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Fiftypence

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Aug 19, 2004
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hon3.jpg


Honduras
Free, Soveriegn and Independent

Welcome to Honduras, the land of bananas, bananas and, well, even more bananas! Such is the existence of a quite quintessential banana republic. The reason for this AAR's existence is most probably the failure of my laptop, which has put the Danish Revival (which you really should read) on hold, which means, to all intents and purposes, it is my only currently ongoing AAR. Hopefully this will mean more updates more quickly. It will also be, for some strange reason, the first Honduras AAR ever. I can't fathom why no one has done one before!

This will be played with straightforward vanilla 1.04 with the only modification being a slight alteration of the "Death of the USCA" event, giving back the 5 reliability to Guatemala's troops which their troops unfairly lose for the rest of the game with the dissolution event. What I did was play as USCA up until that event, then release Costa Rica and El Salvador as satellites causing the death event to fire the next day. I will remove those two countries' satellite status before resuming the game, the reason being that I wanted maximum time to play as Honduras. The title, by the way, is the national motto of Honduras. I prefer Guatemala's, which is "The Country of the Eternal Spring", but beggar's can't be choosers I suppose.

I will use no cheats, although some possibly gamey tactics may be employed to make the game a worthwile experience. My goal is to make Honduras into an unlikely utopia and immigrant heaven, and to ultimately unite Central America and more under the banner of Honduras!

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This is Honduras as of 1837, having just gained independence with the death of the USCA. Her neighbours include El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala, the latter being the most populous and powerful. Close by are Mexico and the UK, who are both major regional powers. The USA is as of yet a distant, rather unimportant country, but there are many within Honduras who wish to see a system implemented mirroring that country. El Presidente is open to the idea, and has plans for a full system of reforms, hoping this will attract immigrants to our new and rather empty nation. And El Presidente is never wrong (except when he is.)

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The above pretty much speaks for itself. Honduras does not make an awful lot of money, having such a small population, and with a research rate of just 0.48 points a month things are going to start off a little bit slow. But, as time passes, El Presidente will no doubt learn many interesting ways of intimid...uh, encouraging the farmers into producing more and more bananas. El Presidente will also make sure to improve relations with Mexico and Britain as short term foreign policy goals, although it will undoubtedly take time for this to pay off.

As a side note, a couple of interesting things happened in 1836. In January of that year the now extinct USCA was offered an alliance by Texas, which would have meant war with Mexico. This was declined, obviously. February saw the Belgian rebellion blow up into full war involving the UK, Prussia and Austria (and Belgium and the Netherlands, of ocurse), but that was not of too much interest to the Central Americans. That was about it for 1836, but El Presidente does not like talking about the past. He also does not like talk of his sudden and incredible rise to power in Honduras either, just so you know...

Coming up - A full account of Honduras's early years: poverty, bananas and the price of creating a utopia.
 
This sounds very interesting, Fiftypence!

Peculiar that you had an expanded war over the Belgians. Should make for a unique post-war world. Curious to see how that turns out.

And Honduras, of course, too!

Rensslaer
 
Looks excellent!
 
Nice to see you AARing again, Fiftypence!
 
I'm looking forward to this. I love bananas! :)
 
Fiftypence said:
And El Presidente is never wrong
But, as time passes, El Presidente will no doubt learn many interesting ways of intimid...uh, encouraging the farmers into producing more and more bananas.
That was about it for 1836, but El Presidente does not like talking about the past. He also does not like talk of his sudden and incredible rise to power in Honduras either, just so you know...

Is it just me, or is anyone else just a little bit intimidated by El Presidente
 
Rensslaer: It doesn't turn out to be that interesting, unfortunately (the Dutch Civil War, not the game! :p )

Train: Try and attract immigrants at first, then start invading and annexing the other Central Americans sometime sround the 1860s, if everything stays on schedule. The schedule I'm basing this on is a game as Guatemala, who start in a much nicer position (especially with that iron!). So things may be a bit slower.

stnylan, Duke of Wellington, anonymous4401, Garuda: Thanks! :D

Quirinus308: As you'll soon see, El Presidente is not a person but a title, only fleeting given to men. :D

hon3.jpg


Honduras
Free, Soveriegn and Independent

1837 - 1842

El Presidente showed that he was truly yellow...um, I mean Liberal, *cough* by introducing political reforms only a few days into his rule. it was a truly comprehensive set of reforms, capped off with the signing of a constitution guaranteeing all Hondurans the vote (assuming they were not of the wrong sort, you know, under 21, insane, women etc...), as well as a free press and the right to free parties.

The political system created so that power was centred very much in El Presidente (naturally), with an elected congress of career politicians whose only role is to pass laws introduced by his excellency himself. After the signing El Presidente, who, strange as it seems, does in fact have a name (Francisco Ferrara), made a speech promising elections in late 1838. Jose Maria Guerrero immediately announced his candidacy to a crowd in Teguscigalpa as the Partido Conservador candidate, much to El Presidente's anguish gaining the approval of the rather towering figure of the ex-president of the USCA, Francisco Morazan, regarded as a national hero by many ordinary Hondurans.

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Much as El Presidente would like to deny it, this was a severe blow. A contested election with Morazan backing Guerrero meant that his days were numbered. Until election day though, a few things occured that may interest those of you who care of events beyond the borders of our lovely country. In late May news filtered through the war in Europe over Belgium had come to a close via negotiated settlement some months back, to the general dismay of all. Less war, as everyone knew, means less immigrants. Still, the immigration business was not exactly booming just at this time, being no more than a tiny trickle. Morazan suggested to Guerrero that making provisions for the implementation for a full social welfare system would attract people to our fair shores, and the next day it became part of his election manifesto, such was the respect that Morazan commanded.

The army at this time consisted of 1,900 troops, military spending being seen as unneccesary expense (and of course nothing to do with El Presidente not being certain of their loyalty), but in 1837 our top commanders adopted Clausewitz as their lord and saviour. Elsewhere Egypt and the Ottoman Empire went to war, and President Rafael Carrera of Guatemala sent us a bunch of flowers, which smelt quite nice.

guat6.jpg

Rafael Carrera, not such a bad bloke after all

Finally, October 24th rolled around, and Honduras went to the polls for the first time in our history, rich man and poor man alike. The result was maybe predictable to some, but still astounding; El Presidente was humiliatingly beaten! Guerrero became the new El Presidente, Conservador of course but with strong backing by Morazan, a die-hard Liberal. This may appear to some as a strange arrangement, but in Honduras influence and merit go much further than ideology, and that is the way it should be. The result was:

Francisco Ferrera (Partido Liberal) - 44,027
Jose Maria Guerrero (Partido Conservador) - 122,451

Great news, because that last El Presidente was a complete idiot! I always said so. No, really, I did! During the first years of Guerrero's presidency we watched as Texas was made a state of the US despite heavy Mexican objections (damn gringos!) and Bolivia and Peru parted ways peacefully.

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The coffers gradually filled with money from taxes and tariffs, and on March 24th 1840 the National Healthcare Reform Act was passed by Congress, making provisions for the building of many new hospitals and a free healthcare system for all (except non-Hondurans, of course). In 1841 Guerrero passed more reforms after Mexico paid generously for Honduran economic advisors and their ideas of a stock exchange.

hon7.jpg

This money was put aside for spending on the Unemployment Act and the Pension Reforms Act that went through Congress a few days later. Some controversy surrounded this, as for the last nine months the promised money for healthcare had not been delivered, and the Liberals screamed that El Presidente was introducing a system of reforms that the governemnt could not support, leaving only underfunding or bankruptcy as the only two realistic options. But then, they would say that, wouldn't they?

The next couple of years passed quietly. In March of 1841 an academic circle called the Malthusian Society were formed, dedicated to studying the works of the said economist. El Presidente had indeed taken an interest in that man himself, and so Guerrero left them alone. He would have sought to promote their agenda, but the coffer was empty through funding those welfare programs...yeah, that's what the matter was...(no one mention slush fund, alright?) . It also alarmed may lovers of liberty that soon after Mexico and the United States went to war over the issue of Texas. Opinion was split, as Hondurans looked up to and respected both nations. Many critics of Mexico within Honduras claimed that "it was all about the bananas", which was silly, as it is of course about both countries having a squabble about Texas. Strange gringo lovers, strange indeed.

In June, a man wearing a poncho and a sombrero turned up at El Presidente's palace in Teguscigalpa, with a great big bushy moustache, shouting "Arriba" to all and sundry. We all thought he was an American or maybe and Englishman, but it turned out he was a Mexican! And he had a proposal, a proposal that could change everything...

hon6.jpg

Guerrero politely declined, of course, as going to war with the United States was not part of Morazan's election manifesto. For some reason it did not really appeal to ordinary Hondurans either, so the Mexican had no chance. El Presidente did offer him a nice glass of banana juice, however, which went down a treat. Indeed, the juice was so nice that the Mexican kept coming back, making the same offer over and over. Silly Mexican.

hon11.jpg
Could easily have been an American

In early 1842 more advisors were sent to Mexico, teaching Santa Ana the ancient and mystic art of Ad-Hoc Money Bill Printing. We got 6,300 pesos out of it to, which was nice.

Coming Up: Will Honduras ever get any immigrants?
 
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the right to free parties
With a policy like that every fun-loving person should be beating a path to your door! ;) :D
 
Fiftypence said:
We got 6,300 pesos out of to, which was nice.

So with the present exchange rate 6,300 pesos comes out to be...
Oh man you got robbed ;)

Great AAR, I'm loving it
 
Yes. Silly Mexicans.
 
stnylan: The words are different in Spanish. :D

Quirinus308: Nah, 1 peso strangely equals 1 Victoria pound exactly. ;)

Duke of Wellington, lifeless, anonymous4401: Thanks for reading.

Just out of interest, does anyone agree that I should ask for the title to be changed to "Libre, Soberanana e Independiente" (the current title but in Spanish)? I just think it would look better.

hon3.jpg


Honduras
Free, Soveriegn and Independent

1842 - 1850

By the time 1842 came, Honduras was still but a fledgling nation on the periphery of the world, with a laughably small army and no navy at all. It was also time for Jose Maria Guerrero, our beloved El Presidente, to face re-election.

It was, in truth, a rather unremarkable affair, with Morazan still backing Guerrero but with less enthusiasm, the great man taking more of a background role this time around. The Liberal Party man was a rather brusque, bullish man called Coronado Chavez, who was in my opinion marvellous at stirring up the masses but of little substance. When the results came in, there was little surprise; another landslide victory for El Presidente. The results were;

Coronado Chavez (Partido Liberal) - 49,336
Jose Maria Guerrero (Partido Conservador) - 131,845

The first years of Guerrero's second term were a time of great peace and tranquility. However, there was some disquiet when the news came that negotiations between the USA and Britain had deterioted to such an extent that the Americans had declared war on the British, something which astonished all within Honduras. Was it possible that the US could really fight a two front war, as of course most of their armies were currently in the middle of Mexico.

The constitution stated that, like in the USA, a President must serve no more than two full terms in office. That mean, as Guerrero weas entering his last few years in office, the newspapers and the public begun to speculate as to who would run for office in 1847. The smking room in the Presidential Palace was smoky, and I remember as I listened, smoking my cigar, as Guerrero and his ministers spoke, Morazan then serving as the Minister of Industry (meaning he didn't really do much for an awful lot of money). And there was only one question on everyone's lips.

"Senôr Guerrero, would you like a vol a vent?" asked the Minister for Agriculture. No, that was not the question.

"No, bugger off. What is a volavont, anyway?"

"Some kind of whores devour I believe," said the Minister for Trade. Guerrero looked puzzled. Morazan smiled.

"I believe he means hors d'oeuvres. Anyway, gentlemen," he said, taking a drag from his ridiculously large cigar, "I suppose I should report that Honduras's industry remains delightfully nonexistent. But there is something else I wish to tell you guys."

"Yes?" they said, leaning forward, hanging on his words.

"The election comes nearer, and I have decided to run for President..." There was a collective relaxed sigh."...for the Partido Liberal."

Needless to say, that did not go down too well, but then party politics did not mean much to Francisco Morazan. When his candidacy was announced, there was much joy all through the land, among all Hondurans everywhere. Except, of course, the unlucky man who had to face him in an election, Francisco Zelaya y Ayes.

The election result was:

Francisco Morazan - (Partido Liberal) - 157,934
Francisco Zelaya y Ayes - (Partido Conservador) - 24,665

hon17.jpg

Morazan's first act as El Presidente was to increase the mobilisation pool to 40,000 men, with the hope of threatening Guatemala vaguely. You see, Morazan and Rafael Carrera had a bit of a history after the collapse of the USCA, and Morazan had never forgiven Carrera for stirring up the peasants and the aristocracy in rebellion against his Liberal government, giving him ultimately no option but to cut his losses and dismantle the thing. In his heart, he still harboured the desire to reunite Central America and to get vengeance against Carrera, but for the time being he chose to wait.

On October 30th 1847, some news came in from abroad:

hon14.jpg

Sadly, the Dominican rebellion was doomed, and got reannexed back into Haiti soon after.

As the decade drew to a close, under El Presidente's wise and benevolent leadership, there was an immigration explosion, of a proportion that shocked and amazed everybody. Europeans flocked to the country in search of a better life, to such an extent that within three years the population had more than trebled.

Populations on January 1st:

1847 - 443,000
1848 - 676,000
1849 - 1,206,000
1850 - 1,861,000


hon16.jpg

The welfare state

Meanwhile, on October 13th 1848 Mexico and the USA made peace with a negotiated peace, whereby no land changed hands, a major blow to American hopes of fulfilling their so called Manifest Destiny. A major reason for this was America's other war, which was not going too well:

hon12.jpg

So, as the 1850s rolled around, the future looked bright for Honduras. El Presidente was loved by all, the immigrants were pouring in and the military was the strongest in the region. The Central American nations eyed their growing neighbour with suspicion, and in 1849 a tripartite pact between Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica was announced. Ties between Honduras and Nicaragua were strengthened, and Mexico remained on good terms. With Morazan still driven by a desire for a reunited Central America and Carrera ruling in Guatemala, some kind of showdown seemed inevitable.

Coming Up - Are the war drums beatings?
 
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Well of course the war drums are beating. The real question is, whose drums?
 
wow...not looking too good in america right now...whores devour lol! :rofl: i wouldnt mind a name change since the title doesnt really matter, its the content :)
 
So the Americans managed to occupy the barren wastes of Ontario, while the Brits occupy New England and the Southern coast?
 
stnylan: Mine. :D

lifeless: America ended up losing four provinces. Not good at all.

anonymous4401: Yes, the British are doing well. By the end of the war the USA had war exhaustion of 100%

Duke of Wellington: By creating the best possible environment for immigration. The welfare state combined with a liberal party with full citizenship as a policy is immigrant heaven, plus some nice plurality from the ideological thought events.

hon3.jpg


Honduras
Free, Soveriegn and Independent

1850 - 1856

Honduras, I can tell you, was now almost unrecognisable from the country that swept Francisco Morazan into power just a few years ago. Tegusigalpa, our great capital, was a buidling site, and the economy was being carried by the construction industry alone. There were certain areas of the city where you would be hard pressed to find anyone speaking Spanish, but rather German and Russian and English. It was almost unrecognisable.

And so, things were looking good for Honduras. But, as was becoming more and more obvious, things were not so good for Francisco Morazan. Sure, he was a hero to the Spanish speakers, but to the Germans and the Irish? El Presidente could see that something needed to be done to try and shore up support for his regime, and so, because he could, he did something. On April 12th, hoping to rally the country behind the President, Honduras declared war on Guatemala, and invaded with an army of 50,000 men, much more than the enemy could hope to raise.

hon20.jpg

Costa Rica and El Salvador declared war on Honduras, and so the armies of Central America were on the move. 30,000 troops engaged the Guatemalans outside of their capital while the rest of the Honduras army moved towards the city of Vera Paz, which fell on May 30th. They were sent down to Guatemala City to reinforce the current Honduran divisons bogged down and loocked in battle with the stubborn defenders.

Meanwhile, a division from El Salvador moved without challenge towards the western captial of Honduras, Gracias, which fell on July 7th. Meanwhile, the defenders of Guatemala City were eventually forced to retreat, and the Guatemalan capital fell by July 14th. There was then a race towards San Salvador, as the troops from El Salvador, incredibly, closed down on Tegusigalpa itself.

hon23.jpg

Thankfully the Hondurans won the race, and by late August El Salvador had no option but to surrender, and were annexed. With the eastern threat relieved, the Hondurans turned back west, towards Atitlan, where the decisive battle of the war with Guatemala would be fought. The defenders, ultimately, were hopeless outnumbered, but they put up quite a fight.

hon22.jpg
Towards the end of the battle

On November 26th the Battle of Atitlan was won, and Guatemala and Honduras came to terms. A humiliating treaty granted Honduras the provinces of Vera Paz and Atitlan, cutting Guatemala in two. With the war over, Honduras were now undeniably the strongest power in Central America, and for the time being Mexico and the UK seemed willing to tolerate this expansion.

hon24.jpg
The new look Honduras

With the war finished successfully, it was election time. It was sad to see that El Presidente's gambit had not worked, and instead the recent immigrants flocked to the banner of the Conservador candidate Juan Lindo, who made a very big deal of having a Jewish father and that he could speak German fluently, while Morazan of course could only speak Spainsh. He also advocated stronger ties with Mexico, a position that was popular among the masses. Morazan, the national hero, suddenly seemed out of flavour. It seemed, as April 1852 rolled around, that the great man would only be a one term President.

He knew this, of course, as did his supporters, which is why, in November 1851, he announced he would not be standing as the Partido Liberal candidate, opting to bow out with dignity rather than facing a humiliated defeat. This was a perfect opportunity for José Trinidad Cabañas, a young up-and-coming liberal very much a Morazanista, to advance himself and to gain a level of public recognition. He knew that in all likelihood he would lose, but Cabañas was not too worried about that. He had plenty of time.

When April 2nd came around, the results were:

José Cabañas (Partido Liberal) - 412,672
Juan Lindo (Partido Conservador) - 668,923

Lindo was sworn in as Honduras's 4th president, and four month later he declared war on Nicaragua.



I know, I know, I wasn't expecting it either. Of course, it was a complete walk in the park for Honduras, and November the war was over.

Hon18.jpg

All land except the areas around the capital were taken in peace, and, like with the Guatemalans, the treaty was deeply humiliating to Nicaragua. Lindo had certainly made and impression, but it was not long before the rumours started, that he was merely a pawn of the Mexicans. Relations with Mexico were improved, and some suggested that the Mexicans were hoping, through backing Lindo, to get hold of the northern half of Guatemala for their efforts. It was never confirmed whether this was true or not, but I would not be surprised if it were the case.

But, as these things go, Lindo's Presidency was not to last very long after all. The election of 1855 was a repeat of the previous one, and was a remarkably low key affair. Honduras had been at peace for two years, and the most pressing matters were minority rights and the rise of secularism. The invasion of Nicaragua had not been well regarded by Hondurans, and they had come to regard Lindo with a certain level of derision. José Trinidad Cabañas was duly elected as 5th President of Honduras.

José Cabañas (Partido Liberal) - 700,535
Juan Lindo (Partido Conservador) - 529,301

Coming up - The beginnings of industry?
 
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