Shadow of the Andes - An Interactive Chilean AAR

[zagoroth]

I am pretty sure the armies have conformed. An army can be no larger than 20 brigades, and a general can run two armies at most. No one has passed that.

[Ivir Baggins]

"In that case I have no further objections."

Sebastian Montenegro

[thekinguter]

]

Will we ever be safe though? I do not believe it is truly possible to destroy all radical, anti-Chilean thought. There will always be dissenters, always be trouble-makers.

I don't believe it will ever be feasible to return to the democracy of old. No, times have changed. The National Revolution was a turning point. We must create our own democracy - a new democracy that cannot be corrupted by the reaction of the Right or the radicalism of the Left. We need a democracy that transcends the old, failed political system of the times before the Revolution. Our democracy must correspond with a Third Way.
,
Besides, we would not be banning the Patriotas or the Republicanos - we would merely be integrating them within the greater framework that would be the National Revolutionary Party, so that they can have their say as well. If anything, my system would be more fair than the one we have now, in which they exist but they have virtually no capability to do anything meaningful.

Well actually the reason of being a non-democratic state is that we wanted to provide a safe framework for a return od democracy later on. I may be ultracatholic and reactionary, and an old man as well..thus you may be right this time. Human nature makes us fight change, so its only natural I dont approve this new way of ruling, but you are a smart and innovative man and your new ideas might displace mine one day. You are a pioneer of fascism, and thus I only find it beautifully poetical as the "old man Fernandez" and his reactionary policies stand down and Mr Saez and his fascism will assume leadership.

[Red Cesar]

It is believed that Crown Prince Daniel Jesus Roseno has returned to Spain after a failed attempt at breaking into Chilean politics.

[King50000]

If the rumors are true, then this is a great day for Chile! We have no need for a Monarch or Rosenoist in Chile! Let us never again even consider allowing a Monarch to disgrace our Republic and anger our people.

[OConner]

Constitution of the National Republic: Yes

Although I loath the idea of giving only the rich voting rights, the creation of a National Trade Union the kind of thing that must be pushed through to make Chile strong. I would be very interested in heading this Union, or at least the workers section of it.

[Seek75]

I have made sure that no one army has any more than twenty brigades, and no one general has control of more than two armies.

[Maxwell500]

I support the Constitution of the National Republic! And may I comment my great Caudillo, that my name is Victor-Felipe de Tagle y Fuentes, not Senor Navia :P

[ThunderHawk3]

By my count, polls close in about two hours.

Constitution of the National Republic
Yes: 16
No: 5

EDIT: Fixed miscount.

[ThunderHawk3]

Sáez 1908-1910: Lebensraum

Emboldened by his military and political victories in his early term of office, Caudillo Saez put a new constitution before the Congreso (practically meaning that he requested its validation by the Executive Committee of the Frente Nacional). After considerable debate by the Executive Committee, crucially hinging on the support of the powerful general Sebastian Hidalgo, the body of the Frente Nacional approved a modified version of the constitution that allowed select single-party voting for the office of Caudillo, but allowed the few other remaining parties to continue existing. The Constitutional change was met with ambivalence and criticism by the Chilean people and the press, who had little interest in the minor changes that had transferred power from one small group of elites to another.

Sáez's second term of office, however, was not reserved for politics. On the contrary, Sáez oversaw one of the longest and most harrowing military campaigns in Chilean history. In February 1908, a large-scale Germanist rebellion broke out in the Santa Fe region of Brazil which commentators declared the relatively small Brazilian Army (~65,000) would have trouble putting down while simultaneously suppressing the same movement in the north. After consulting with his Generals and some preparation, Sáez declared that the Brazilian government was clearly defunct and unable to suppress the hated Germanist rebels, and that Chile would take over the administration of the Santa Fe region. The Brazilian government responded with rejection and alarm, and the first Chilean-Brazilian War (Chile and Brazil having been close historical allies) broke out in March, 1908. Prior to the fighting's start, Sáez had carefully positioned his armies, and the 1st and 2nd Armies of the Republic under Varde and De Porto - fresh off the line in Peru - stormed into the Brazillian Amazon and Mato Grosso, while the Southern Army Group under Hidalgo quickly moved into Corrientes and Santa Fe, moving quickly along the coast. While Ferarri's Metropolitan Army fought the Brazilian Army in the Northern Amazon, the Presidential Blackshirts saw their first action in the unit's history, occupying Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo on Caudillo Sáez's direct orders.

Brazil, caught off guard by the sudden attack, quickly ceded the country's south to Hidalgo but continued to battle Ferarri, De Porto, and Varde in the North. Though the Chilean forces acted quickly to contain the Brazilian mobilization of additional troops, Brazil managed to retain nearly 100,000 soldiers through the end of 1908, which proved a frustration to Ferarri. After a crushing defeat at Forto do Principe in September, Ferarri finally called for reinforcements. In response, Caudillo Sáez instituted the first conscription law since the Civil War and placed more than 300,000 additional troops at the northern theater's disposal. After several more months of fighting, the Northern Army Group finally surrounded and crushed the Brazilian Army at Borba in December, ending organized Brazilian resistance to the Chilean occupation. However, holdouts would remain throughout Brazil until 1910, and some areas of Cayenne would never come fully under Chilean control. Caudillo Sáez ended conscription and demobilized the nation in early 1909, resulting in an economic boom in wartime industries from the returning soldiers.

Despite the end of the Brazilian Army, the troubles of Chile were not over. In May 1909, the United States - the last country in the Americas that could rival Chile in military might - declared war against the Republic to contain Chile's ambitions on the Southern Hemisphere. Though not fool enough to fight Chile in a land war (with an army that, after all, had not even been able to defeat the Confederates), the US Navy would prove extremely troublesome to Chile, which they continued to wage even after Brazil's surrender in January 1910. After a prolonged occupation by Chile, Brazil finally agreed to surrender not only Santa Fe, but also the vast border provinces of Amazonas and Mato Grosso to the National Republic. However, the United States - nominally joined in its war by Russia - refused to recognize the treaty.

Despite Admiral Alvarez's best efforts, the United States landed an invasion force in the canal zone in November, 1910. After a month of fighting, General Rivera finally surrendered in 1910, and though Alvarez eventually sunk the attacking naval force after three months of sporadic engagements, it was far too late. The curiosity in Chilean politics that had been the Free State had essentially ceased to be as the Canal Zone fell under American administration. The Free Chilean Navy retreated to the island of Martinique along with the remnants of the Free Chilean Army, contemplating a next move.

Sáez, for his part, was not content to simply fight the Americans. In March 1910, the Caudillo ordered Sebastian Hidalgo to invade Uruguay, which he did with lightning speed, occupying the small nation with little resistance and formally annexing the country by July. With the addition of Uruguay into Chile, the Chilean population by the 1910 census had finally topped 50,000,000 now lagging only slightly behind the United States' 60,000,000. External enemies not withstanding, De Santa Rosa gave Sáez one last, grim warning: there were now an estimated 2.5 million rebels armed rebels in the country, as many as 2 million of whom were ready to begin their assault on the National Republic at any moment, while the Chilean Army had dwindled in size to only 400,000. This, in the minds of most, was by far the larger threat as Chile entered the 1910 elections.

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Liberation of Cuba

1. The Chilean Nation will declare war on Spain for the liberation of Cuba and -if the situation allows it- the conquest of the island of Puerto Rico.

2. The Chilean Nation will ask the Free State's collaboration in this invasion, asking for their navy during the course of the war. In exchange, they will recieve some kind of compensation.

3. The Chilean Army will begin the recruitment of an occupation army for Puerto Rico (18 brigades would be nice, considering the Spaniards won't attempt anything as our navy is superior).

Player Actions Needed:
Declare as candidates for Caudillo or agitators, as you please. You also ought to vote Yes or No on the liberation of Puerto Rico and Cuba.

Sample declarations look like this:
I'm running for Caudillo!
I'm agitating!

Sample ballots look like this:
Liberation of Cuba: Yes/No/Abstain

Also note that I couldn't implement the constitution as stated in game. The game, for whatever reason, doesn't accept Landed Voting and Ruling Party Only at the same time, and if you implement Landed Voting the nation becomes a democracy. Thus, I haven't implemented Landed Voting.

[Maxwell500]

Liberaiton of Cuba: Yes! I also beg the Caudillo to give me the rights to start a construction of our navy.

[yourworstnightm]

I am agitating!

The mad thirst for blood by the Rosenoists is their demise. Their crazy militarism have made them to overextend, and they are now weaker than ever before. The time to strike is now.

[Ivir Baggins]

Liberation of Cuba: No

"I have but one word to say on the topic of a liberation of Cuba: No. Chile is weakened enough as it is by a bloody war with Brazil that has already scythed through the generations, and despite this, the government propose to send Chile into yet more wars, yet more conflicts, yet more deaths. It is foolish to talk of invading islands when Chile does not have any navy at all. Furthermore, the only way we will ever make it to Cuba is if we stop fighting the USA; it is a foolish endeavour, one which has the only logical outcome of sinking our navy and our prestige. We have too many commitments, not enough resources, and many threats looming over the horizon. This government's policies are absurd, and unless stopped, will lead only to yet more death and destruction. We have had enough of death; we want peace. Yet the government's only Christmas present to us all is the loss of the Canal zone to the USA. After many years of conflict, all we recieve in return is the occupation of Chilean soil by foreigners."

Sebastian Montenegro
Article in the Aurora de Chile, 26 December 1910

[Riccardo93]

I have decided that I must make an attempt at the leadership of this nation; I am running for Caudillo on a campaign of reformation. While I am not the great liberal my father is or grandfather was, and I am a fervent supporter of expanding our great nation across all of Latin America, the expansion of power into the hands of a select few has begun to worry me.

My basic platform is this; laissez-faire, free-trade/protectionism (it doesn't heavily matter), secularism, jingoism, limited citizenship.

I also support the liberation of Cuba.

As well, Admiral, if I am elected, I will put aside funds to rebuild our navy starting at the end of my first term (and continuing into my second, if I am so lucky).

[atomicsoda]

I am resigning from my position in the free state as we have lost Balboa to the USA and am returning to the mainland to make sure my family is safe through these turbulent times.

Juan Rivera

[Maxwell500]

I see now that if a grand navy for our nation is to be created and the needs and wants of our people are to be met that I myself must put a bid for the position of Caudillo. If elected I promise as stated previously to build on the navy, increase our power over the Latin countries, fight off the American menace and most important of all, build up our dwindling army to a larger and more intimidating force.

My platform therefor is State Capitalism; Protectionism; Securalism; Pro-Military; Limited Citizenship.

[zagoroth]

While I support war, I must say NO to the Liberation of Cuba. Chile is weak currently, and her enemies numerous. We must rebuild our armies again to ensure an uprising will be easily quenched. I ask the future Presidente of Chile to consider giving his/her loyal generales a second legion each to solidify our stability!

I thus wish to RUN FOR PRESIDENTE, on a platform of one full electoral cycle of peace and military rebuilding! My policies will be laissez-faire, free-trade, secularism, jingoism, limited citizenship. My policies are however very negotiable, as I want a term primarily run through increasing the military to defend against the rebels.

Stability in the Republic, against all else!

[MastahCheef117]

I, Sebastian Hidalgo, Commander of the Army of Argentina and the Army of Patagonia, Liberator of Argentina and Uruguay, Victor over the Oppressive Brazilian Government and the Savior of Its People, Savior of the Republic, and Loyal Guard against the Agitating Left, am running for Caudillo!

I will use the same platform as the last election - Jingoism/Moralism/Laissez-Faire/Protectionism/Limited Citizenship.

I also vote No! to the Liberation of Cuba!

- Gen. Sebastian Hidalgo

[Ivir Baggins]

"You used the possesive clause wrong, Hidalgo. It is meant to be 'its people', not 'it's people', because what you said actually meant 'it is people'."

Sebastian Montenegro
Speech in the Senate

[cavebear3000]

It seems as if there will be as many candidates this cycle as last! What a testament to our glory! What a testament to democracy within our nation! Many of them run on a platform of economic resurgence and military build-up and I must say that I agree that these two goals should be for our next Caudillo. Although I feel that a strong military leader like Hidalgo could make a fine Caudillo, something within me feels that what Chile really and truly needs right now is an economic mastermind who can bring wealth and power to as many citizens, (workers, warriors, factory owners, etc.) as possible... utilitarian style mi amigos!

But where can Chile find such an economic paragon? Who can steer our nationalist republic in the right direction? After looking up and down the streets of Santiago and finding only venders and gypsies (we should do something about those gypsies) and finding no suitable candidates, I humbly present myself to the Frente Nacional in order to be considered for the position of Caudillo.

Here are my views ( which are not malleable, as I am a man of character and integrity!)- Moralism, Laissez-faire, protectionism, Jingoism, full citizenship

Also, I vote no on the invasion of Cuba. Let us first deal with these rebels at home.

((and can we get a map up in here?))