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?
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, 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 are the possible alternate names for places in Formosa?
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.
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.