WI: A Spanish empire-in-exile not in Mexico

The challenge is, with a point of divergence during the Napoleonic Wars or shortly before, have a conflict where the Spanish monarchy is forced out of Spain, but at the same time, has also lost control over the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The monarchy can flee to Lima, or Buenos Aires, or Bogota, etc.

How would such a country develop? For example, how would the Peninsular War develop with the Spanish Empire ruled from Lima? How would the Latin American wars of independence be affected later?
 

maverick

Banned
Buenos Aires is three months from Europe and way too small...Montevideo is fortified but smaller than Buenos Aires.

Lima is on the Pacific, Cartagena and Veracruz are not important enough, so it has to be Caracas or Havanna, as they're the closest possible to Spain and send the message that the moving is only temporary, a message that is not thouroughly sent be setting the capital at such an imporant city as Mexico.
 
They'd most likely flee to Lima. Despite it being on the pacific, it is a good strategic position to retake New Spain. It can also easily reach Panama and maintain contact with troops very easily as well. Since the British will be unable to pirate ships that are not going towards Spain, Spain might actually use the money to fund society, the conquest of New Spain, and industry in Lima so as to regain some of the power they lost when they fled Spain(using all the gold and silver they can get from Peru to fund it without too much difficulty and no pirating from Britain, and might also even consider selling Britain raw minerals and make a profit off them). Strategically, Bogota seems the best place. Politically, Lima would be the position to go to. Spain would be forced to build industry in Northern South America, most likely Lima(safe from attack from any other power, close enough to be useful, already well-built), and war industry in Caracas and Bogota.
 
I wouldnt be shocked if the monarchy wound up in Havana. It was easily one of the largest cities in the Americas (I believe larger than Lima at the time, although I could be wrong), it is probably the most heavily defended location in the western hemisphere (not to mention home to the Arsenal), and in many ways is one of the more palatable cities for an exiled monarch.
 
It would have to be Havana. However anything other this or Mexico City might have to involve a double exile and that is really unlikely.

They are first exiled to Mexico City but they don't like it that much and neither do the locals. New Spain goes into revolution within a few years maybe a generation and they flee somewhere else most possibly Lima. Even though in the Pacific it is quite loyalist and it is a good point to retake New Spain (now Mexico).
 
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