Spanish Formosa

What PODs would allow Spain to successfully acquire Formosa either as part of Spanish East Indies or as a separate colony? And what would be the possible butterflies of such event?
 
Well, PoD should be between late 16th and early 17th century; either from Manila, Mexico (glubs!) or both.

Massive butterflies, especially the demographic make-up of Taiwan; there will be Hoklo (Southern Fujian) migrants, but all of them intermarried with the local women, adopted Roman Catholic faith, and more or less assimilated. The capital? The OTL location of Taoyuan County
 
What PODs would allow Spain to successfully acquire Formosa either as part of Spanish East Indies or as a separate colony? And what would be the possible butterflies of such event?

Spanish lost their Formosa colonies in 1642 OTL. There were Filipinos that actually defended those colonies when Spain lost them to the Dutch. So, in a sense, it will be under the Spanish East Indies.

Had Spain retained Formosa, they would probably be a tougher opponent for Koxinga than the Dutch due to proximity of reinforcements.

If any fear of Chinese invasion in Manila is butterflied from ATL, Spain can divert resources to actually conquer Brunei(which is the whole Borneo at this time) and the rest of Muslim Mindanao in the 17th century. This would change the size of Spanish East Indies in ATL.
 
What do you mean by Borneo ? If it's the whole island instead of the northern coast area then no, Brunei never wrapped the entire island for once, but did controlled the entire Sarawak and Sabah. But for some reason I still doubt Spanish ability to conquer that much regardless.
 
You can always have Magelleon hitting Formosa instead of one of the Philippine islands. A bigger question is whether or not they could keep it.
 

Mercenarius

Banned
I could only think of 2 PODs.

- the Portuguese decides to colonize Taiwan, and when Philip II inherits Portugal, it could be transfered to Spain.

- have Governor Hurtado de Corcuera commit more troops to the island during the confrontation with the Dutch. And later, when the coastal forts held out, begin a counterattack.
 
OTL

And a good reason for them to stay is to let them discover Jinguashi Gold Mine, which is only a few hours' walk away from Keelung, but IOTL it's only discovered in 1893 due to rail construction so some luck is needed for the Spaniards to stumble upon it.
 
What are the possible alternate names for places in Formosa?
Well, aside from Santo Domingo (OTL Tamsui) and Santo Domingo (OTL Keelung), most of the largest settlements in Taiwan will be named after forts, like Santa Pilar de la Siraya (OTL Tainan), San Fernando Rey (OTL Hsinchu City)...
 
What do you mean by Borneo ? If it's the whole island instead of the northern coast area then no, Brunei never wrapped the entire island for once, but did controlled the entire Sarawak and Sabah. But for some reason I still doubt Spanish ability to conquer that much regardless.

Spain has the capability to do so. Being the world power of the time, they can actually do it. The issue is if will they want to.

Spanish interest in those islands were primarily to base trading in Asia. Any threat to New Castille would give Spain that extra incentive to invade Brunei, Dutch East Indies or like OTL, Sulu and Mindanao.

Of course the later you do this, the less chance Spain can actually conquer them especially if Spanish power declines like OTL.
 
as i said, the best Philippines-wank is a MASSIVE Dutch-Brit screw.

make everything go wrong for the Dutch. kill off the House of Orange. destroy Dutch trade. make Chinese and Malay pirates drive away their ships. convert the Muslims of the Portuguese East Indies to Christianity, whatever the cost.

make everything go right for the Habsburgs. drive the Bourbons to bankruptcy with economic warfare. give the Catholics pirates and privateers of their own.

ps: oh, and if formosa is spanish, manila becomes somewhat less important.
 
Spain has the capability to do so. Being the world power of the time, they can actually do it. The issue is if will they want to.

Spanish interest in those islands were primarily to base trading in Asia. Any threat to New Castille would give Spain that extra incentive to invade Brunei, Dutch East Indies or like OTL, Sulu and Mindanao.

Of course the later you do this, the less chance Spain can actually conquer them especially if Spanish power declines like OTL.

But can and want don't always go together.

Regarding Taiwan, its main value (baring gold mines, so thanks for that) is as a trade gate to China. Which the Philippines serves as just fine. I wonder though, if more interest could have been placed in Taiwan, had Japan remained open. The Spanish presence was on the north of the island after all.
 
as i said, the best Philippines-wank is a MASSIVE Dutch-Brit screw.

make everything go wrong for the Dutch. kill off the House of Orange. destroy Dutch trade. make Chinese and Malay pirates drive away their ships. convert the Muslims of the Portuguese East Indies to Christianity, whatever the cost.

make everything go right for the Habsburgs. drive the Bourbons to bankruptcy with economic warfare. give the Catholics pirates and privateers of their own.

ps: oh, and if formosa is spanish, manila becomes somewhat less important.

I see no major butterflies in Philippines. The Dutch and the British never conquered the Philippines. Although this will create a power vacuum down south on where OTL Indonesia/Malaysia is located.

I do agree though that Spanish Formosa will make Manila less important for trade. Rather being main gateway between Spain and Chinese trade, Manila will be natural resource provider, e.g. hardwood for naval production, manpower for armies to defend Spanish east indies, like in OTL etc. Formosa doesnt have the manpower nor the natural resources like what Philippines can offer for Spanish Asian ambitions.
 
I see no major butterflies in Philippines. The Dutch and the British never conquered the Philippines. Although this will create a power vacuum down south on where OTL Indonesia/Malaysia is located.

I do agree though that Spanish Formosa will make Manila less important for trade. Rather being main gateway between Spain and Chinese trade, Manila will be natural resource provider, e.g. hardwood for naval production, manpower for armies to defend Spanish east indies, like in OTL etc. Formosa doesnt have the manpower nor the natural resources like what Philippines can offer for Spanish Asian ambitions.

Ehem. but yeah, Manila goes the way of Cebu, historically important but otherwise useless.
 
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