World War 1845

[Grey Wolf]

World War 1845

This thread follows on directly from the discursive Joubert/Carnot thread, which was used to get the timeline of the ATL moved from 1799 to 1845, and to discuss everything along the way. Many thanks to those who participated there, especially to fhaessig, Nicomacheus, Tom B, Gonzaga, and HJTulp

Please note, therefore, that the timeline/narrative that unfolds below has an ATL backstory of 45 years different to our own history. I will try to explain the 'current' state of the world in the first posts, and the position of the main 'characters' within this

I had hoped to use this as my entry for Chris' story-writing competition, but I find that I simply don't have it in me to understand enough about the technological, social and everyday side of the mid 1840s to succeed in doing this. I don't even know how to light a room, let alone describe a general's headquarters !

I prefer an ATL to use historical characters where possible, unless the divergence has been significant enough that wholly made-up characters OUGHT to be present. With regard to the latter, it has really only occurred in this timeline where royals are concerned- Queen Charlotte of Great Britain marrying Prince William of Orange has two ATL sons, George, Prince of Wales, and William, Duke of York, who of course never existed in OTL

Butterfly fans will rant and rave, no doubt, that anyone born after the POD can't exist and so on, but I still well remember a discussion I had on this many years ago with Rick Robinson, and he convinced me that any one individual's chances of coming into being is infinitessimal, so sure the events of an ATL may have rendered someone unlikely, but their coming into being is no LESS likely than whichever character we create from scratch in their place. It is only when the odds change to make someone improbable when compared to OTL that this calculation dies - ie if someone is the product of an American mother and a British father but at the time of their OTL birth, those two countries are at war in the ATL, then they will be replaced with someone else

Thus, the younger strata of characters, those who hold active military commands for instance, are for the mostpart born after the POD, but are OTL persons whose lives have been very different in this timeline. The Mississippi border, the pushing across to form the three new states, the whole question of Fredonia where OTL Kansas and Oklahoma are, all this will have given completely different career paths and outlook to such characters. The existence of a larger, modern United States Navy will also have changed things, and I make no excuses for pulling in characters from OTL Texas to populate both Fredonia, and the US fleet

After much debate and discussion I have adopted a standard of technology that takes OTL as its base but advances certain areas
- screw-driven steam-powered large warships are being purposely built by the major navies by 1845 (this is an advance of 10-15 years on OTL)
- railways have spread to the "Railway Mania" level of OTL Britain 1845, within France, other industrialised parts of Germany, and within the USA also
- telegraph is about 5 years ahead of itself, due to an earlier take-up and development of the prototype of the chap whom Morse in OTL built upon. I still use Morse here, having him build on this with government interest, not least due to the 3 Spanish-American wars, the rise in unfriendly relations with Britain, and the need to transmit orders quickly across the vast nation

My major problem with maps is that I have to trace them, then scan them in. I will copy/paste the one map of the USA that I uploaded into the previous thread. This shows the official extent of the country, though with subsequent developments, there are the issues of Fredonia on the one hand, and of the USA buying out Russia's interests in Oregon on the other

Hopefully I can make this work. If not, sorry for wasting your time !

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Grey Wolf]

The Early Days

Topeka, Fredonia, a city by name, a morass of iniquity by fact. I wandered its streets, drank in its bars, whored in its brothels, and slept in its hotels. For two weeks I counted myself a denizen of this frontier republic. I saw the comings and goings, I saw the close and intimate links with the United States, the locomotives that travelled the single line to the capital, and back. And I saw the singular spirit of the nation, peopled as it was by refugees and adventurers from the mother country, as much as by entrepreneurs and ambassadors. Fredonia was what it was, and it would take from anyone what it could, what it would, but it would not be beholden to anyone - certainly, not yet

Then came the news, out from Washington following the railway lines on the new-fangled telegraph. War with Great Britain ! And for us here down in the borderlands, more importantly, war with Spain... President Houston of the United States had made his declaration. A few days later, President Lamar of Fredonia made his. We were at war with the so-called reactionaries of Europe

Here, in Fredonia, the immediate impact was negligible. The government led a recruitment drive into the army, but apart from that things continued as usual. The war with the Indians was never-ending, Comanche, Apache and Kiowa in eternal opposition to the ambitions of the republic. The Duke of Salerno, Borbon governor of New Spain, was as hated as any Comanche chief, his forces reinforced as tensions had continued to grow, but having to look to the Republic of Mexico on his Southern flank as much as to the stain on the map that Fredonia was

Along with news of the declaration of war, came the US dragoons, let into the country by permission of President Lamar. Less welcome were the Indian Volunteer companies, the Cherokee, Seminole and Winnebago, part of the Ten Civilised Tribes and a cornerstone of the type of policy that newly-elected President Sam Houston espoused. Fredonians had little use for Indians, and made little distinction between Civilised and uncivilised, between those who had signed up to the United States, and those who remained cast in opposition. But after several incidents in which the residents of Topeka had greeted their defenders with arms, and street riots, the commander of regular American troops made it clear that he had orders to bring a halt to this persecution, one way or another

President M B Lamar always knew when he was beaten, and with US forces ranging through his republic, this was one of those times.

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Grey Wolf]

The first naval clash of the war occurred on Lake Erie, as many had predicted. The British fleet, reformed after its action in the War of the Canadas, and subsequently reinforced, felt itself the superior of an American fleet that had, it seemed, stood still. True, no substantial building programme had been embarked upon, but the Duke of Cambridge's government in Ottawa had overlooked the recent overhauls - not just refits, but in some cases near-rebuilds, and in all cases seeing better cannon replace the aged, but successful, pieces the US ships had previously fired. In addition, the few steam vessels had had their boilers and engines completely replaced, the life of such being as yet short, and the command of the fleet had been given to a young up-and-coming Commodore, who had served in the anti-piracy patrols in the Caribbean with great distinction

Thus, it was, that Commodore Edwin Moore led out the US Lakes fleet aboard the screw frigate Detroit to seek out and engage the British, confident in the strength of his own force. The British were no less confident, seeing the spectre of a battle as a highly advantageous one - why bother to comb the lakes if the enemy would kindly come to them ?

Neither side was to see its hopes justified. The US fleet proved a stronger bulwark than the British could have foreseen, but the British had the most recent experience in fighting upon the lakes, and they made great use of this. Nobody could call the battle anything but a draw, with two British ships lost, and one forced aground, to three American ships sunk, one the sister of the flagship, the screw frigate Chicago

Commodore Moore limped back home, his battle lust filled, his strategic situation little worse, but the horizons of hope that the Americans had dreamt now seemed far too wide. The battle for control of the Great Lakes would go on all through 1845, and if the war lasted beyond the Winter into the years that lay before them


Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Grey Wolf]

The outbreak of war in the Eastern Mediterranean was met with a sense almost of unreality in London. The Austro-Ottoman fleet had taken grave casualties in action off Acre with a joint French and Egyptian fleet, and war had come in hot pursuit. Mehmed Ali had ordered his armies to advance from Syria into Anatolia, but the Ottoman army, reformed under Mahmud II and boasting a sudden influx of Austrian arms had halted them, albeit not without some substantial losses to its own ranks

The Austro-Ottoman fleet was licking its wounds at Rhodes, the French and Egyptians rumoured to be either off the Syrian coast, back in Alexandria, or heading for the Aegean itself. News still travelled slowly where the telegraph was not installed, and none the more so than with regard to naval affairs.

Prime Minister the Duke of Wellington reinforced British forces in Cyrenaica, Foreign Secretary David Urquhart still insisting that Russia, so far neutral in the conflict, was the real danger, and gaining cabinet agreement to keep up the shadowing of Russian warships out of Valetta in their ongoing attempt to retake Tunis. Commodore James Hope was equally eager to enact such orders, and the frigate squadrons that had tagged the Russians heels continued unabated, even whilst Opposition spokesmen in parliament demanded to know what was being done about the war, demanded to know why there was this focus upon the Russians

But to Wellington, for all his historical associations with Tunis and the Fezzan, the Mediterranean was a theatre he was happy to leave to others to run, all of his focus was upon the Americas, and the developing situation in the various theatres of war - for many, and various indeed, were these theatres

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Grey Wolf]

Commodore Robert F Stockton was the first American naval officer to know the shadow of defeat, albeit briefly for he would die of the wounds he took in losing his fleet

The British had established a base in Puget Sound, basing their former China Fleet there to contest American occupation of the Oregon Territory. Although this fleet was old, and worn, it was battle-tested, and in the Chinese War it had seen not only the conquest of Shanghai, but the annihilation at its hands of the Northern fleet. Since then it had been replaced on that station by a handful of modern screw frigates, and being all-sail had crossed the North Pacific to defend Britain's claims against increasing American adventurism

Russia's cession and sale of its rights to the USA had been completely refuted in London; they had never accepted Spain's sale of such to the Russians anyway, and the very idea of their now being taken up by the upstarts in Washington ran contrary to every ambition of Britain, and of the Hudson Bay Company, which had long-since absorbed the North West Company, the true pioneers in the region. Russian agents and administrators had simply signed up with the Americans, and the Russian treaties with the Shoshoni and Nez Perce were now deemed to apply to the Americans instead.

Britain had been busy, working as ever with dissident factions amongst the Indians, working with its own traders, adventurers and scouts, and it had sent the China fleet to back up its claims. When war had broken out, this fleet had come down to where Stockton had the Trans-World Fleet, as the Americans grandiosely called their force, anchored in the estuary of the Colombia River

The American sailors knew their business, but it was the battle-tested status of the British which won the day. Having seen off the Chinese, the officers and sailors had little fear of the Americans, despite their more modern ships, their more dangerous weapons, and their pride which led their Commodore to come out in formation and counter-attack

Only one American ship escaped, the elderly heavy frigate Constitution making a break for the South once it was clear that the Trans-World Fleet was doomed, and that the British could not help but win. A couple of hours later, Stockton, severely wounded in the shoulder, ordered the colours of his flagship struck, and the battle was over. Not a few British vessels had been sunk, or drifted burning, but the bulk of the one-time China fleet was intact, and British control of the coast of Oregon assured for the moment

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Grey Wolf]

American arms met a check upon land too, the mixed force that marched out of Fredonia into the vastness of New Spain doing so with an arrogance and a belief that belied any true intelligence on the nature of their enemy

For the Duke of Salerno had not been idle, and he had inherited a strong base from the rule of the two previous Viceroys. Although only one small railroad had been constructed, running from Campeche* on the Gulf coast to San Antonio de Bexar, a not inconsiderable feat in itself, the roads had benefitted from thirty years of New Spain's perilous existence between the United States on one side, and the Republic of Mexico on the other. Ever a frontier, ever the staging post for armies, the roads had been the priority of the Duke of Cadiz way back then, and for all Viceroys after him

When news reached the Viceroy at Campeche he ordered General Seguin to take his army North. Made up half of native Tejanos, and half of the best of Spain's cavalry regiments, Seguin's force ran into the unsuspecting Americans on the Brazos. The ensuing battle lasted over two days, and whilst in one respect it was not decisive, the check to the American advance was decisive enough in itself.

The Fredonian Militia fought hard, the Indian Volunteer Companies amongst the US forces fought valiantly, and the professional core of US dragoons and more sparse cavalry also gave a good account of themselves. But the Fredonian Volunteers, recently raised by President Lamar proved ill-disciplined and as much a danger to their own side as to the Spanish, whilst the US Volunteer companies broke and ran under the fierce fire of Seguin's Tejanos.

The attempt of the Cherokee Volunteers late on the second day to turn the Spanish flank marked the end of any American hopes of victory. General Canales repulsed them, with great loss, and chased them from the field - an indignity that was to sear into their very soul as the war dragged on.

At dawn on the third day it became clear that the Americans would not fight another day - they had sneaked away in the night, retiring Northwards to try to find a new route that did not involve running into Seguin's victorious army

When the news slowly made its way back to Washington, President Houston was both furious and shamed. A member of the Cherokee Nation himself, he could not accept the indignity of their flight, and ordered an accounting. But way out in the vastness of Tejas, the American-Fredonian force was attempting the impossible, a cross-country march West to outflank the Spanish and to take Santa Fe


Best Regards
Grey Wolf


*Campeche here is the Spanish name for Galveston

 

[Grey Wolf]

The entry of Mexico into the war was not unexpected, for all that it had been delayed by months of wrangling between newly-installed President Santa Anna and his military commanders. When it did come, it was still nevertheless a sufficient shock to cause the Spanish Viceroy of New Spain to cancel an intended campaign towards the Mississippi delta. Instead, the Duke of Salerno found himself embarking that army for Tampico, to defend Spanish holdings against a concerted thrust by Mexican general Ampudia, coming up from Vera Cruz where his army had been issued with new weapons from French merchantmen entering the port city

President Santa Anna himself led a descent upon Mazatlan on the Western coast, but a spirited Spanish defence saw him retiring towards Mexico City, leaving only a token besieging force under General Bustamente to state Mexico's claims

The Mexicans and Spanish clashed at Tuxpan on the East coast, an indecisive engagement which saw both sides dig in and effectively created the new line of the military frontier, midway between Tampico and Vera Cruz. President Santa Anna berated Ampudia for his "timidity" but the president was wounded by his own failure, and easy to ignore - for the moment, at least

Spanish attempts to blockade Vera Cruz were almost disastrous - apart from running into US warships whom they fought to a stand-to, the Spanish came upon a French squadron of screw frigates determined to keep the port open for French trade. A stand-off began, but almost exploded into action when Spanish reinforcements, misreading the situation, fired on the French ships. Only a surfeit of diplomacy by the French commander prevented worse, and both sides drew back to snap and snarl at each other, with the Spanish admiral deciding that only letting French ships through his blockade was the only course of action open to him

Madrid might rant and rave, since French ships carried the bulk of trade to and from Vera Cruz, but since the only logical alternative was outright war, King Carlos V had to give the actions of his admiral the nod of approval, sickening though it was to him

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Grey Wolf]

The clash of arms ! Blood upon the streets ! The wavering and fall of empires ! Or so it is said

The frontier between the United States and the unitary province of Canada, ruled from Ottawa by the Duke of Cambridge, became the killing ground. On the British side, York fell and was burned. On the American side, a mighty British counter-attack advanced into the outskirts of Detroit before being beated off

A second British army took Buffalo, only to be defeated by a US force hastily gathered under General William Worth, of New York. Harried by a US pursuit which included hot-air balloons amongst its armoury, the defeated British barely made it back to York intact. But Worth had been called South by Army commander-in-chief Winfield Scott, and the Buffalo frontier devolved into one of static, rather than active, defence

After a slow start, and numerous logistical problems, Scott had finally got the War Department to properly provision and deliver his troops, and General Zachary Taylor was posed to lead an expedition West across the Sabine River into Tejas. Worth was to be his second in command

At this time, news from the Northern New Spain front was very sparse indeed. Provided with new arms and horses by the Spanish, the Comanche were raiding deep into Fredonia, but the combined US-Fredonian army, earlier defeated on the Brazos seemed to have disappeared. When it re-emerged before Santa Fe it was not only the Spanish who were astounded - once news finally filtered back to Washington, the whole political sphere gaped as one

General Kearny had achieved the seeming impossible, and with the fighting assumed to be to the East and South, only a token force remained at Santa Fe, a force which saw greater sense in surrender than in a futile fight to the death. On the march West, Kearny's force had lost the greater part of its horseflesh, and had seen a near mutiny by the Fredonian volunteers who considered themselves bound neither by US military law, nor by their own compatriots in the Fredonian Militia. It was only when the Cherokee Volunteers, spoiling for a fight to redeem their honour, had challenged the men to a duel en masse, that the Fredonians had backed down, but not ceased in their bickering and complaints

Now, with Santa Fe open to him, General Kearny knew that he had a problem on his hands. The Fredonian Volunteer Companies would make short work of the city, regardless of any promises or proclamations on his part. It was at this juncture that Fate delivered salvation into his hands - the Fredonian Mountain Man, and scout, Kit Carson came back to camp from one of his frequent ventures into the beyond to report that a large force of Apache Indians was gathering to the South. It wasn't clear if they had been encouraged with gifts or promises by the Spanish, for indeed much bad blood and many battles lay between the two peoples, but they knew of the presence of American forces in the area

Kearny at once dispatched General A S Johnston, commander of the Fredonia Militia, and a man he had come to trust during their time in the wilderness. With horses and mules taken from the people and garrison of Santa Fe, Johnston led a mixed force of Fredonian Militia, Fredonian Volunteers, and the Cherokee and Winnebago Volunteers against the Apache. Meanwhile, Kearny ordered the US forces under his command to occupy Santa Fe but rein in the troops. With a large force of the hostile Indians in near proximity that order proved easier to enforce than may have been anticipated

This situation lasted for two weeks, running battles against the Apache drawing in more and more of his regular forces, whilst Kearny despatched Carson North-Eastwards to try to reach a Fredonian outpost and report on the state of affairs

Thus it was that as General Worth joined Zachary Taylor's expedition in New Orleans state, news finally reached them of the fall of Santa Fe, and of the desperate battle against the Apache that had been going on at the time that Carson had set out, some several weeks before. Much speculation arose as to whether Santa Fe might still be in American hands, whether perhaps Kearny was dead, whether the Duke of Salerno had despatched his own army in that direction, whether in fact battle had been joined between Kearny and the Spanish, but no one knew anything. Such was the state of communications when a distance away from the telegraph

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Grey Wolf]

The last battle of 1845 took place on the sands of Northern Syria. Mahmud II had increasingly modernised the New Ottoman Army and the addition of Austrian guns and cannon had made it almost the equal of the Egyptians. If first conflicts had been disappointing, now it was strengthened by a core of Austrian advisors, training the Ottomans in the use of their new weapons, and in a huge battle it was this force which both overcame the Egyptians, and drove their commanders from the field, leaving the bodies of Mehmed Ali's heir Ibrahim, and of his grandson Abbas, amongst the carnage

The Egyptians, badly shaken, carried out a fighting retreat to Acre, where they allowed themselves to be besieged.

At sea, the Austro-Ottoman force had been replenished by new ships hastily completed in the Venice arsenal, and prepared to put to sea from its santuary at Rhodes to challenge for control of the seas off Acre

At the same time, the Egyptian navy received two new 120 gun ships of the line, and an additional reinforcement of a half dozen French screw frigates, and prepared to put to sea

1845 drew to an end, and another year of war dawned for Europe, and the world

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Grey Wolf]

A coup within the leadership of the Sioux was not immediately noticeable to anyone, but the pro-American policies of the previous leadership had always been countered by a strong dissident faction, sponsored by Britain. Now, with the USA sending increasing forces across Northern Louisiana to Oregon in the latter half of 1845, the rival faction had acted

For the USA the equation was clear - loss of naval control meant that effective control of the interior could only be exercised by land forces, and the annual cavalry expedition had been doubled in size, and outfitted with additional units of dragoons and artillery. Placed under the command of Charles Fremont, it was charged with ensuring that the Nez Perce and Shoshoni remained faithful to their treaties, that the Russians in American employment remained loyal to Washington and didn't begin to consider freelancing deals with the British navy, and with building up the American presence, in whatever way made most sense on the ground

But the annual expedition crossed the lands of the Soux, as well as the remnant Shawnee and Delaware who had fled the USA after their defeat, and the lands of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Assinboin in territories claimed by the British. Fremont cared little for such claims, or for the sensibilities of the Indians whom his expedition passed amongst. They let him through, but the coup amongst the Sioux occurred in their Winter grounds, bringing to power a lobby that cleaved to Britain, and effectively erecting a hostile force in Fremont's rear

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Grey Wolf]

1846 was to be the year of naval battles in the Caribbean as the US Navy attempted to see off both the Spanish fleet and that part of the British which was dedicated to that theatre

The first victory was Admiral David Conner's over the Spanish fleet blockading Vera Cruz. Earlier beaten off, he had retired to New Orleans to replenish his ships, receive new drafts into their crews, and take delivery of two new screw frigates building in the navy yard there.

Returning to sea, he had at first worked up his crews in hunting down Spanish merchantmen bound for or from Campeche in New Spain, then tried Tampico but failed to find any Spanish force of size off that port. Instead he had returned to Vera Cruz and forced the issue with the Spanish blockading force, a force that initially strong had been worn down by having to let the French through, and begun to think of itself as upon a mission of no relevance or logic. Conner had sailed in guns blazing, and though the Spanish had recovered and fought valiantly, by nightfall the victory was his

Breaking the blockade of Vera Cruz was strategically little in itself, but the removal of the Spanish squadron allowed Conner to pursue a more aggressive policy in the rest of the Gulf and Caribbean

Around this time, the Admiralty in London got its way and managed to extract the bulk of the Mediterranean Fleet for action in the Americas, half of it sailing for New England and the Maritimes, half of it for Kingston, Jamaica to bring badly-needed reinforcements to the British Caribbean force

Throughout Spring and Summer 1846 the British and American navies fought running battles, the British half the time in the company and the interests of the Spanish, half the time in defence of their own trade, possessions and position. #

Off the New England and Maritimes coast, the American privateers which had begun to have heavy pickings was now routed by the arrival of the other half of the British fleet from the Mediterranean, but the influx of American warships from the East coast brought even this into an equality of forces that fought out an endless series of inconclusive minor battles

Back in the Caribbean, the US fleet in its support of Zachary Taylor's Westward advance had come upon and sunk the remnants of the Spanish navy, only in turn to be driven off three days later by a British attack.

But the increasing number of French vessels proved especially ominous, leading to questions in parliament back in London, and a Whig chorus that the Duke of Wellington was prostituting the national interest simply to be avenged upon the upstart Americans. But a war was on, in full, and no pulling back could work now...

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[john]

awesome piece of work
looking forward to more

 

[Grey Wolf]

awesome piece of work
looking forward to more

Thank you - its good to be appreciated

There's another 10 or so of these small pieces written, and two sitting in my mind, tho as I am at an AGM tonight they might not get written down as quickly as I would like

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Grey Wolf]

11

Spanish General Juan Seguin was the principal commander facing off against Zachary Taylor's invasion across the Sabine River, but he had his own troubles. Half of the force that had bested the Americans on the Brazos had been stripped from him, and sent under General Canales to relieve Santa Fe

That left Seguin with half an army, forced onto the defensive by the advance of the largest and best-supplied American force. Taylor and Worth had over twice the numbers that Seguin could gather, but on the defensive he was able to fight a series of delaying actions, each one slowing the American advance as he retreated to the next prepared position.

As he neared Campeche, he received reinforcements of the Viceroy's Household companies, as well as from volunteer units hurriedly raised for the defence of the Viceregal capital

Off the coast, Admiral Conner's initial victories in driving the Spanish fleet away had turned to a series of running battles with British forces, and Taylor could no longer be sure of supply by sea, as his initial plan had called for. As he approached Campeche, he received barrages of orders and instructions from Washington, most of which he ignored. President Houston, Secretary of State Webster, they were not on the ground. He was, and he would do things his own way

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[Grey Wolf]

Deliberations within the Frankfurt Diet threatened to tear the German Empire apart. The range of opinion favoured Austria, favoured France, favoured Britain, favoured anyone and everyone in rivalry to each other. Emperor Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel could hold together the various disaparate factions, and it looked as if those who had held that the German Empire was a convenient fiction would be proved right as the Diet and Emperor failed to make any kind of decision throughout 1845 and 1846

The German Empire was not the only neutral concerned about the two wars. Chief amongst the rest was the Russian Empire, with Tsar Nikolai I viewing events in both conflicts with deep suspicion. An Ottoman revival seemed as if to threaten his intended position as a friend in extremis, able therefore to extort concessions from Istanbul, and a British naval victory in the N Pacific threatened Russia's position in Alaska, and Russia's gains from the treaties with the USA over Oregon and Hawaii

Throughout 1846, Russia rearmed, buying in French expertise to industrialise and develop the railroads, and gaining an ever closer alliance with Paris as President Thiers saw the advantage of bringing Russia fully onside and in consequence stinting on no expense to achieve this

Montevideo proved to be the catalyst of convergence, though initially France played down its role in helping to defeat an amphibious Spanish force out of Buenos Aires. The Viceroy from the latter immediately launched into voiciferous complaint to Madrid, but the local French commander was initially unaware that he has rebuffed not only viceregal forces but naval forces sent out from Cadiz.

Only as the story develops does Paris realise that one of its commanders has executed an act of war against Spain

And the Winter of 1846-7 is taken up with expressions of confusion


Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[fhaessig]

almost exploded into action when Spanish reinforcements, misreading the situation, fired on the French ships. Only a surfeit of diplomacy by the French commander prevented worse, and both sides drew back to snap and snarl at each other, with the Spanish admiral deciding that only letting French ships through his blockade was the only course of action open to him

This is interesting. The diplomacy must have been pretty tense.

I wouldn't want to be the spanish commander who had ordered the fire.

Montevideo proved to be the catalyst of convergence, though initially France played down its role in helping to defeat an amphibious Spanish force out of Buenos Aires. The Viceroy from the latter immediately launched into voiciferous complaint to Madrid, but the local French commander was initially unaware that he has rebuffed not only viceregal forces but naval forces sent out from Cadiz.

Only as the story develops does Paris realise that one of its commanders has executed an act of war against Spain

And here we have the french equivalent.

I suppose he already exceeded his orders by firing upon viceregal forces.

He can expect to have his actions repudiated by Paris.

OTOH, if Madrid doesn't accept the french explanations and/or demands extreme reparations......

At the same time, the Egyptian navy received two new 120 gun ships of the line, and an additional reinforcement of a half dozen French screw frigates, and prepared to put to sea

Concerning the Egyptian 120 guns, I suppose they are plain sail? if so, are they likely to ressemble that type?

Concerning the french screw frigates, this could be an important reinforcement or not so, depending on type.

Important would be of 56 guns type

less important would be of 36 guns type

 

[Lord Grattan]

This TL has exceptional bredth and depth Grey Wolf.

 

[Grey Wolf]

Nice pictures, thank you fhaessig - I reckon the larger sort of frigate would be the reinforcements since France is trying to affect the balance of forces in the region

Yes, I am thinking the largest Egyptian ships are still sail-only, but their frigates and a few smaller line ships (purchased from France) would be steam-powered

Thanks, Lord Grattan, I've decided not to post the other 8 posts until I have time to rework them. I was tired and their detail is lacking in comparison with these 12, plus it strayed into the present tense for some reason

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[fhaessig]

t.

I suppose he already exceeded his orders by firing upon viceregal forces.

He can expect to have his actions repudiated by Paris.

OTOH, if Madrid doesn't accept the french explanations and/or demands extreme reparations......

An even more interesting turn of events, if you'll allow.

Paris repudiates his on the spot commander and apologies.

Madrid accepts the french apologies. However, the spanish on the site commanders doesn't know that and launch an attack on french forces.

Now, it's Paris who demands an apology and reparations, while Madrid isn't minded to do so and states this is a consequence of earlier french actions. Paris will however point out the earlier firing at Vera Cruz.

Add to that french party politics, with Guizot being in favor of peace at nearly any cost, while Thiers will favor a harder line ( their OTL respective policies ), and you get.....

whatever you decide the TL will get to., just with interesting coloring, IMO

 

[Tom_B]

Hail, hail Fredonia

Topeka, Fredonia, a city by name, a morass of iniquity by fact. I wandered its streets, drank in its bars, whored in its brothels, and slept in its hotels. For two weeks I counted myself a denizen of this frontier republic. I saw the comings and goings, I saw the close and intimate links with the United States, the locomotives that travelled the single line to the capital, and back. And I saw the singular spirit of the nation, peopled as it was by refugees and adventurers from the mother country, as much as by entrepreneurs and ambassadors. Fredonia was what it was, and it would take from anyone what it could, what it would, but it would not be beholden to anyone - certainly, not yet

Then came the news, out from Washington following the railway lines on the new-fangled telegraph. War with Great Britain ! And for us here down in the borderlands, more importantly, war with Spain... President Houston of the United States had made his declaration. A few days later, President Lamar of Fredonia made his. We were at war with the so-called reactionaries of Europe

Here, in Fredonia, the immediate impact was negligible. The government led a recruitment drive into the army, but apart from that things continued as usual. The war with the Indians was never-ending, Comanche, Apache and Kiowa in eternal opposition to the ambitions of the republic. The Duke of Salerno, Borbon governor of New Spain, was as hated as any Comanche chief, his forces reinforced as tensions had continued to grow, but having to look to the Republic of Mexico on his Southern flank as much as to the stain on the map that Fredonia was

Along with news of the declaration of war, came the US dragoons, let into the country by permission of President Lamar. Less welcome were the Indian Volunteer companies, the Cherokee, Seminole and Winnebago, part of the Ten Civilised Tribes and a cornerstone of the type of policy that newly-elected President Sam Houston espoused. Fredonians had little use for Indians, and made little distinction between Civilised and uncivilised, between those who had signed up to the United States, and those who remained cast in opposition. But after several incidents in which the residents of Topeka had greeted their defenders with arms, and street riots, the commander of regular American troops made it clear that he had orders to bring a halt to this persecution, one way or another

President M B Lamar always knew when he was beaten, and with US forces ranging through his republic, this was one of those times.

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

Trying to catch up with this project. Unfortunately a certain Marxist film is causing me to grin too much.