During the 1920s and 30s many nations in Latin America resented America's seemingly heavy handed involvement in the the affairs of the region. This was especially so with Argentina. Here is a brief attempt to have a realistic war occur because of this tension as well as the tension that existed between and within the various nations of South America.
[Before I started I set down some ground rules. The war could not greatly alter the basic relationship between the soon to be allied nations. The war could not fundamentally alter the balance of power in Europe prior to WWII. The war must be seen as winable, at least initially, by those opposing the United States.]
To do this I chose to have POD that allowed an heightened state of tension between the various South American states that participate in the conflict.
POD: The failure to reach an agreement during negotiations between Peru and Chile [i.e. no 1929 Treaty of Lima] leaves a tense stand off in the Arica. This unease works to destabilize the already simmering region.
1932: The Gran Chaco War begin and initially Argentina will assist Paraguay in its effort against Bolivia.
1934: Conservative, and local facist, Leopoldo Lugones organizes an unseen coup within the government of Argentina. With the help of conservative army personel he is appointed acting President. Lugones decides to secretly support both sides during the Gran Chaco War; hoping to weaken both nations and make territorial gains. Argentina also begins to purchase large amounts of arms and equipment from Italy and France.
1935: With public unrest of the Peruvian government growing nationalist leader Victor Raul Haya de la Torre is released from jail and allowed to form a coalition government allied with the military.
In late 1935 Peru and Argentina sign the Lima Pact. In 1935 Lugones helps to negotiate a cease-fire but uses Paraguay's suffers a military coup
1936: Paraguay resumes the war against Bolivia in April and Lugones takes this as a personal insult. He dismisses Brazilian and American offers to mediate and uses a minor border incident as an excuse to declare war on Paraguay.
1937: Paraguay collapses in January and the nation is divided between Bolivia and Argentina.
Peru declares war on Chile in March. Chile activates its secret alliance with Ecuador, and Ecuador declares war on Peru.
Argentina declared war on Chile in July of 1937. In October Bolivia joins the Lima Pact and declares war on Chile and Ecuador. The United States, Uruguay and Brazil declare their neutrality, but Roosevelt decries Peruvian and Argentinean aggression. In August the US ambassador writes a strongly worded condemnation of Lugones and openly meets with several of his strongest critics. Lugones expels the US diplomats, and on August 23rd, an angry crowd attacks the US embassy killing three marines and taking 23 people hostage. Eight Argentines that were been given safe refuge in the US embassy are publicly executed and the remaining Americans are held hostage. Roosevelt give William Donovan the go-ahead to plan a rescue operation and on October 2nd a force of 120 men from the newly formed Special Operations and Naval Assault Division sneak off a Panamanian flagged freighter and rescue 13 of the hostages. Two hostages, four US soldiers and twenty-one Argentinean soldiers are killed in the operation. The Argentinean government is furious but Brazil offers to mediate. A day later the freighter met up with its military escort consisting of two destroyers, but spies in Uruguay informed the Argentinean government and a task force was dispatched to capture the freighter. The freighter made it to the British held Falkland Islands while a US task force led by the battleship U.S.S. Pennsylvania moved through the Straits of Magellan after a long journey from San Francisco. The U.S.S. Pennsylvania along with one heavy cruiser, two light cruisers and four destroyers is met as a show of force to cower the Lima Alliance and protect the rescue force if need be, but its progress had been delayed by storms. On October 10th, as the US task force passed through the narrow waters of the straits of Magellan they were attacked by a large force of Argentinean warplanes. The heavy cruiser and one destroyer were sunk while the Pennsylvania, a light cruiser and two more destroyers suffered moderate to heavy damage. As they left the straits the remaining ships were attacked by a large Argentinean naval task force led by the battleships Rivadavia and Moreno, and including a further five cruisers, nine destroyers and thirteen torpedo boats. In the vicious fighting that occurred Argentina lost the Moreno and the Rivadavia was badly damaged, two cruisers were sunk as were three destroyers and seven torpedo boats. The rest of the Argentinean fleet limped back to its home port. The US lost the damaged light cruiser and two destroyers but was only saved by the arrival of a smaller task force from the Falklands consisting of a heavy cruiser and three destroyers. Of this group two destroyers were lost and the other two ships were badly damaged. The Pennsylvania suffered extensive damage and was barely able to limp to the Falklands. She finally sunk on October 20th in very shallow waters off Port Stanley. The remaining US vessels also took refuge in the waters off Port Stanley, and Lugones had his military draw up plans for an aerial strike against the Falklands, but his Foreign Minister Carlos Saavedra Lamas persuaded him against taking actions that would lead to war with both the US and UK. As it was the US declared war on Argentina on October 21st and three days later Peru and Bolivia declared war on the US.
[Before I started I set down some ground rules. The war could not greatly alter the basic relationship between the soon to be allied nations. The war could not fundamentally alter the balance of power in Europe prior to WWII. The war must be seen as winable, at least initially, by those opposing the United States.]
To do this I chose to have POD that allowed an heightened state of tension between the various South American states that participate in the conflict.
POD: The failure to reach an agreement during negotiations between Peru and Chile [i.e. no 1929 Treaty of Lima] leaves a tense stand off in the Arica. This unease works to destabilize the already simmering region.
1932: The Gran Chaco War begin and initially Argentina will assist Paraguay in its effort against Bolivia.
1934: Conservative, and local facist, Leopoldo Lugones organizes an unseen coup within the government of Argentina. With the help of conservative army personel he is appointed acting President. Lugones decides to secretly support both sides during the Gran Chaco War; hoping to weaken both nations and make territorial gains. Argentina also begins to purchase large amounts of arms and equipment from Italy and France.
1935: With public unrest of the Peruvian government growing nationalist leader Victor Raul Haya de la Torre is released from jail and allowed to form a coalition government allied with the military.
In late 1935 Peru and Argentina sign the Lima Pact. In 1935 Lugones helps to negotiate a cease-fire but uses Paraguay's suffers a military coup
1936: Paraguay resumes the war against Bolivia in April and Lugones takes this as a personal insult. He dismisses Brazilian and American offers to mediate and uses a minor border incident as an excuse to declare war on Paraguay.
1937: Paraguay collapses in January and the nation is divided between Bolivia and Argentina.
Peru declares war on Chile in March. Chile activates its secret alliance with Ecuador, and Ecuador declares war on Peru.
Argentina declared war on Chile in July of 1937. In October Bolivia joins the Lima Pact and declares war on Chile and Ecuador. The United States, Uruguay and Brazil declare their neutrality, but Roosevelt decries Peruvian and Argentinean aggression. In August the US ambassador writes a strongly worded condemnation of Lugones and openly meets with several of his strongest critics. Lugones expels the US diplomats, and on August 23rd, an angry crowd attacks the US embassy killing three marines and taking 23 people hostage. Eight Argentines that were been given safe refuge in the US embassy are publicly executed and the remaining Americans are held hostage. Roosevelt give William Donovan the go-ahead to plan a rescue operation and on October 2nd a force of 120 men from the newly formed Special Operations and Naval Assault Division sneak off a Panamanian flagged freighter and rescue 13 of the hostages. Two hostages, four US soldiers and twenty-one Argentinean soldiers are killed in the operation. The Argentinean government is furious but Brazil offers to mediate. A day later the freighter met up with its military escort consisting of two destroyers, but spies in Uruguay informed the Argentinean government and a task force was dispatched to capture the freighter. The freighter made it to the British held Falkland Islands while a US task force led by the battleship U.S.S. Pennsylvania moved through the Straits of Magellan after a long journey from San Francisco. The U.S.S. Pennsylvania along with one heavy cruiser, two light cruisers and four destroyers is met as a show of force to cower the Lima Alliance and protect the rescue force if need be, but its progress had been delayed by storms. On October 10th, as the US task force passed through the narrow waters of the straits of Magellan they were attacked by a large force of Argentinean warplanes. The heavy cruiser and one destroyer were sunk while the Pennsylvania, a light cruiser and two more destroyers suffered moderate to heavy damage. As they left the straits the remaining ships were attacked by a large Argentinean naval task force led by the battleships Rivadavia and Moreno, and including a further five cruisers, nine destroyers and thirteen torpedo boats. In the vicious fighting that occurred Argentina lost the Moreno and the Rivadavia was badly damaged, two cruisers were sunk as were three destroyers and seven torpedo boats. The rest of the Argentinean fleet limped back to its home port. The US lost the damaged light cruiser and two destroyers but was only saved by the arrival of a smaller task force from the Falklands consisting of a heavy cruiser and three destroyers. Of this group two destroyers were lost and the other two ships were badly damaged. The Pennsylvania suffered extensive damage and was barely able to limp to the Falklands. She finally sunk on October 20th in very shallow waters off Port Stanley. The remaining US vessels also took refuge in the waters off Port Stanley, and Lugones had his military draw up plans for an aerial strike against the Falklands, but his Foreign Minister Carlos Saavedra Lamas persuaded him against taking actions that would lead to war with both the US and UK. As it was the US declared war on Argentina on October 21st and three days later Peru and Bolivia declared war on the US.
