Put Down That Coal! A Short TL

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For Want of a Fiery Coal
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    • Joriz Castillo

    For Want of a Fiery Coal​

    February 15, 1898
    Havana Harbor, Spanish Cuba

    It was late evening. The ship was sailing into the harbor as a show of force while the island was in the midst of a war fought for 3 years by now.

    Below the deck, a group of sailors was playing cards to pass the time.

    Everything was fine and dandy until one of the sailors smelled something.

    “Hey, what the hell’s that smell?” asks one of the men.

    “Maybe the chef’s cooking something really good” jokes another one.

    Soon enough, one of the officer's orders someone to go check where the smell was coming from.

    When the sailor checked the coal bunker, he could not believe his eyes.

    "Oh, sweet mother of Jesus."

    The alarm was sounded. There was a fire in the same room where the coal was being burned. If it wasn't put out in time, the whole shop would've exploded.

    Fire hoses were taken out and teams were formed. The sailors ran in different directions with orders being shouted left and right.

    Soon enough, the fires were put out. Everything got under control the ship was safe. Looking back, the captain thought to himself "We may have just avoided a giant incident"

    USS_Maine_%28ACR-1%29_starboard_bow_view%2C_1898_%2826510673494%29.jpg
    .
    USS Maine heading to Havana, 1898​
     
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    • Joriz Castillo

    Welcome to my new TL!

    In this story, Spain dodges a bullet when the USS Maine didn't explode in Havana harbor, thus not triggering the Spanish-American War. This will be focused primarily on Spain and how it handles itself in the new century.
     
    PNWKing

    PNWKing

    Banned
    This thread: exists
    Teddy Roosevelt fans: Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
     

    Plateosaurus

    Interesting. Can't wait to see how Cuba and Spain get affected.
    PNWKing said:
    Teddy Roosevelt fans: Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
    Click to expand...
    Don't worry, Teddy not rising to prominence wouldn't be the end of the world. I understand your loss, but try to accept this for what it is.
     
    Last edited:
    A War on Two Hemispheres
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    • Joriz Castillo

    A War on Two Hemispheres
    ​
    In 1898, Spain was dealing with rebellions in its oldest and most prestigious colonies: Cuba and Las Filipinas. At the start of the 19th century, it was one of the major European powers with an empire in the New World spanning from Rio de la Plata all the way up to New Spain and Florida. But the after-effects of Napoleon’s invasion helped brought much of that down along with its global importance.

    Over the course of a few decades, nearly all of its territories in the Americas were lost except for Cuba and Puerto Rico. It didn’t help that trouble at home prevented Spain from waging an effective war.

    While her empire had shrunken considerably, Spain was still a proud imperial power.

    vyPzRp7.png

    The Spanish Empire in 1898    ​

    Cuba
    In Cuba, a third rebellion had been ongoing by local revolutionaries waging a war in the name of Cuban independence. Deep in the hinterlands, the guerrillas made life hell for those Spaniards brave enough to search and destroy them. While Governor Valeriano Weyler’s tactics were effective in crippling the logistics of the rebels, it created a massive outcry in the international press for the usage of concentration camps and the population being starved to death. For that, he was replaced by Ramon Blanco who was more reconciliatory than Weyler.

    By now, Madrid was in the midst of reforming the colonies to satisfy the locals. It drew up constitutions for both Cuba and Puerto Rico and installed a new government in Havana. But for now, the government was powerless as long as the rebels were a threat deep in the jungle.

    Philippines
    On the other side of the world, the Philippines was in the midst of a full-blown rebellion. Native armed groups were fighting the Spanish troops in places across Luzon and Visayas. The rebels even had set up a government in Malolos, proclaiming Emilio Aguinaldo as the president of a new Philippine Republic.

    Despite that, the Spanish had already managed to regain most areas of Luzon. Slowly but surely, the rebel movement was being destroyed bit by bit.
     
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    • Joriz Castillo

    Plateosaurus said:
    So how is Peurto Rico faring at the moment ITTL? That little guy they're not talking about. Or Morocco, for that matter?
    Click to expand...
    Puerto Rico has an autonomous government. It has a parliament with two chambers and a Governor-General that represents the Spanish crown.

    Morocco is still an independent country as of now, not a protectorate yet. The Saharan territories of Rio De Oro and Saguia el Hamra are doing just fine at the moment, including the enclave of Ifni.
     
    The Spirit of Velazquez
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    • Joriz Castillo

    The Spirit of Velazquez
    ​
    At the beginning of 1899, the Spanish decided they needed to end the war once and for all lest they lose more of their possessions. Their first operation would be in Cuba. In the deep jungles, the Spaniards struck hard against the Cuban rebels in Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, and Mayabeque. Despite taking heavy casualties, the rebels were soon forced to head back into the other provinces further east.

    Cuban-Independence.gif

    Cuban cavalrymen getting slaughtered while charging, 1898​

    The Spaniards kept up their momentum with reinforcements coming from Spain and experienced officers making use of the terrain. Over the next few months, the rebels were pushed back all across the island to the southern province of Santiago de Cuba. It was here that they would make their last desperate push.

    Guantanamo
    On the banks of the bay, the rebels make their last stand. Their leader tried giving them a rousing speech that ends with “Independencia o Muerte!”. Despite that, it wasn’t enough to lift their spirits as everyone knew that the end was nigh. Soon they heard reports of Spanish troops closing in on their positions.

    For the next 3 days, the Spaniards and Cubans battled it out throughout the hills and fields of the region. In the end, the Spanish were victorious whatever was left of the rebel movement began surrendering their arms.

    The fighting in Cuba was entirely over. It was now time to move more forces to the Philippines.
     
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