Carlism replaces the reactionary rebels for Spain, so that is mostly why I would guess
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Yeah they probably still get called Carlists...but they aren't really anymore. I suppose the government finds a use in naming them after an old defeated cause.
Wowzer I didn’t expect Britain to fall into revolution, have to say I was concerned by the ‘throne falls’ title, some good misdirection there! The thing about Britain’s great power status was always that it could be maintained so long as the continental powers were divided against themselves. Trying to take on two great powers united against her was extremely risky.
I have often thought what a British republic would be called, Commonwealth sounds good for the egalitarian intent it suggests and the historical tieback. Hopefully some stability will take hold after the humiliation and probably losing some overseas holdings.
Culturally, it will be interesting to see what effect such a heavy defeat will have on Britain. Getting such a beat down may temper any jingoistic ‘we can take on the world’ feeling which was (and you could argue still is) a fixture in some British circles. Having the myth of invincibility smashed, and losing some Imperial possessions, might make a non-controversial political and economic focus on Europe come about, lacking the tension we see in OTL.
I have often thought what a British republic would be called, Commonwealth sounds good for the egalitarian intent it suggests and the historical tieback. Hopefully some stability will take hold after the humiliation and probably losing some overseas holdings.
Culturally, it will be interesting to see what effect such a heavy defeat will have on Britain. Getting such a beat down may temper any jingoistic ‘we can take on the world’ feeling which was (and you could argue still is) a fixture in some British circles. Having the myth of invincibility smashed, and losing some Imperial possessions, might make a non-controversial political and economic focus on Europe come about, lacking the tension we see in OTL.
Well, exile is better than a beheading at least. Be interesting to see what happens in Ireland. From the sound of it, the republicans are still happily imperialist, the question is will the Empire crumble or will their humiliation trigger a new sense of revanche?
Chapter Twenty Nine: Revolution and Recovery
The Spanish 'unprotected cruiser' Alfonso XII.
Chapter Twenty Nine: Revolution and Recovery
The Spanish Crisis of 1888 was misunderstood by nearly every foreign government. The British Commonwealth and to a lesser extent the French Republic who saw everything through republican shaded spectacles chose to interpret the rising as anti-monarchist. With greater perceptiveness though little more accuracy the governments of Germany and Austria-Hungary believed Spain was reacting to the foreign policy failures of the previous half-decade and seeking to put a hawk in charge to strengthen Madrid on the world stage.
In fact it is hard to make out the factors that led to the rising because there was no one factor. The conspiracy was a stew of many parts. The unreconstructed Carlists still dreamed of overthrowing what they saw as an illegitimate monarch, but they were a fading minority. Others objected to another foreign born regent in the Austrian accented person of Queen Maria Christina. Still others saw the prime minister as the problem. Don Segismundo Moret was broadly popular but especially on the right he had his enemies who saw him as an agent of secularism or a tool of the French or simply as a silver tongued charlatan with little idea how to run a country.
For most of the conspirators however the rising seems to have been an attempt to cut off Spanish republicanism before it became a problem (making the reaction in London particularly ironic.) In 1888 the Spanish republicans appeared far too marginal to take over the state, but the same might have been said of their English counterparts in 1885.
The Moret government, once it recovered from its initial shock had little trouble gaining popular support to crush the rising. In contrast to the Fourth Carlist War the Loyalists could call upon much of the standing army in Spain and it would prove a proud boast of the government that they were never forced to call up conscripts in the crisis. Among the available regiments were those veterans General Alejandro Alcalá-Zamora had used so recently in Bolivia. Now those crack troops and many more would be forced to fight on Spanish soil. Throughout Spring and early Summer the crack of rifle fire became a familiar sound in much of Spain, particularly in Catalonia were the rebels, driven from the rest of the country had determined to make their last stand. At the Battle of Barcelona (23 June 1888) the Loyalists under General Cristobal Heredia attempted to crush the rising in one decisive move. Though the numbers if anything favoured the rebels the Loyalists were better trained, equipped and led and Heredia had the finest artillery Spain possessed under his command. The result was the almost total disintegration of the foe with thousands surrendering on the field. Though a few more pockets of resistance would cling on for a few more weeks effectively this was the end of the rising.
The Battle of Barcelona, 23 June 1888.
The small South America republic of Uruguay had seemed to live a charmed existence during the Nineteenth Century, avoiding so many of the wars and coups that had shaken her larger neighbours. After a rocky start Uruguay had established good relations with the Brazilian Empire and by the early 1880s was one of the most prosperous states on the continent, aided by the fine natural harbour that made Montevideo a gateway to the wider world. Tens of thousands of immigrants from across Europe, particularly Italy had flooded into the country over the years making Uruguay for her size the most densely populated country in the Americas. Most recently she had begun to drift into the Spanish economic sphere of influence, partially via her financial links with Brazil and partially due to Spanish silver and gold.
Unfortunately while the rest of the globe was quite happy to toast Montevideo as a simple success and the 'Paris of the Americas' there were turmoils hidden beneath the prosperous facade and the elegant boulevards. The gap between the wealthy few and the legions of the poor was wider than almost any country save Tsarist Russia. Tens of thousands of immigrants having fled poverty and persecution had arrived in Uruguay only to find in many cases that they were now somehow worse off. In this sullen mix violence and extreme politics became common.
In late 1887 several small feuding Left societies and parties united to form the Partido Socialista del Uruguay. At first the new movement was dominated by moderate socialists willing to work within the democratic framework Uruguay functioned under but within weeks communist hardliners had become the strongest voice, pointing to a political culture that appeared happy to alternate power between middle class conservatives and liberals. The Partido Socialista managed to gain support among both the 'native' and immigrant communities, indeed many of its firebrands were of Italian extraction with folk memories of the intensely conservative monarchical government in Naples or Palermo.
The Uruguayan government naturally attempted to shut down the rabble rousers with time honoured tactics such as police raids on newspaper offices and union meetings. Had the local communists still been disunited such methods might have worked. Instead it radicalised them even more and in January 1888 open revolution erupted on the streets of Montevideo. After a brief but sharp struggle the government fell and Uruguay became a communist state.
The Uruguayan seizure of Spanish assets, March 1888.
The howl of outrage from Spanish financiers deafaned the Moret government and from that moment on it became inconceivable that Spain not go to war. On the advice of Moret the Queen declared war on Uruguay before the end of the day. One modest benefit was that in the capital at least the public mood turned even more against the Carlists and other internal enemies, largely seen as weakening Spain's image abroad to the extent that a minnow with delusions of whalehood like Uruguay felt it could anger Spain without retaliation. Unfortunately whatever the popular view in purely strategic terms the crisis had come at the worst possible time for Madrid with the reactionary rebellion still in swing and few soldiers immediately available to be sent.
Moret did have the Navy. In March 1888 the Real Armada was far from a first rate fleet. Many of the vessels were hopelessly obsolete, dating from the 1860s or in some cases from the 1850s. The rapid pace of technological change had done the Spanish Navy no favours with many of the newer designs of heavy warship considered too expensive to be build or operate in Spain's limited shipbuilding industry [1]. The recent modernisation of Cadiz as a naval harbour had at least temporarily made a reform of the fleet plausible but that had not even begun in 1888 [2].
The most modern ships in the Spanish navy were vessels that were beginning to be termed 'unprotected cruisers'. These ships prioritised speed over armour and heavy guns and were exemplified by the likes of the Alfonso XII one of the few new warships available to Spain. The expectation was that these ships would operate in colonial stations and conduct 'cruiser warfare' on the high seas [3]. Against a modern Great Power navy their weaknesses would have been many.
Fortunately Spain was not facing a modern Great Power navy. At the Battle of Todos os Santos Bay on 3 June the Spanish easily destroyed the tiny Uruguayan navy and set up a blockade of the rebel republic.
The Battle of Todos os Santos Bay, 3 June 1888.
On 1 July 1888 Dom Pedro on the advice of his own government declared war on Uruguay, citing Brazil's alliance with Spain. The Brazilian Armada Imperial [4] steamed south to join their Spanish comrades and the Brazilian Army was called upon. By this time Moret was in a position to send some Spanish soldiers and thus preserve Spanish glory but it was difficult to argue the charge that Brazil did the heavy lifting in winning the war.
On 19 December the Uruguayan government, on the run from Montevideo (in Spanish hands) and with most of the rest of the country in Brazilian hands surrendered. The Spanish terms were stiff; the republican government was abolished and Uruguay was formally linked with the Spanish Crown via a Viceroy to be appointed by Madrid. The state was also placed in a currency union with Madrid, with certain economic privileges granted to Brazil. However it could have been more severe still; the Uruguayan leaders were not hunted vindictively and many were allowed (quietly) to return. Uruguay might have lost most of her foreign powers but internally her government remained almost entirely in local hands.
The truth was that Moret did not want Uruguay to be a running sore by creating martyrs or carving up the nation into a directly ruled possession. Turning her into a 'dominion', to use a now obsolete British term seemed safest.
Uruguay, December 1888.
The mostly peaceful unification of Italy under the Bourbon monarchy of the Two Sicilies came as a surprise to all, though a pleasant one to Madrid. There was some consternation that the new state had leapfrogged Spain in population and power and some further discomfort that Italy had intruded on the venerable rights of the Pope by selecting Rome as her capital but Moret was able to soothe relations with King Francis II and his government, suspecting that many in Spain were cheered by the establishment of a strong Roman Catholic Latin monarchy to stand with Spain and Brazil [5].
At home Spain was slowly recovering from her many travails. Some areas, particularly Catalonia had been very hard hit by war and emigration and only time would see some sense of normality return. Spain was due an election and there was uncertainty over how the country overall would turn out, with the personal popularity of the prime minister not necessarily indicating how well his party would fare. At least the election campaign itself seemed orderly and well tempered
The one prophecy almost every newspaper made was that Spain would emerge from the election with a coalition government. It had been many years since one party or faction had achieved the votes to rule on their own. Even in times of peace the country was too divided and the voting system, weighting the franchise by class and population was almost designed to avoid party dominance.
On New Year's Day 1890 the voters obediently trooped off to the polls. The result would prove a pleasant surprise for Moret and his followers. For the first time the liberal royalists opened up a clear lead in front of every other party. It was not clear whether Moret was being rewarded for winning wars or keeping Spain out of wars (or both) but he could confidently return to the Cortes with a mandate for the new decade.
The results of the January 1890 election.
The concentration of the vote.
[1] Essentially the Spanish fleet is still mostly Commerce Raiders with some ancient Frigates and Man O'War still around. The lack of funds has been a problem but not as much as the lack of Naval Bases - I've been technically able to build Ironclads and Monitors for a decade but it took a long time to build up a Naval Base - by which time the 'Ironclad Era' is already closing.
[2] Cadiz is my only level 3 Naval Base - and of course will soon have to be built up again if I want to build up cruisers and battleships.
[3] In game terms 'Unprotected Cruisers' are Commerce Raiders.
[4] Actually larger than Spain's at this time.
[5] Sadly, while Portugal was 'Latin' and a monarchy she could not with honesty be called strong.
As some of you may know I have started an Imperator: Rome AAR. Checking it out is not mandatory but I would appreciate it. 
An Empire in the West: A Syracuse AAR.
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Specialist290: Yes, I agree it is all very ‘middle class’. It shocked me too. Also I’m afraid the ‘Northern Ireland’ part was a typo/Freudian slip – all Ireland remains with Great Britain. Indeed they were refused Home Rule in 1890.
Slothinator: The dominions seem to still technically be linked with Britain, albeit not necessarily happy (New Zealand has gone bankrupt.) I expect that negotiations between London and the other capitals are very fraught! Oh and good point about the Americans!
HIMDogson: hah! I know what you mean. Even when they are not on my side I tend to have a soft spot for Russia in this game because I’m so used to seeing them beat up!
J_Master: Good thinking. I’ll have to keep my eyes open for that. As for the Netherlands well partly I enjoyed the image because that was the destination of the Kaiser in 1918. Apparently his first request on arriving was for 'English tea'!
TheButterflyComposer: Very good points. In this game the British have kept me out of parts of South America (Venezuela) though I am slowly building influence elsewhere. And yes I’m wary of the republics! :O
darkhaze9: Ah good old fashioned understatement….
Viden: For a power that’s been humbled the Yankees are giving me a lot of headaches…
guillec87: Yes, another revolution.
stnylan: That is a good point. To be fair there are non-Carlist Reactionaries and non-Carlist Basque and Catalan nationalists even in game. Just not many of them.
Andreios II: Good points! I think many Britons will be particularly hard hit because for most of this game they have been even more 'top dog' than they were historically. How the mighty have fallen and all that...
Jape: At the moment I think they are still licking their wounds. With the recent rise of Italy international politics are still in a flux!
An Empire in the West: A Syracuse AAR.
~~~~~~
Specialist290: Yes, I agree it is all very ‘middle class’. It shocked me too. Also I’m afraid the ‘Northern Ireland’ part was a typo/Freudian slip – all Ireland remains with Great Britain. Indeed they were refused Home Rule in 1890.
Slothinator: The dominions seem to still technically be linked with Britain, albeit not necessarily happy (New Zealand has gone bankrupt.) I expect that negotiations between London and the other capitals are very fraught! Oh and good point about the Americans!
HIMDogson: hah!
I know what you mean. Even when they are not on my side I tend to have a soft spot for Russia in this game because I’m so used to seeing them beat up!J_Master: Good thinking. I’ll have to keep my eyes open for that. As for the Netherlands well partly I enjoyed the image because that was the destination of the Kaiser in 1918. Apparently his first request on arriving was for 'English tea'!
TheButterflyComposer: Very good points. In this game the British have kept me out of parts of South America (Venezuela) though I am slowly building influence elsewhere. And yes I’m wary of the republics! :O
darkhaze9: Ah good old fashioned understatement….
Viden: For a power that’s been humbled the Yankees are giving me a lot of headaches…
guillec87: Yes, another revolution.
stnylan: That is a good point. To be fair there are non-Carlist Reactionaries and non-Carlist Basque and Catalan nationalists even in game. Just not many of them.
Andreios II: Good points! I think many Britons will be particularly hard hit because for most of this game they have been even more 'top dog' than they were historically. How the mighty have fallen and all that...
Jape: At the moment I think they are still licking their wounds. With the recent rise of Italy international politics are still in a flux!
Very good election result for the government there, hopefully that's a sign of greater stability in Spain in the coming years - whilst an easy victory over Uruguay should help with the national prestige too!
Ah, the reactionaries making trouble again. Hopefully the recent successes overseas will mollify them a little, or at least encourage them to keep their heads down for a while.
Spain in this timeline seems to be walking a fine line between a true Great Power and a paper tiger: Abroad they've been projecting power in a way that they haven't done in decades (if not centuries), but at home they're plagued by a volatile political scene that produces a revolution every couple of years like clockwork, threatening to upend the whole teakettle. It strikes me as a very awkward situation for the Spanish government, much like walking a high tightrope where one wrong step could mean a fatal plunge to the earth below.
Spain in this timeline seems to be walking a fine line between a true Great Power and a paper tiger: Abroad they've been projecting power in a way that they haven't done in decades (if not centuries), but at home they're plagued by a volatile political scene that produces a revolution every couple of years like clockwork, threatening to upend the whole teakettle. It strikes me as a very awkward situation for the Spanish government, much like walking a high tightrope where one wrong step could mean a fatal plunge to the earth below.
Oh shit!
Also I’m afraid the ‘Northern Ireland’ part was a typo/Freudian slip – all Ireland remains with Great Britain. Indeed they were refused Home Rule in 1890.
Urgh...disappointing. However, remember that parliament would be dominated by the English and Irish MPs still then. Especially as the Irish population doesn't seem to have taken a major dive following a famine. If that's true, they're probably in the top ten for population in Europe, inside GB, which is presumably in the top five.
GB is scary though. They're presumably gagging for a war to settle everyone's minds at home, re-establish their dominance abroad and shut the mutinous dominions up. And unfortunately for Europe and the US, the British don't seem to have lost any power with the switch over to a republic, aside from perhaps better stats eventually.
go for an alliance with Italy I would say... their ambitions lay in the Eastern and Mediterranean parts of Africa
You misunderstood me. I said that the Yankees needed to be humbled again.
PS: Let's check the new AAR.
The best of wars - one fought with relatively little expense or losses, and with someone else to do most of the heavy lifting. Plus a good little fillip for national pride.
I would agree with the great power/paper tiger line spain has been on for years. Let's be honest, if someone was to shove them now, the whole thing would come crashing down. This makes any future great wars rather nerve wracking experiences I'm sure. You'll have to be neutral for as long as possible and you absolutely must pick the winner. Unlike other european nations, spain is nothing without their overseas empire and almost everyone in that empire is/will becomr stronger than them.
Oooh, a Bourbon Italy! I wonder if Spain will be able to make use of the family ties there!
It's also nice to see that Moret's doing well. Spain will need a capable leader going into the new century in a regency.
It's also nice to see that Moret's doing well. Spain will need a capable leader going into the new century in a regency.
Perhaps a personal union between the bourbon kingdoms, unify latin Christendom under them? That might be the only way spain gets out of this rut, and it's going to be the only way italy gets an empire for itself.
With Italy unified under the Bourbons, are you going to mod in a new monarchist flag for Italy?
It would be cool to have an alternate flag, I guess something Aragonese inspired would do the trick. But I did find out that they actually did use the standard Tricolore with their own coat of arms for a few months before unification.
Oh yes OTL. But this timeline? With France being such a jerk...nah, I don't think so. Although saying that, Italy and France were at logger heads OTL as well...
Up to you then.
A Uruguayan dominion? Another thing to go on Washington's list of 'reasons I hate Europeans'.
Things are very much in flux. Overall stability seems to be improving and a little foriegn adventure never hurts. Bourbon Italy is very interesting. Before my saves got wiped for Forza Italia I was weighing up my approach to Spain. Likes others have said seems a natural ally given cultural ties and pretty seperate spheres of interest. The only thing for Madrid is that Rome can easily overshadow them in an alliance due to population and industry, which might not be to Spanish tastes; Tallest Dwarf syndrome. Should be interesting.
Things are very much in flux. Overall stability seems to be improving and a little foriegn adventure never hurts. Bourbon Italy is very interesting. Before my saves got wiped for Forza Italia I was weighing up my approach to Spain. Likes others have said seems a natural ally given cultural ties and pretty seperate spheres of interest. The only thing for Madrid is that Rome can easily overshadow them in an alliance due to population and industry, which might not be to Spanish tastes; Tallest Dwarf syndrome. Should be interesting.