E2: Ecuador Reloaded

[Serek000]

Alright, I'll put my second attempt at an Ecuador AAR here. I've learned my lesson: I'll make sure to turn on auto-save. Anyways, my goals are pretty much the same as the first, with some minor differences:

1. Survive

2. Become involved in the Pacific

3. Double (or triple) the original population

4. Become more industrially powerful than Peru or Colombia


I hope to have the first update up within twelve hours.

[Iain Wilson]

Yay! It's back!

[volksmarschall]

Here from the beginning now, and good luck during for a second run through! Will be following with great interest!

[Serek000]

Frederico Utilisante, the sitting president and member of the Liberal Party (LP), was something of a lame duck His party was trailing the conservatives badly, and parliament refused to accept his legislation. He was, in effect, a puppet of Parliament, held hostage by fears of a vote of Confidence. Accordingly, he stuck to universally acceptable policies: a moderate tax rate, increases in the education budget, and promotion of industrial policies.

President Utilisante noted that the military was in pretty poor shape, and increased the budget at the expense of anti-crime programs. Juan Jose Flores, a member of the Conservative Party of Ecuador (CPE), was appointed Commandant of the Armed Forces of Ecuador. He was known to be a strict disciplinarian, and wanted the troops to be in excellent fighting form when they were presented with their first challenge.

On Jan 6, 1837, President Utilisante received news that the Chileans had declared war on Bolivia. Knowing that Iquitos, a Bolivian province nestled deep in the rain-forest, contained a pocket of North Andeans estranged from their homeland, he decided to go to war. While he publicly cited the liberation of oppressed countrymen as his reason for war, he revealed in a letter to Commandant Flores that it was "the best possible chance to expand for the least possible cost." Flores presented the President with a battle plan, which was quickly accepted. Iquitos would be liberated first, followed by Piura.

On 23 September, 1837, after 9 months of enduring Flores's army rampaging through the highlands, Bolivia agreed to peace on favorable terms. It would cede Iquitos and Piura to Ecuador. Flores came to be hailed as a hero, despite not actually fighting in a single battle. The international community was not pleased, however, and Ecuador's reputation paid a steep price for the expansion.

The Jesuit Party, a radical reactionary party popular in the rural reaches of Ecuador, grew rapidly in 1837 and 1838, and by May of 1838 it was the largest party, polling around 65%. This news was terrifying to President Utilisante, who was largely powerless to stop their rise, as it was impossible to lower taxes below the current 40% rate due to budgetary reasons. He requested that the CPE-dominated Parliament support a reform of Unemployment Subsidies, and was surprised when they agreed to support such a measure, undoubtedly out of fear of the Jesuit Party. The planned reforms, due to go into effect in 1841, passed the floor without opposition.

Meanwhile, street gangs terrorized the city of Quito, and it became common practice to carry a knife for self defense. The situation had an adverse effect on the economic well being of the city, as people were afraid to go to the market or bakery.

On August 27, 1838 the Amazonian populace of Iquitos began rioted against perceived racism. President Utilisante took a hard line on these rebels, and ordered Flores to put down the armed mob by any means possible, even if that meant indiscriminate firing into the crowd. The Commandant took that as an endorsement of harsh counter-revolutionary measures, and immediately marched his army towards Iquitos, itching to finally see combat.

Flores vs Rebels:


The battle was longer than expected, and dragged well into January of 1839. On 20 January, at the urging of a secret letter from CPE leaders, Flores left the battle up to his aides and returned to Quito. It was announced that due to the threat posed by the Jesuit Party and the revolt in Iquitos a confidence vote was held. President Utilisante lost miserably, and announced his resignation, effective immediately. The MPs elected Flores president, and gave him greater power to crush the Jesuit Party and the local rebellions plaguing the nation. These emergency measures effectively amounted to proclaiming Juan Jose Flores dictator.




Flores accepted this mandate and immediately began taking steps to curb the success of the Jesuit Party. Much to the surprise of political pundits, he announced he would be implementing the Unemployment Subsidy Reform Act a full two years before it was originally set to go into effect. He also implemented a bold tax policy, lowering the tax rates for farmers and laborers to a measly 22%, while simultaneously raising tariffs.

As 1 January 1840 rolled around, Ecuador was at a crossroads. Some 60% of Ecuadorians still identified as members of the Jesuit Party, while the CPE continued its downward slide. It would take time to see whether Flores's reforms would have an effect - and it seemed fairly obvious to the CPE that their time was quickly running out.

[PrawnStar]

Better luck with the save games this time

*Subscribes*

[Serek000]

I'll be out of town this weekend, next update will be either Monday or Tuesday.

[Red_Communist]

Looks good.

I'll be following.

[Serek000]

I have the next turn played, and should have the update up by 21:00 GMT tomorrow

[Treppe]

Good opening post. And nice gains in Peru like last time. Good thing about restarting your game is that (imho) your writing has improved, the first post seemed to be a lot smoother.

As I mentioned in´your first Ecuador AAR you can most effectively control the political alignment of your populace by industrializing and promoting them to clerks and craftsmen. So will get the liberals in power and thus can industrialize even more and become a haven for immigrants.

[Serek000]

Good opening post. And nice gains in Peru like last time. Good thing about restarting your game is that (imho) your writing has improved, the first post seemed to be a lot smoother.

As I mentioned in´your first Ecuador AAR you can most effectively control the political alignment of your populace by industrializing and promoting them to clerks and craftsmen. So will get the liberals in power and thus can industrialize even more and become a haven for immigrants.

Thanks! Unfortunately, most of the early events strongly favor conservatives or reactionaries, leaving the Liberals as a minor party

[Serek000]

1840-1844


As 1840 begin, President Flores was pretty confident in his new taxation policies, which had lessened anti-government sentiment considerably. The common people had more money in their pockets, which enabled him to levy high tariffs, making up for the income lost due to the low tax rates. This opened upon enough funds to begin a new anti-crime campaign, which successfully weeded out corrupt officials in over half of Ecuador’s provinces


In February of 1841 word reached Ecuador of a new way to slaughter cattle using machines, as opposed to the old fashioned way of having to do it all yourself. Cattle farmers rejoiced in Loja and Piura, calling it a landmark day in the development of fine meat products. President Flores himself dined upon freshly slaughtered Ecuadorian beef at a banquet in honor of the Minister of Agriculture.


President Flores tries to capitalize on the warm feelings of the people of Ecuador, suggesting the creation of a new military academy. Parliament formally took up debate on the matter, but it was quashed by a nearly unanimous vote on 30 June, 1841.





20 August 1841: Ecuadorians woke up in the morning to discover they had a new neighbor to the south! Peru had formed from what were once the northern reaches of Bolivia. Flores could smell blood, and upon hearing that Peru and Bolivia declared war on each other, called a War Council to discuss possible expansion into Peruvian lands. Flores and the Conservative Party of Ecuador favored a military venture, while the Jesuit Party and broken shell of the Liberal Party voiced opposition.


9 September 1841: The War Council officially ended after weeks of debate and deliberation. War was declared on Peru, with the intention of gaining the resource rich provinces of Atalaya and Jauja to help diversify the Ecuadorian economy. Flores’s battle plan was simplistic and strongly resembled the tactic used previously to gain Iquitos and Piura. He intended to lead the army into Peru, quickly capture Jauja, march into Atalaya, and gain a quick peace before Peru could send troops up from the Bolivian Front.





Christmas Eve, 1842 brought bad news to Flores’s plans: Bolivia had signed a peace deal with Peru, recognizing the legitimacy of the latter. Getting a peace deal quickly became a top priority, as Peru was then free to send troops to fight the Ecuadorian forces.





Diplomats reported great news back to Quito on 26 January, 1842: Peru had agreed to peace, ceding Jauja to Ecuador. Evidently their people were tired of war and revolts were breaking out throughout the countryside, and despite having a formidable military, the Peruvian military decided it was best to pursue peace in order to fix the situation on the home front.





In August 1842, Parliament declared an incentive package for scientists who were willing to research mechanized mining. Engineers immediately accepted the offer and began searching for ways to improve the efficiency of mines, especially the newly acquired precious metal mines in Jauja.


President Flores was disappointed by the lack of enthusiasm for the armed forces in Ecuador, and immediately set about to rectify that situation by promoting the military through posters, buttons, and advertisements in Quito’s most prominent newspapers. A sufficient amount of interest was generated, and the President issued a request to the Ministry of War for an additional division to be levied. This battalion, of the Quechan ethnic group, descendents of the ancient Inca peoples, would patrol the rugged border with Peru and serve as a first line of defense.


1 January 1844 rolled about without much fanfare, and left Flores with mixed feelings about the past four years. The taxation policy he bravely implemented lowered militancy greatly, but the Jesuit Party hadn’t lost as much influence as he would have liked. Mechanized slaughter devices certainly helped by increasing the efficiency of the cattle ranches, but it was hardly noticeable in the grand scheme of the economy. He hoped that the addition of Jauja and its precious metal mines would help buoy the economy, although the war to acquire said province tarnished Ecuador’s reputation even further and opened a sore wound with Peru, setting the stage for a tense future between the two Andean nations.

[Serek000]

I'm going to apologize in advance for a boring update. Those 4 years were extremely uneventful. Hopefully the 1850s will be more exciting than the end of the '40s...

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1844-1848

As 1844 opens, President Juan Jose Flores prioritized industrialization and technological growth. He knew that Ecuador was quickly being outpaced by Brazil and Argentina, and that being technologically backwards would be very detrimental to the country further down the road.

After a year of building the treasury and working to lower the militancy, the leadership Conservate Party of Ecuador decides that Juan Jose Flores has become expendable. On March 10, 1845 the president failed a confidence vote. Betrayed by his party and lacking any real support, Flores agreed to resign his position and become Ambassador to Costa Rica. The Conservative Party of Ecuador announced that Luis Rocio would be president on a temporary basis, until elections could be held.



Luis Rocio ran almost unopposed, with the only opposition candidate coming from the fringe New Andean Revolutionary Party. His campaign, which focused on the need to build up the treasury and maintain the military, was incredibly successful, especially in the heavily populated West. The election results were announced on 19 January 1846, two weeks after voting ended.

Luis Rocio (Conservative Party of Ecuador) - 64 %
Ignatio Santos (New Andean Revolutionary Party) - 30 %
Jose Urbina (Jesuit Party) - 6 %

Luis Rocio, taking the results of the election as a clear mandate, immediately got to work raising more funds. He announced a 4% raise in taxes for all classes, as well as a slight raise in defense funding.

After six months holding the presidency, Rocio received word that the corrupt mayor of Yancos had been voted out of office. This was, he said in an interview with a leading pro-government newspaper, clear testament to his anti-crime policies.



Summer of 1846 saw the USA, the dominant power in North America, caught up in wars against both Mexico and the powerful British Empire. British amphibious assaults were initially successful, resulting in the capture of New Orleans, Charleston, Salisbury, and Boston.

On September 10 1846 the youth division of the Conservative Party of Ecuador decided it needed to contribute more to the cause, and supported a recruitment drive to bolster the military. A new division was quickly raised and outfitted, to be deployed in Jauja.



1 January 1848 found Ecuador in a state of economic and technological growth. Not much had happened in the past four years, and the situation seemed to have finally stabilized.



Interesting, a continent north, the USA was having real trouble against both the British and Mexicans, who were working in seeming cohesion to capture what was then the Southwest of the USA.

[volksmarschall]

Looks like Yankee Doodle and Uncle Sam are having some problems: The British are in New Jersey and Delaware and the Mexicans have taken Texas... certainly not a good thing especially since 1848 is an election year stateside. Nonetheless, Manifest Destiny cannot and will not be stopped; well... I guess it can.

As for Ecuador, looks like the Conservatives certainly dominate national politics and political ideology. Wish those numbers could be true in our time line!

[Iain Wilson]

I wouldn't knock economic and technological stability - these things are a blessing!

Poor old USA *sniggers*

[Treppe]

The reactionaries down to 6% that's nice. No need to apologize you made a good update despite the "lack of action".

[CatKnight]

1840-1844

In February of 1841 word reached Ecuador of a new way to slaughter cattle using machines

Poor cattle. Why don't you want them using machines?


Great AAR so far. Don't apologize for having a quiet period. That actually makes it more realistic than 100 years of constant warfare.

[Serek000]

I played out the next turn (1848-1852) and took notes and such, so I just need to write out the update. I think I should be able to get it up by 20:00 GMT on Tuesday.

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@ Volksmarschall:
The conservatives have power for now, but in this timeline it seems power fluctuates wildly within just a few years. More fluctuation will be seen in the next update.


@ Iain Wilson:
Poor old USA indeed! It seems, though, that they always manage to strike some sort of deal with the Gods of diplomacy.


@ Treppe:
It is nice to get those reactionaries taken care of. They were really a nuisance, and caused all sorts of revolt issues. I hope they stay that way, isolated out on the political fringe.


@ Catknight:
Thanks! I do enjoy quiet spells every once and a while. It was nice to be able to sit back and watch the war up in North America unfold.

[Serek000]

Late Summer of 1848 brought interesting news: the USA somehow managed to wiggle its way out of the bind it found itself in, and won a white peace with both Mexico and the UK, despite having all of Louisiana and Arkansas occupied by Mexico and a decent chunk of the eastern seabord occupied by British troops.

On 10 December, a scheduled election campaign was underway. At the start of the campaign, it looked to be a two way contest between the Conservative Party of Ecuador (headed by incumbent president Luis Rocio) and the Liberal Party (headed by a young general fresh off a tour of Europe, Jose Maria Urbina).




14 April 1850: News reports surfaced of Peruvian smugglers captured in Piura. Evidently, they'd been running tea, cotton, and silk across the border to circumvent the harsh tariffs imposed on foreign goods. They were executed in Quito in a public spectacle, before a crowd numbering in the thousands. Needless to say Peru was more than upset by the execution of Peruvian citizens in a foreign nation.




In early June of 1850, a group of young liberal writers and scholars invited a travelling French scholar to give lectures in southern Ecuador. He agreed, and his lectures were well received and influential to the politics of the region.

3 September 1850 - a corruption scandal broke in Jauja. Evidently the chief of police in the state had been accepting bribes from an underground gambling ring. President Rocio was furious and immediately removed and incarcerated him, but the damage had been done.




Upon the tallying of votes on 12 September 1850, it became clear that Liberal Party had won an astonishing victory against the incumbent Conservative Party of Ecuador. President Rocio, hearing the results, resigned his position and Jose Maria Urbina ascended to the presidency to become the first Liberal Party president since Frederico Utilisante over a decade earlier.


Barely four months into his reign, on 4 January 1851, President Urbina announced that elections and parliament are standing in the way of the promotion of freedom and classical liberal ideals and abolished them, much to the chagrin of the Conservative Party of Ecuador. Donations immediately poured in from liberal leaders in France and the Netherlands, and a division of young cavalrymen, wishing to experience a heavily romanticized deployment, arrived from far off Denmark, although given their lack of discipline they were relegated to be reserves, called upon only in dire circumstances.




12 January 1851: President Urbina confiscated Church property, leaving thousands of clergymen throughout Ecuador reverting back to laborers. This upset the Conservatives and Reactionaries, but the controversial act slightly helped the weak Ecuadorian economy.

The late spring of 1851 was a time of tumult, and nowhere more so than Esmeraldas, the northwestern most province of Ecuador. Anti-Urbina demonstrations turned violent in late May, causing President Urbina to send in an infantry division to crush the revolters. The fighting is hard and urban, resulting in a long battle that would drag into mid-September before being finally won by the military.





On July 26 1851 President Urbina was presented with a petition to abolish slavery in Ecuador. Only the provinces of Esmeraldas and Guyaquil had slaves, but they were something of a backbone of the economy of those two provinces. Urbina made it very clear during the election campaign that he had no love for the institution of slavery, so the opportunity presented by the petition was certain to be signed. The slaves were freed, and letters of congratulations poured in from the UK and France, slightly improving Ecuador's tarnished image.



By the time New Years Day rolled around in 1852, the political situation in Ecuador was tense (as was becoming the unfortunate norm). Relations between the supporters of the Liberal Party and the Conservative party were strained, and violence had already broke out, and was threatening to do so again. On the international stage, Ecuador's reputation had improved somewhat, but it was still thought of as a pathetically backwater state. The border with Peru was heavily militarized and seemed ready for an eruption of war. All in all, the period from 1848-1852 was a turbulent but critical time in the development of Ecuador.

[volksmarschall]

I can't even imagine how the US got out of their troubles with such a generous peace offer. As for Ecuador, it looks like political and civil unrest is going to be a major problem. After all, you're such a small nation and constantly putting down civil rebellions. However, with General Urbina in power, things just might make a turn for the better with a soldier leading the country...

Good stuff!

[Treppe]

Oh yeah the US ai does these miracles a lot, especially if the US is down on her knees and confederate armies are occupying everything west of Washington the US AI pleas for mercy and the confederates simply surrender.
Never question the ai actions, the insight would be devastating.

So Urbina has the country in his tight grasp, doesn't he? Only bad thing is that you are now a presidential dictatorship and would probably get no immigrants whatsoever.