The 1898-1899 Civil War, Part 2: The Tide Turns
By 1899, long months of the bloodiest fighting in Chilean history had ground down the armed forces of Chile to a shadow of its former self. Prior to the war, Chile had fielded a quarter-million soldiers with no draft and neglecting militia; by 1899, the total forces of both sides had been reduced to less than a third that number. De Porto's army, though not totally destroyed, had been reduced to a ragged force unfit to fight by the end of the 3rd Battle of Santiago and withdrew to Vina Del Mar to recuperate. The only remaining combat effective force in the entirety of the Nationalist Army was Sebastian Hidalgo's. Though Hidalgo had been routed after the 2nd Battle of Santiago, months had since passed and his army had been reinforced by a large number of nationalist militias, volunteers, and conscripts. All in all, this force numbered roughly 60,000 men and in Hidalgo's words "could be the last hope for our victory." However small it might have been compared to the initial size of the nationalist forces, Hidalgo's reinforced Army of Patagonia now far exceeded Fuente's People's Metropolitan Army, which was still only 20,000.
Fresh from months of rest and reinforcement, Hidalgo marched north to Santiago from Neuquen and joined what he called "the final battle for Chile" in early January, though casualties were largely equal on both sides, ultimately Fuentes and Hakkihäälenin could not overcome Hidalgo's vast numerical superiority. After a month of fierce fighting, Hidalgo overran Fuentes' lines on Santiago's outskirts in early February. Fierce fighting would continue street by street, building by building throughout march as Hidalgo's forces flooded the city, and though Hakkihäälenin and Fuentes fought for every street, they ultimately could not hold the city. Hidalgo's Army of Patagonia seized the centers of government in late march and struck the Hammer and Sickle from La Moneda on March 20th. The People's Republic of Chile had lasted less than three months, and its reach had never extended beyond the greater Santiago regions. Both communist generals, Fuentes and Hakkihäälenin, were found dead in La Moneda, both apparently killed by enemy fire. Rios was nowhere to be found - rumors regarding how he escaped persist to this day.
Fernandez and the nationalist government of Chile returned to Santiago in early April to meet for a conference on a new government: a one party state. Still, all their opposition had not been eliminated, and the 3rd Republic, however small, had not yet perished from the earth.
In June 1898, President Maximillien de Conti had not arrived at the meeting of the nationalist conspirators. He had not been aware that Fernandez had plotted the overthrow of the Republic (or so he said). Word of the Communist had reached him before the Nationalist's, and though he ultimately condemned both as betrayals of the Republic, he had initially reacted to the first and not the second. When De Conti heard that 150,000 Communists were marching on Santiago, he urgently telegraphed Chilean Mainland Naval Command in Valparaiso, and ordered Fleet Admiral Eduardo Alvarez to prepare the navy to escort the government of the Republic to the Canal Zone, where they establish an emergency provisional capital for the nation. Alvarez, of course, complied. Fernandez and his co-conspirators wondered why the President never arrived at their meeting: the answer is that their message never reached him. Their courier delivered their summons to an empty desk in La Moneda, the President having already evacuated, along with the few officers of government who remained loyal to him, to Valparaiso. The ever-loyal Alvarez was waiting for him when he arrived, and a fleet of 37 ships conveyed the President northward to Panama.
De Conti and Alvarez received word of the Nationalist Coup while at sea, and they arrived in Chilean Panama amidst some apprehension, as there was no news of Rivera's allegiance in the struggle. It seemed that save for Alvarez, every officer of the military had either declared for the communists or the nationalists, and Republicans were few and far between. Despite this, De Conti arrived in Balboa to find an honor guard of 24,000 saluting soldiers lining the port and presenting to greet him, as Rivera reported that he, like Alvarez, was always faithful to the Republic.
President De Conti held an emergency war council in Balboa with scant attendance: only Rivera and Alvarez joined him, as all other high-ranking officers and ministers of government had declared themselves for other causes. As Rivera put it "the chances of us retaking the mainland with our present forces are fanciful." Ultimately, Alvarez advised, though they commanded the largest navy in the southern hemisphere, "the best thing we can do is wait and hope that the supporters of the Republic will answer our calls. The mainland is lost to us now, but someday we will return to reclaim it."
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Player Actions Needed:
Okay. Rudders10, Maxwell500, and Dyranum are disenfranchised for their loss in the coup. The supporters of the Republic have successfully escaped to the Canal Zone. Remember that agitators can now declare instantly - you don't have to wait for the primaries.
Fernandez ((thekinguter)) I need a list of reform demands you're enforcing: (ie: no voting, ruling party only, ect.) and what the general form of your dictatorship is. I'll come up with some kind of voting system for it that's not completely unfair.
