Spain planned to 'invade' Australia

In 1789, Spain organized a scientific expedition led by Alejandro Malaspina and José Bustamante. Malaspina Expedition

Each carried a corvette (Audacious and Discovery, were called), Although the mission was scientific, in 1793, due to the orders of the Crown, made ​​a stop at Port Jackson to see firsthand information provided by Muñoz,although They pretextaron the study of local fauna and flora.

The originally said this was the military Francisco Muñoz and San Clemente, in his report to the Crown, was that this British colony in Australia
could be considered a potential hazard for Hispanic trade routes in that part of the world, both that linked to South America as which went to the Philippines, if they decided to start privateering as a prelude to something bigger step.


Malaspina and Bustamante confirmed the potential danger of the colony, since it would not be difficult to send troops against the American Viceroys.


However, they recommended not take military actions but open trade relations between the fledgling town and Spanish ports in Chile and the Philippines, given the needs of meat and supplies were those British
colonists. Thus, both groups would gain.

But when the expedition returned to Spain the following year, Malaspina fell foul Godoy and accused of plotting against the State, was stripped of his rank and imprisoned in
La Coruña until 1802.

Thanks to its good relations with the king, Bustamante did not suffer the same fate; indeed, he was promoted to brigadier, but could not recommend the idea that they had that in 1795 war broke out between Spain and Britain.

All this serves as an introduction and correction to a headline:
Spain planned to 'invade' Australia in 1790s .

Chris Maxcworthy, vice president of HAMA (Australian Association for Maritime History), made ​​public some documents he had discovered in the archives of the Spanish Armada, according to which the government of Carlos IV devised a plan of attack to Australia in 1793.

The idea, apparently, was to send a fleet of a hundred medium size boats to Port Jackson (what is now Sydney Harbour) and bomb the colony.

It was not about to invade, since this would have required a much greater mobilization, but there raze to expel the British established.

Therefore the Spanish ships, concrete Maxworthty, they would equipped with cannons incendiary projectiles, whose fire volleys easily envelop wooden architecture of the city.

While living there over four thousand inhabitants, were in such poor condition that could not withstand the attack. No houses or supplies, the settlers they could only surrender and end deported a second time.

In 1796 Bustamante was appointed political and military governor of Paraguay and Commander-General of Río de la Plata(Governor of Montevideo).

It was this new position which allowed him to design the plan of preemptive attack on Port Jackson and presented to Carlos IV, as indicated by the recently discovered documents.

The monarch was receptive, and sent him to Montevideo (home of the naval station of the South Atlantic) to prepare a squad for the issue .... but never knew anything more about this plan.

The political situation probably did fall into oblivion.


And if the Spaniards had able to carry out the operation ...
which would have been the British reaction?

There would have been an escalation in the war?

As would affect the development of the colonization of Australia?
 
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An interesting idea:

1. I'm not sure how much Syndey was a danger to the Philippines at this time. There was no naval base, would be one for many years and it isn't nearly on the shipping lanes from the Philippines to Peru. I don't see any immediate threat.

2. The British would definitely respond, if only out of pride. But they may strike a more convenient target like Spain's carib islands or something along those lines (the canaries of Diego Garcia). At the very least, they can cut off Spanish trade through the indian ocean, though I'm not sure if that was a Spanish sealane anyway. The whole idea of Spain antagonizing Britain in such a way strikes me as unlikely, expecially given no immediate threat or payoff.

Even in the event of Spanish War with Britain in the Napoleanic Wars, this would be a low priority. Recall that Britain conquered the Manilla without much effort in the 7 Years War and no doubt could do so again. I'm not sure why they never did in the Napoleonic Wars. Spain attacking Sydney would simply give them a reason to add the Philippines to the British Crown.

3. Theoretically, this might halt the British export of prisoners to Austrialia. Without that initial base to expand from, I'm not sure if the "free" colonies would be planted in later years/decades. I opened a post a few months back on the topic of, if there had been no Prison Ships, when, why and who would eventually colonize Australia.

https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=341356
 
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