Spanish commonwealth

Mrstrategy

Banned
What if the Spanish created an earlier version of the commonwealth for their colonies after the American revolution could they keep their colonies?
 
It was already unfeasible when events overtook them. Spain needs to be a first tier nation for this to work, if this new relation doesn't fulfill the colonies expectations, it would simply crumble apart.
 
Simply giving rights to the Criollos (who were, by all acounts except place of birth, Spaniards) could give Spain a couple of decades more to get its game together, because the Criollos were the ones that supported, organized and led the Independence movements. The Natives and Mestizos, who were the great majory in the colonies, didn't do anything aside from a few ineffectual and easily put down rebellions. If Spain improves its government and treatment of the people in the colonies, the Spanish Empire could evolve to a commonwealth with Canada-Britain like relations.
 
The special relation with Britain was always immensely beneficial to Canada and Australia, economically speaking. Spain was always more like a nuisance to Latin American economy and only if Spain becomes an industrial juggernaut like the UK, it ll always be this way. TL DR it can take more than a few decades.
 
Well, it was a great idea that in OTL,was planned but never came to be. About its results it depends greatly of the "region". It's not the same Mexico, than Central America, than Peru than southern America(La Plata and Chile)
AFAIK Peru(OTL Peru and Bolivia and surrounding areas) were the most "loyalist" , Mexico had its own "identity" and Chile and Argentina were primarly inhabited by criollos.
In the long run, EVERY Latin American country will be "lost"(except perhaps Puerto Rico), but, depending on how it was implemented, the relation between Spain and its "former colonies" will be different(the worst case scenario is OTL...and we'll have a fluid relationship with almost any country of Latin America)
 
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There was a timeline a few years back "British Imperialism in the 19th Century" where Spain(followin a liberal revolution) formed a "Imperial Federacion" with the colonies with Spain being a first among equals, relying on the upper class and aristocracy to maintain control

This held off rebellion/revolution for years until finally the masses in south America rebelled, overthrew the upper classes and declared independence. By the end of it the "Imperial Federacion" was made up of Spain, the Central America colonies, Carribean colonies and the Philippines all standing as equals after much reform

This might not be what your looking for buts it's an example
 
BTW, its totally plausible. As you can see, the BOurbons WERE for the reform, although, as for the mainland Spain, they should have done deeper reforms:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/mexico/history-3-6.htm
And here, you have some projects that were put onto the table of Charles III, IV and the Felon King(Ferdinand VII) that never came to be:
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proyectos_españoles_para_la_independencia_de_América (sorry, there's no English translation)
Thanks. Couldn't remember Aranda's name, I kept wanting it to be Araña or something.

Yes. The Aranda plan (brief reference here) has been discussed here before, and is a good starting point. (Note, I'm not claiming all the following are actually relevant, I searched the forum for 'Aranda' and threw out obvious non=fits).

What if the Spanish Colonial Empire Followed Aranda's advice and reformed
AHC: Latin America (minus Brazil) united
Surviving Spanish Empire
AHC/WI: The Aranda Plan/Chateaubriand's Idea Succeeds
Spanish Latin America One Nation
AHC: Spanish Commonwealth
AHC: Spain keeps as many Latin American Colonies as possible
Strongest Spain post-1700?
WI: Aranda plan, Bourbon america, with a twist
The Fate of the Spanish Empire in most TLs?
Spanish Commonwealth








 
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