The Dutch invasion of Buenos Aires in 1643

IOTL Maurice of Nassau, governor of Dutch Brazil, wanted to make an attack against Buenos Aires in 1643. However, he was removed from his position, and the WIC decided for an attack against Chile, which was fruitless.
But WI Maurice had remained in Recife and convinced the WIC about attacking Buenos Aires? Could they be successful and hold it? And if they could, what consequences could we see in the Southern Cone?
 
Interesting possibility!

I think they’ll be able to take it, since Buenos aires was a very small city in 1643, and wasn’t particularly well defended. Wether the Dutch will be able to defend it from the Spanish counter-attacks is another matter...

If you don’t mind, I’ll post a series of ideas concerning what I believe would happen, and what’s the most likely scenario given this Pod. Feel (you all) free to criticise any of these...
 
Paraguay

Whoever controls Buenos Aires (in 1643) controls the commerce between Spain and Mesopotamia, Santa Fe and Paraguay (and also, to a certain extent, parts of Cordoba and OTL Bolivia). Paraguay will be even more isolated than IOTL. This is because the Chaco forrests (and their inhabitants) will block the road towards OTL Bolivia, and the Portuguese will block their access to the Atlantic Ocean. Paraguay will only be able to communicate with the outside world only by sailing South through the Paraná River till Santa Fe, and then by travelling by land to Cordoba, and from there to Santiago de Chile or Lima (a very looooong distance). Even this road would be “cut” periodically if the Dutch conquer Santa Fe (even if briefly) or if there were wars in the the area. Paraguay’s culture might preserve even more elements of the Guaranní indigenous peoples, and might be quite interesting to study. The Jesuitic Missions might be aven more succesfull than IOTL.
 
The empire strikes back?

The Spanish will certainly try to retake Buenos Aires, but it won’t be easy, specially if the Dutch can defend it from any attack comming from the Sea. The Spanish may try to attack from the interior, but in those days what’s now Argentina was very sparsely populated, and I think that the towns didn’t have enough men and manpower to attempt any serious attack against the Dutch (IOTL they had barely enough manpower to defeat the Indian rebelions in the North East; they didn’t have the men and/or the will to defeat the tribes living in Chaco). I don’t think the local resources will be enough to defeat a city defended by well-trained Dutch soldiers (or European mercenaries) and supplied directly from Europe. The Spanish could allways land troops in Chile and attempt to attack from there. But by the time they get to Buenos Aires their supply land will be extremly over-extended.

However, they could allways try a convined attack (from the sea and from the interior) at a time when the Dutch are distracted by an European war.
 
It’s the Economy, ...

If they manage to hold Buenos Aires, what will they do? How will the colony survive, economically speaking? I think one of their main activities, specialy at first, would be to commerce with the Spanish-held interior (Paraguay, Mesopotamia, Santa Fe, Cordoba, etc.) The Spanish will make this commerce illegal, but since it will be much cheaper to get European goods from the Dutch Porteños than from the Spanish in places like Paraguay, I think this commerce will flourish. Sometime an honest Spanish governor will jail those who practice this illegal commerce. But in the end, he or his succesor will allow it, since the of his province will be ruin without it. (IOTL this is what happened with the illegal commerce between Buenos Aires and Portugal, Holand or England).

Another possibility (good at the times when commerce with the Spanish isn’t possible due to a war or an effective bann) would be to export leather. The first time the Spanish had been in Buenos Aires (1536), they brought cows and horses. When they returned in 1580 (after having abandoned the city), horses and cows had become wild and their numbers were enormous. They would be hunt as wild beasts in order to get their leather. If the Spanish did it, the Dutch could.
 
Commercial outpost or settlement colony?

The final question is: could this become a settlement colony?

IRCC, the Dutch usually didn’t send many settlers abroad. But this could be different. The terrain surrounding Buenos Aires is extremly good for farming. And the control of Buenos Aires (if complemented by the establishment of colonies in Tierra del Fuego and the Malvinas) could easily have allowed the Dutch to control the passage between the Atlantic and the Pacific... in the same way in which the control of Cape Town allowed them to control the route between the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean.

I think that the conquest of Buenos Aires would be complemented by the control of Tierra del Fuego (After all, it was a Dutch, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hendrik_Brouwer Hendrick_Brouwer, who first circunnavegated the Island, in 1643) and the Malvinas, which were first visited by a Dutch sailor (Sebald de Weert) in 1600 AD.

With Buenos Aires, Tierra Del Fuego and the Malvinas in their hands, the Dutch will have a huge territory under their control. A territory strategically situated (between the Atlantic and the Pacific, the SHORTEST sea route at the time between both Oceans), rich in reasuorces if exploited wisely (good arable land in the North, near Buenos Aires, and fish, whale and sealion’s oil in the Patagonian coasts), and really huge.

I think that at first there won’t be much more than comercial outposts, but that the place could eventually develop into an important settlement colony encompassing present day Patagonia and the provinces of Buenos Aires and La Pampa.

It might seem similar to South Africa in the early years, but the human environment will be completely different, and so will the evolution of the place. The horse-riding Tehuelche and (in the XVIII century) the Mapuche won’t be like the Hottentots, and the Spanish Northern neighbours would be far more dangerous than the Bantu. The very survival of the place under Dutch hands is doubtfull, but could give rise to a very interesting TL.*

* But, if anyone does one, please don’t come up with a Draka’s analogous. Slavery, if it exists in this territory in this ATL, would remain very marginal, since the place is not good for plantations (unless they also conquer Northern Argentina, Paraguay and half of Brazil, but that’s a very different scenario... and one bordering ASB).
 
All good inputs Admiral!

I'll add some ideas:

At that time Paraguay wouldn't still be blocked from the Atlantic Ocean. The Southernmost point the Portuguese had reached by 1643 was still the Paranaguá Bay, in the OTL state of Paraná. The colonization of Santa Catarina's coast would start only 30 years later, and Rio Grande do Sul wouldn't see any Portuguese settler before the 18th century. The Bandeirantes were already defeated in the Battle of Mbororé, and so the territory or Rio Grande do Sul was clear of Portuguese.

If the River Plate is blocked, the Spanish/Paraguayans and the Jesuits could maybe expand earlier over the territory of Rio Grande do Sul, in order to find an access to the sea. Once they reach the Jacuí River (and they had a Jesuit Mission near it before) they would have access to the Patos Lake, and from there to the Atlantic through the Barra do Rio Grande. We might see even the center of "Paraguay" migrate to the areas East of the Uruguay River, before any Portuguese colonizer arrive there.

About the possibility of the Dutch hold it, I'm not sure, but maybe when the 80 Years War ends they could make the Spanish accept the loss of Buenos Aires. Also, if the Dutch are still expelled later from the Brazilian Northeast, all the people who were sent to New Netherlands in North America, and maybe some who went to the Caribbean could be sent to Buenos Aires instead, increasing the Dutch population there.
 
If Dutch invade Buenos Aires, the Spaniards would try to retake Buenos Aires using the interiors of Argentina or Paraguay. If Dutch colonize the Buenos Aires, I think it would be a commercial post rather than settlement.
 
The problem there are logistics and communications. Any force moving from Chile or Peru would have to traverse hundreds (and from Peru thousands) of kilometres though barely inhabitated lands. The best move would be if the governor of Paraguay acts on his own initiative and counterattacks asap. The main question is how many troops the Dutch had left to fight that counterattack
 
If the dutch could manage keeping that colony, it would received a part of the settlers that went to Africa, it would make the Cape a lot less afrikaner, and the platinean gaúchos much more boers. As they get in the countryside they would expel of the jesuits, as they usually did, wich, by the way, would cause a huge revolt of the indians, kind like the Guarany Wars. Assuming that by a miracle the spanish closes their eyes to all this, and if they managed to keep the guarany quiet, today Argentina would be a country with strong religious and racial tension, the boer-gaúcho protestant elite from Buenos Aires dominating the guarany catholic peasants from the countryside, a kind of mixture of Northern Ireland and South Africa, not a very good place to live...
 
Never was aware this was contemplated by MAurice of Nassau Siegen?
I will try a time line:
1643 Maurice of Nassau Siegen governour of the WIC in Brasil sent a relative small expedition force to capture the Spanish Settlement Buenos Aires.
The settlement is captured and the Spanish inhabbitants are not massacred, as was common prctise those days.
Expedition force fortified the place to resist counter attack of Spanish troops, from the Crown or from the Spanish American domenions. Spain react very slow and counter attack was poor orginased and initial repulsed. Second attemped is made but with no result.
In itialy WIC, Maurice bosses were outraged, since there is no real value for a trading company as the WIC. Estate General will rule the trading post, it is the first and only real colony of the United Provinces, all others are property of trading companies. Trade is hides and horses and later a dump place for thieves and beggars.
1644 Maurice of Nassau Siegen is allowed to stay one year longer in Brasil.
1645 Maurice of Nassau Siegen is begged to stay longer in Brasil due to increasing presure of Portugal on Brasil and the WIC.
1648 Peace of Munster, First pitty criminals are dumped in Buneos Aires, of te wel Frederick stad, after the ruling Stadholder.
Dutch almost never gave cities poetic names like , skies, mountains or waters, only public names or cities
1652 Estate General does not renew the charter of trade monopoly on the Atlantic to the WIC, which goes bankrupt shortly after. Trader of Amsterdam were opsed to the monopoly position of the WIC. Burger Van der Donk for New Amsterdam ( New York) published letters of the poor gouvernance of the WIC in its posessions.
VOC start refreshing station at the Table Bay, Cape Town.
1654 Peace with Portugal. Both sides keep what they have. Portugal, Angola an all of Brasill South of the Rioa Franscesco and Maranhao. Netherlands all North of the Rio San Franseco exept Maranahao.
New Amsterdam will have a smaller infux of jews, due to the remaining excistence of Dutch Brasil.
Buenos Aeres, Frederik stad, remain a marginal, colony, with small trade in hide and horses an agricultre good with the surounding Jesuit colonies and passing by ships. Later a florishing tcattle rade came up with the new Cape Town in South Africa, but this decreased when catlle and horses were breed succesfully at the other side oth the Atlantic. Even so immigrant out of free will increase during the 17th and 18th century due to restrictions for emigrants in the Cape colony and drop out from Northen Dutch Brasil.
1655 New Amstrdam(New York) is grated city rights, the first in the New World.
1656 Maurits Stad is granted city right s as second city in the New world.
1665 New Amsterdam is captured by the English and named New York.
1673 New York ocupied by Dutch and renamed back to New MAsterdam.
18th Century
Buenos Aires grow slow, some times tensed relations between the Jesuit colonies and the Paulistas. Jesuit colonies proved pore valuble as trading partners than as slave breeding places.
Administrativly Buenos Aires is still part of Dutch Brasil.
The colonie and other Dutch possesion came some times under attack whenthe United Provinces was ecolved in an Europena war.
At the end of the 18th century Beunos Aires, Frederick stad evolved in to a sizable, agricultural based colony, slightly larger than the Cape Colony due to the absence of restrictions of the VOC. But far smaller and definatly much poorer as the Norhten plantation based Dutch Brasil.
When the American Revolution enlighted, New Amsterdam styade neutral, but was finaly invaded when England and th United Provinces came to war. The United Provinces recognised the new Nation. After the American war Nwe Amsterdam became under Dutch administration again
French revolution, United Provinces invaded and later part of the Napoleontic Empire.
New Amsterdam, joins the USA.
Dutch Brasil become an indipendent colony chosing the side of the United Kingdom agains France. Cape Colony come under rule of Dutch Brasil....


not much a buenos aires time line:rolleyes:
 
Which is quite accurate. However to make it good (modern) Dutch i suggest you name it ''Goede Lucht" wich means ''good air''

At the time, I don't think modern Dutch will work out quite well - look at Afrikaans, which simplified "IJ" with "Y", for example.
 
Never was aware this was contemplated by MAurice of Nassau Siegen?

He wanted to take Buenos Aires because it was the port from where flowed all the contraband of Peruvian silver to Brazil and Europe, as the only legal route allowed by the Spanish authorities should go North and pass through Panama. Controlling Buenos Aires could put the Dutch in control of this illegal silver trade and also weaken the Portuguese in Rio and Salvador (where most of the silver used by traders came from contraband through the Plata basin).
 
Whoever controls Buenos Aires (in 1643) controls the commerce between Spain and Mesopotamia, Santa Fe and Paraguay (and also, to a certain extent, parts of Cordoba and OTL Bolivia). Paraguay will be even more isolated than IOTL. This is because the Chaco forrests (and their inhabitants) will block the road towards OTL Bolivia, and the Portuguese will block their access to the Atlantic Ocean. Paraguay will only be able to communicate with the outside world only by sailing South through the Paraná River till Santa Fe, and then by travelling by land to Cordoba, and from there to Santiago de Chile or Lima (a very looooong distance). Even this road would be “cut” periodically if the Dutch conquer Santa Fe (even if briefly) or if there were wars in the the area. Paraguay’s culture might preserve even more elements of the Guaranní indigenous peoples, and might be quite interesting to study. The Jesuitic Missions might be aven more succesfull than IOTL.
That seems a dead sentence to Paraguay as it´s know. Spain wouldn´t get reasons to maintain control over Paraguay if they lose control over Plate River so Paraguay will be under Dutch or Portuguese control and later, the Guarani culture will be dead. But, in fact, I don´t see Spain allowing Dutch presence in Buenos Aires that could threaten their dominion over Peru
 
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