NationStates Jolt Archive

Population:
9,276,100

Background:
The Mexican Republic was officially established many times throughout the nineteenth century but was always followed by a dictator or an emperor or such, it was after the Mexican-American War that Ignacio Comonfort, leader of the self-described Moderates, was elected president. The Moderados tried to find a middle ground between the nation's Liberals and Conservatives.

During Comonfort's presidency a new Constitution was drafted. The Constitution of 1857 retained most of the Roman Catholic Church's Colonial era privileges and revenues, but unlike the earlier constitution did not mandate that the Catholic Church be the nation's exclusive religion. Such reforms were unacceptable to the leadership of the clergy and the Conservatives, Comonfort and members of his administration were excommunicated and a revolt was declared.

This led to the War of Reform, from December 1857 to January 1861. This civil war became increasingly bloody and polarized the nation's politics. Many of the Moderados came over to the side of the Liberales, convinced that the great political power of the Church needed to be curbed. For some time the Liberals and Conservatives had their own governments, the Conservatives in Mexico City and the Liberals headquartered in Veracruz. The war ended with Liberal victory, and Liberal president Benito Juárez moved his administration to Mexico City.

In the 1860s, the country again suffered a military occupation, this time by France, seeking to establish the Habsburg Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria as Emperor of Mexico, with support from the Roman Catholic clergy and conservative elements of the upper class as well as some indigenous communities. The Second Mexican Empire was then overthrown by President Benito Juárez, with diplomatic and logistical support from the United States and the military expertise of General Porfirio Díaz. General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the largely unsupported French Army in Mexico at the city of Puebla on May 5, 1862, celebrated as Cinco de Mayo ever since.

Juárez was re-elected President in 1867 and 1871, using his office to ensure electoral success and suppressing revolts by disappointed opponents like Porfirio Díaz. These revolts were swiftly defeated by General Ignacio Seguín Zaragoza who was able to hold some conservative factions loyal to the government, Porfirio Díaz was exiled to Europe with his supporters.

Unfortunately, Presidente Benito Juárez died of a heart attack in 1872 while working at his desk in the National Palace in Mexico City. He was succeeded by Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada, his foreign minister.

Important Persons:
Interim Presidente: Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada
General & head of the Army: Ignacio Seguín Zaragoza (Alt. History: did not contract Typhus and died at 33)


Diplomacy:
Friendly:
The United States

Nations who Mexico has a Grude against:
France
Austria-Hungary

Economy:
Agriculture: Very Good <Improving>
Industry: Moderate/Poor <slightly improving>
Natural Resources: Moderate (Oil not discovered yet)
Infrastructure: Poor
Trade: Moderate/Good (w/ Great Britian, Spain, United States)
Currency Stability: Poor
Labor Relations: Moderate/Poor

Military:
45,000 regulars
5,000 Cavalry
100,000 Reserves

Navy:
10 outdated Frigates

Tag

The Mexican government approachs the former soldiers and veterens of former wars (especially those who turned outlaw) with an offer of organising and equiping them into mercenery brigades for service abroad.

The expected pay is the same as the regular army pay and will provide a much better alternative than what is in store for them if they decide to continue in their outlaw ways.

General Zaragosa has made a statement on behalf of the government that peace is to be restored to Mexico one way or the other for the sake of the advancement of the nation.

Negotiators are sent to the indian rebels in the south of the country aswell.

The success of the mercenery program is much welcomed by the Mexican government. It is estimated that 3,500 former soldiers and veterens have turned up from all over the countryside back into service. However much of the North is still covered with many bandit leaders and warlords.

Rumors have been circulating about where would this group serve and it is speclated that the government has been meeting some delegates from Europe.

General Zaragosa announces that, with the deadline of the mercenery program approaching, a campaign against the Bandits in the North has been announced to commence in order to purge the area and bring peace.

A diplomatic victory is achieved for Mexican-American Relations as a non-aggresion treaty, a trade agreement and a limit on tariffs has been agreed on by both governments.

Many farmers welcome the outcome of negotiations as a new market is now open for Mexican export crops, this positive view is also shared by the leaders of the extraction industry as no doubt the growing American industry will provide an abundant market for ore and other materials.

However this news was not welcome by the ranchers as they fear that the American Cattle industry could seriously damage Mexican cattle and protesting the limiting of the tarrifs which would protect national cattle industry.

Also the Mexican government announces that it will be commiting itself to the improvement of the national railroads, this was accompanied by a decleration that the US rail standard will be used. Critics denounced this by saying that the American standard means that more funds, as limited as they are, will be needed to be spent to complete construction, members in parlament also criticised this by saying that this was an insult to the nations soverignty. The government rebuffed these claims by citing experts that this will be beneficial in the long run.

In other news, the destination of the mercenery groups are now confirmed; they are to take part on a European expedition to Africa in 1875. Although some has expressed their reluctance to leave their home country, this had faded away once they knew that they would recieve lands following the completion of their service in 1885. However before that they are expected to take part in the countryside campaigns organised in south and north of the country.
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Campaign plans: 1873

North:
1,000 troops and 500 cavalry to assault known bandit positions and possibly hostile Apache tribes.

South:
3,500 mercenery group, 500 regular to campaign against the Maya tribes in the south.

OOC:Will this strain my budget a bit?

As a guesture of friendship, the US buys out the Mexican debt to Great Britian. Better that they owe a local friend then some economic titan across the Atlantic that's calling in entire countries payments.

OOC: Congratulations! Your economy now belongs to the USA. ;)

Some members of the US government quietly let Mexico know that they would be willing to forgive the entire Mexican debt in exchange for the relatively underdeveloped and barbarous states of Chihuahau, Senora, and Baja California.

Certain Railroad tycoons, it is rumored, are willing to build a second railroad through the Rocky Mountains there, connecting the US Pacific coast further South than California, allowing for faster trade between the Pacific Latin American Nations and the Industrial heartland of America in the East without the need for either unloading in California or a more costly and dangerous voyage around the Streights of Magellan.

OOC: Willing to negotiate forgiveness of your debt for territory.

OOC: Well the way the British has been on the back of everybody who borrowed from him I am almost relieved. ALMOST though.

Unfortunately we cannot afford to sell the mineral rich areas you are asking about, although the cancelation of debts is very helpful, we feel that Mexico future intrests lie in these areas which we are taming as we speak.

Although we are willing to discuss the possibillity of cheap railroad construction through the Area and extremely low or no tarrifs on goods that are destined to ports in the area. (As long as they are not to be sold of in Mexico they might be able to pass duty free).

Railroads can be constructed by the use of cheap manpower (we will provide the manpower; captured criminals (Debtors, Banditos, Political prisoners...etc) who will repay the society for their crimes) and even the investment of the Mexican government itself in the project.

OOC: These last two paragraphs are put in the nicest most cooperative hinting tone ever.
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The Mexican government tries to keep the news of this offer a secret so as not to cause any unfavourable public opinion, instead calling negotiations as "investment deals in the making".

OOC: Boy, are you people buying everything or what? Cuba then those areas? shouldn't you run out of money soon? By the Way HOW much exactly is my so-called debt? just to make sure you're trying to pull a fast one on me.

OOC: Boy, are you people buying everything or what? Cuba then those areas? shouldn't you run out of money soon? By the Way HOW much exactly is my so-called debt? just to make sure you're trying to pull a fast one on me.
OOC: Mexico is more indebt to USA in rl, around this to time period and as for the USA having that much money...they have a number of gold mines in CA, which are still producing and sliver mines...oh yeah another gold rush coming up in the five or six years in Alaska...so they are good ..but they can't much land for a while..since they use most of it...not unless they enact Income Tax.......which is a gold mine in its self..

The troubles in the Yucatan were tiresome to the troops dispatched, especially the inexperienced "merceneries". Although no real battles were fought, as it were in the initial phases of the caste wars, the Mayans were held up in their mountains launching raid after raid after raid on major trade and supply routes. the fact that they can purchase Gunpowder from British Honduras (Belize) made things slightly more challanging.

But over the past three years the mercenery troops were gaining both experience and dicipline steadily and would soon be ready to be dispatched to their real asignment for the Dutch. However the matter in the Yucatan was not yet resolved.

As the tensions continued, somewhat Fresh troops, who returned from several campaigns pacifing the countryside in the North, were redeployed to the Yucatan to aid the security effort.

Since the departure of the merceneries to Dutch service, regular troops have been taking up the duty of enforcing security in the Yucatan. However over the past few months the Mayans were getting bolder and attacks came to a sharp rise.

More troops were ordered to be redeployed to the region, to make the total into 3,000 Regular Infantry and 1,000 cavalry, such moves might trouble neighboring Guatamala, but to reassure them the top diplomats were sent to Guatamala City to comfert the Barrio Regime.

Secret:

The diplomats go to Guatmala to reassure and offer them a chance to reclaim "disputed" territory. Notably that of Belize.

The US, realizing the threat British backed rebels would cause to both Mexico and other US interests in Central America - not to mention the dangerous precident of English intervention in American Spheres of Influence - offer as a gesture of friendship to their Mexican allies two regiments of Indian Fighters from the US Army. These regiments would work with the Mexican Army in routing the rebels, bringing them to justice and freedom... for American investment in Mexico if nothing else.

OOC: How many troops are in these regiments.

The Mexican Government issues its official thanks to their allies in the north, meanwhile General Zaragosa has announced plans for military exercises to be held all over the country in order to prevent laziness from setting in. More troops will also be sent to the war-zone in the south so that "more troops can gain combat experiance".

Latest News in the Yucatan indicate bolder Mayan raids and the seizing of a large amount of supplies. Though a major setback General Zaragosa has assured the President that everything is on the track to improvement.

Mexican Troops in the Yucatan:
4,500 regulars
850 Cavalry

1876 Elections:

Presidente Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada prompts for re-election and proves to be sucessful through the guidance of competant campaign managers and his current sucessful policies, (OOC: Unlike RL he is not unpopular as it is assumed that General Zaragosa influenced him to lessen his polcies to create a more centralised government over state rights).

ooc
The US and Mexico both have huge amounts of silver about this time in history, biggest in the world as a matter of fact. Mexican silver mining and the money needed to extract and transport it where a big reason the Mexican government was in debt in the first place (rail roads aren't cheap after all).

Accurate prices for US purchases can be found here
http://www.globalpolicy.org/empire/history/2005/purchaseland.htm

President Grant, in an effort to free up Indian fighters for Mexican combat, reorganizes the army, moving the U.S. 7th Cavalry and U.S. 9th Infantry into the newly formed "Mexican Expeditionary Force" and dissolving the First U.S. Military District, declairing that Virginia is sufficiently able to maintain it's current status without a large troop presence.

The 1st and 3rd Infantry Regiments are instead sent to Texas and Missouri, respectively, freeing up the 5th Cavalry to replace the 7th in the Dakotas. The Cheyenne have been increasing their raids, against the locals, and refuse to stay on the reservation, and a conflict is likely.

The U.S. Force in the 5th Military District are told to be ready to move through Mexico should the Mexican rebels appear too sucessful, and even the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Districts are given vague orders to be "ready for maneuvers".

Mexican Military Exercises begin all over the Country, however most action is seen near the Mexican-British Honduras Border, making the total number in the Yucatan:

6,500 Regulars
1,000 Cavalry

Some artilary has been rumored to be brought in to the area aswell. Covert messages are sent to Guatamala informing them of the nature of this deployment and asking them to "Get ready if they want".
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Great Britain Funding Rebel Attacks

A report was lately released by the government indicating evidence that the British have been recently supplying arms to the Mayan Rebels in the Yucatan, many in Parlament are shocked at the Balatant acts of Great Britain and call for action to respond to this attack at the pride of the nation.

Evidence included are the results of the interigation of captured Mayan rebels and notable leaders, the history of so-called "trade" between the Mayan rebels and the Governer of British Honduras and the swiftness the Mayan arms were arriving even though the modest rebellion could not afford it.

Diplomatic Protests are reportedly sent to the British Government by the President himself, inturruption of the military exercises is expected.