The War of Southern Independence 1861-1865
Introduction
The world of history does not consist of one POD followed by another POD followed by another POD. There are not only large decisions that change things, but many smaller ones. A battle lost could be won, but still be insignificant in itself. Only the later turn of the campaign would show one a determination from that beginning.
Thus, a 1961 POD for what we know as the "American Civil War" need not have won the war in an instant, or with a single stroke, but have set in motion a different, and radically so, set of campaigns. Despite what the authors of "What If" seem to assume, alternate history is not controlled by a single major POD, or in the writing of alternate history in the choice between different major PODs. Battles insignificant in themselves, objectives of campaign that would neither win nor lose the war, the vagaries of fortune, the appointment of commanders - none of these would win or lose the war in themselves, but any of them could set in motion a longer series of events which would culminate in an outcome different overall from reality
The Grand Sweep of Things
Washington falls, and Britain and France recognise Confederate independence. Later naval actions by the Union leads to a crisis where the European powers decide jointly upon active interference in order to force the North to the negotiating table.
Anglo-French naval, land, and logistical assets are dedicated to the war effort, though France is paying as much attention to Mexico as to further North, something that can be better accomplished with the assistance of the CSA, and by the distraction of European governments in the war in the North.
Eventually Philadelphia is brought under siege and the Union surrenders. Not only is the CSA recognised but Maryland and Kentucky are ceded as well, whilst the Territories of New Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma are also let go.
The Aftermath
The Union is riven by internal dissent, and sees the secession of the Old North-West into a Confederacy of its own, that soon seeks alliance with the Confederacy
California declares independence amidst all this
CSA veterans are taken into French employ and help stabilise Salvador Iturbide on the Mexican throne after the death of Maximilian
Britain is making moves into the Oregon Territory, now no longer contiguous with the Union, whilst at the same intriguing within California
CSA leaders are desperate for an Eastern coastline and pressurise France to work co-operatively with Britain over California. Soon, a CSA-French army is attacking the independent republic from one side, forcing the British to belatedly accept the CSA's prior claims and to agree that it is acting in their interests
In turn, Richmond recognises Britain's dominion over all of the original Oregon Territory
The NW Confederacy ends up with residual rights to the territories East of the Rockies
Europe
With France so thoroughly committed in N America, Bismarck does not agree that (N) German forces should stop short of Vienna, and the denouement to the Austro-Prussian War is a German assault upon the Habsburg capital.
Napoleon III attempts to demand that the newly victorious Prussians restore the Habsburg dominions, but Bismarck is aware that the opportunity may only come once. France dare not go to war with its armies already overstretched on the other side of the Atlantic, and Britain is heavily over-committed also.
Instead, the Prussian Chancellor acts to transform his victory into an overwhelming one. A new German Empire is to be born, including those German states defeated in the war as sovereign entities, and including Austria as a kingdom within it. The Crown Prince is won over to the glory of this idea, and manages to get the reluctant agreement of the recalcitrant Wilhelm I
Hungarian independence is agreed, whilst Russia is bought off with protectorate status over Galicia and Krakow
Britain and France force a European Congress to discuss these arrangements, but the only changes agreed are that the Southern Tryol and parts of the Trentino should go to Italy, a country now greatly enlarged after acquiring Venetia in Prussia's gift at the end of the war
The Papal States, such as they are (reduced to the area of Rome) remain inviolate, and Italy continues to be ruled from Turin
The Spanish Crisis
Spain's attempt to reabsorb Santo Domingo into its empire, and the costly fiasco of the Guano War fought against Peru, have left Queen Isabella's government exposed. The beginnings of a Cuban Uprising, and the clear interest of France in events going on there further alarm the opposition in Madrid, and a military coup is launched
By this time, British rule across Oregon is being accepted, and a system of governance imposed, whilst some British units remain in California at CSA request and expense.
France similarly has been able to downgrade its numerical involvement in Mexico, paying instead for veteran CSA units to perform services there, and able to rotate its elite units between Europe and Mexico. Some French units remain in California, whilst instructors and much logisitical capital remain within the CSA
1868 and the War of the Triple Alliance is well underway, a series of alarmist reports out of Paraguay worrying European governments, especially Britain, that their nationals are in serious danger from an increasing paranoid Lopez regime.
The generals in Madrid search for a monarch to replace the unlamented Isabella, a debauched woman whose cousin-husband is unlikely to be the father of many, if any, of her children. They settle on a Southern German prince of the Catholic branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty, and make overtures to him
Napoleon III condemns these and speaks of encirclement and veritable acts of war, but Bismarck is concerned that any climbdown on Germany's part would be seen as a sign of the weakness of the new Empire. He is able to play the old Emperor, and make it appear as a matter of honour, and Wilhelm I duly demands that no other nation interfere in the sovereign deliberations of the Spanish, and that French accusations against his country are the height of dishonour
Britain has dispatched a sizeable fleet to the River Plate, a fleet that has remained sizeable and in being during and after the war in N America.
France has a fleet off Cuba, ostensibly to protect the rights and property of Europeans, but already engaged in smuggling weapons to the rebels, Mexico proving a useful staging post.
The generals in Madrid are now very worried that their decision may prove to be a very bad one indeed, and attempt to get the Hohenzollern prince to withdraw, but it has become a matter of honour for him now also, and Bismarck is the first to support him in this
Archduke Karl Ludwig brother of Franz Josef, now king of the German Empire sovereign kingdom of Austria, visits Nice on holiday, but disappears from view for two days, during which he has secret talks with the French emperor and his advisors. He later reappears, complaining of flu, and takes a sealed carriage back to Vienna
Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen arrives at Barcelona upon a formerly Austrian man-of-war, now flying the German Empire flag out of Trieste. He takes the train for Madrid, throwing the generals into a quandary. Advisors sent by Bismarck accompany him
The announcement from Madrid of a date for the coronation hits Paris like as if delivered of a lightning bolt and its attendant shock. Napoleon III decrees that any such event would be an act of war, and a furious recall of military assets begins.
French forces in California and Mexico are even further replaced by CSA ones, with Paris continuing the subsidy to pay for them. The French fleet off Cuba receives marine reinforcements, whilst the main French battle fleet is ordered to concentrate in the North
London is in a panic. A victory for either France or Germany within Europe would be a serious upset to the balance of power, but if they are to fight, then Britain has to make a choice of whom to support. Despite strong pro-German elements within the royal family and court, the political governance understand that they have a very good recent history of military, logistical and political co-operation with France, and that a united front against Germany might even be enough to prevent war
London issues its own ultimatum in the wake of Napoleon III's, calling for common sense to prevail, and for Leopold to reconsider his acceptance of the Spanish throne
Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is crowned King of Spain
France and Britain declare war upon Spain and the German Empire
The Great War 1869-1874
France immediately descends upon Cuba, uniting with rebel forces, and controlling the seas so that the small Spanish naval force already there cannot be reinforced from Spain
The British fleet returning from the River Plate lands an assault force upon Puerto Rico
The war in Europe takes longer to start, as frontier feeling out of the enemy, and hurried mobilisation and deployment take the place of any major moves in the first few weeks
French forces, already mobilised on their return from N America, are able to enter the Basque Country, whilst the French navy blockades the coast in support. A Carlist rising is encouraged, and soon Madrid no longer commands any of the Basque provinces as the Carlist government proclaims Don Juan de Borbon, Count of Montizon as King Juan III of Spain, under the protection of French forces
Intense diplomatic activity surrounds Italy, with Germany attempting to transport troops and supplies by sea to Spain via the Adriatic, but Italian patrols increasingly taking on a threatening attitude. Berlin wins over French attempts, by promising support for Italian annexation of Rome, something Napoleon III's government can never consider. In addition further territorial cessions in Gorizia are made to Italy by Austria (German kingdom), under coercion from Berlin
Italy declares war on France and Great Britain
Hungary declares its neutrality, and purchases a number of warships from Egypt to protect its coastline
German-Italian forces penetrate the coastal strip and occupy Nice, but fail to make any breakthrough against French defences in Haute Savoie. Switzerland protests the violation of the recently agreed treaty not to fortify the area, but wise heads prevail and she maintains her neutrality
The Empire of Mexico declares war on Spain, Germany and Italy.
British army arrives in France to co-ordinate with their French allies
The French navy inflicts a crushing defeat upon the Italians and lands a substantial reinforcement at Rome to protect the Papal State
Spanish forces fail to make progress in a thrust into the Basque provinces. Carlist risings are now intermittently breaking out across Aragon and Catalonia
Don Carlos Maria de Borbon, eldest son and heir of King Juan III enters Barcelona as Carlist forces in the city hand it over to the French navy
Portugal declares her neutrality
A second British expeditionary force lands at Santander and Bilbao and makes common cause with the Carlist government and their French allies
German offensive into Alsace-Lorraine initially breaks against the forts, but a second wave breaks through and is only halted after five days of running battles, by which time the French army has been forced back a fair distance, tho now reinforced by the British
The first Winter of the war sees consolidation and entrenchment, the opening of the second campaigning season sees a major Anglo-Carlist thrust from the Basque provinces West into the Asturias, where royalist forces are hit by a rising in their rear as Carlist agitators in Galicia rise up. Madrid is able to bloodily crush this latter occurrence, and to stabilise the Asturian front. By this time, however, much of Aragon and Catalonia is also in Carlist hands, Prince Carlos Maria and his French advisors whipping together the various formations into a second army
The French fleet annihilates the Spanish naval forces off Santiago de Cuba as the latter, bereft of supplies, attempt to break out.
Puerto Rico surrenders to Great Britain and London appoints a Military Governor for the island
German forces restart their offensive on the Western Front, the first attempt breaking on Anglo-French defence lines, the second breaking through to the South-West.
Russia announces the outright annexation of its protectorates of Galicia and Krakow
The German army attempts to wheel round South of Paris, but a British attack into the Saar, and a French defence in depth results in their stalling and falling back.
Carlist armies in Spain join up, and together with their British, and by now somewhat reduced French, allies, advance on Madrid
Mexican and CSA forces (the latter operating as Mexican auxilaries) land in Cuba and join up with the rebels. Many CSA officers are disgusted to find themselves supporting a mixed bag of blacks and mulattos, many of whom are escaped slaves but a direct order comes from Richmond to remain in place
Madrid falls to the Carlists, with the generals and King Leopold fleeing to Seville
Britain is able to withdraw some of its units, replacing them with those called up from India much to the confusion and perplexity of their Carlist allies who don't know what to make of a sudden influx of brown-skinned soldiers
Germany attempts to break out West once again, but the French defence lines have now become full-scale trenchlines, and the front soon degrades into trench warfare
The second Winter of the war occurs, with the only major action being the French coastal bombardment of German-Italian positions in Nice and along the coastline
Spring 1871 sees an attempted Franco-British assault on the Western Front, Napoleon III having grown concerned at declining French morale which was seeing only defensive actions, and no attack. This attack however breaks upon the German trenches with great loss, tho a follow-up German assault gets nowhere either
Italian forces smash their way into Rome and heavy street-by-street fighting occurs against French and Papal forces, the ordinary Roman caught in between, his loyalties divided, his offers of help largely spurned by both sides
The CSA declares war upon Spain (only) and despatches a fleet with marine forces to Cuba. This creates a diplomatic crisis with both France and Mexico who are revealed to have signed a secret agreement between the two of them that Cuba would be an autonomous province of Mexico under French protection. The direct involvement of the Confederacy is unwelcome and complicating
Germany sends reinforcements to Nice and these succeed in breaking through and threatening Marseilles until the French fleet's bombardment of the coastal route results in their having to withdraw from lack of supplies
During this whole period, much of the new German Empire remains unreconciled to its loss of independence, chief amongst them the soveriegn kingdoms of Austria, Bavaria and Hannover. Minimal compliance with Berlin, popular dissent, and the growth of underground movements have marked their co-operation in the common war effort of the empire
Spring 1872 opens with a shock as Germany invades Belgium, wheeling its forces around the flanks of the Anglo-French army and rapidly over-running the coast before turning back towards Paris. Only heric resistance, and a rapid redeployment of troops allows them to hold off the Germans, but the trenchlines are abandoned, and the Germans advance West as well, finding the new Anglo-French defensive line to be in a semi-circle around the North and East of Paris
The French fleet annihilates the remains of the Spanish off Ferol, and supports a landing by Carlist forces, relocating from the Basque provinces, which brings in turn a second uprising within Galicia. It is not numerically enough, and a full-scale civil war breaks out across the province
Britain has been forced to make increasing use of Indian regiments, and these are soon taking their place on the Western Front, in the new trenchline running NorthWest from Paris to Dieppe
Spanish forces on Cuba suffer a resounding defeat, after which the remaining Spanish units are now cast in the role of guerillas against a rebel government which takes charge in Havana. With the Franco-Mexican agreement broken by CSA involvement, the Cubans are able to play off their allies against each other and retain independence of action
The full weight of the British fleet together with elite units removed previously from the conflict and retrained, lands upon the Frisian islands, and penetrates into the coastal areas. British money provides a suitable impetus for a general rising within Hannover, and as news spreads across Germany, this is copied by a general rising in Bavaria, where nationalist leaders had only been awaiting an opportunity
British forces take Emden and occupy Oldenburg before advancing to unite with the Hannoverian rebels, now led by crown prince Ernest Augustus, son of the blind king, and a man whose extreme ugliness belies a subtle mind
As the war passes into 1873, the Spanish front stagnates as the recovering royalists are a match for the Carlists and Indians, an uneasy alliance which is made no better by the blatant hostility of both the Carlist king and crown prince
German forces complete the subjugation of Belgium, destroying those pockets that had remain viable with the assistance of British naval forces, now all deployed elsewhere.
British and German armies fight over Hamburg, Bremen and Bremerhaven, wreaking great havoc, but in a front which fluctuates to and fro
Bavarian rebels take control of Munich, where King Ludwig II renounces his allegiance to the Emperor and calls upon all Bavarians to rise up and support their renewed independence
Berlin announces the annexation of the Bavarian Palatinate to the Prussian state
German forces on the Western Front attempt to break out in the North, and towards Paris, but the Anglo-French defensive lines hold
As 1873 ends, a general rising takes place in Austria, led by the king's brother Karl Ludwig
Spring 1874 opens with a Danish declaration of war against Germany, and a Danish army entering Schleswig and Holstein, linking up with the British out of Hannover as the Germans fall back to establish a new defensive position
French African troops arrive in Rome, ferried by the French navy, and proving an exotic sight as they bolster the defences before their commander decides to go onto the attack
German forces throw themselves into one final assault on the Western front, which carries them to the walls of Paris, but no further before British, Indian, and French forces drive them back
King Georg V of Hannover abdicates and his son Ernst August II announces the declaration of Hannoverian independence from the German Empire
German forces fail to force their way into Munich, and suffer a number of mutinies and desertions as non-Prussian units make choices for themselves
Britain appoints a civilian governor for Puerto Rico
Russia declares war on Germany and invades East Prussia
The German army collapses, with political declarations in Hesse-Kassel, Hesse-Darmstadt, Baden and Wurttemburg adding to the chaos of Hannoverian, Bavarian and Austrian rebellion. Soon units are fighting each other, or even within each other
French forces retake Nice and advance to capture Genoa as Italian forces fall back as their German allies disintegrate
The commander of Italian forces in Rome surrenders when surrounded by Papal and French African forces
Sicily rises up in rebellion, two days later declaring her independence
Berlin sues for peace, an event which leads to chaos amongst the Spanish royalist army with her Prussian advisors. King Leopold abdicates in the name of Alphonso, son of Queen Isabella, but the Carlist King Juan III is crowned in Madrid, and most fighting ceases across the country
Armistice agreed, and Peace Congress begins at The Hague
Peace 1874
Denmark takes in personal union to the crown the provinces of Schleswig and Holstein
Austria (remnant), Bavaria (without the Palatinate), Hannover, and Wurttemburg are reconstituted as independent kingdoms, Baden as an independent Grand Duchy/Margraviate, Hesse-Darmstadt as an independent Grand Duchy, and Hesse-Kassel as an independent Landgraviate
Italy recognises the independence of the Papal State of Rome, and of the Kingdom of Sicily, and pays a substantial reparation to France and to the Pope
Juan III of Spain is universally recognised, tho the start of his rule is marred by Cuban independence (under French protection) and British annexation of Puerto Rico. Violent brawls and public anger against the British Indian troops leave a sour taste to the whole campaign
Germany (remnant empire) is to pay reparations to France, Belgium, Hannover, Hesse-Darmstadt, Hesse-Kassel, Baden, Wurttermburg, Bavaria and Austria
Russia's annexation of Galicia and Krakow is recognised by all, tho Russia must evacuate East Prussia, but is allowed to take capital goods and ships with them in recompense
Thus ends the first period
1861-1874
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
Introduction
The world of history does not consist of one POD followed by another POD followed by another POD. There are not only large decisions that change things, but many smaller ones. A battle lost could be won, but still be insignificant in itself. Only the later turn of the campaign would show one a determination from that beginning.
Thus, a 1961 POD for what we know as the "American Civil War" need not have won the war in an instant, or with a single stroke, but have set in motion a different, and radically so, set of campaigns. Despite what the authors of "What If" seem to assume, alternate history is not controlled by a single major POD, or in the writing of alternate history in the choice between different major PODs. Battles insignificant in themselves, objectives of campaign that would neither win nor lose the war, the vagaries of fortune, the appointment of commanders - none of these would win or lose the war in themselves, but any of them could set in motion a longer series of events which would culminate in an outcome different overall from reality
The Grand Sweep of Things
Washington falls, and Britain and France recognise Confederate independence. Later naval actions by the Union leads to a crisis where the European powers decide jointly upon active interference in order to force the North to the negotiating table.
Anglo-French naval, land, and logistical assets are dedicated to the war effort, though France is paying as much attention to Mexico as to further North, something that can be better accomplished with the assistance of the CSA, and by the distraction of European governments in the war in the North.
Eventually Philadelphia is brought under siege and the Union surrenders. Not only is the CSA recognised but Maryland and Kentucky are ceded as well, whilst the Territories of New Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma are also let go.
The Aftermath
The Union is riven by internal dissent, and sees the secession of the Old North-West into a Confederacy of its own, that soon seeks alliance with the Confederacy
California declares independence amidst all this
CSA veterans are taken into French employ and help stabilise Salvador Iturbide on the Mexican throne after the death of Maximilian
Britain is making moves into the Oregon Territory, now no longer contiguous with the Union, whilst at the same intriguing within California
CSA leaders are desperate for an Eastern coastline and pressurise France to work co-operatively with Britain over California. Soon, a CSA-French army is attacking the independent republic from one side, forcing the British to belatedly accept the CSA's prior claims and to agree that it is acting in their interests
In turn, Richmond recognises Britain's dominion over all of the original Oregon Territory
The NW Confederacy ends up with residual rights to the territories East of the Rockies
Europe
With France so thoroughly committed in N America, Bismarck does not agree that (N) German forces should stop short of Vienna, and the denouement to the Austro-Prussian War is a German assault upon the Habsburg capital.
Napoleon III attempts to demand that the newly victorious Prussians restore the Habsburg dominions, but Bismarck is aware that the opportunity may only come once. France dare not go to war with its armies already overstretched on the other side of the Atlantic, and Britain is heavily over-committed also.
Instead, the Prussian Chancellor acts to transform his victory into an overwhelming one. A new German Empire is to be born, including those German states defeated in the war as sovereign entities, and including Austria as a kingdom within it. The Crown Prince is won over to the glory of this idea, and manages to get the reluctant agreement of the recalcitrant Wilhelm I
Hungarian independence is agreed, whilst Russia is bought off with protectorate status over Galicia and Krakow
Britain and France force a European Congress to discuss these arrangements, but the only changes agreed are that the Southern Tryol and parts of the Trentino should go to Italy, a country now greatly enlarged after acquiring Venetia in Prussia's gift at the end of the war
The Papal States, such as they are (reduced to the area of Rome) remain inviolate, and Italy continues to be ruled from Turin
The Spanish Crisis
Spain's attempt to reabsorb Santo Domingo into its empire, and the costly fiasco of the Guano War fought against Peru, have left Queen Isabella's government exposed. The beginnings of a Cuban Uprising, and the clear interest of France in events going on there further alarm the opposition in Madrid, and a military coup is launched
By this time, British rule across Oregon is being accepted, and a system of governance imposed, whilst some British units remain in California at CSA request and expense.
France similarly has been able to downgrade its numerical involvement in Mexico, paying instead for veteran CSA units to perform services there, and able to rotate its elite units between Europe and Mexico. Some French units remain in California, whilst instructors and much logisitical capital remain within the CSA
1868 and the War of the Triple Alliance is well underway, a series of alarmist reports out of Paraguay worrying European governments, especially Britain, that their nationals are in serious danger from an increasing paranoid Lopez regime.
The generals in Madrid search for a monarch to replace the unlamented Isabella, a debauched woman whose cousin-husband is unlikely to be the father of many, if any, of her children. They settle on a Southern German prince of the Catholic branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty, and make overtures to him
Napoleon III condemns these and speaks of encirclement and veritable acts of war, but Bismarck is concerned that any climbdown on Germany's part would be seen as a sign of the weakness of the new Empire. He is able to play the old Emperor, and make it appear as a matter of honour, and Wilhelm I duly demands that no other nation interfere in the sovereign deliberations of the Spanish, and that French accusations against his country are the height of dishonour
Britain has dispatched a sizeable fleet to the River Plate, a fleet that has remained sizeable and in being during and after the war in N America.
France has a fleet off Cuba, ostensibly to protect the rights and property of Europeans, but already engaged in smuggling weapons to the rebels, Mexico proving a useful staging post.
The generals in Madrid are now very worried that their decision may prove to be a very bad one indeed, and attempt to get the Hohenzollern prince to withdraw, but it has become a matter of honour for him now also, and Bismarck is the first to support him in this
Archduke Karl Ludwig brother of Franz Josef, now king of the German Empire sovereign kingdom of Austria, visits Nice on holiday, but disappears from view for two days, during which he has secret talks with the French emperor and his advisors. He later reappears, complaining of flu, and takes a sealed carriage back to Vienna
Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen arrives at Barcelona upon a formerly Austrian man-of-war, now flying the German Empire flag out of Trieste. He takes the train for Madrid, throwing the generals into a quandary. Advisors sent by Bismarck accompany him
The announcement from Madrid of a date for the coronation hits Paris like as if delivered of a lightning bolt and its attendant shock. Napoleon III decrees that any such event would be an act of war, and a furious recall of military assets begins.
French forces in California and Mexico are even further replaced by CSA ones, with Paris continuing the subsidy to pay for them. The French fleet off Cuba receives marine reinforcements, whilst the main French battle fleet is ordered to concentrate in the North
London is in a panic. A victory for either France or Germany within Europe would be a serious upset to the balance of power, but if they are to fight, then Britain has to make a choice of whom to support. Despite strong pro-German elements within the royal family and court, the political governance understand that they have a very good recent history of military, logistical and political co-operation with France, and that a united front against Germany might even be enough to prevent war
London issues its own ultimatum in the wake of Napoleon III's, calling for common sense to prevail, and for Leopold to reconsider his acceptance of the Spanish throne
Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is crowned King of Spain
France and Britain declare war upon Spain and the German Empire
The Great War 1869-1874
France immediately descends upon Cuba, uniting with rebel forces, and controlling the seas so that the small Spanish naval force already there cannot be reinforced from Spain
The British fleet returning from the River Plate lands an assault force upon Puerto Rico
The war in Europe takes longer to start, as frontier feeling out of the enemy, and hurried mobilisation and deployment take the place of any major moves in the first few weeks
French forces, already mobilised on their return from N America, are able to enter the Basque Country, whilst the French navy blockades the coast in support. A Carlist rising is encouraged, and soon Madrid no longer commands any of the Basque provinces as the Carlist government proclaims Don Juan de Borbon, Count of Montizon as King Juan III of Spain, under the protection of French forces
Intense diplomatic activity surrounds Italy, with Germany attempting to transport troops and supplies by sea to Spain via the Adriatic, but Italian patrols increasingly taking on a threatening attitude. Berlin wins over French attempts, by promising support for Italian annexation of Rome, something Napoleon III's government can never consider. In addition further territorial cessions in Gorizia are made to Italy by Austria (German kingdom), under coercion from Berlin
Italy declares war on France and Great Britain
Hungary declares its neutrality, and purchases a number of warships from Egypt to protect its coastline
German-Italian forces penetrate the coastal strip and occupy Nice, but fail to make any breakthrough against French defences in Haute Savoie. Switzerland protests the violation of the recently agreed treaty not to fortify the area, but wise heads prevail and she maintains her neutrality
The Empire of Mexico declares war on Spain, Germany and Italy.
British army arrives in France to co-ordinate with their French allies
The French navy inflicts a crushing defeat upon the Italians and lands a substantial reinforcement at Rome to protect the Papal State
Spanish forces fail to make progress in a thrust into the Basque provinces. Carlist risings are now intermittently breaking out across Aragon and Catalonia
Don Carlos Maria de Borbon, eldest son and heir of King Juan III enters Barcelona as Carlist forces in the city hand it over to the French navy
Portugal declares her neutrality
A second British expeditionary force lands at Santander and Bilbao and makes common cause with the Carlist government and their French allies
German offensive into Alsace-Lorraine initially breaks against the forts, but a second wave breaks through and is only halted after five days of running battles, by which time the French army has been forced back a fair distance, tho now reinforced by the British
The first Winter of the war sees consolidation and entrenchment, the opening of the second campaigning season sees a major Anglo-Carlist thrust from the Basque provinces West into the Asturias, where royalist forces are hit by a rising in their rear as Carlist agitators in Galicia rise up. Madrid is able to bloodily crush this latter occurrence, and to stabilise the Asturian front. By this time, however, much of Aragon and Catalonia is also in Carlist hands, Prince Carlos Maria and his French advisors whipping together the various formations into a second army
The French fleet annihilates the Spanish naval forces off Santiago de Cuba as the latter, bereft of supplies, attempt to break out.
Puerto Rico surrenders to Great Britain and London appoints a Military Governor for the island
German forces restart their offensive on the Western Front, the first attempt breaking on Anglo-French defence lines, the second breaking through to the South-West.
Russia announces the outright annexation of its protectorates of Galicia and Krakow
The German army attempts to wheel round South of Paris, but a British attack into the Saar, and a French defence in depth results in their stalling and falling back.
Carlist armies in Spain join up, and together with their British, and by now somewhat reduced French, allies, advance on Madrid
Mexican and CSA forces (the latter operating as Mexican auxilaries) land in Cuba and join up with the rebels. Many CSA officers are disgusted to find themselves supporting a mixed bag of blacks and mulattos, many of whom are escaped slaves but a direct order comes from Richmond to remain in place
Madrid falls to the Carlists, with the generals and King Leopold fleeing to Seville
Britain is able to withdraw some of its units, replacing them with those called up from India much to the confusion and perplexity of their Carlist allies who don't know what to make of a sudden influx of brown-skinned soldiers
Germany attempts to break out West once again, but the French defence lines have now become full-scale trenchlines, and the front soon degrades into trench warfare
The second Winter of the war occurs, with the only major action being the French coastal bombardment of German-Italian positions in Nice and along the coastline
Spring 1871 sees an attempted Franco-British assault on the Western Front, Napoleon III having grown concerned at declining French morale which was seeing only defensive actions, and no attack. This attack however breaks upon the German trenches with great loss, tho a follow-up German assault gets nowhere either
Italian forces smash their way into Rome and heavy street-by-street fighting occurs against French and Papal forces, the ordinary Roman caught in between, his loyalties divided, his offers of help largely spurned by both sides
The CSA declares war upon Spain (only) and despatches a fleet with marine forces to Cuba. This creates a diplomatic crisis with both France and Mexico who are revealed to have signed a secret agreement between the two of them that Cuba would be an autonomous province of Mexico under French protection. The direct involvement of the Confederacy is unwelcome and complicating
Germany sends reinforcements to Nice and these succeed in breaking through and threatening Marseilles until the French fleet's bombardment of the coastal route results in their having to withdraw from lack of supplies
During this whole period, much of the new German Empire remains unreconciled to its loss of independence, chief amongst them the soveriegn kingdoms of Austria, Bavaria and Hannover. Minimal compliance with Berlin, popular dissent, and the growth of underground movements have marked their co-operation in the common war effort of the empire
Spring 1872 opens with a shock as Germany invades Belgium, wheeling its forces around the flanks of the Anglo-French army and rapidly over-running the coast before turning back towards Paris. Only heric resistance, and a rapid redeployment of troops allows them to hold off the Germans, but the trenchlines are abandoned, and the Germans advance West as well, finding the new Anglo-French defensive line to be in a semi-circle around the North and East of Paris
The French fleet annihilates the remains of the Spanish off Ferol, and supports a landing by Carlist forces, relocating from the Basque provinces, which brings in turn a second uprising within Galicia. It is not numerically enough, and a full-scale civil war breaks out across the province
Britain has been forced to make increasing use of Indian regiments, and these are soon taking their place on the Western Front, in the new trenchline running NorthWest from Paris to Dieppe
Spanish forces on Cuba suffer a resounding defeat, after which the remaining Spanish units are now cast in the role of guerillas against a rebel government which takes charge in Havana. With the Franco-Mexican agreement broken by CSA involvement, the Cubans are able to play off their allies against each other and retain independence of action
The full weight of the British fleet together with elite units removed previously from the conflict and retrained, lands upon the Frisian islands, and penetrates into the coastal areas. British money provides a suitable impetus for a general rising within Hannover, and as news spreads across Germany, this is copied by a general rising in Bavaria, where nationalist leaders had only been awaiting an opportunity
British forces take Emden and occupy Oldenburg before advancing to unite with the Hannoverian rebels, now led by crown prince Ernest Augustus, son of the blind king, and a man whose extreme ugliness belies a subtle mind
As the war passes into 1873, the Spanish front stagnates as the recovering royalists are a match for the Carlists and Indians, an uneasy alliance which is made no better by the blatant hostility of both the Carlist king and crown prince
German forces complete the subjugation of Belgium, destroying those pockets that had remain viable with the assistance of British naval forces, now all deployed elsewhere.
British and German armies fight over Hamburg, Bremen and Bremerhaven, wreaking great havoc, but in a front which fluctuates to and fro
Bavarian rebels take control of Munich, where King Ludwig II renounces his allegiance to the Emperor and calls upon all Bavarians to rise up and support their renewed independence
Berlin announces the annexation of the Bavarian Palatinate to the Prussian state
German forces on the Western Front attempt to break out in the North, and towards Paris, but the Anglo-French defensive lines hold
As 1873 ends, a general rising takes place in Austria, led by the king's brother Karl Ludwig
Spring 1874 opens with a Danish declaration of war against Germany, and a Danish army entering Schleswig and Holstein, linking up with the British out of Hannover as the Germans fall back to establish a new defensive position
French African troops arrive in Rome, ferried by the French navy, and proving an exotic sight as they bolster the defences before their commander decides to go onto the attack
German forces throw themselves into one final assault on the Western front, which carries them to the walls of Paris, but no further before British, Indian, and French forces drive them back
King Georg V of Hannover abdicates and his son Ernst August II announces the declaration of Hannoverian independence from the German Empire
German forces fail to force their way into Munich, and suffer a number of mutinies and desertions as non-Prussian units make choices for themselves
Britain appoints a civilian governor for Puerto Rico
Russia declares war on Germany and invades East Prussia
The German army collapses, with political declarations in Hesse-Kassel, Hesse-Darmstadt, Baden and Wurttemburg adding to the chaos of Hannoverian, Bavarian and Austrian rebellion. Soon units are fighting each other, or even within each other
French forces retake Nice and advance to capture Genoa as Italian forces fall back as their German allies disintegrate
The commander of Italian forces in Rome surrenders when surrounded by Papal and French African forces
Sicily rises up in rebellion, two days later declaring her independence
Berlin sues for peace, an event which leads to chaos amongst the Spanish royalist army with her Prussian advisors. King Leopold abdicates in the name of Alphonso, son of Queen Isabella, but the Carlist King Juan III is crowned in Madrid, and most fighting ceases across the country
Armistice agreed, and Peace Congress begins at The Hague
Peace 1874
Denmark takes in personal union to the crown the provinces of Schleswig and Holstein
Austria (remnant), Bavaria (without the Palatinate), Hannover, and Wurttemburg are reconstituted as independent kingdoms, Baden as an independent Grand Duchy/Margraviate, Hesse-Darmstadt as an independent Grand Duchy, and Hesse-Kassel as an independent Landgraviate
Italy recognises the independence of the Papal State of Rome, and of the Kingdom of Sicily, and pays a substantial reparation to France and to the Pope
Juan III of Spain is universally recognised, tho the start of his rule is marred by Cuban independence (under French protection) and British annexation of Puerto Rico. Violent brawls and public anger against the British Indian troops leave a sour taste to the whole campaign
Germany (remnant empire) is to pay reparations to France, Belgium, Hannover, Hesse-Darmstadt, Hesse-Kassel, Baden, Wurttermburg, Bavaria and Austria
Russia's annexation of Galicia and Krakow is recognised by all, tho Russia must evacuate East Prussia, but is allowed to take capital goods and ships with them in recompense
Thus ends the first period
1861-1874
Best Regards
Grey Wolf