Ideas for British Argentina TL

[Petete123123]

Hi guys, Summer is coming here in the South, so vacations are near and I'm planning to start from scratch my British Argentina TL.

So, one thing I came to question is why would the British really settle after a 1806/7 invasion, and even if they did, how far would they go.

My first conclusion after reading some other threads is that they really didn't have a reason to. So that kinda blocks me there.

A second issue was that in 1806/7, the population of Buenos Aires and even less so that from the interior, was not going to willingly submit to a new ruler. Yes, some wanted it, some only liked the trading side, but for a great deal of the upper classes if they were ever going to depose the Spanish they were going to be the ones in charge.

So I came looking for two things to make this all the likelier.

1) Get the Brits to really have a reason to settle down here.

2) Get the locals to embrace or at least submit to British rule.

My natural idea was to get an earlier conquest. Rio de La Plata wasn't an independent Virreinato till late in the 18th century, and Buenos Aires wasn't allowed to freely trade with Spain until then. Besides, the lowlands were much less populated before those times. So a late 17th century, early 18th century conquest seems like the best chance.

I thought of the Spanish Succession War or the Jenkins Ear War as possibilities, but I really need some insights here.

What do you guys think would be the best time?

Also, would it help if we get the French to oust the Brits out of Canada?

I will surely add more questions and ideas as I get through the TL sketch.

Thanks in advance to all.

 

[SeaBos]

Getting the British to leave Britain isn't too hard, have the economy go into a recession. This'll make some British decide to head to the colonies. Now where do they go? Even if the British are forced out of Canada these colonist could immigrate to the United States (which will only become easier if losing Canada butterflies independence). What you'll need is good advertising.

When Edward Gibbon Wakefield was trying to get people to immigrate to New Zealand he presented it as a Britain of the South Seas where you could live the British pastoral ideal that was no longer possible in the Mother Country. Deliberately downplaying geography, climate, and the Maori already living their that made the pastoral ideal significantly harder than advertised.

EGW himself is too busy being a child to work for your tl but get some other unscrupulous British businessman caught up in Argentine land speculation and suddenly you have "Australalbion: Where Your Dreams Come True"

 

[Socrates]

Have George II back Pitt's plan for a pre emptive war against Spain in 1761. Then have a longer war due to Pitt following through on demand for an extra year of war, which was planned to have extra attacks in the South Sea. The River Plate would be a prime target for that strategy. Post-conquest, have the Brits give free transportation and land to protect against Spanish raids.

 

[Great Britain]

I think it would be cool for both a British Canada and Argentina.
Why not just have the us enact some anti catholic law,or an immigration act similar to that seen after ww1 and with a bit support and advertisement Argentina could gain alot of Irish immigration (it got quite a bit otl),then the Brits could settle it in trickels through the 20th century- similar to Canada and Australia.

Then have an imperial federation and let Britain rule the world

 

[Petete123123]

Getting the British to leave Britain isn't too hard, have the economy go into a recession. This'll make some British decide to head to the colonies. Now where do they go? Even if the British are forced out of Canada these colonist could immigrate to the United States (which will only become easier if losing Canada butterflies independence). What you'll need is good advertising.

When Edward Gibbon Wakefield was trying to get people to immigrate to New Zealand he presented it as a Britain of the South Seas where you could live the British pastoral ideal that was no longer possible in the Mother Country. Deliberately downplaying geography, climate, and the Maori already living their that made the pastoral ideal significantly harder than advertised.

EGW himself is too busy being a child to work for your tl but get some other unscrupulous British businessman caught up in Argentine land speculation and suddenly you have "Australalbion: Where Your Dreams Come True"

Quite some good ideas for later, when immigration waves become a need. I will keep them in mind.

Have George II back Pitt's plan for a pre emptive war against Spain in 1761. Then have a longer war due to Pitt following through on demand for an extra year of war, which was planned to have extra attacks in the South Sea. The River Plate would be a prime target for that strategy. Post-conquest, have the Brits give free transportation and land to protect against Spanish raids.

I like this. The Brits are fighting the Seven Years War at this time, which the Spanish joined in 1762. A preemptive strike might be good. I don't really know the British capabilities to incursion at this time. The Spanish in La Plata, I believe, have some resources, as they were at time time fighting Portuguese raids and struggling for Colonia do Sacramento.

How much resources can the Brits spare for a Buenos Aires invasion? Just to occupy the city, or a little more. I was planning on them also capturing Asuncion, Cordoba and Montevideo. Don't know if time is enough or if resources are even enough, might have to limit to the Parana/Uruguay basin occupation.

I think it would be cool for both a British Canada and Argentina.
Why not just have the us enact some anti catholic law,or an immigration act similar to that seen after ww1 and with a bit support and advertisement Argentina could gain alot of Irish immigration (it got quite a bit otl),then the Brits could settle it in trickels through the 20th century- similar to Canada and Australia.

Then have an imperial federation and let Britain rule the world

I very well might later. My idea behind no Canada was to eventually have the loyalist Americans flee to the nearest settle colonies after the Revolution, that would be Rio de La Plata. Also, getting the Brits that went into Canada would help. While getting to the Maritimes, Quebec and the Great Lakes is easier than getting to Buenos Aires, getting into the interior is not, so that's a bonus.

Besides, it would be quite a lot of land of the best quality in the empire and nearer than either Australia and New Zealand. That's quite an advertisment on itself.

I want to clarify on this, that I came to the conclusion that given the numbers of people in 1806 Argentina, a conquest at that time wouldn't lead to a really British country, which is my objective. That's why I'm heading to an earlier POD. To give some insight, in 1720 Buenos Aires had 5.000 inhabitants, versus 40.000 90 years later. In the early 18th century the lowlands are really underpopulated, much more than a century later. This might also allow to get Rio Grande do Sul into British Rio de La Plata, a frontier zone a the time not really populated but which some of the best farmlands in the whole of Brasil.

Thanks to those who answered!

 

[Nik]

Corned Beef ??