1838:

March:

As tensions arose in the American Continent, Britain saw itself facing difficulties in Asia too. The opium trade, one of the most profitable in the region, was devastating Southern China by addicting many of the people to the drug. The Chinese Government began to make increasingly large demands of the East India Company and Britain in general to put a halt to the despicable trade with various Liberals back in Britain agreeing with it. Although the general consensus was that any War with China would be overwhelmingly end in Britain’s favour, the rising tension with America and the Imperial Federacion made the Government stop and think about their options.

It was decided the EIC was going too far in its search for profits. The British Government began to take a greater role in the activities of the company and ordered it to skim on the opium trade. The outcry made by the company forced the British Government to give some form of compensation in the form of investments into the budding wool mills of India. The British Government also began to put more pressure on Burma to secure its position in Asia. The nation had grown increasingly weakened in the face of constant pressure by the British and by late the nineteenth century, it would have fallen completely under British control.

June:

In conjunction with its Military expansion, the Brazilian Empire began to train a Navy with help from the British to aid them. These measures had arisen in lieu of rising tensions of the Imperial Federacion over the Brazilian Empire allegedly encouraging Revolution within various other South American nations while also encroaching on the territory of Argentina and various other border provinces of the Federacion nations. British officers from the Army had also helped establish the nucleus of a Brazilian Army that would help defend the fledgling nation.

Elsewhere in America, the Texan Rebellion began, led by various white settlers, the rebellion began because of the rising tensions between Mexicans and the white settlers, the ban on slavery enforced by the Mexican Government and rising pressures on foreign settlers from America. The tensions reached to boiling point when on the 21st June, a Mexican official tried to force a group of settlers in the Texas region to pay taxes which they had faulted on. The official was refused and troops were called in to make the settlers pay. By the time they got there though, the group had rounded up various other settlers and their guns and began to fire upon the Mexican troops when they arrived. The gunfight continued as more and more settlers joined the fray and the Mexican troops were forced to withdraw under heavy fire.

News of the action spread like wildfire in the Texan region, many seeing it as their chance for independence from Mexico. Calls were sent throughout the region to arm up and rebel against their hated oppressors. This received much support amongst the populace and an embryo of an Army began to gather around San Antonio. The Mexican Government began to panic wildly at the news. If Texas rose up in rebellion, it wouldn’t be too long before the California region followed it. The Mexican began to arm and they were put under the command of one man, Antonio Lopez, or has he was more commonly known, Santa Anna. A long standing trouble maker within Mexico, Santa Anna was nevertheless seen as the man for the hour and he was given control of an Army to defeat the rebels.

July:

As word of the Texan Rebellion leaked north to Washington, many Americans began to call out for interference on behalf of the rebels. President Harrison dithered however, not wanting to commit the American Army to the south when there were two very hostile and militarily powerful nations to the north. While he allowed various supplies to go through, Harrison refused to launch any form of attack on Mexico itself. This angered many Americans who saw the settlers as potential Americans and Harrison saw his popular support plummet.

In Texas, the rebels began to form an Army only to see the Mexican one arrive on their doorstep on the 23rd July, armed and ready for conflict. Unable to act directly against the Mexican Army, the Rebels fled to the Alamo building, while many went north to America in order to drum up support there. Those who remained at the Alamo were the firmest believers in Texan independence and were ready to die for their ideals. They were to regret this determination as it proved to be their undoing.

When the Mexican Army arrived, Santa Anna instantly laid siege to the Alamo, hearing news of the sympathy of people in the north; Santa Anna knew time was not on Mexico’s side. Various bombardments and attacks began almost immediately and at only 300 defenders facing 8000 troops, the situation was pretty much hopeless. By the 27th, various breaches had been made in the building which allowed the Mexican Army to storm it, slaughtering the defenders to a man. The Texan Rebellion ended before it really had a chance to begin.

Harrison reacted to the defeat by refusing anymore to do with the Texan Rebellion. The defeat at the Alamo had signalled that any support would be fool hardy and only damage American interests. This decision to forgo any support for Texan Rebels was condemned outright, even by some of the Democratic Republican Party. Harrison was condemned for allowing Texas to fall to Mexico and he lost much popular support because of his decision. Texas itself never forgave Harrison either, giving him the nickname, ‘The Mexican’s Friend’ for his actions.

September:

Poland saw the death of its King, Jozef Poniatowski due to natural causes. An extremely popular Monarch, his death was mourned throughout Poland and Napoleon II himself attended the funeral. While there, he met a young Polish woman, the daughter of a noble family and the two were to gradually form a firm relationship over the following months. The title of King passed to Jozef’s son, Jozef II of Poland.