Miranda's Dream. ¡Por una Latino América fuerte!.- A Gran Colombia TL

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Chapter 1: Start of the Independence Wars.
Special thanks to the users Nivek and MorningDew.


“…We shall never recognize any government of the homeland as legitimate, except one elected by the free and spontaneous will of the people; and since the republican system is the most adaptable one to the government in the Americas, we propose, by all the means in our reach, that the people should decide for it…”

-Francisco de Miranda, The Congress of Cartagena, 1810.


THE PHILOSOPHER OF LIBERTAD AND THE BIRTH OF A NATION.

In Quito August 10th, 1809, a Junta of Government, led by the criollo Juan Pio Montufar, disposed the president of the Royal Audience and took power in behalf of King Fernando VII, in response of the Napoleonic Invasion of Spain. The Junta was imprisoned by loyal troops coming from other nearby provinces, and later executed. However, the flames of their fight weren’t over. What happened that day is known as El Primer Grito de Independencia, a national holiday almost as important as Dia de la Libertad in the actual Colombia. What happened that day, was the start of the Independence and the birth of a nation.

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Proceres de la Independencia.

The process for which the Spanish colonies in America obtained independence is a long anc complicated one, that started thanks to the crown's incompetence, the rage of the Criollos and Mestizos, the influence from France and the United States and the work of prominent men all over the Viceroys. Quito was specially influencied by the works of Eugenio Espejo and his newspaper.

Several Juntas tried to take power and declare independence from Spain after this episode. Examples include Caracas, April 19th 1810; Valledupas, April; Cartagena, May 22nd; Cali, July 3rd. Then, Santafe itself rebelled.

It was the morning of July 20th, 1810. Luis de Rubio, a criollo gentleman from the city, went to the house of Jose Gonzales Llorente in order to ask for a flower base. He wanted it for the visit of the Royal Commissioner, the Quiteño Antonio Villavicencio, who was bringing an order from the Cadiz Courts to dispose the Viceroy Amar y Borbon. Llorente was a classic example of the racism and prejudice of the colonial society. As a Spaniard, he was in the top of the pyramid and looked down in Criollos, Mestizos and Natives. The Criollos were the most conscious about it since they were, by all means, ethnically European, yet they still couldn’t hold political power because they were born in the colonies. Thus, Llorente denied de Rubio’s petition, being not willing to borrow one of his possessions to a Criollo who would use it to attend another one. [1]

This was all according to the plan. De Rubio was part of a complot, and once the “incident” happened, the Criollos from all over Santafe used the occasion to mobilize the townspeople against the Spaniards and their government. This ultimately failed, and the Criollos behind the complot were arrested and executed, just like the ones behind the Junta of Quito. This was what convinced the few Granadian criollos who wanted to remain loyalist or who only wanted some more autonomy from Spain instead of independence, that the Spaniards had to be defeated and exiled and that total freedom was needed. [2]

With Cartagena having declared its own independence, the Spanish colonies decided to adopt the Juntismo system, created in Spain in order to oppose the Napoleonic Government. Each province, and in some cases, each town created then its own Junta, which would then be unified into a Junta Suprema that would rule the Viceroy.

While this happened, in the nearby Caracas, a successful rebellion took place in April 19th, 1810, instauring the Junta Suprema de Caracas who ruled the General Captaincy “en ausencia del Rey” and instituted various reforms like the abolishment of slavery and tried to establish relations with foreign powers. When July 20th came, the Junta was split between those who wanted to move to the offensive right away and those who wanted to call to elections and secure the support of all the provinces first.

In Cartagena a call was made for all the Juntas all around the Viceroy to come and form a central government. Unfortunately, several provinces didn’t send any “representantes” and a lot of fight ensued between those who supported Centralism and those who supported Federalism. It’s in this moment when the Philosopher of Libertad, Francisco de Miranda, decided to step in.

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A detailed biography of Miranda is avalaible in Chaper 5, but for now we’re going to see a quick summary. Of humble origins, Miranda received a complete education thanks to his father, a rich merchant from Caracas who was discriminated against by the Criollos, who saw him as inferior thanks to being supposedly a Mestizo. Miranda would latter decide to go to Spain, after his father was designed captain of the White Militias of Caracas creating great backlash from the Criollos there.

Miranda would then walk the earth, going through Great Britain, Russia, the Ottoman Empire, Scandinavia, North America and other European Countries. His ideas started to take shape, as he saw the huge differences in education and culture between the colonies and the motherland, and the social
inequalities of the age. After his journeys, he became a captain in the Spanish Army, under the Regimiento de la Princesa, Several years passed by, including some problems with his superiors that ended when he was reassigned to Cadiz. When Spain decided to intervene in the American Revolution, Miranda was sent to North America and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Later on, he participated in a mission in Jamaica and in the assault to the Bahamas, receiving another promotion to Colonel. However, by that time, the Inquisition took actions against him because he possessed many forbidden books.

Miranda remained safe until a failed assault to Jamaica took place and then he fled to the United States, already independent, and was amazed by the progress of the young nation and its political institutions. He met a young woman there, Susan Livingston, daughter of the Livingston family and fell in love with her. [3] They married and Miranda settled there, forming part of the American High Society and meeting several important figures, like Hnery Knox, Samuel Adams and even Gergo Washington himself. Miranda’s new life style was threatened when France, wanting to put all the blame of the Jamaica assault’s failure in Spain, said he was a traitor and criminal. Miranda exiled himself to London, but he still maintained contact with his wife. He moved around Europe again, meeting the Hungarian prince Nicolas Esterhazy and Katherin II from Russia.

When the French Revolution started, Miranda took active part and fought there, even becoming a Marshall. But during the Terror Regime of Robespierre he was judged, and even when he was freed, he decided to flee to the United States in order to return with his wife. He was a prominent figure in the American high society, and had contact with the president Jefferson, the State Secretary Madison and the Colonel Stephens Smith. [4]

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Miranda's name is in the Arch of Triumph. He's the only person from the American continent whose name is in it.

It’s generally agreed that Miranda’s experiences during the American Revolution, and later, the French Revolution, shaped his views in the world and made him a fervent wisher of Independence for the Spanish colonies, hoping to create strong, unified Latin American state that at the very least would be formed by the territory of New Granada. His biggest, and we shall say, most improbable dream was an even bigger Republic formed by all the Spanish colonies in America, that is, from the territories the United States took from Mexico to the Patagonia.

Miranda stayed in the United States until he heard about the incident in Santafe. After securing both British and American support, he moved to Cartagena with three ships of the line he bought with the help of his friend Samuel g. Ogden and several soldiers recruited from New York and the Caribbean Islands.

Miranda was a strong and charismatic leader, who managed to bring down the message that independence was needed, and that it could only be achieved if every one of the provinces joined in the struggle. He also presented his vision of a united Latin America, based in the United States. His vision appealed to Criollos all over the Viceroy and the message of democracy and equality brought approbation from the Natives and Mestizos. Also, he already had the support of the two powers and presented a middle ground to every faction. After all, he was Venezuelan but supported a Santafe centered Republic, and his proposed government that satisfied both Centralist and Federalist.

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Map of the actual Cundinamarca state, with those provinces under centralist control in green, under federalist control in red and under royal control in yellow.

A new Congress was called for session, and this time, it was a total success. The Junta Suprema Nacional took control of Santafe and every province under the control of a Junta and called to elections for every free male of 25 years and with properties of 2000 pesos or more. El Congreso Nacional started its functions in April 8, 1811 and declared the independence of the Viceroy of New Granada from Spain in May 24, 1811. The Colombian Independence War had started.

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The signing of the Declaration of Independence in Santafe [5].

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[1]Actually, there is not a proof that Llorente was a rascist, and when De Rubio went to borrow the flower base he remained calm and said no because it was very old and in a bad state.
[2]In OTL it succeeded, but didn't manage to work properly with the other Juntas, creating the "Patria Boba" (Stupid Homeland). Here, its demise makes other Juntas realize they need to work together to achieve independence. It also prevented Caracas Junta from calling to elections as there appeared fractions that wanted to take retaliation for their execution.
[3]Miranda did meet with her in OTL, and she fell in love with him but he didn't feel anything for her. Perhaps having a wife will make him not as reckless, and secure support from the United States thanks to the time he spent there.
[4]Yes, he met all those people in OTL, but we don't know how close his relation was. When Miranda decided to storm Caracas they helped him, and the attack was a failure. Here, they talk him out of it and he instead goes to Cartagena.
[5]Name of Bogota during the Colony. It was changed after independence, but it will remain the same ITL.
 
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I didn't expect a reboot, but...

The writing is much better. Kudos for taking an extra English class or whatever you did, it's almost convincing enough to make me think you're a native speaker.

A P.O.D. close to the time of independence is probably more plausible than 100+ years before, and the lessened butterfly effect is not enough that you can't do many of the things you wanted before, but still enough to make planning less of a headache.

I'll have more questions (mostly about territory) later.
 
I didn't expect a reboot, but...

The writing is much better. Kudos for taking an extra English class or whatever you did, it's almost convincing enough to make me think you're a native speaker.

A P.O.D. close to the time of independence is probably more plausible than 100+ years before, and the lessened butterfly effect is not enough that you can't do many of the things you wanted before, but still enough to make planning less of a headache.

I'll have more questions (mostly about territory) later.

Yes. after much thought I decided that the 2.0 version wasn't turning out like I expected and decided to try again.

I'm still practicing my English, and since this is the first entry I decided to ask help from a friend. I'd like to think that I'm getting better, but...

One of the reasons I decided to make a reboot was just that, that the POD was too vague... Planning will still be a headache since I will cover the entire world and focus less in Colombia.

You can ask anytime you want. I'll be happy too answer.
 
Yes. after much thought I decided that the 2.0 version wasn't turning out like I expected and decided to try again.

I'm still practicing my English, and since this is the first entry I decided to ask help from a friend. I'd like to think that I'm getting better, but...

One of the reasons I decided to make a reboot was just that, that the POD was too vague... Planning will still be a headache since I will cover the entire world and focus less in Colombia.

You can ask anytime you want. I'll be happy too answer.

My first question: Are you still planning to do the whole Colombian-Mexican rivalry?
 
My first question: Are you still planning to do the whole Colombian-Mexican rivalry?

Perhaps, but there won't be any war and the Central American problem will probably be resolved with a buffer state. I don't want to spoil that much, but after the Independence Colombia, Mexico and the US will compete for influence in the Caribbean and Central America.
 
Perhaps, but there won't be any war and the Central American problem will probably be resolved with a buffer state. I don't want to spoil that much, but after the Independence Colombia, Mexico and the US will compete for influence in the Caribbean and Central America.

Should we take the conversation to PM?
 
Chapter 2: Preparations.
The Start of the Independence War

"I have never believed that something solid or stable can be build in a country if absolute independence is not achieved beforehand."

-Francisco de Miranda, first President of Colombia.


After the declaration of Independence in May 24, 1811, the Republic of Colombia was created and Miranda named President. The Viceroy Amar y Borbon was taken prisoner, and condemned to execution, but his penalty was lowered to imprisonment for life by Miranda. The members of the Supreme Junta became the parliament of the new state, divided in two houses “La Asamblea” and “La Casa de Representantes” based in the US government system. Criollos from Quito and Panama traveled to Santafe in order to be representatives of their respective homelands, both still under Royalist control. It was decided that Miranda would be president until the War was over, and that the Parliament would continue in functions until proper elections could be held. The first constitution was approved by overwhelming majority, and a Federation was instituted, even when there were major pro-centralist factions with prominent members, like the General Simon Bolivar.

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Painting of an early reunion of the Parliament, with one of the first versions of the Colombian flag raised.

The State was organized similarly to the United Stets, with five States, Cundinamarca, Cartagena, Venezuela, Guyana[1] and Zulia, each with its own constitution, but they would be put under the Federal Government’s direct control as a War Time measure. Part of the national mindset was the union of the Royal Audience of Quito and Panama into Colombia, both of which would become states too. Though less popular, initiatives for the annexation of Peru were common too.

One of the first actions of the young Republic was the Decree of the National Army, which would be made from the battalions in Santafe, which refused to shot the members of the Junta once it made its independence wishes public. Several corps from provinces loyal to Colombia also became part of the Army, the Ejercito Libertador as it was known. It was split into two armies, the Ejercito de Venezuela, led by Simon Bolivar and the Ejercito de los Andes, led by Nariño. There was also a third army, the Ejercito de Santafe, to protect the capital and other nearby territories, with a special corps, the Guardia de Honor, protecting the presidential palace and parliament.

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Cavalry corp of the Libertor Army.

The Institutions of Artillery, Cavalry, Infantry and Engineers were created and organized, mainly with Criollo officers and Native and Mestizo troops. There were also a good number of blacks, former slaves owned by Patriots (those who fought for independence) and liberated so they could the army. Even when the Junta of Caracas had already proclaimed the emancipation of all slaves within Venezuelan territories, there were still several slaves, and pressures from the landowners made Miranda, who hated slavery, change to the Freedom of Womb Decree, giving liberty to any slave born from January 1812 onwards, though he promised to free all the slaves once the war was over. The Freedom by Patriotic Service Decree was also approved, giving freedom to any slave who joined the Libertador Army, including their family. This Decree, along with Miranda’s intentions to end the Huasipungo system, practically a form of Feudalism, made him hugely popular with Mestizos ans Natives, even having a Quechua nickname “Taita Miranda” (Daddy Miranda). Stories of young men leaving their farms and towns so they could join his cause were common.

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Bolivar and Santander.

Also part of the army were the British Militias, voluntaries mainly from the nearby British territories, and the American Militias, soldiers recruited in the United States by Miranda. Those Militias were usually considered elite soldiers, since they had better equipment and training than the average Colombian Soldier, and thus formed their own armies, under military advisors, including Miranda’s dear friend, the Colonel Smith. A curious fact is that the name “Gringo” appeared during the War, since the American Militias wore blue and green instead of red and blue, thus prompting the creation of the motto “Go Green go!” Most people in Colombia had no knowledge of English, so the phrase became the Spanish-ed “Gringo”, which would become a slur against Anglo Saxons in the following decades.[2]

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Painting of the British Militias.

The next action made by the Government was the Naval Decree, which created the Colombian Navy and assigned Juan Eslava as its commander. Unfortunately, the Colombian Navy consisted of just a few vessels, unable to stop the Spanish Fleet and was thus kept anchored in Caracas. Nonetheless, it’s agreed that the Colombia wish of ruling the Caribbean started here, with the three vessels Miranda bought in the United States becoming the Patria, Dios and Libertad, and decrees for the creation of a Naval Academy and a Naval Tradition similar to that of the United Kingdom were signed.

There were decrees concerning the Ministries, with several being created, for example, Agriculture, War, Economy, Estate and Interior. The national flag and coat of arms were adopted, with a different version of Miranda's tricolor. The constitution defined it as "yellow for our rich land and the sun of freedom, blue for our endless oceans and the sky from where God watches upon us, and red for the blood our patriots have shed". A national song, La Libertadora, though given no official recognizement, was something of the facto anthem of Colombia.

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Flag of Colombia.
The first important Colombian military action was the Glorious Campaign, to conquer the loyalist territories in Venezuela, namely Coro and Valencia, and exterminate the royalist resistance in those areas, securing the Colombian control. Led by Simon Bolivar and Francisco de Paula Santander, who used their available resources and manpower consciously, it was a success and by mid 1813 all of Venezuela was under Colombian occupation. Meanwhile, Nariño attacked the north in his Liberator Campaign, finally taking Cartagena and Barranquilla almost at the same time.[3]

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Glorious Campaign.
_________________________________
[1]Guyana remained loyalist in OTL, but the massacre of the Colombians in the Llorente incident made them patriots ITTL.
[2]Don't believe me about this. It's only TTL's version of how the term appeared, and it's based in a (likely false) story my dad once told me. By the way, most people in "Gran Colombia" (meaning Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela) use "gringo" instead of "yanqui".
[3]Final POD. In OTL, there was a earthquake in Caracas and the areas the First Republic of Venezuela controlled, leading to their defeat. There is no such disaster ITTL, so Miranda is able to use the full manpower and resources of both Colombia and Venezuela, securing the succes of the Campaign.
 
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I take it Quito will be the name of both the city and the Provence.

Is Guyana state the lower reaches and delta of the Orinoco river?

Will there be a map of the current situation on the ground, as well as the current states of colombia?
 
I take it Quito will be the name of both the city and the Provence.

Is Guyana state the lower reaches and delta of the Orinoco river?

Will there be a map of the current situation on the ground, as well as the current states of colombia?

Quito will be the name of the city and the State. It will probably be divided in Guayaquil (the coast) and Quito (the Sierra and Amazonia).

Guyana state is mainly Guyana Esequibo and some Amazonian territories, so it could be said that yes, you're correct.

Yes, there will be a map of Colombia before and after the Glorious Campaign.
 
Quito will be the name of the city and the State. It will probably be divided in Guayaquil (the coast) and Quito (the Sierra and Amazonia).

Guyana state is mainly Guyana Esequibo and some Amazonian territories, so it could be said that yes, you're correct.

Yes, there will be a map of Colombia before and after the Glorious Campaign.

Ah.

I meant when Guyana is originally declared. Do the British have de facto control of both sides of the river at this point (Or on-paper control)?

Good.
 
I meant when Guyana is originally declared. Do the British have de facto control of both sides of the river at this point (Or on-paper control)?

The British control just the right side the facto, while Colombia controls the left side and both claim to control the entire Guyana in paper. It's hard to explain, so I hope it will be easier to understand once I have a map ready.
 
The British control just the right side the facto, while Colombia controls the left side and both claim to control the entire Guyana in paper. It's hard to explain, so I hope it will be easier to understand once I have a map ready.

Ah.

I meant when Guyana is originally declared. Do the British have de facto control of both sides of the river at this point (Or on-paper control)?

Good.

The thing Red Galiray is refering is to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guayana_Esequiba and this before british have full control so maybe an understanting will happen post war.
 
Chapter 3: Independence War of La Plata.
Aires de Independencia en el Continente Americano.- The struggle of La Plata.

"A suffered defeat means more than a casual victory."
-Jose de San Matin, dictator of La Plata from 1814 to 1820.


The Viceroy of La Plata was created in 1776 with the territories of modern day La Plata, Paraguay, Chile and Charkas. It's capital was the city of Buenos Aires, an important port in the Atlantic, necessary for the long voyages the Spanish had to make from Lima or Guayaquil, but the Spanish administration was ineffectual at best and utterly incompetent at worst, so the city became a place for pirates and other low lives.

The Viceroy had been already attacked by the Portuguese in the Conquest of Oriental Missions, to which Spain only had a limited and insufficient answer. Then, the British Invasions took place. Britain was at war with the Spanish crown, allies of Napoleon at the time, so they organized an invasion with the objective of annexing the Viceroy. Spain answer was, again, ineffectual, and the British managed to occupy Buenos Aires. The people of the area had to be the ones to defend the homeland, with limited or any assistance from Spain. The Platinean Militias surged here, and it’s agreed that they were the base of the Platinean Liberator Army.

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British Invasions.

These incidents, along with the American Declaration of Independence and the French Revolution created great political and social activity in the colony. The lack of help and support from the Madre Patria, and the victory of the Platinean Militias all by themselves made the people of the Viceroy, especially Buenos Aires and Montevideo, highly conscious, so they started to demand political autonomy. When Spain didn’t allow this, the merchant Burgesses and other Criollos of the High society started to form new societies which sought a change in the form Spain governed its colonies.

It was in this political and social context that the French Invasion of Spain started, and the dethronement of the King Fernando VII made the situation even worse. Nonetheless, once the Junta Suprema Central was established in Spain against Napoleon, the Viceroy swore loyalty to it and to the disposed monarch.

Some very short lived attempts at auto governance, similar to those which had taken place in Quito and specially Caracas, were made, but they failed. There was even a rebellion, in January 1, 1809, but it was defeated by the loyal troops and the new Viceroy, Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros, started a reorganization of the forces in Buenos Aires. However, the societies seeking independence still existed, and they were planning to start a rebellion against the Viceroy. This rebellion, the Revolution of May, started after the Junta Central fell to Napoleon’s armies.

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The Junta Grande.

The Revolution was a success, and in May 25, 1810, the Junta de Gobierno was stablished. Similar to the Junta of Caracas, it claimed to govern in the name of Fernando VII, but this, known as “the mask of Fernando” is agreed to be only a guise to hide the independence wishes of the Junta.

The first action the Junta took was demanding loyalty and a representative from all the provinces of the Viceroy. Even after the Regency Council was established in Spain, Buenos Aires still didn’t recognize their authority, since it was elected without any votes from the colonies. The start of the Colombian Revolution also motived the Junta, which saw the Junta Supremana Colombia as a possible ally for their demands of a major representation and autonomy for the colonies.

Once the Junta Grande was formed with the arrival of the representatives from the colonies, it started to govern the territory of La Plata, and its first military action was against Upper Peru, but it ultimately failed as reinforcements from Lima were able to successfully counterattack and take control of the region. In the while, the Junta also tried to incorporate and “restore order” to Paraguay, which remained under royalist control, but the Platinean Army was defeated. Nonetheless, a revolution started there too, in May 14, 1811 in Asuncion, liberating the land, but the Junta established decided that Paraguay would remain independent and isolationist. The situation around the Oriental Provinces was not better, since even when a successful insurrection took place with support of Platinean troops, Montevideo was still controlled by the Spanish viceroy, Francisco de Elio and the fleet blockaded Buenos Aires.

This was the situation when Colombia declared independence in May 24, 1811. In consequence of the military success, an extremist faction of the Junta, Los Morenistas, rose to even major prominence, as they advocated taking more severe measures in order to combat the royalist troops. The Patriotic Society was created in response, formed with more measured members that advocated for federalism and democracy, citing Miranda’s Colombia as a successful example of this. A Civil War between the two parties started when the Morenist Controlled Junta purged various members of the Patriotic Society, recognized because they wore a white and sky blue ribbon in their arms. In response, the remnant members of the Society rose in rebellion, the Revolution of April, that ended when the “Cabildo”, colonial institution turned representative of the people, declared that the Junta was defunct and a Triumvirate was put in its place, led by Feliciano Chiclana, Manuel de Sarratea and Juan José Paso.

A reorganization of the army was to take place, and the troops in Oriental Provinces participating in the Siege of Montevideo were called back. The people in Montevideo decided to not recognize the government of the new Triumvirate and continued the blockade of Buenos Aires, starting an offensive after the troops were retired.

The situation in Peru was not any better, since even when Lima had to send troops against Miranda, the Viceroy José Fernando de Abascal y Sousa was still able to occupy Upper Peru and took control of Cordoba, in the “Counterrevolution”, that not even several new revolts were able to defeat. A national army, the Army of the Andes, was created in order to take all the lands back under Platinean control. They had extraordinary success, with a major victory in Suipacha (than prompted a rebellion in Potosi), and by mid 1813 all Upper Peru had fallen under Patriotic Control, but the fight against Lima continued.

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The Viceroy Abascal y Sousa.

The next military action was the March to Paraguay, a Platinean attempt of annexing the province, which had not recognized the authority of neither the first Junta nor the Triumvirate. At first, it was a success, but the assigned Commander Belgrano lost to the royalist Velasco, who managed to direct a counterattack after Belgrano’s army disbanded, due to disorganization and accidental friendly fire.

Belgrado was called back to the capital so he could be punished for his failure, while his troops were moved to the Army of the Andes, so they could support the offensive against Peru. Unfortunately, Portugal decided to take the chance and take Oriental Provinces for itself, a territory disputed with Spain since several years before. Using its supposed authority the royal family, who had moved to Rio de Janerio, an invasion force was directed to Montevideo and defeated the Patriots. The triumvirate, desperate because they had no means to deal with both Portugal and Peru at the same time, made pace ceding several provinces.

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Map showing Belgrano's march and the Portuguese Invasion.

As a direct consequence the Oriental Revolution started, with the sentiment of “orientalidad” being born, of being different than the rest of the Viceroy. Its principal leader was Artigas, who from that point onwards organized the territories under his control as the Federal League, which said that either Oriental Provinces were part of a democractic, federal La Plata or it was independent, a new notion around the land. It’s agreed it influenced the birth of independentist ideas in the territories Portugal annexed, which would be direct cause of the independence of Rio Grande do Sul. This, together with the failures in the Paraguay and Oriental Campaigns caused huge discontent until a young colonel, Jose de San Martin, made a coup and took power, declaring himself dictator until the war was over. Under San Matin’s leadership huge advances were made against the royalist, with the formation of the Second Platinean Army and the capture of Montevideo. The first naval victory was also achieved, thanks to Guillermo Brown and a corsair campaign started too. All the remnant of Oriental Provinces fell under Patriotic Control as a result.

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The Generalissimo, San Martin.

But things started falling apart when Artigas declared that the Oriental Provinces were independent from the San Martin’s centralist and dictatorial government in Buenos Aires, with several provinces joining his cause. A civil war started between the League and San Martin, whose faction was called the “Centralist”, Unable to defend itself against any foreign aggression, Peru was able to start occupying northern La Plata but no further advances were possible thanks to the efforts of the Gauchos, informal militias and guerrillas that managed to stop the Peruvian offensives, while Paraguay continued its campaign for its own freedom. If it wasn’t for the start of the Brazilian Independence Revolts in northern Brazil, its agreed Portugal would have broken the armistice and attacked Oriental Provinces.

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The leader of the League, Artigas.

The Civil War would continue until 1816, when San Martin emerged as the victor, but he was forced to recognize Oriental Provinces autonomy within the State and greatly weaken the central government. The Andes Army wasn’t able to recover until much later, and by then the news of the Colombian Offensive towards Lima were made available. San Martin would travel to Guayaquil in order to meet Miranda, in their famous Meeting of Guayaquil.
 
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Does anybody have a comment or suggestion? I accept any criticism, as long as it is constructive.

Next update is being written right now and should be posted tomorrow.
 

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I'm very much enjoying this. We often don't get much, if anything from Latin America (Despite the recent Renaissance of timelines from that region), so its always refreshing to see something from the region.
 
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