The Value of Dreams:A Federal Republic of Central America AAR

[CCA]

VIP:R 0.1
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The Value of Dreams: A Federal Republic of Central America AAR

Never underestimate the value of dreams, my mother once told me. The Federal Republic of Central America was a state that was run purely on dreams. Even as the Federation dissolved into chaos and anarchy, the dream was still there, untarnished and shining brightly.

And what was the Dream? The Dream that President Francisco Morazaan swore to uphold and defend? The Dream that Rafael Carrera claimed to have been following when he launched the coup? Was it the very same dream that would lead to Carrera's murder and the "rule of the clergy?" Was it the Dream that kept them coming? The poor unwashed masses coming to a country full of poor unwashed masses?

Dreams. It was all that we had, it was all that we had to look forward to. This is the story of the Federal Republic of Central America, a state that ran for several decades and was largely built upon hopes and dreams.

[Quintilian]

An intriguing prologue. I look forward to seeing where revolutionary dreams bring your American republic.

[likk9922]

Originally Posted by Quintilian

An intriguing prologue. I look forward to seeing where revolutionary dreams bring your American republic.

I second this comment!

[gis]

sounds interesting, Ill fellow it.

[CCA]

Quintilian- Thanks, stay tuned for more

likk9922- I second the above comment

gis- Yup, the gulf between reality and dreams is interesting.

Hopefully an update tonight.

[CCA]

Reform, Revolution and Rebellion. 2 Years of Revolutionary chaos and Rafael Carrera's Dream.

1836-1838

A dream without substance, without nature is flawed. A dream was all well and good but dreams couldn't feed the people. Dreams couldn't balance the budget, dreams couldn't....

Cordoba Hernandez stopped writing. It was too depressing thinking of what the Federal Republic of Central America was. The gap between reality and dreams was too much for him. The flag of the nation glorified a canal that didn't exist and in all likelihood never would. The liberal clique at the capital claimed to be ruling "for the people, by the people and with the people" when in reality only literates(10% of the population) could vote.

Something needed to be done. But Cordoba Hernandez wasn't the one to do it. A pistol shot was heard that night at Guatamela city. One of the many minister driven mad with the contradictions of the republic.

And yet they keep coming...

Yes, "They" the poor huddled masses, coming in sailing clippers. Jews, Azberjani's, Uzbecks, Poles and a myriad of other nationalities. The years 1836-38 would see the greatest instability and chaos that the Federal Republic of Central America would ever experience yet paradoxically the one of the greatest number of immigrants for that decade.Literally thousands came everyday from 1836-1838. They came from every nation, to escape persecution and tyranny. Even if the Federal Republic of Central America was far from a wealthy nation. it accepted and in many cases welcomed them. From these early seeds of immigration it was unknown whether these would blossom the Federal Republic of Central America into greatness or stiffle them into the ground. Time would tell.

The need for a professional army is paramount. There is a need to reform the army. Urgent reform is needed

The above were the words of Francisco Morazan in January 15 1836, 2 days before his fall from power.

Ironically enough, it was exactly the very same problem that led to the coup.


Rafael Carerra and his family had suffered badly at the hands of the undisciplined and unprofessional Federalist Army. After experiencing his farm being burnt and his life being shattered, Carerra turned towards banditry. He quickly became an almost mythical figure for the peasants and various opposers of the Liberal Party to rally around. The coup he launched at January 17 1836 was perfectly planned and executed. Francisco Morazan disappeared from Guatamela City and would not reemerge until several years later.

The reaction to his seizure of power was initally mild. However, the issue of land reform frustrated the peasants who quickly realized that Carerra couldn't or wouldn't do anything. Egged on by the very same local elites and conservative elements who had installed Carerra, things came to a head on April 2 1837. Nicoya and Neuva Sigovia rose in rebellion.


The outcome of the conflict was far from certain, the results of Morazan's belated reforms in January 15 1836 had reduced the army to a meagre 4000 and the reorganizations severely damaged morale. The fact that the army adopted the "Jominian Doctrine" which was untried and untested made the situation more uncertain. The Federal Army however had the advantage of interior lines of communication and although it was not realized at that time, the army reorganizations and the focus on elan and morale would ultimately win the war.

By the time the rebellion had made it's last stand in San Jose almost a year later in March 8 1838, Central America had survived it's first serious crisis. Carerra now faced the difficult task of rebuilding the shaterred state and nearly empty treasury...

[Lordban]

So far the dreams didn't quite turn into a nightmare - the dreamer still has enough control over them.

Which brings up the question of what he eventually dreams about

[Eärendil]

Wow, someone actually uses the terrain map?

Good update, looking forward to see how things develop.

[Ahura Mazda]

Originally Posted by Eärendil

Wow, someone actually uses the terrain map?

Good update, looking forward to see how things develop.

I too look forward to how things develop

[likk9922]

Difficult nation, I wish you luck.

[coz1]

A strong start. You've got quite a road ahead of you and I imagine it will remain bumpy for the time being. They do so love their coups down there.

Good luck.

[CCA]

Lordban- Yes, but who is the Dreamer here ?

Eärendil- Yeh, but what's so wrong with the terrain map?

Ahura Mazda- As do I! I play then write an update, the game hasn't been fully played yet.

likk9922 Thanks!

coz1 There's a coup in the next update..... Thanks for the luck

Update tonight likely.

[CCA]

*sorry about the short update, I only had a small time to do this as I have a sh*tload of accounting, history, biology etc. hw*

Stagnation, Stagflation and Setbacks. Carrera's Nightmare
1838-1840

What happened to yesterday? What happened to those bright shining faces full of hope and promise? Whatever happened to the revolution? Whatever happened to the dream? What do we want?
All we want is Land to the Peasants and Freedom of Trade!

- Father Montez, leader of the clerical Revolutionary party

The last two years of the Carrera regime was notable for it's lack of accomplishments. In the absence of something positive or negative. There was nothing at all done or accomplished during those 2 years, it was not stability, it was not instability. There was no chaos, yet there was no order. The Carrera regime was marked by severe apathy. Carerra himself was said to be so lazy that he didnt even bother to rouse himself from his bed and was said to be waited on hand and foot by servants.

The government as such only existed on paper. The government still collected taxes and printed money. But that was all that it did.

It was in such times that the only equivalent of a Middle Class in Central America came to the fore. The clergy and the church.

The church in Central America had always been one of the more liberal and populist churches in the world. Their relatively close contact with both the Mayans and with the poorest and society meant that the church had liberal tendencies. These tendencies were worsened by Carrera's victory. The clergy organized themselves into the "Christian Society for Clerical Revolution." Three men took the fore. Father Montez, Gabriel and San Diego took it upon themselves to overthrow Carerra's dictatorship.



Broadly speaking the Three Fathers, as they would be later known in Central American society believed in the Essential Goodness and Brotherhood of Humanity. That is they belived that "to improve himself, man must be free, did not the Creator give us Free Will? Did not the Saviour died so that we might be free?" They were opposed to the entrenched aristocracy who they saw as petty and corrupt and favoured Freedom of Trade. With the end to what they saw as petty restrictions and priviliges, the Federal Republic of Central America would usher in a new era.
Father San Diego was an artist and he painted his famous "Trade in Heaven" painting:


The Three Fathers plotted and schemed and waited. Finding sympathetic elements within the Army they resolved to murder Carrera on August 5 1840 in his bedroom. Father Montez had arranged with the local bishop to give Rafael Carrera communion. Montez would slip arsenic into the wine and then give Carrera his last rites. The Two other priests,Father San Diego and Father Gabriel would proclaim the end of Carrera and proclaim an emergency 5 year period of Triumverate.

All this however was to be proved uneccesary with the death or Carrera from heart failure on August 2 1840. The Three Fathers simply declared a new government on the same day and the Three Fathers became the Three Wise Men.

[coz1]

Interesting developments. It's to be a liberal theocracy for a time?

[CCA]

2 Decades of Peace, Prosperity and Progress. The Rule of the Three Wise Men

Dreams, that was all we had. The land was poor and fallow, the mystical canal that was supposed to bring peace and prosperity did not exist and in all likelihood never would. The rich aristocrats controlled the land, trampling the constitution, trampling the national values of Equality and Fraternity and most of all trampling the poor man underfoot his golden boot. That was all we had.

The Three Wise Men came, they came bearing gifts, not of Gold,Frankincence and Myrh as of ages past but the gifts of Peace, Prosperity and Progress. Dreams became reality. What was once conceived as mere phantasies and dreams became fulfilled. A middle class came into being. Capitalists, bourgeiose, industry. The Fires of industry and commerce transformed the nation. The railroads. The Iron Horses. It was that. The Machines. It was that too.

Was it the Three Wise Men? Yes it was definitely them. Oh yes, I'm not making sense in what I'm writing. But I can feel it. A mixture of nostalgia, sorrow and triumph. The Three Wise Men say not to go to war. But we are bored. Yes for the first time in my life I feel an aura of restlessness about me. We want war. We Need War. War War War.
- Diary of Trujilo Navares.

The 20 Years "Reign of the Three Wise Men" is regarded by many contemporary historians as the first Golden Age of the Federal Republic of Central America.

Although the first 5 years were seemingly insignificant in terms of tangible changes, there was an important event that occured. It was Land Reform. Freedom of Trade and Land Reform was granted on February 2 1841. The Aristocracy could do little but make empty noises of protest. This event boosted the Republics income and would later culminate in an important event. The support of landless peasants was significant in this event:



Public Museums were built. An important part of the public museum was in fueling rumours that the Central American Fruit and Coffee could extend age and even allow the consumer to cheat death as depicted by several items of Romanticist paintings.


From that event there were progress on all fronts. Threshing machines and a number of mechanized machinery made the Fruit Industry less labour intensive opening the way for the creation fo a middle class and a proletariat. Literacy rates rose. Population Rose. There was a "fruit boom" and a "coffee boom" caused by the foreign demand for Central American Fruit and Coffee. This boom lasted for several months and created a large reserve of gold. Unfortunately the boom only lasted for a month as it was discovered that they did not convey eternal life.


The Federal Republic of Central America in 1860 was far different from the one at 1840. Population had more than doubled, productivity had risen 400% and literacy rates increased from 17.00% in 1840 to 36.5% in 1840.

The Military too had grown from 1 infantry division in 1840 to 3 Regular Infantry Divisions and a Dragoon Division with Artillery and 4 Reserve Infantry Divisions. Populationwise, the nation had changed it's compositon remarkably.


Although still in their experimental stage, railroads had become the way of transport for many goods and allowed the government in Guatamela City to exert control it did not have before.

The biggest problem that the Republic faced in 1860 was latent nationalism. Nationalism was not going to tear the nation apart as it had threatened to in 1840, it would however plunge the republic into conflict with it's neigbors. A pseudojustification was provided, this was to be a war of liberation to liberate their Central American brothers.

[Jolt]

Nice AAR, will be following.

I hope you will be able to take Panama and Mexico, and compete with USNA for global domination! :P

EDIT: Brazil is a Great Power!

[gis]

great updates!!

So, What happened...? the Wise Mens died off?

[CCA]

The Delirium of War. The First Columbo-Central American War. Chapter One

February 4 1860
The whole nation is gripped in War Fever. We want war people on the street cry out. The whole nation is expecting war against Columbia. The whole nation. Papa suddenly hates Columbia, Mama suddenly hates columiba. The whole goddamn country has gone insane.

Except for me.

Will it be worth it in the end? The broken bodies, the broken dreams the broken families? All for some land. This war. This war will diminish us all.

They'll be calling up the reserves soon, just my fools luck to have been enrolled this year.

They say it will be a quick war. "We'll march in there and the whole thing will be over by christmas", the generals promise. Even the clergy are in on it "We only have to kick in the door and the whole rotten structure will come tumbling down" they croon. Whatever happened to the brotherhood of christ? To the brotherhood of man? To Liberty Equality and Fraternity?

All sacrificed at the altar of war.

Or maybe I'm just a coward?

I don't want to fight.

I just want to live, I want to be free, free to run my farms, free to pursue a life of hard work and freedom.

They've led us into this mess the 3 Wise Men have. They call for peace, but no one heeds them. THey call for calm. It falls on deaf ears. They call for compromise, the masses bay for blood and scream for war.

The Three Wise Men are really fools, the emperor has no clothes. Black is White. Nothing can be done to stop it any more. I don't expect to make it out of the war alive. I can't be the only one.

Can I?

[Ringelnatz]

Hmmm, "over by christmas"....

Where have I heard this then before???

[gis]

Originally Posted by Ringelnatz

Hmmm, "over by christmas"....

Where have I heard this then before???

yea... long war probably... well at least its not in Russia...