I am currently working on a detailed National Map, which will be posted here and in the Map of the Fortnight entries thread.
I won't answer that now, but one of the next few upcoming updates will answer it.
Boers and Griquas and Prisoners. Oh My!: A TLIAD, Collaborative MOTM TL
- Thread starter Alex Richards
- Start date
I am currently working on a detailed National Map, which will be posted here and in the Map of the Fortnight entries thread.
I won't answer that now, but one of the next few upcoming updates will answer it.
Alex Richards
Donor
The Xhosaland bits are probably a result of the different scales (I'm using a much more zoomed out and somewhat rougher basemap for the rest of the maps), but yes we haven't covered everything.
A few things have changed as we've gone along as well- particularly with the Xhosaland borders- so the Doleriet map is likely to be a bit inaccurate.
Alex Richards
Donor
SOUTH ZAMBEZIA REGION
Matabele Kingdom
Capital: Bulawayo
Large Cities: Gwelo, Gatooma
Official Religion: Traditional Ndebele belief systems
Official Languages: Ndebele
Population: 3,594,495
White: 58,895
Coloured: 14,972
African: 3,516,049
Asian and Other: 4,979
Capital: Bulawayo
Large Cities: Gwelo, Gatooma
Official Religion: Traditional Ndebele belief systems
Official Languages: Ndebele
Population: 3,594,495
White: 58,895
Coloured: 14,972
African: 3,516,049
Asian and Other: 4,979
República Luanze
Capital: Luanze
Large Cities: Angwa, Massapa
Official Religion: Catholicism, Traditional beliefs
Official Languages: Portuguese, Shona
Population: 3,411,222
White: 652,209
Coloured: 215,798
African: 2,489,907
Asian and Other: 53,308
Capital: Luanze
Large Cities: Angwa, Massapa
Official Religion: Catholicism, Traditional beliefs
Official Languages: Portuguese, Shona
Population: 3,411,222
White: 652,209
Coloured: 215,798
African: 2,489,907
Asian and Other: 53,308
Enkeldoorn Republic
Capital: Enkeldoorn
Large Cities: Phalaborwa
Official Religion: Dutch reformed Church
Official Languages: Afrikaans, Shona
Population: 1,209,518
White: 151,019
Coloured: 34,897
African: 1,018,498
Asian and Other: 5,104
Capital: Enkeldoorn
Large Cities: Phalaborwa
Official Religion: Dutch reformed Church
Official Languages: Afrikaans, Shona
Population: 1,209,518
White: 151,019
Coloured: 34,897
African: 1,018,498
Asian and Other: 5,104
Venda Protectorate
Capital: Musina
Large Cities:
Official Religion: Traditional Venda beliefs.
Official Languages: Venda language
Population: 1,104,449
White: 195
Coloured: 41
African: 1,104,209
Asian and Other: 4
Capital: Musina
Large Cities:
Official Religion: Traditional Venda beliefs.
Official Languages: Venda language
Population: 1,104,449
White: 195
Coloured: 41
African: 1,104,209
Asian and Other: 4
Victoria Province
Capital: Alexandra
Large Cities:
Official Religion: Anglican Church
Official Languages: English
Population: 144,171
White: 81,094
Coloured: 14,970
African: 26,698
Asian and Other: 21,409
Capital: Alexandra
Large Cities:
Official Religion: Anglican Church
Official Languages: English
Population: 144,171
White: 81,094
Coloured: 14,970
African: 26,698
Asian and Other: 21,409
Free State of New Éire
Capital: Bhaile Shéamais
Large Cities:
Official Religion: Catholicism
Official Languages: Gaelic, English
Population: 29,404
White: 21,402
Coloured: 2,579
African: 5,409
Asian and Other: 14
Capital: Bhaile Shéamais
Large Cities:
Official Religion: Catholicism
Official Languages: Gaelic, English
Population: 29,404
White: 21,402
Coloured: 2,579
African: 5,409
Asian and Other: 14
Chobe Protectorate
Capital: Kgori
Large Cities:
Official Religion: none*
Official Languages: none*
Population: 8,136
White: 81
Coloured: 4
African: 8,051
Asian and Other: 0
Capital: Kgori
Large Cities:
Official Religion: none*
Official Languages: none*
Population: 8,136
White: 81
Coloured: 4
African: 8,051
Asian and Other: 0
*As a federal territory, Chobe is unable to set official beliefs or languages for the area beyond conforming to the officially recognised languages.
************************
One of the last regions of the federation to come under British influence, the Zambezia Region, properly known as South Zambezia to distinguish it from the Lusophone region to the north, is a region divided between one of the great native kingdoms of the continent, and a periphery of some of the most linguistically varied collection of states of any in the Federation.
Long identified by people as a strategic location for her high ground and more amenable climate, the South Zambezia plateau has been the home of a succession of native states. The oldest of these to be known is that which built the settlement upon Mapungubwe Hill, near the confluence of the Shashe and the Limpopo. This was succeeded in the early 13th Century by the Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe[1], which gives its name to the proposed state advocated by African nationalists of Mashonaland. At this point the historical record indicates a dynastic split, between the great Mutapa Kingdom and a small state based in Butwa. As contact with the Portuguese brought a decline to the Mutapa, the Rozwi took control of Butwa and built a strong kingdom which vied with the Portuguese in Mocambique for suzerainty over the reduced Mutapa Kingdom. In time, the latter would move away from the plateau into the area around Tete and the Rozwi Kingdom became the dominant power in the South Zambezia region.
This was to change with the arrival in 1838 of King Mzilikazi and the Matabele. Moving north once more from the Transvaal where they had been pushed out after clashes with the incoming Boers, and finding the terrain to the north to be hostile for his oxen due to the prevalence of Tsetse Fly, he chose the South Zambezia plateau to be the new home for his people, and established the city of Bulawayo as his capital. Within a few years, he had organised the area into a system of Kraals and reduced the Rozwi, along with the other petty Shona states of the plateau, to vassalage at best. Mzilikazi died in 1868, leaving a strong kingdom to be inherited, after he had defeated multiple opponents, by his son Lobengula, a well liked if somewhat less capable figure.
Almost concurrently with this was the long trek of the Irish ex-prisoners from the Ant Artaire region of Doleriet. Having, if anything, even less love for British rule than the Boers they too chose to leave on the enforcement of British rule over Pietermaritzburg, initially following the same route into the Transorange. However, while the James-Kirk agreement had granted them a relatively sparsely inhabited area in return for cooperation and recognising Boer suzerainty, there was much less tolerance for such sensibilities in the rush to secure the best land in the Transorange. The Irish thus moved on once more in 1841 and arrived in the young Boer state based at Potchefstroom, yet found themselves no more welcome there than they had been in Transorange, and once more they moved on, leaving the Transvaal in 1845. Their travel north was directed by the influences of native raids and avoiding the Matabele Kingdom, eventually leading them to settle to the north of Bechuanlanad on the fringes of the land of the Chobe.
However, the event that would bring the greatest change to the region was to come, not from the South Zambezia plateau, but from the south. The process began with the discovery of gold in the Witwatersrand, sparking two concurrent paths. Firstly, the wave of prospectors spreading outwards brought the Matabele Kingdom into semi-regular contact with Europeans for the first time, sparking mutual interest in their differing practices and bringing the attention of a wider segment of the population in the Cape to South Zambezia for the first time. Secondly, the large distance between the Witwatersrand and Cape Town, and the already very crammed port facilities there, led to a desire to connect the area to the Portuguese outpost at Delagoa Bay by rail in order to more easily facilitate the exploitation of the area. This required transiting the territory of the Gaza Empire, and after a failed Portuguese attempt to fully take over the area, Britain signed an agreement with Emperor Gungunhana in 1885. As well as guaranteeing the safety of the route for the railway, this effectively brought the Gaza Empire into the British sphere of influence, and made Portugal increasingly concerned about London's aspirations over her colonial empire.
Portugal thus began a large scale programme to send convicts, debtors and members of the poorer strata to her African outposts, especially Delagoa Bay and the area of Mozambique along the Zambezi River. This was accelerated after the leak of diplomatic cables that indicated a proposed plan to force a debt crisis on Portugal and divide her colonial Empire between Britain and Germany, herself particularly eager to expand her relatively slim pickings from the Scramble. In time it would also be expanded to include the deportation of political dissidents, creating a highly complex community in Lusophone Africa.
It was, therefore, perhaps inevitable that a group of these settlers would decide to emulate the nearby Boers and leave the area of firm Portuguese control for the freer interior. Drawn by the mild climate of the South Zambezia plateau, they settled in the eastern fringes of the Matabele Kingdom, in the area known as Mashonaland which was largely unsettled by the Ndbele community. Here they founded the city of Luanze[2], which was to give its name to the Lusophone republic that formed in the area.
Lobengula initially ignored the settlers, distracted by raids from the Venda and the arrival of the Boers from the south fleeing the collapse of Zouptansberg. The latter had attacked an outlying Kraal in the south of the country, and while a fair warrior himself, Lobengula had, after 25 years on the throne, grown less eager to utilise force when an easier solution could be found. The Boers were thus given the option of settling in the south-east of the country, another peripheral area loosely under the control of Bulawayo, so long as they accepted the suzerainty of Matabeleland. They, equally desirous of an easy option if they could have it, took the suggestion, and settled to the south of Mashonaland at the place they called Enkeldoorn[3].
The 1890s were a period of great turmoil for the area. To the south, Sir Cecil Rhodes, though focussed on the federation project, was loud in his opinion that the Zambezi River was the natural border of British South Africa, and was fervent in his efforts to extend British influence into the South Zambezia region particularly through the aim to build a railway to Bulawayo that was to see the creation of British Bechuanaland. This brought conflict with Portugal- both over the existing territories of Mozambique and due to Portugal's concurrent attempts to exert her influence over the whole of the Zambezia region. At the same time border conflicts with Luanze were increasing, and the Boers of Enkeldoorn increasingly sought their independence. Meanwhile to the south the Venda were brought under British protection in 1896, and Lobengula found himself increasingly beset by petitions for exclusive mining rights from various companies, a situation backed by prominent individuals in Cape Town and Randfontein.
Two events were to shape events to come. First the finalisation of the federation negotiations transformed the area to the south from a collection of loosely aligned but disparate colonies into a single behemoth exerting pressure on Bulawayo. Secondly, the establishment of Portuguese Zambezia in 1903 brought the South Zambezia area to the forefront of the battle for influence over the region.
1904 saw the final shift that was the define the future of the area. Portugal launched an attempt to conquer Luanze, soon aided by a Matabeleland eager to restore her rule over Mashonaland. In response, the Boers of Enkeldoorn declared their independence and allied with Luanze against Portugal and Matabeleland. With the Portuguese force underestimating the strength of Luanze, their expedition was defeated, and Luanze and Enkeldoorn began a march on Bulawayo. Lobengula found himself unable to defeat the advancing column, and sought South African aid to prevent his kingdom from being carved up between the two groups of settlers. Cape Town laid out the terms- to allow the final leg of the railway to Bulawayo to be constructed and accept a South African resident. Lobengula reluctantly agreed, and a force from Cape Town swiftly arrived to repel the forces of Luanze and Enkeldoorn.
Lobengula, having found himself backed into a corner, now decided to make the most of the situation and apply for full provincial status, a situation which found support in the person of Rhodes who was eager to secure South African rule in this way. Cape Town interests, however, forced the kingdom to cede some of the sparsely populated territory in the Northwest, which became known as the Victoria colony, after the waterfall.
Over the next decade Cape Town secured her control over the area through military and diplomatic means, bringing federal rule over Enkeldoorn and Luanze in 1910, then New Éire in 1914 and finally the Chobe in 1915. Apart from the Chobe, these would be granted provincial status over the course of the 1920s after a series of petitions.
Luanze and Enkeldoorn were opponents of the emancipation movement, but even locally were equalled by Matabeleland and New Éire, the latter having a substantial white majority. The passage of the 1958 constitution gave provincial status to the Venda, but unusually the Chobe protectorate remained a federally administered territory due to its small population. Matabeleland is the least developed of the major protectorates, though education and healthcare provisions are increasing. Victoria colony meanwhile is a major centre of the Labour movement, while New Éire is one of the more insular of the white-majority provinces. Luanze and Enkeldoorn are currently undergoing significant social conflicts as the white minority fights to hold onto its privileged position.
[1] Known simply as the Kingdom of Zimbabwe OTL but TTL's historians used the full name of the site.
[2] Harare OTL.
[3] Masvingo OTL.
Last edited:
Alex Richards
Donor
This one's sent over by Reagent. Plane trips are causing some unexpected delays.
Perhaps the most culturally divergent area of the federation, the Delagoa Region is home to the Federation's newest province, and the cause of most of her more problematic diplomatic issues.
DELAGOA REGION
Gaze Empire
Capital: Chokwe
Large Cities:
Official Religion: Catholicism, traditional belief system.
Official Languages: Tsonga
Population: 1,396,053
White: 21,014
Coloured: 14,889
African: 1,355,041
Asian and Other: 5,109
Capital: Chokwe
Large Cities:
Official Religion: Catholicism, traditional belief system.
Official Languages: Tsonga
Population: 1,396,053
White: 21,014
Coloured: 14,889
African: 1,355,041
Asian and Other: 5,109
República Laurentia
Capital: Lourenço Marques
Large Cities:
Official Religion: Catholicism
Official Languages: Portuguese
Population: 1,143,633
White: 451,602
Coloured: 103,410
African: 553,207
Asian and Other: 35,414
Capital: Lourenço Marques
Large Cities:
Official Religion: Catholicism
Official Languages: Portuguese
Population: 1,143,633
White: 451,602
Coloured: 103,410
African: 553,207
Asian and Other: 35,414
************************
Perhaps the most culturally divergent area of the federation, the Delagoa Region is home to the Federation's newest province, and the cause of most of her more problematic diplomatic issues.
Gaza and Delagoa Bay had traditionally been recognized as part of the Portuguese Sphere of Influence in Southern Africa. However, this reality was challenged by unfolding events in the Transorange. In the aftermath of the Fourth Zulu-Boer War, the British assumed control of the rump Republic of Transvaal, and became the undisputed master of the Transorange. Less than a year later, Gold was discovered at the Witwatersrand Basin, sparking one of the largest Gold rushes in history. Looking to export this Gold and other mineral commodities, as well as connecting her disparate South African territories, the United Kingdom sought to expand the then limited South African rail system. In addition to a line from Salisbury to Randfontein, the British sought to connect Transvaal to Portuguese Delagoa Bay by rail. Portugal consented to the construction of the railway, seeking to make money from tariffs on goods passing through Lourenço Marques to be exported to the rest of the world.
In order to ensure the security of the railway, the British requested that Portugal subdue the Gaza Empire (while they were currently subduing the Lydenburg Republic), to eliminate any expedient threat posed to the railway. Portugal agreed to subdue the Gaza Empire, as conquering the territory would connect Delagoa to the rest of Mozambique and Prime Minister Fontes Pereira de Melo didn't want to risk the British backing out of the arrangement. Thus, Portugal quickly gathered together an expeditionary force, composed of mostly colonial troops, supplemented by a few brigades from mainland Portugal. After the expedition had assembled at Lourenço Marques, the Portuguese struck north towards the Gazan capital of Chokwe. The Portuguese defeated the Gaza iin a number of skirmishes, and took control of the capital of Chokwe. Despite the seizure of his capital, Emperor Gungunhana retreated in good order back to the city of Guija. The Portuguese gave a reckless pursuit, stretching supply lines thin when they met the Gazan forces at Guija. The Gazans by this point had been augmented by a small group of Boers from Lydenburg, who had been offered lands in the Gaza Empire in return for mercenary service. With the aid of these Boers, and the military skill of Emperor Gungunhana, the Gazans launched a pincer attack on the Portuguese forces, and decisively routing them. The scattered remains of the Portuguese force slowly filtered back to Lourenço Marques over the next month. When news of the defeat reached Europe, Prime Minister Pereira de Melo resigned immediately, and the future of the Delagoa Railway project looked in peril.
Soon after word of the Portuguese defeat reached Europe, Germany, looking to expand her meager colonial empire, secretly approached the British with the idea of forcing a debt crisis upon Portugal, and seizing her colonies as collateral. No loner confident of the Portuguese ability to subjugate Gaza, the British offered to extend protectorate status over Gaza, with the guarantee that all Gazan lands south of the Save River would remain in the hands of Emperor Gungunhana. However, given the concurrent British massing of forces on his border, it was clear to Emperor Gungunhana that refusal to comply to these terms would mean invasion from a very large, experienced, European force. Thus, in 1885, Gaza became a protectorate of the British Empire, cutting Portuguese Delagoa Bay off permanently from the rest of Mozambique. At the same time, prominent South African statesman Cecil Rhodes was publicly making claim to the Southern Bank of the Zambeze River as the "natural border for the British Domain in South Africa". He also noted the United Kingdoms "particular right to the Delagoa Bay region".
The Portuguese viewed these actions as a complete betrayal of trust. While some government officials considered terminating the rail project, others feared that this could give the United Kingdom a casus beli to seize Delagoa Bay. To strengthen their claim to the area, Portugal began to send debtors, political dissidents, and poor strata to Delagoa Bay and Mozambique to reinforce their claim to the area. It was thought that the presence of a notable White population would make the territory harder to govern if the British attempted to seize it. The colonization effort was hardly perfect, and porous control of the borders enabled large amounts of colonists to simply leave the colony. Some of these colonists founded the Luanze Republic on the South Zambesia Plateau, while others migrated to the Transvaal or Somerset Colony for work. In 1897, the same year Gaza joined the Federation of South Africa, a diplomatic cable regarding the Anglo-German scheme to seize Portuguese colonies was accidentally leaked, further confirming Portugal's resolve to settle Mozambique colony. Portugal expanded her settler program, sending about 4,000 settlers per annum to Mozambique and Delagoa Bay. About 1500 of these settlers would make up the "Pioneer column that colonized the national of Zambesia[1] for Portugal in 1903. The settlement scheme continued through the Republican government that took control after King Carlos died in 1904, and during the Military Junta that took control in 1927 after the Great Market Crash took place. In the aftermath of the Second Great War, larger, non-coerced, waves of Portuguese immigration to both the Federation of South Africa (largely centered around the Luanze Republic and Transvaal Province), and Portuguese possessions in Mozambique and Delagoa Bay occurred. The Gaza Empire and Portuguese Colony of Delagoa Bay would experience a strong period of economic growth during the 1950s, which would be contrasted strongly by the 1960s. Although the Second Constitution had been instituted in South Africa, expanding Franchise significantly, events in Portuguese Mozambique would have a greater importance for residents of the Gaza Empire.
In 1958, rebels began a Guerrilla campaign in Portuguese Africa, which prompted the Portuguese Military Junta to send in troops to defend their colonist population. The War would be marked by increasing escalation from both sides, with notable spillover into the Luanze Republic and Gaza Empire regions. While Delagoa Bay was mostly spared from conflict, Mozambique colony suffered immensely from the war. Terror attacks on colonists living in the major cities prompted mass emigration out of the colonies, with a significant portion ending up in South Africa. After 9 years of brutal fighting, a Left-Wing revolution took place in mainland Portugal, overthrowing the Junta. These Left-Wing revolutionaries sought an immediate termination to the conflict. The People's Liberation Movement of Mozambique, the dominant anti colonial rebel group, was promised control of Mozambique Colony and Delagoa Bay. In Mozambique proper, this news was met with a mass exodus of Portuguese colonials from Mozambique. The Luanze Republic built accommodations for these refugees, and allowed many to relocate to Luanze without consent from Pretoria. Some members of the Government wished to deport these immigrants, citing double standards Luanze had demonstrated with regards to their treatment of African illegal immigrants (most of whom were deported). However, given the fragile nature of the governing coalition headed by the South African Labour Party, such an action was deemed politically reckless, and the illegal immigration of Portuguese colonials was allowed to continue.
In Delago Bay, the reaction of the Portuguese colonists was much different. Here they comprised a plurality of the population, and a solid majority in the city of Lourenço Marques. The settlers decided to seize control, and proclaimed the establishment of the "Portuguese Republic of Laurentia". The new nation was unrecognized by the world, and had weak control of it's territory. Riots broke out in the African townships of Laurentia (who desired to join Mozambique), concerning many business interests in South Africa. Many on the South African right-wing called for an invasion of the territory to "restore Order". The South African Labour Party was unwilling to act, fearing it could break up their governing coalition. As riots spread, and rumors of an impending Mozambican invasion of the territory spread, the South African people were increasingly calling on their government to act. Four months into the crisis no apparent government action being taken. Polling suggested that the current South African government was exceedingly unpopular, prompting the South African Conservative Party to take action. A vote of no confidence was introduced against the Prime Minister of South Africa. This action saw the collapse of the current South African government, and new prompted new elections. The South African Conservative Party swept into power as a result of these new elections, with Luanze Representative Jorge Jardim gaining the office of Prime Minister as its first native-Lusophone speaker. Shortly after his election as Prime Minster, Jorge Jardim had ordered a South African invasion (in cooperation with a the White colonist government) of Laurentia to quell the rioting. Within a month of the invasion, rioting had been quelled in Laurentia, and administration was placed in the hands of a joint civilian-military government. Seeing annexation to South Africa as a way to get around the global embargo, many leaders within Laurentia advocated joining South Africa as a constituent nation. The Right-wing South African government sought to gain control of the port of Lourenço Marques, and believed the Republic of Laurentia would generally vote Conservative given the demographic situation.
In 1968, a referendum of disputed legitimacy was held, annexing Laurentia to the Federation of South Africa. As of the present day, Mozambique still claims the territory, and only the United States and British Commonwealth recognize South African control of the land (though, in practice, little has been done by the rest of the international community to prompt South Africa to return the territory). Gaza, for their part, was glad to see the situation largely resolved, fearing more violence spreading to their borders. Laurentia, Gaza, and Luanze commonly form a voting block (known as "The Lusophone Group", despite Portuguese not being prominent in Gaza) given their interwoven history, and common concerns regarding Mozambique.
[1] OTL Zambia
In order to ensure the security of the railway, the British requested that Portugal subdue the Gaza Empire (while they were currently subduing the Lydenburg Republic), to eliminate any expedient threat posed to the railway. Portugal agreed to subdue the Gaza Empire, as conquering the territory would connect Delagoa to the rest of Mozambique and Prime Minister Fontes Pereira de Melo didn't want to risk the British backing out of the arrangement. Thus, Portugal quickly gathered together an expeditionary force, composed of mostly colonial troops, supplemented by a few brigades from mainland Portugal. After the expedition had assembled at Lourenço Marques, the Portuguese struck north towards the Gazan capital of Chokwe. The Portuguese defeated the Gaza iin a number of skirmishes, and took control of the capital of Chokwe. Despite the seizure of his capital, Emperor Gungunhana retreated in good order back to the city of Guija. The Portuguese gave a reckless pursuit, stretching supply lines thin when they met the Gazan forces at Guija. The Gazans by this point had been augmented by a small group of Boers from Lydenburg, who had been offered lands in the Gaza Empire in return for mercenary service. With the aid of these Boers, and the military skill of Emperor Gungunhana, the Gazans launched a pincer attack on the Portuguese forces, and decisively routing them. The scattered remains of the Portuguese force slowly filtered back to Lourenço Marques over the next month. When news of the defeat reached Europe, Prime Minister Pereira de Melo resigned immediately, and the future of the Delagoa Railway project looked in peril.
Soon after word of the Portuguese defeat reached Europe, Germany, looking to expand her meager colonial empire, secretly approached the British with the idea of forcing a debt crisis upon Portugal, and seizing her colonies as collateral. No loner confident of the Portuguese ability to subjugate Gaza, the British offered to extend protectorate status over Gaza, with the guarantee that all Gazan lands south of the Save River would remain in the hands of Emperor Gungunhana. However, given the concurrent British massing of forces on his border, it was clear to Emperor Gungunhana that refusal to comply to these terms would mean invasion from a very large, experienced, European force. Thus, in 1885, Gaza became a protectorate of the British Empire, cutting Portuguese Delagoa Bay off permanently from the rest of Mozambique. At the same time, prominent South African statesman Cecil Rhodes was publicly making claim to the Southern Bank of the Zambeze River as the "natural border for the British Domain in South Africa". He also noted the United Kingdoms "particular right to the Delagoa Bay region".
The Portuguese viewed these actions as a complete betrayal of trust. While some government officials considered terminating the rail project, others feared that this could give the United Kingdom a casus beli to seize Delagoa Bay. To strengthen their claim to the area, Portugal began to send debtors, political dissidents, and poor strata to Delagoa Bay and Mozambique to reinforce their claim to the area. It was thought that the presence of a notable White population would make the territory harder to govern if the British attempted to seize it. The colonization effort was hardly perfect, and porous control of the borders enabled large amounts of colonists to simply leave the colony. Some of these colonists founded the Luanze Republic on the South Zambesia Plateau, while others migrated to the Transvaal or Somerset Colony for work. In 1897, the same year Gaza joined the Federation of South Africa, a diplomatic cable regarding the Anglo-German scheme to seize Portuguese colonies was accidentally leaked, further confirming Portugal's resolve to settle Mozambique colony. Portugal expanded her settler program, sending about 4,000 settlers per annum to Mozambique and Delagoa Bay. About 1500 of these settlers would make up the "Pioneer column that colonized the national of Zambesia[1] for Portugal in 1903. The settlement scheme continued through the Republican government that took control after King Carlos died in 1904, and during the Military Junta that took control in 1927 after the Great Market Crash took place. In the aftermath of the Second Great War, larger, non-coerced, waves of Portuguese immigration to both the Federation of South Africa (largely centered around the Luanze Republic and Transvaal Province), and Portuguese possessions in Mozambique and Delagoa Bay occurred. The Gaza Empire and Portuguese Colony of Delagoa Bay would experience a strong period of economic growth during the 1950s, which would be contrasted strongly by the 1960s. Although the Second Constitution had been instituted in South Africa, expanding Franchise significantly, events in Portuguese Mozambique would have a greater importance for residents of the Gaza Empire.
In 1958, rebels began a Guerrilla campaign in Portuguese Africa, which prompted the Portuguese Military Junta to send in troops to defend their colonist population. The War would be marked by increasing escalation from both sides, with notable spillover into the Luanze Republic and Gaza Empire regions. While Delagoa Bay was mostly spared from conflict, Mozambique colony suffered immensely from the war. Terror attacks on colonists living in the major cities prompted mass emigration out of the colonies, with a significant portion ending up in South Africa. After 9 years of brutal fighting, a Left-Wing revolution took place in mainland Portugal, overthrowing the Junta. These Left-Wing revolutionaries sought an immediate termination to the conflict. The People's Liberation Movement of Mozambique, the dominant anti colonial rebel group, was promised control of Mozambique Colony and Delagoa Bay. In Mozambique proper, this news was met with a mass exodus of Portuguese colonials from Mozambique. The Luanze Republic built accommodations for these refugees, and allowed many to relocate to Luanze without consent from Pretoria. Some members of the Government wished to deport these immigrants, citing double standards Luanze had demonstrated with regards to their treatment of African illegal immigrants (most of whom were deported). However, given the fragile nature of the governing coalition headed by the South African Labour Party, such an action was deemed politically reckless, and the illegal immigration of Portuguese colonials was allowed to continue.
In Delago Bay, the reaction of the Portuguese colonists was much different. Here they comprised a plurality of the population, and a solid majority in the city of Lourenço Marques. The settlers decided to seize control, and proclaimed the establishment of the "Portuguese Republic of Laurentia". The new nation was unrecognized by the world, and had weak control of it's territory. Riots broke out in the African townships of Laurentia (who desired to join Mozambique), concerning many business interests in South Africa. Many on the South African right-wing called for an invasion of the territory to "restore Order". The South African Labour Party was unwilling to act, fearing it could break up their governing coalition. As riots spread, and rumors of an impending Mozambican invasion of the territory spread, the South African people were increasingly calling on their government to act. Four months into the crisis no apparent government action being taken. Polling suggested that the current South African government was exceedingly unpopular, prompting the South African Conservative Party to take action. A vote of no confidence was introduced against the Prime Minister of South Africa. This action saw the collapse of the current South African government, and new prompted new elections. The South African Conservative Party swept into power as a result of these new elections, with Luanze Representative Jorge Jardim gaining the office of Prime Minister as its first native-Lusophone speaker. Shortly after his election as Prime Minster, Jorge Jardim had ordered a South African invasion (in cooperation with a the White colonist government) of Laurentia to quell the rioting. Within a month of the invasion, rioting had been quelled in Laurentia, and administration was placed in the hands of a joint civilian-military government. Seeing annexation to South Africa as a way to get around the global embargo, many leaders within Laurentia advocated joining South Africa as a constituent nation. The Right-wing South African government sought to gain control of the port of Lourenço Marques, and believed the Republic of Laurentia would generally vote Conservative given the demographic situation.
In 1968, a referendum of disputed legitimacy was held, annexing Laurentia to the Federation of South Africa. As of the present day, Mozambique still claims the territory, and only the United States and British Commonwealth recognize South African control of the land (though, in practice, little has been done by the rest of the international community to prompt South Africa to return the territory). Gaza, for their part, was glad to see the situation largely resolved, fearing more violence spreading to their borders. Laurentia, Gaza, and Luanze commonly form a voting block (known as "The Lusophone Group", despite Portuguese not being prominent in Gaza) given their interwoven history, and common concerns regarding Mozambique.
[1] OTL Zambia
Alex Richards
Donor
And a final update before the main map:
As South Africa prepares to commemorate 200 years since the start of British rule over the Cape, the year 1981 proves a suitable moment to consider the overall situation of the federation. Twenty-three years after the momentous changes of the 1958 constitution, and the nation is still in a process of transition, some provinces suffering from a lack of education and awareness of the political process, some the home of fierce clashes between a white elite desperate to retain their control over the political system, and the African majority seeking to overturn discriminatory practices. The issues of implementing the enfranchisement of the population thus remain one of the defining issues of modern politics in the Federation. It has been joined by questions of standardising education and welfare provisions across the country, causes long the standards of the Labour movement which is thus on the upturn after the economic difficulties of the 60s and 70s. The single biggest issue of the last 20 years, however, has become healthcare, with the highly publicised and successful vaccination campaign against smallpox followed up by a drive to make the federation 'Africa's first Polio-free nation', and now the beginnings of a health scare due to the recently announced discovery of Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome in the US and the first identifications of the disease within South Africa.
While the 1958 constitution granted provincial rights to the majority of the protectorates, the small Chobe area, left out due to its low population, is not the only area to remain under federal jurisdiction. These scattered territories fall into three categories. First, the uninhabited outlying territories of the Prince Edward Islands and the vast Antarctic claims of Empress Elizabeth's land. Second are the two 'Bushmen Reservations' for the San populace where they are able to dwell without interference. Besides the ongoing naming controversy that has become the bête noir of the chattering classes, there are ongoing disputes between the San and their neighbouring provinces over ranching rights and compensation for land taken during the late colonial and early federal era. Thirdly, and most importantly, are the national parks scattered across the country which due to the vastly differing attitudes to conservation and the environment between the various groups and provincial governments have been separated entirely out from the regular administrative system.
On the international scene, South Africa stands as the chief bastion of the West on the African continent, a strong ally of NATO and firm in her opposition to the Soviets. Though weakened by the Second Great War, the British Empire and Commonwealth remains a strong component of the international alliance against communism, with the Imperial and Commonwealth Joint Nuclear and Space projects, based in Perth and Mauritius respectively, proving strong mechanisms for the nuclear security of the Indian Ocean area and proving successful in attempts to make the Space Race a three-way battle. South Africa retains her constitutional links to Britain as the second Imperial Dominion- often nicknamed the Loyal Empire due to the fact that the title of Emperor, and now Empress, of South Africa was one offered by a delegation of provincial heads and native monarchs in 1928 after the granting of the Dominion status to long-standing rivals India. With Elizabeth II seemingly only retaining the Imperial title of the latter due to the fact that any attempts to abolish it end up being swallowed in wider constitutional debates and collapsing, Pretoria frequently likes to contrast her stability with the issues of 'the other Imperial Dominion'. The Kingdoms of Ireland and Canada, the Federation of the West Indies and the Commonwealth of the Swan River make up the remaining members of the 'Imperial Sextet' that along with the UK are the chief funders of the nuclear and space programmes.
Nearer at home, the Federation maintains, as the core plank of her foreign policy, a determination for friendly relations with her Lusophone neighbours to the north while rebuffing attempts by Mozambique to regain the Laurentia Republic. South African rule over the latter is recognised by the UK and other members of the Imperial Sextet- India in particular considering it to be in line with her own annexation of Goa- and Indonesia, while being tolerated by the US. Most of Europe and Latin America side with Portugal and Mozambique in upholding the provisions of the Paris accords, a situation which makes strange bedfellows due to the equally strong support from the Soviet Union and People's Republic of China.
Recent trade agreements with the United Hashemite Kingdoms, the Federation of Malaya, the Republic of China and the East African Federation have begun to bring greater diversity to the economy of the federation, further strengthening the recovery that has been underway since 1978. It is likely that the messy dissolution of the West African Union and the complex civil war underway there will become the next major foreign policy issue for the Federation, which has found herself needing to tread increasingly carefully when considering such affairs since the beginning of the decolonisation of Africa.
FEDERATION OF SOUTH AFRICA
Capital: Pretoria
Large Cities: Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, Ulundi, Bulawayo, Luanze, Salisbury, Randfontein, Somerset, Lourenço Marques, Melbourne
Official Religion: None (Provincial recognition only)
Official Languages: English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho*, Tswana, Shona, Tsonga, Portuguese, Swazi, Ndebele*, Venda
Population: 63,627353
White: 14,455,091
Coloured: 5,585,619
African: 41,592,867
Asian and Other: 1,993,776
*Local dialectical variations commonCapital: Pretoria
Large Cities: Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, Ulundi, Bulawayo, Luanze, Salisbury, Randfontein, Somerset, Lourenço Marques, Melbourne
Official Religion: None (Provincial recognition only)
Official Languages: English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho*, Tswana, Shona, Tsonga, Portuguese, Swazi, Ndebele*, Venda
Population: 63,627353
White: 14,455,091
Coloured: 5,585,619
African: 41,592,867
Asian and Other: 1,993,776
************************
As South Africa prepares to commemorate 200 years since the start of British rule over the Cape, the year 1981 proves a suitable moment to consider the overall situation of the federation. Twenty-three years after the momentous changes of the 1958 constitution, and the nation is still in a process of transition, some provinces suffering from a lack of education and awareness of the political process, some the home of fierce clashes between a white elite desperate to retain their control over the political system, and the African majority seeking to overturn discriminatory practices. The issues of implementing the enfranchisement of the population thus remain one of the defining issues of modern politics in the Federation. It has been joined by questions of standardising education and welfare provisions across the country, causes long the standards of the Labour movement which is thus on the upturn after the economic difficulties of the 60s and 70s. The single biggest issue of the last 20 years, however, has become healthcare, with the highly publicised and successful vaccination campaign against smallpox followed up by a drive to make the federation 'Africa's first Polio-free nation', and now the beginnings of a health scare due to the recently announced discovery of Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome in the US and the first identifications of the disease within South Africa.
While the 1958 constitution granted provincial rights to the majority of the protectorates, the small Chobe area, left out due to its low population, is not the only area to remain under federal jurisdiction. These scattered territories fall into three categories. First, the uninhabited outlying territories of the Prince Edward Islands and the vast Antarctic claims of Empress Elizabeth's land. Second are the two 'Bushmen Reservations' for the San populace where they are able to dwell without interference. Besides the ongoing naming controversy that has become the bête noir of the chattering classes, there are ongoing disputes between the San and their neighbouring provinces over ranching rights and compensation for land taken during the late colonial and early federal era. Thirdly, and most importantly, are the national parks scattered across the country which due to the vastly differing attitudes to conservation and the environment between the various groups and provincial governments have been separated entirely out from the regular administrative system.
On the international scene, South Africa stands as the chief bastion of the West on the African continent, a strong ally of NATO and firm in her opposition to the Soviets. Though weakened by the Second Great War, the British Empire and Commonwealth remains a strong component of the international alliance against communism, with the Imperial and Commonwealth Joint Nuclear and Space projects, based in Perth and Mauritius respectively, proving strong mechanisms for the nuclear security of the Indian Ocean area and proving successful in attempts to make the Space Race a three-way battle. South Africa retains her constitutional links to Britain as the second Imperial Dominion- often nicknamed the Loyal Empire due to the fact that the title of Emperor, and now Empress, of South Africa was one offered by a delegation of provincial heads and native monarchs in 1928 after the granting of the Dominion status to long-standing rivals India. With Elizabeth II seemingly only retaining the Imperial title of the latter due to the fact that any attempts to abolish it end up being swallowed in wider constitutional debates and collapsing, Pretoria frequently likes to contrast her stability with the issues of 'the other Imperial Dominion'. The Kingdoms of Ireland and Canada, the Federation of the West Indies and the Commonwealth of the Swan River make up the remaining members of the 'Imperial Sextet' that along with the UK are the chief funders of the nuclear and space programmes.
Nearer at home, the Federation maintains, as the core plank of her foreign policy, a determination for friendly relations with her Lusophone neighbours to the north while rebuffing attempts by Mozambique to regain the Laurentia Republic. South African rule over the latter is recognised by the UK and other members of the Imperial Sextet- India in particular considering it to be in line with her own annexation of Goa- and Indonesia, while being tolerated by the US. Most of Europe and Latin America side with Portugal and Mozambique in upholding the provisions of the Paris accords, a situation which makes strange bedfellows due to the equally strong support from the Soviet Union and People's Republic of China.
Recent trade agreements with the United Hashemite Kingdoms, the Federation of Malaya, the Republic of China and the East African Federation have begun to bring greater diversity to the economy of the federation, further strengthening the recovery that has been underway since 1978. It is likely that the messy dissolution of the West African Union and the complex civil war underway there will become the next major foreign policy issue for the Federation, which has found herself needing to tread increasingly carefully when considering such affairs since the beginning of the decolonisation of Africa.
Alex Richards
Donor
And finally the map. Reagent's in a lot of rush atm, so he sent this over for me to post.
Alex Richards
Donor
Yeah, the last day's been a bit of a rush over at his end. It's just brighter looking.
Great conclusion! A couple questions though:
You never did answer if we got Cape to Cairo. Though it's awesome that we do have an East African Federation ITTL ahead of schedule.
The other thing is, am I correct that the British had control of Madagascar and the Mascarine islands? if so, any reason they stayed separate from South Africa?
You never did answer if we got Cape to Cairo. Though it's awesome that we do have an East African Federation ITTL ahead of schedule.
The other thing is, am I correct that the British had control of Madagascar and the Mascarine islands? if so, any reason they stayed separate from South Africa?
Portuguese Africa is in the way of Cairo to Cape...
France controlled Madagascar ITTL. The Mascarene Islands were taken by the British after the Napoleonic Wars, but never ended up in South Africa for a variety of reasons (we actually did try to find a way to incorporate them, but it all seemed rather forced, so we ended up scrapping the idea and had them remain British possessions).
Ah, I thought Zambezia was another former British colony. My mistake, though I wonder if the Portugese would have objected to a railroad going through their terrirtory, though the British/Portugese tensions ITTL might be a big reason.
That answers the question about Madagascar - do the French also still possess Bourbon, or do we get a greater Mauritius?
Alex Richards
Donor
As we'd got it planned, Mauritius as of 1981 included Reunion and the Seychelles, and is in the process of trying to get the Chagos transferred.
Alex Richards
Donor
Mauritius-wanks, the rarest of wanks
I've done Vatican City and Qatar wanks before.