any initiative to take back Buenos Aires, especially if it meant the retaining of the Spanish trade monopoly. Yet at least one of Álzaga’s spies was actually a double agent, working for the British and helped to warn both British soldier and porteño alike of what was to be expected from Córdoba. As such, they knew what was coming and were prepared to fight to keep their city out of Spanish hands – though raids on Buenos Aires several months prior by the gauchos and the indigenous people, though often not concurrently, kept everyone on edge.

The resulting series of battles that followed resulted in casualties on both sides, but with higher casualties on the Spanish side and some assistance of the British side from the porteños, who launched an all-out guerrilla war. Using the streets, alleyways, and even rooftops of Buenos Aires to their advantage, they harassed the Spanish troops as much as the British troops were fighting them - sometimes in creative ways. One woman who was going out to wash clothes in the Rio de la Plata, it is said, fought Spanish troops armed with only ordinary pots and pans whilst snipers on the roof of a nearby house hit Spanish soldiers with musket fire. Another person laid out a trip-wire, in anticipation of Spanish soldiers using that road, and mowed down Spanish troops one by one (who used the streets and alleyways of that district to his advantage). In the end, the Spanish were forced to withdraw from Buenos Aires and flee back to Córdoba, though not without a significant portion of the troops either dead, wounded, or taken prisoner. The Intendencia Libre del Buenos Aires would remain out of Spanish hands. Other attempts were made to re-take Buenos Aires throughout 1807, though each in turn were also unsuccessful.

To porteños, this seemed like a great victory, one that helped to accelerate the consolidation of the Revolution. To Córdoba-ites, that was something they would prefer to forget, and Pueyrredón was not amused. He had that general court-martialled and became suspicious of Álzaga’s motives. Sr. Álzaga staged a massive revolt at one point to ensure that the Spanish trade monopoly would be maintained when Pueyrredón was contemplating the idea of free trade. However, that would not be the last time that one would hear of both Pueyrredón and Álzaga. In the meantime, the Intendencia Libre del Buenos Aires had the challenge to try to convince the rest of the Intendancy to become part of it, along with the normal business of governing. At the same time, the British consolidated their presence in the Rio de la Plata estuary, which would become important as time went on. By this same time the following year, both the British and the porteños were secure in their positions.

***

To this day, porteños consider all or most of these events of the Liberation of Buenos Aires and the accompanying Revolution to be important, not only as a source of national pride, but also as a national founding narrative that they believe characterizes that region’s difference from the rest of Latin America. As some experts have noted, one can tell a lot about a country by the monuments it chooses - and does not choose - to erect. [3] Nowhere is this more true than in Buenos Aires. There are many monuments dedicated to the Revolution, General William Carr Beresford, the British “liberators”, the Buenos Aires Cabildo, the first Cabildo Nacional, and the first Intendant and Deputy Intendant - Juan José Castelli and Francisco Cabello y Mesa. Virtually every city and town in the areas that comprised the Intendencia Libre del Buenos Aires and its successor states has a street or plaza with names like “Guillermo Beresford” (the Spanish version of General Beresford’s name), “XXVII de Junio” (the date of the British invasion of Buenos Aires), “la Revolución” (the Revolution), and the like. British flags are also found throughout Buenos Aires, particular on its eastern border along the Buenos Aires Marathon route, and in addition, Buenos Aires has an “Avenida Jorge III”. [4] Indeed, “Guillermo” has long been a popular boy’s name in the region because of the Liberation, and the porteña who fought Spanish troops with pots and pans is immortalized as a statue in front of her house (which is now a museum).

By contrast, there are no monuments to the Marquis de Sobremonte, Pueyrredón, Martín de Álzaga, the Córdoba Offensive, or Manuel Belgrano. [5] Santa Fe stands out as an exception, since they have both a monument in the centre of the city dedicated to the British troops who participated in the Córdoba Offensive (along with the accompanying museum) and at least two streets - one named after the Córdoba Offensive (the Calle de Córdoba) and another named after the hardships the British troops suffered during the Córdoba Offensive (the Calle de la Muerte, or “Street of Death”, which is partly along the Buenos Aires-Santa Fe highway). Córdoba’s monuments are solely dedicated to the Córdoba Offensive - with the exception of an “Avenida de Sobremonte” (named after the Marquis himself) and some monuments throughout the interior dedicated to Pueyrredón and (mainly in Córdoba) to Sr. Álzaga, there are virtually no monuments commemorating events and people from that period.

This part of the timeline has covered the major events of the Liberation of Buenos Aires and the subsequent Revolution. As we have seen, contrary to what many porteños believe, the Revolution was not entirely “a peaceful experiment” - there were some periods of violence. In addition, the British involvement was far greater than anyone expected. As we shall see in future instalments of this timeline, having the British in the area does not necessarily mean that things would be better, despite the utopia that has often been described by its supporters - indeed, there have been times where the British presence actually made things worse than in OTL. As such, over time, the British military presence and the amical protectorate itself eventually proved to be controversial. There were also some mistakes made on both sides - indeed, one wonders what would happen if some of those mistakes were not made.

So, was the Revolution successful? It may have been, and indeed the fact that the Nation has managed to retain a great deal from the Revolution, such as the retention of a parliamentary system (to name one example), is proof that that the Revolution has had a long-term impact on the region. At the time, however, the situation was viewed differently among people outside of the region and there were strong fears that the “experiment” would collapse. In Part II, we will examine the lifespan of the Intendencia Libre del Buenos Aires, including some of the policies of the First Cabildo Nacional, as well as general world reaction from that time. We will see some territorial dismemberment and the addition of new territories to the Intendencia Libre. We will also see how the main colonial powers - Spain and Portugal - almost survived this period of history. Finally, it is said that some aspects popularly associated with the Revolution were due to conflating some events that happened at different times. We will examine some of these aspects to see if that’s true or not.

***

I hope you have enjoyed this timeline so far. As you can tell, I will continue this timeline, though I will take a short break before writing again. If you have any comments or feedback pertaining to this timeline, please post them. Feedback is always appreciated by me.

Dan

OOC Notes:
[1] This paragraph is largely based on pages 169-174 of the article “Participation and Political Process: The Collapsible Pyramid” by Jan Knippers Black. In Knippers Black, Jan. Latin America: Its Problems and its Promise. Cambridge, MA: Westview Press, 2005, Fourth edition.
[2] In OTL, located in southern Bolivia.
[3] From Harris, Fred R., and Martin C. Needler. “Mexico: A Revolution Laid to Rest?” In Knippers Black, Jan. Latin America: Its Problems and its Promise. Cambridge, MA: Westview Press, 2005, Fourth edition, pg. 282.
[4] Named after the British King at the time of the Liberation, King George III.
[5] Belgrano, however, is remembered very well, in a positive light, in Paraguay. More on that later.
 
All I can say is that this reads like real history, which is great!

Really I kind of thought: "great a really well formed constitutional state in South America, now lets see this thrive." Most AH would leave it at that.:rolleyes:
 
All I can say is that this reads like real history, which is great!

Thanks. :D

Really I kind of thought: "great a really well formed constitutional state in South America, now lets see this thrive." Most AH would leave it at that.:rolleyes:

Ah, but you're forgetting one thing - this is Latin America, home of the telenovela, that we're talking about here, and the key for this one is that first impressions may be deceiving. ;) That's all I can say at the moment without revealing spoilers, but I do know that this TL will be in for the long haul, since this is no ordinary TL.
 

maverick

Banned
Well "Someone" is talking about us again, displaying all of his historical knowledge and expertise:rolleyes:


I'll counter it with the good influence of this TL.
 

Deleted member 5719

Che, no histeriquees, no se puede calentar la pava y no tomar mate.

(translation: I would like more of this, if it isn't too much trouble.)
 

maverick

Banned
Pues si no te molesta, que tal si le digo al australiano-filipino como hacer de España una potencia en 1935 destruyendo la segunda republica y restaurando a los austrias? :p
 

Deleted member 5719

Pues si no te molesta, que tal si le digo al australiano-filipino como hacer de España una potencia en 1935 destruyendo la segunda republica y restaurando a los austrias? :p

Muy facil eso, si le sale un doble seis, General Franco estara ocupando a Novosibersk antes de la navidad de 1937. ;)
 
Well "Someone" is talking about us again, displaying all of his historical knowledge and expertise:rolleyes:


I'll counter it with the good influence of this TL.

Sounds like a good idea. :D

Che, no histeriquees, no se puede calentar la pava y no tomar mate.

(translation: I would like more of this, if it isn't too much trouble.)

Well, I'll see what I can do - I'm currently juggling working my current job (with the prospect of a new summer job soon - which means more hours working for a much higher pay than minimum wage :cool:) with other things (including an upgrade to our family's Internet service soon). Maybe I could get Part II going, if only through sporadic fits and starts.
 
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