I have another scenario: The UK might snatch British Columbia away from the US while they are still distracted fighting against the South.
Lone Star Republic
- Thread starter Kaiser Chris
- Start date
I wouldn't want to be in Canada then when the mighty Union army can turn north.
Even under that method Lincoln still wouldn't do such a thing as his pride would not allow for it and he'd be attacked by the Democrats and Radical Republicans for selling pieces of teh country when he's all about preserving the Union, making Lincoln a virtual hypocrite.
Don't worry, there will not be a Freedom Party that rises in America and Jake Featherston will most certainly not be coming to power. If Featherston were to run the same way as he did in Southern Victory then he would be ostracized and called a Loon even by the Deep South states. Jacob Featherston Sr. and the Freedom flag are purely just an omage to Southern Victory and are not meant to indicate that America will be following that route. if Jake Featherston ever does make a cameo in the future then it will mostly just be for humor and will not affect the history of Lone Star Republic.
Great map as always Pieman! I'll be sure to have the world's borders be completed by 1900.
No matter what happens in the Mexican War, Texas will not be annexing the entirety of Mexico in the aftermath. They don't have enough strength to control the entirety of Mexico like the United States could as Texas annexing them would only result in numerous revolts for several years. Texas might gain some Mexican territory but it wont be as much as the California Cession from the Revolution. As for the Mayne peninsula, or what I'm assuming you mean to be the Yucatan, Texas will not annex them as both Texas and the Yucatan are extremely close allies right now with both people's holding a positive opinion of each other. They need to stick together against the threat of Mexican invasion, not fight against one another in an amphibious war.
While nothing much has happened in Africa and India besides some minor changes, the 1860's will start to see major butterflies take effect. This will primarily be seen in the former of a more intense Great Game between Russia and Britain, a different outcome for the Taiping Rebellion, early colonization movements by the Great Powers in Africa, the fate of the Ottomans, and an entirely different colonization of the Pacific by the Great Powers, with Texas being involved TTL. The main change that I am currently debating is that of the Taiping Rebellion and whether or not a Taiping victory would be plausible.
Canada's fate in its entirety will be dealt with in the Great War. That is all I will say for now.
While Britain could most certainly due that, it would be unlikely as the US still has a regiment or two patrolling Columbia while Britain has hardly any men over there on Canada's western borders. As of right now the British Army is tied up around the world as they'll be bogged down in conflicts in Africa and Asia, primarily the Sepoy Mutiny and the Opium War. Also there is a huge anti-intervention movement within the UK for various reasons that I will delve into, so even though America did humiliate Britain in the Oregon War, the British people don't care enough to wage war while its in the Civil War. Primarily because of the Slavery question and its reliance on US grain and corn imports. More will be revealed in a chapter dedicated to foreign reactions on both the Mexican War and the American Civil War.
You are right in that Europe is also going to face some heavy conflict soon. In Chapter 76 we'll have focus shift back to Germany with the focus being on the completion of the final phase of Pan-German Unification and the events leading to the Second War of German Unification against Austria. One good thing of note is that since most of the nationalist movements outside of the Balkans were successful, the 1860's as a whole will be a lot less bloody. I might also dedicate a chapter to focus on the current social and political movements that are growing in Europe after the 1846 Revolutions.
So with Virginia staying loyal to the Union that means much of the OTL Confederate military leadership like Lee, Stonewall, JEB Stuart, and Joseph E. Johnston are part of the Union Army to name a few. So we will see a far more decisive UNION victories when compared to OTL.
It also entices the idea that with the most important slave state in the Union, that means there will be much more support in Lincoln's OTL plan of allowing the Southern States to abolish slavery at their own pace. Which if successful could be mean a much healthier reconciliation that will create far less extreme North/ South divide like OTL.
I really hope that will be the case in this Timeline since it is heartbreaking to see what has happened to US politics because such a plan wasn't implemented.
It also entices the idea that with the most important slave state in the Union, that means there will be much more support in Lincoln's OTL plan of allowing the Southern States to abolish slavery at their own pace. Which if successful could be mean a much healthier reconciliation that will create far less extreme North/ South divide like OTL.
I really hope that will be the case in this Timeline since it is heartbreaking to see what has happened to US politics because such a plan wasn't implemented.
So will next chapter tick with the American Civil War, to the Mexican War unfolding, or a detailed Post on the rise of the new Textile industry in ATL Belgium?
Also no Monitor vs Merrimack. I am guessing the naval conflict will be even more in favor of the Union and the Bahamas soon liberated from the new slavers.
Also no Monitor vs Merrimack. I am guessing the naval conflict will be even more in favor of the Union and the Bahamas soon liberated from the new slavers.
Chapter 74 The Calm Before the Storm
Chapter 74 The Calm Before the Storm
“How nice to see San Antonio get the recognition it deserves. It will make for a fine state capitol.”- President Juan Seguin 1860
“Developments in the East are rather disturbing to say the least. If the Confederates think they can expand to Texas however, then they are mistaken. I have plans to deal with them.”- General Albert Sidney Johnston 1861
“It seems like old Juarez just didn’t learn that Mexico can't fight for crap. You know what they say, third time’s the charm.”- President Davy Crockett 1861
Due to the importance of the Mexican War and the events that took place in the post-war environment of the Republic such as the emancipation movement and the completion of the Continental Railroad, most Texas remember little of President Juan Seguin's time in office before the war. Seguin's entire presidency usually looked back upon by historians from the declaration of war against Mexico to the day he had stepped out of office. While 1860 and the first half of 1861 was uneventful for Texas as a whole, it was the start of what would become the Wild West Era.
Upon taking office in succeeding Crockett, Seguin and the Republicans did their best to undo much of what the Western Union had implemented in their first years in office. Primarily to reverse the decentralization of power from Austin to the commonwealths and to switch economic policy back to the Republican style of management. This was far easier said than done as the Republicans were still unable to recapture the House which belonged to the Western Union at the moment. Thankfully partisan politics were not as large in Texas as they would be in the late 20th and 21st century and various factions of both parties were able to come together for a compromise. In terms of economics, Crockett's agricultural subsidies were cut down immensely but at the same time the industrial subsidies were kept at their current rate. Tariffs were increased for all nations of Western Europe outside of France and Germany, though the United States was exempt from a raise (it didn't matter too much considering the latter civil war). Due to the imposing threat that Mexico was forming and the near collapse of America at the moment, greater funding was given to the military with these new funds being directed to the enlargement of Commonwealth militias, modernization of the Army with bolt action rifles and pistols, and conversion of the Texas Navy to steam ships. A major consequence of this increase in military spending though was how Texas Rangers and Texan militias would be on the increasing attack against hostile tribes in the frontier. One issue that both Republicans and Western Unionists could agree upon was that Texas needed to continue its infrastructure expansion. Railroads, roads, and canals were given the virtual unanimous pass on every single bill and the railroads continuing to expand across the Republic, creating much conflict with Indians and Ranchers due to the loss of territory for buffalo/cattle respectively. Lastly was the issue of slavery. While there was a general desire for reform, most congressmen were still not willing to budge on a final solution until America got its problems sorted out. So instead Congress continued to focus on implementing its current slave reform laws with Texas Rangers being deployed across the Republic in the meantime to back it up. Meanwhile, multiple abolitionist lawmakers on both sides would come together in clubs and form emancipation legislation for a future of Texas without slavery. These same men later presenting their ideas to the congressional floor and being the leaders of abolition after the Mexican War.
In terms of the question of state versus republic, concessions of greater power to the commonwealths were halted and the Republicans were able to create new laws and executive orders to strengthen the powers of the various departments under the presidential cabinet. Though at the end of the day the Supreme Court held the final say and it ruled nearly 50/50 on both sides. One interesting example of Seguin's policies that strengthened both the central government and the commonwealths at the same time was Seguin's Texanization of the state of Texas. Seguin being a native Tejano, became worried over the fact that California was starting to rise in power to become equal to the state of Texas and that American settlers and Indians were soon starting to overpopulate the Tejanos and Texans in Arizona and Deseret. In order to made sure that Texas would remain supreme and that Texan culture would be the domineering force of politics, Seguin made his central platform in 1861 to be the creation of a Commonwealth of Texas to replace the old State of Texas that had been run directly underneath Austin. With these new laws, the Commonwealth of Texas would be ruled directly by Texans and the various groups living within the current state could form there own national identity that would be united by a common government and would soon grow to overpower the different Californian culture developing on the west coast. Before the old State of Texas was just a territory ruled directly by the Central government in Austin and the executive departments overseeing the implementation of state laws. The only original position was that of governor and it would often be very confusing to make laws separating the State and Republic of Texas. This plan was understandable to both of the parties since it gave into the Western Union's ideology of commonwealth rights and the Republicans could spread their nationalism across the Republic. The Texan Commonwealth Bill passed both the House and the Senate with huge majorities on March 22nd of 1860 with President Seguin signing it into law. For the status of Austin and the new capitol of a Texan Commonwealth, Austin and its territory would be rebranded as a republican district (R.D), and would be independent of the other commonwealths to run the country. Meanwhile the new capitol of the Commonwealth of Texas would be the city of San Antonio. The reasons for this were plentifold as San Antonio was the cultural center of the nation and an important historical location with it being the first city of Texas, along with its central location. But mostly it was due to the fact that it was Juan Seguin's hometown which gave him a heavy preference. The Commonwealth was then cemented with its establishment on April 21st, the 24th anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto with James Flanagan elected as its first governor.
San Antonio, capitol of the Commonwealth of Texas.
An additional platform of strengthening Texan nationalism against the tide of old American identities were Seguin's policies strengthening the ethnic power of various groups in Texas to combat that of the American South while investing in Texan nationalism. With immense support from their constituents, the Republicans were able to pass new amendments to the Constitution that made Spanish a Co-De Facto language of Texas while German was introduced as a new De Jure language of Texas much in the same way as Spanish's previous treatment as a secondary language. Gerrymandering soon became commonplace in both Austin and the various Commonwealth capitols as new senatorial districts and county lines were drawn to reflect a concentration of power and representation for the various immigrant groups of Texas along with those white communities deemed to be Texanized. Soon causing the predominantly Southern American and Yankee communities of both East Texas and Northern California to become outnumbered in power and representation. Lastly of importance was the creation of the Texas Archives, a bureaucratic organization under the Department of Education dedicated to preserving Texan history and spreading Texas culture. The Texas Archives made it their main mission to preserve many of the early historical Texan sites both before and during the Revolution, leading many Spanish missions, Indian counties, Empressario Settlements, and Revolution battles to become labelled and actively supported in upkeep as important historical sites. Their efforts would later be reflected in the Elementary schools of Texas with the new curriculum having a special importance on the history and development of Texas as a whole. Creating a new sense of national identity and patriotism into future generations. Lastly, the Texas Archives would use much of their government funding to invest in important public and cultural works that would spread Texan identity across the country. Though these types of investments would not take place until the Texas Renaissance after the Mexican War with its main actions being seen in the creation of national parks and investment into Texan literature and monuments for the various cities and towns being built.
Mission San Jose in San Antonio, Texas. This mission along with many others in Arizona and California, were renovated in cooperation with the Catholic Church to serve as important archaeological sites of Spanish Texas.
The main agenda of foreign policy for Texas until Mexico invaded the Rio Grande was the ongoing disintegration of the United States and the eventual Civil War. At first all that Seguin and most of Congress did was watch as they had little say in the internal politics of America and did not want to create a situation that would cause similar conditions in Texas, which is why the slave question was largely put on hold. This created a torn feelings of loyalties to many of the American Texans as they were both equally divided by Southern and Yankee loyalties, most having come from the border states. A big example being how former President Mirabeau Lamar was from Georgia, Davy Crockett being from Tennessee, and Vice President Pease being from Connecticut. Seguin himself did not care too much personally since his roots were from Mexico, it was more that Texas would be immensely affected by whatever actions its eastern neighbor took. When South Carolina seceded in December and later the Confederacy formed in April, many Southerners assumed that their cousins in Texas would be sympathetic to their cause. They were wrong. When news of the formation of the Confederacy spread across Texas many Texan citizens actually rose up in denouncing the new rebel nation. Most of the American Texans while having come from the south, still held a great amount of admiration and respect for the Union as a whole and saw Toombs actions as illegal and a betrayal to the American Founding Fathers. At the same time the non-American citizens of Texas were mostly anti-slavery and as such could not put upon themselves to support a slave nation. Yet at the same time there was a visible minority from East Texas who wanted to join in common cause with the Confederacy, the supporters being plantation owners and slaveholders. These deep divisions caused an huge amount of deadlock in congress with no clear resolution for how to treat the new nation. Meeting with Secretary of State Prince Carl for many times during the Spring of 1861, President Seguin eventually came to the conclusion that for the moment Texas would remain neutral and would not take a stance on the Confederacy. They would not recognize the South as an independent nation yet at the same time they would not take an open stance towards the Union, the only change being the halting of all railroad connections to the South. Causing many in Congress to complain though most saw it as a reasonable policy considering it would keep Texas out. In secret Seguin would form extensive meetings with both the State Department and the Department of War to try and come up with potential contingency plans for what would happen if there was a civil war. Prince Carl would be ordered to inform his state department officials and ambassadors in Britain and France to try and get a read on any chance of a foreign intervention in the Civil War and would clandestinely meet with Confederate diplomats for the set up of possible relations if a southern victory is secure. In the meantime Brigadier General Albert Sidney Johnston came up with multiple war plans for hostile scenarios against both the Union and the Confederacy. One main warplan against the south involving an invasion of Arkansas, Indian Territory, and Louisiana to gain two new commonwealths along the Sabine and Red rivers. While a different approach would involve an invasion of Oregon and the Nebraska territory for a war against the Union. No matter what would come for Texas after Fort Sumter and Petersburg, they would be ready.
Before we dive into next chapter it is important to address Texas' stance against Mexico and overall Texan-Mexican relations before the Mexican War. Since the end of the Border Wars relations had been frozen and heated between both sides with any signs of reconciliation being thrown out the window. Texans saw Mexico as a lawless land much like the Rio Grande and hated them with a passion for Santa Anna and his dictatorship. Mexicans had the same levels of hate with Texas for being the nation who had brought them down the path of stagnation and near-collapse. Both embassies in their respective capitols would often refuse to make contact with the central governments unless it was out of direct necessity for border disputes and issues of private citizens. The situation only got worse when Juarez came into power and started spreading his Pan-Mexican propaganda and made frequent attacks on the existence of Texas itself. Hawkish elements of the Republican party were quite vocal over the need for an intervention into Mexico or the possible breaking up of the country itself. Yet they were ignored by the rest of the nation as Texas was facing too many other crises such as the Mormon Rebellion, Nicaraguan War, and was currently prospering. There was no real reason then to have to end this prosperity over the concept of another war taking place. Davy Crockett in his term saw little need to deal with Mexico and thought it would be best for the two countries to leave each other alone. This changed when Seguin came into power. While Seguin was a Tejano and a former citizen of Mexico, he had no love for his former nation and was one of the most fervent supporters for independence during the Revolution. Working with Major General Travis to try and prepare for a future war with Mexico alongside one with America, the Texan Army and Texas Rangers would be deployed regularly on the border with patrols occurring daily in the deserts of Arizona and California. The Texas Navy was active in patrolling the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, with pressure put on any and all trade ships to Mexico. The State Department was quite active in pressuring other nations to not support Mexico while their Yucatan partners made regular attempts at patrolling and strengthening their own borders. With these actions it was thought that Mexican aggression would be warded off and the status quo would be returned. When war came no one on either side would be truly prepared for the new grand scale of the conflict and how it would shape the Southwest for decades to come.
Texas Rangers patrolling a bridge crossing on the Californian border
A/N: I sincerely apologize for the lack of updates this week. With Chapter 74 done the prelude to the Mexican War is now finished and Chapter 75 will be the start of the Mexican War itself. Chapter 76 will be the introduction into German affairs and Chapter 77 will switch back to the Civil War with its first battles. From there a cycle will take place with the early 1860's updates with Mexican War, then Civil War, then German Unificaiton updates until around 164-1865 when these all stop. Between the conflicts will be updates on the rest of Europe, East Asia, and South America. Thank you guys for reading and stay tuned for more. Long live the Republic!
“How nice to see San Antonio get the recognition it deserves. It will make for a fine state capitol.”- President Juan Seguin 1860
“Developments in the East are rather disturbing to say the least. If the Confederates think they can expand to Texas however, then they are mistaken. I have plans to deal with them.”- General Albert Sidney Johnston 1861
“It seems like old Juarez just didn’t learn that Mexico can't fight for crap. You know what they say, third time’s the charm.”- President Davy Crockett 1861
Due to the importance of the Mexican War and the events that took place in the post-war environment of the Republic such as the emancipation movement and the completion of the Continental Railroad, most Texas remember little of President Juan Seguin's time in office before the war. Seguin's entire presidency usually looked back upon by historians from the declaration of war against Mexico to the day he had stepped out of office. While 1860 and the first half of 1861 was uneventful for Texas as a whole, it was the start of what would become the Wild West Era.
Upon taking office in succeeding Crockett, Seguin and the Republicans did their best to undo much of what the Western Union had implemented in their first years in office. Primarily to reverse the decentralization of power from Austin to the commonwealths and to switch economic policy back to the Republican style of management. This was far easier said than done as the Republicans were still unable to recapture the House which belonged to the Western Union at the moment. Thankfully partisan politics were not as large in Texas as they would be in the late 20th and 21st century and various factions of both parties were able to come together for a compromise. In terms of economics, Crockett's agricultural subsidies were cut down immensely but at the same time the industrial subsidies were kept at their current rate. Tariffs were increased for all nations of Western Europe outside of France and Germany, though the United States was exempt from a raise (it didn't matter too much considering the latter civil war). Due to the imposing threat that Mexico was forming and the near collapse of America at the moment, greater funding was given to the military with these new funds being directed to the enlargement of Commonwealth militias, modernization of the Army with bolt action rifles and pistols, and conversion of the Texas Navy to steam ships. A major consequence of this increase in military spending though was how Texas Rangers and Texan militias would be on the increasing attack against hostile tribes in the frontier. One issue that both Republicans and Western Unionists could agree upon was that Texas needed to continue its infrastructure expansion. Railroads, roads, and canals were given the virtual unanimous pass on every single bill and the railroads continuing to expand across the Republic, creating much conflict with Indians and Ranchers due to the loss of territory for buffalo/cattle respectively. Lastly was the issue of slavery. While there was a general desire for reform, most congressmen were still not willing to budge on a final solution until America got its problems sorted out. So instead Congress continued to focus on implementing its current slave reform laws with Texas Rangers being deployed across the Republic in the meantime to back it up. Meanwhile, multiple abolitionist lawmakers on both sides would come together in clubs and form emancipation legislation for a future of Texas without slavery. These same men later presenting their ideas to the congressional floor and being the leaders of abolition after the Mexican War.
In terms of the question of state versus republic, concessions of greater power to the commonwealths were halted and the Republicans were able to create new laws and executive orders to strengthen the powers of the various departments under the presidential cabinet. Though at the end of the day the Supreme Court held the final say and it ruled nearly 50/50 on both sides. One interesting example of Seguin's policies that strengthened both the central government and the commonwealths at the same time was Seguin's Texanization of the state of Texas. Seguin being a native Tejano, became worried over the fact that California was starting to rise in power to become equal to the state of Texas and that American settlers and Indians were soon starting to overpopulate the Tejanos and Texans in Arizona and Deseret. In order to made sure that Texas would remain supreme and that Texan culture would be the domineering force of politics, Seguin made his central platform in 1861 to be the creation of a Commonwealth of Texas to replace the old State of Texas that had been run directly underneath Austin. With these new laws, the Commonwealth of Texas would be ruled directly by Texans and the various groups living within the current state could form there own national identity that would be united by a common government and would soon grow to overpower the different Californian culture developing on the west coast. Before the old State of Texas was just a territory ruled directly by the Central government in Austin and the executive departments overseeing the implementation of state laws. The only original position was that of governor and it would often be very confusing to make laws separating the State and Republic of Texas. This plan was understandable to both of the parties since it gave into the Western Union's ideology of commonwealth rights and the Republicans could spread their nationalism across the Republic. The Texan Commonwealth Bill passed both the House and the Senate with huge majorities on March 22nd of 1860 with President Seguin signing it into law. For the status of Austin and the new capitol of a Texan Commonwealth, Austin and its territory would be rebranded as a republican district (R.D), and would be independent of the other commonwealths to run the country. Meanwhile the new capitol of the Commonwealth of Texas would be the city of San Antonio. The reasons for this were plentifold as San Antonio was the cultural center of the nation and an important historical location with it being the first city of Texas, along with its central location. But mostly it was due to the fact that it was Juan Seguin's hometown which gave him a heavy preference. The Commonwealth was then cemented with its establishment on April 21st, the 24th anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto with James Flanagan elected as its first governor.
San Antonio, capitol of the Commonwealth of Texas.
An additional platform of strengthening Texan nationalism against the tide of old American identities were Seguin's policies strengthening the ethnic power of various groups in Texas to combat that of the American South while investing in Texan nationalism. With immense support from their constituents, the Republicans were able to pass new amendments to the Constitution that made Spanish a Co-De Facto language of Texas while German was introduced as a new De Jure language of Texas much in the same way as Spanish's previous treatment as a secondary language. Gerrymandering soon became commonplace in both Austin and the various Commonwealth capitols as new senatorial districts and county lines were drawn to reflect a concentration of power and representation for the various immigrant groups of Texas along with those white communities deemed to be Texanized. Soon causing the predominantly Southern American and Yankee communities of both East Texas and Northern California to become outnumbered in power and representation. Lastly of importance was the creation of the Texas Archives, a bureaucratic organization under the Department of Education dedicated to preserving Texan history and spreading Texas culture. The Texas Archives made it their main mission to preserve many of the early historical Texan sites both before and during the Revolution, leading many Spanish missions, Indian counties, Empressario Settlements, and Revolution battles to become labelled and actively supported in upkeep as important historical sites. Their efforts would later be reflected in the Elementary schools of Texas with the new curriculum having a special importance on the history and development of Texas as a whole. Creating a new sense of national identity and patriotism into future generations. Lastly, the Texas Archives would use much of their government funding to invest in important public and cultural works that would spread Texan identity across the country. Though these types of investments would not take place until the Texas Renaissance after the Mexican War with its main actions being seen in the creation of national parks and investment into Texan literature and monuments for the various cities and towns being built.
Mission San Jose in San Antonio, Texas. This mission along with many others in Arizona and California, were renovated in cooperation with the Catholic Church to serve as important archaeological sites of Spanish Texas.
The main agenda of foreign policy for Texas until Mexico invaded the Rio Grande was the ongoing disintegration of the United States and the eventual Civil War. At first all that Seguin and most of Congress did was watch as they had little say in the internal politics of America and did not want to create a situation that would cause similar conditions in Texas, which is why the slave question was largely put on hold. This created a torn feelings of loyalties to many of the American Texans as they were both equally divided by Southern and Yankee loyalties, most having come from the border states. A big example being how former President Mirabeau Lamar was from Georgia, Davy Crockett being from Tennessee, and Vice President Pease being from Connecticut. Seguin himself did not care too much personally since his roots were from Mexico, it was more that Texas would be immensely affected by whatever actions its eastern neighbor took. When South Carolina seceded in December and later the Confederacy formed in April, many Southerners assumed that their cousins in Texas would be sympathetic to their cause. They were wrong. When news of the formation of the Confederacy spread across Texas many Texan citizens actually rose up in denouncing the new rebel nation. Most of the American Texans while having come from the south, still held a great amount of admiration and respect for the Union as a whole and saw Toombs actions as illegal and a betrayal to the American Founding Fathers. At the same time the non-American citizens of Texas were mostly anti-slavery and as such could not put upon themselves to support a slave nation. Yet at the same time there was a visible minority from East Texas who wanted to join in common cause with the Confederacy, the supporters being plantation owners and slaveholders. These deep divisions caused an huge amount of deadlock in congress with no clear resolution for how to treat the new nation. Meeting with Secretary of State Prince Carl for many times during the Spring of 1861, President Seguin eventually came to the conclusion that for the moment Texas would remain neutral and would not take a stance on the Confederacy. They would not recognize the South as an independent nation yet at the same time they would not take an open stance towards the Union, the only change being the halting of all railroad connections to the South. Causing many in Congress to complain though most saw it as a reasonable policy considering it would keep Texas out. In secret Seguin would form extensive meetings with both the State Department and the Department of War to try and come up with potential contingency plans for what would happen if there was a civil war. Prince Carl would be ordered to inform his state department officials and ambassadors in Britain and France to try and get a read on any chance of a foreign intervention in the Civil War and would clandestinely meet with Confederate diplomats for the set up of possible relations if a southern victory is secure. In the meantime Brigadier General Albert Sidney Johnston came up with multiple war plans for hostile scenarios against both the Union and the Confederacy. One main warplan against the south involving an invasion of Arkansas, Indian Territory, and Louisiana to gain two new commonwealths along the Sabine and Red rivers. While a different approach would involve an invasion of Oregon and the Nebraska territory for a war against the Union. No matter what would come for Texas after Fort Sumter and Petersburg, they would be ready.
Before we dive into next chapter it is important to address Texas' stance against Mexico and overall Texan-Mexican relations before the Mexican War. Since the end of the Border Wars relations had been frozen and heated between both sides with any signs of reconciliation being thrown out the window. Texans saw Mexico as a lawless land much like the Rio Grande and hated them with a passion for Santa Anna and his dictatorship. Mexicans had the same levels of hate with Texas for being the nation who had brought them down the path of stagnation and near-collapse. Both embassies in their respective capitols would often refuse to make contact with the central governments unless it was out of direct necessity for border disputes and issues of private citizens. The situation only got worse when Juarez came into power and started spreading his Pan-Mexican propaganda and made frequent attacks on the existence of Texas itself. Hawkish elements of the Republican party were quite vocal over the need for an intervention into Mexico or the possible breaking up of the country itself. Yet they were ignored by the rest of the nation as Texas was facing too many other crises such as the Mormon Rebellion, Nicaraguan War, and was currently prospering. There was no real reason then to have to end this prosperity over the concept of another war taking place. Davy Crockett in his term saw little need to deal with Mexico and thought it would be best for the two countries to leave each other alone. This changed when Seguin came into power. While Seguin was a Tejano and a former citizen of Mexico, he had no love for his former nation and was one of the most fervent supporters for independence during the Revolution. Working with Major General Travis to try and prepare for a future war with Mexico alongside one with America, the Texan Army and Texas Rangers would be deployed regularly on the border with patrols occurring daily in the deserts of Arizona and California. The Texas Navy was active in patrolling the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, with pressure put on any and all trade ships to Mexico. The State Department was quite active in pressuring other nations to not support Mexico while their Yucatan partners made regular attempts at patrolling and strengthening their own borders. With these actions it was thought that Mexican aggression would be warded off and the status quo would be returned. When war came no one on either side would be truly prepared for the new grand scale of the conflict and how it would shape the Southwest for decades to come.
Texas Rangers patrolling a bridge crossing on the Californian border
A/N: I sincerely apologize for the lack of updates this week. With Chapter 74 done the prelude to the Mexican War is now finished and Chapter 75 will be the start of the Mexican War itself. Chapter 76 will be the introduction into German affairs and Chapter 77 will switch back to the Civil War with its first battles. From there a cycle will take place with the early 1860's updates with Mexican War, then Civil War, then German Unificaiton updates until around 164-1865 when these all stop. Between the conflicts will be updates on the rest of Europe, East Asia, and South America. Thank you guys for reading and stay tuned for more. Long live the Republic!
So Texas takes further form. The Commonwealth of Texas affirming the Commonwealth as the divisional unit of the Republic. Do the Commonwealth and Republic both use theLone Star Flag?
How powerful is the Texan navy? I would guess at last two squadrons for the Gulf and Pacific.
Interesting how he is encouraging diversity to build a new kind of unity. Hmm, might the fasces symbol come up here ITTL? Many distinct rods bound together by the ties of Texanhood with the Axe of the Republic protectively jutting above?
And a funny tall tale bit for Crockett:
And legend has it during the war five assassins attacked the former president while he was fishing at an isolated lake, alone save fir his dog. Ten minutes after they launched their ambush, Four Republican Guards and a diehard Mormon Rebel lay dead and the pResident won Texas; heart again running three miles to carry his trusty dog to a doctor.
It sounds like Texas will win. But for Juarez to be remembered so well by his people it seems like Mexico will come out better than its recent wars.
And how about peace for this time in Canada?
Also a note for the TL. I can't seem to find anything addressing the 1847 presidential election in Texas. Lamar won his third term, but the race itself seems to have been overlooked.
How powerful is the Texan navy? I would guess at last two squadrons for the Gulf and Pacific.
Interesting how he is encouraging diversity to build a new kind of unity. Hmm, might the fasces symbol come up here ITTL? Many distinct rods bound together by the ties of Texanhood with the Axe of the Republic protectively jutting above?
And a funny tall tale bit for Crockett:
And legend has it during the war five assassins attacked the former president while he was fishing at an isolated lake, alone save fir his dog. Ten minutes after they launched their ambush, Four Republican Guards and a diehard Mormon Rebel lay dead and the pResident won Texas; heart again running three miles to carry his trusty dog to a doctor.
It sounds like Texas will win. But for Juarez to be remembered so well by his people it seems like Mexico will come out better than its recent wars.
And how about peace for this time in Canada?
Also a note for the TL. I can't seem to find anything addressing the 1847 presidential election in Texas. Lamar won his third term, but the race itself seems to have been overlooked.
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Nice update, but I would recommend you break up your paragraphs more in future updates.
Before Texas was ruled directly by the central government in Austin. Now they can have their own commonwealth government that can attend to their sole needs. By the way both Commonwealths have the same flag.
The Texan Navy by its standards is a strong regional power with 25 ships in the Gulf and 10 ships in the Pacific. Being mixed of schooners, frigates, and some steam-powered vessels. They are currently the strongest Navy in the Americas outside of America and Brazil.
Diversity is only a part of the endgame as its all in relation to Seguin's plans to de-Americanize Texas. He may like his American brothers but there's no way he's going to make Texas a satellite state of America. The situation is sort of like what you said above with many unique nationalities tied together by their love for the Texan nation. Creating heavy Texan nationalism.
The Mexican war will not be like most wars in that there will not be a decisive outcome. The "winners" of the war will have a very mixed victory in that it solves some of the problems that caused it, but creates many more in the future. Won't spoil anything for now.
Canada wont see any wars. For the rest of the 19th century that is.
I glossed over the 1847 Presidential Election because there was nothing of note since Lamar was popular with the border wars and it was an automatic victory. I'll post later on the outcome and might try and get some wikiboxes for the rest.
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Indeed, it is vital Texas not orbit around itself. Texas needs to get the Texas out of Texas in order to truly be Texas!
Mister Crockett may regret those words. The Mexico of 1861 is a much different animal than the one in 1841.
I can't believe I even wrote that sentence. I meant to type American. That would be way too weird of a situation. Just fixed it.
Really the only reason that Texas ever propped up the Yucatan in the first place was so that they could have a buffer state between them and Mexico so that in a situation exactly like the Mexican War they could have their borders not be attacked with the focus on the Rio Grande. It was also the hope of the Texans that they could have a stable trading partner and ally in the south, while preventing Mexico from having more states. Obviously this failed as the Rio Grande became a failed state and fell into a bunch of lawless regions, therefore negating any positives of its existence. Even if Texas manages to kick Mexico's ass and win the war completely, many would be questioning if its even worth it to have the Rio Grande still continue.
I just hope that President Juan realizes that it needs to back to Mexico, EPSECIALLY after the Filibuster debacle in the Yucatan.
Chapter 75 Blood on the Rio Grande
Chapter 75 Blood on the Rio Grande
"After twenty-five years, justice has finally come."- President Benito Juarez 1861
"Vive el Presidente! Vive Mexico!"- Cry of Rio Grande citizens in Satillo upon the cities liberation. 1861
"For far too long have we sat idly by as Mexico grew in strength under Juarez. Waiting in patience for the sole moment of weakness upon which to strike. They seek to undo everything that we have accomplished for the Republic. All the blood that we have lost in the Revolution, those who have died on the frontier, they will all be forgotten if Jaurez reaches the Rio Grande river. I call for a declaration of war against the United States of Mexico. To end its existence once and for all."- President Juan Seguin 1861
For many years had Mexico been waiting to get its revenge against the rebel republics so that it could restore its borders and become a proud nation once more. Along the way there were many obstacles and crises for the Latin American nation. Civil wars, political infighting, independent governors, banditry, poor harvests; it seemed that nothing good could possibly happen for Mexico. Then Benito Juarez came strolling in as the new president and suddenly the people had hope again. They had a strong president who was a just and fair one unlike Santa Anna. They had a political party that would represent their needs instead of their own ideology. The economy was growing. The people were safe. All was good. However, in order for Mexico to truly be a great nation they had to regain their lost territory so that it become the powerhouse of the Americas like it was always meant to be. This was easier said than done as the Mexican people still had sociological scars from their previous defeats and they would have to face the might of Texas, the Yucatan, and their backer France. The perfect opportunity needed to come or all would be lost. An opportunity which would come in 1861. In that year the United States collapsed into Civil War, prompting one of the regional powers to direct its attention away from Mexico and for Texas to look east instead of south. Mexican diplomats in Germany had been meeting with Foreign Minister Otto von Bismark who promised his counterparts that Germany would soon be undertaking a series of moves that would cause a stir in Europe and that they would be actively maneuvering against France. Germany making good on their promise with the start of the Scleshwig War in February of 1861. With France committing most of their resources to both Germany and Britain and both Texas and the Yucatan acting ignorant, the time to strike was now. That being just what Juarez did in the summer of 1861.
The first obvious move for a future war would be to immediately invade the Republic of the Rio Grande first. The Mexican Army had performed well against the Rio Grande in the Border Wars and it was only the intervention of the other republics that had prevented a total Mexican victory. This time Juarez wanted to have a different change of strategy in order to prevent the failures of the last war from happening. While it would be easy to blitzkrieg through the five states of the Rio Grande in a matter of weeks, Juarez needed to secure the states under Mexican rule so that no matter what happened, Mexico would receive the territory in a peace deal. This way if both Texas and Yucatan remained independent than Mexico would have obtained its victory. To obtain this Juarez set about to gain the support of the Rio Grande people so that they would welcome the Mexican Army as saviors and drive out any foreign forces. These first steps were taken in 1854 with the Order of Mexican Patriots "El Orden de los patriotas mexicanos". The creation of the Order was one that took heavy inspiration from the Oregon War with the Order of Saint-Jean Baptiste and how it was able to rally the Quebecois to independence from the British. In Juarez's point of view if it worked for the Frenchman then why not for the Spanish. The Order was founded on September 26th, 1854 in Mexico City, the 30th anniversary of Mexican independence. The Order's first and only "Grandmaster" who had created the organization was Hector Montoya, a close friend and confidant of Juarez from Oaxaca who had served him personally in the Second Mexican War and was an exceptional commander in guerilla tactics against the Liberals and Conservatives. Montoya first began operations in the winter of 1854 by moving establishing the presence of the Order among the mountains of Durango, a perfect location considering its vast distance from the Texan border and little oversight by what remained of the Rio Grande government. For the next six years Montoya would train a small army of peasants within the Durango countryside thanks in large part due to an extensive amount of covert support by Mexico via British supplies. Rallying the peasants with propaganda of the glorious presidente that was Juarez and spreading hate against both Satillo and the Gringo's, the Order's membership grew immensely to the point where they became the largest filibuster cartel in the entire nation; controlling swarths of land from the deserts of Chihuahua to the seaside of Tamaulipas. In many ways the Order of Mexican Patriots was the government and Montoya the informal ruler of the Rio Grande, controlling numerous townships and frequently engaging in turf wars with other cartels where they would prove victorious. The only reason that the Order was allowed to exist for as long as it did was due to the fact that the they were too large for French forces to handle and most Texans were unaware, Montoya never claiming separation from the Rio Grande to Mexico in order to maintain a false appearance that they were mere filibusters within the sovereignty of the Rio Grande.
Flag of the Order of Mexican Patriots. A modified version of the Rio Grande flag with the Mexican Eagle taking place of the stars.
With the conditions being ripe for a fullscale war in 1861, it was now or never for Mexico to regain its territory. In a secretly coded letter to Montoya, Juarez ordered his friend to initiate a national revolt within the Rio Grande for Pan-Mexican unification, giving Juarez the opening to move in under the guise of supporting the people. Montoya spread word among his various lieutenants across the states to begin a revolution on April 4th, the 24th anniversary of the dreaded Treaty of Guadelupe-Hidalgo. On April 4th the Order mobilized all across the nation, marching in battalions of hundreds and carrying Mexican flags while singing "Mexicans, at the call of war", an anthem created by Juarez in 1854. The progress was swift as the entirety of both Chihuahua and Durango were declared to be subdued by the end of May. Nuevo Leon was in the middle of collapsing while Tamaulipas and Coahuila were both struggling to survive, solely due to the influence of the French forces and the government for the former and latter respectively. Both Austin and Merida looked on in worry but were unsure of what to do as they did not want to risk getting caught in a quagmire, nor were they certain of Mexican involvement. Another worrying sign that both governments would not be aware of for weeks was the ongoing situation in Paris, where an impatient Emperor Napoleon III was getting tired of wasting French lives and money in the Rio Grande with little to no compensation. These revolts being the last straw, Napoleon would order for a grand withdraw of French forces in the nation on May 5th. Napoleon not being worried about any potential Mexican aggression. Yet what he did not realize was that on the same day, was when Mexico began its invasions.
On May 5th 1861, Mexico declared war against the Republics of the Rio Grande, Texas, and the Yucatan. Juarez sighted in his address to the Mexican congress that all three nations were abusing the Mexican people and that their territory had been stolen from Mexico on illegal grounds. Juarez's declaration received a unanimous approval from the Mexican Senate, though Mexico's generals had already begun to march. The Mexican plan of battle would consist first of a primary invasion of the Rio Grande with three divisions of 30,000 men from the Mexican forces along with an additional 45,000 volunteers from the various state millitias and Mexican citizens who wanted to join the reunification of their nation. The Mexican forces would be split into five groups of 15,000 men who would then march into all five states of the Rio Grande simultaneously in order to conquer the Rio Grande by force. The states of Chihuahua and Durango were naturally the first to fall thanks to their occupation by the order with only less than 100 casualties in both theaters. A similar process took place in Nuevo Leon with the Mexican Army marching through and destroying any filibusters and bandits who would dare step in their way. Due to the more chaotic nature of the state, Mexican forces took 395 killed and 478 wounded during the march. The casualties were worth the gains though as 80% of the state was under Mexican control by the end of June. With Nuevo Leon under occupation, elements of the 2nd Army would split off to support their comrades in both Coahuila and Tamulipas.
In Tamaulipas, the Mexican Army were able to march all the way to the port of Tampico on June 2nd where they met the remaining French garrison, who were only a day from being relieved by the French Navy. Wanting revenge against the French who had torn up his country, General Ignacio Zaragoza ordered a fullscale assault on the port until "every last frog is dead." For 24 hours the French garrison held on valiantly as they fought for their lives with every single ounce of ammunition being used against the waves of Mexican troops. Relief came early the next morning as a French flotilla managed to sneak its way into the harbor and bombard the Mexican forces to provide an escape for the Frenchmen who desperately swam out to the transport ships in small fishing boats. The battle was bloody with the French having suffered 676 killed and 355 wounded, while the Mexicans suffered 773 killed and 689 wounded. But with the deaths of hundreds of Mexicans came the sweet taste of victory as the French Empire was driven out of the Rio Grande, Mexico having been victorious against a European power for the first time in forty years. In the Coahuila campaign the most decisive battle would be the Battle of Satillo on May 20th where the Rio Grande loyalists would wage a brave last stand against the might of the Mexican horde. Though the men fought bravely, they were not match for the Mexican regulars along with the Republican Guard, the situation only being made worse with a majority of the cities populace rising up against the "legitimate" government. The battle ended on May 21st with a Mexican victory with Mexican forces taking 505 killed, and 621 wounded. Meanwhile the Satillo loyalists while casualties not being fully documented, were estimated to take near 1600 casualties. On May 22nd the Rio Grande government and along with the remaining Army officers who had not deserted were lined up in the capitol courtyard where crowds of thousands cheered on as they were marched to their deaths. President Guillermo Cardenas (a distance cousin of Jesus Cardenas who took over the previous year) along with 37 others were brought before a company of the Republican guards and were summarily shot to death while the city cheered in jubilation. The Republic of the Rio Grande was dead.
Battle of Tampico (Left). Mexican troops storming into Satillo (Central). Execution of President Cardenas (Right)
When word spread of the Mexican invasion of the Rio Grande to both Texas and Yucatan, the populace first became smothered with feelings of shock, and then those of outrage and hatred. It seemed that Juarez was truly a man of his word and that he would make it his mission to see the end of the two Republics once and for all. The quick capitulation of the Rio Grande only made these fears worse as many felt that either Texas or the Yucatan would be next pickings and that Mexico would begin a bloody path of destruction. Rumors spread all throughout the countries of "Mexican huns" going on a mindless spree of carnage and violence, raping women and destroying property wherever they went. While historical analysis of events have proved these rumors to be entirely false except for a few isolated incidents, it was not enough to the Texans and Yucatani as they became enraged of the injustice that had been brought against their sister republic by Mexico. Acting quickly in order to put a stop to Mexican aggression and hopefully end the war swiftly like the last two conflicts, Presidents Seguin and Peraza would call on both the Congresses of Texas and the Yucatan respectively to declare war against Mexico to end the threat of their southern neighbor once and for all. Merida declared war on May 18th while Austin declared war on May 24th. Both nations mobilized their armed forces along with the French garrisons to send their troops to the border, while thousands of men appeared in recruiting stations to volunteer for the fight against Mexico. The Texan Army made their way to secure the Rio Grande river while Yucatani troops prepared along the borders of Oaxaca and Veracruz. So began the Mexican War.
Texan troops journeying to the Rio Grande (Left) Yucatan troops on display in Merida (Right)
"After twenty-five years, justice has finally come."- President Benito Juarez 1861
"Vive el Presidente! Vive Mexico!"- Cry of Rio Grande citizens in Satillo upon the cities liberation. 1861
"For far too long have we sat idly by as Mexico grew in strength under Juarez. Waiting in patience for the sole moment of weakness upon which to strike. They seek to undo everything that we have accomplished for the Republic. All the blood that we have lost in the Revolution, those who have died on the frontier, they will all be forgotten if Jaurez reaches the Rio Grande river. I call for a declaration of war against the United States of Mexico. To end its existence once and for all."- President Juan Seguin 1861
For many years had Mexico been waiting to get its revenge against the rebel republics so that it could restore its borders and become a proud nation once more. Along the way there were many obstacles and crises for the Latin American nation. Civil wars, political infighting, independent governors, banditry, poor harvests; it seemed that nothing good could possibly happen for Mexico. Then Benito Juarez came strolling in as the new president and suddenly the people had hope again. They had a strong president who was a just and fair one unlike Santa Anna. They had a political party that would represent their needs instead of their own ideology. The economy was growing. The people were safe. All was good. However, in order for Mexico to truly be a great nation they had to regain their lost territory so that it become the powerhouse of the Americas like it was always meant to be. This was easier said than done as the Mexican people still had sociological scars from their previous defeats and they would have to face the might of Texas, the Yucatan, and their backer France. The perfect opportunity needed to come or all would be lost. An opportunity which would come in 1861. In that year the United States collapsed into Civil War, prompting one of the regional powers to direct its attention away from Mexico and for Texas to look east instead of south. Mexican diplomats in Germany had been meeting with Foreign Minister Otto von Bismark who promised his counterparts that Germany would soon be undertaking a series of moves that would cause a stir in Europe and that they would be actively maneuvering against France. Germany making good on their promise with the start of the Scleshwig War in February of 1861. With France committing most of their resources to both Germany and Britain and both Texas and the Yucatan acting ignorant, the time to strike was now. That being just what Juarez did in the summer of 1861.
The first obvious move for a future war would be to immediately invade the Republic of the Rio Grande first. The Mexican Army had performed well against the Rio Grande in the Border Wars and it was only the intervention of the other republics that had prevented a total Mexican victory. This time Juarez wanted to have a different change of strategy in order to prevent the failures of the last war from happening. While it would be easy to blitzkrieg through the five states of the Rio Grande in a matter of weeks, Juarez needed to secure the states under Mexican rule so that no matter what happened, Mexico would receive the territory in a peace deal. This way if both Texas and Yucatan remained independent than Mexico would have obtained its victory. To obtain this Juarez set about to gain the support of the Rio Grande people so that they would welcome the Mexican Army as saviors and drive out any foreign forces. These first steps were taken in 1854 with the Order of Mexican Patriots "El Orden de los patriotas mexicanos". The creation of the Order was one that took heavy inspiration from the Oregon War with the Order of Saint-Jean Baptiste and how it was able to rally the Quebecois to independence from the British. In Juarez's point of view if it worked for the Frenchman then why not for the Spanish. The Order was founded on September 26th, 1854 in Mexico City, the 30th anniversary of Mexican independence. The Order's first and only "Grandmaster" who had created the organization was Hector Montoya, a close friend and confidant of Juarez from Oaxaca who had served him personally in the Second Mexican War and was an exceptional commander in guerilla tactics against the Liberals and Conservatives. Montoya first began operations in the winter of 1854 by moving establishing the presence of the Order among the mountains of Durango, a perfect location considering its vast distance from the Texan border and little oversight by what remained of the Rio Grande government. For the next six years Montoya would train a small army of peasants within the Durango countryside thanks in large part due to an extensive amount of covert support by Mexico via British supplies. Rallying the peasants with propaganda of the glorious presidente that was Juarez and spreading hate against both Satillo and the Gringo's, the Order's membership grew immensely to the point where they became the largest filibuster cartel in the entire nation; controlling swarths of land from the deserts of Chihuahua to the seaside of Tamaulipas. In many ways the Order of Mexican Patriots was the government and Montoya the informal ruler of the Rio Grande, controlling numerous townships and frequently engaging in turf wars with other cartels where they would prove victorious. The only reason that the Order was allowed to exist for as long as it did was due to the fact that the they were too large for French forces to handle and most Texans were unaware, Montoya never claiming separation from the Rio Grande to Mexico in order to maintain a false appearance that they were mere filibusters within the sovereignty of the Rio Grande.
Flag of the Order of Mexican Patriots. A modified version of the Rio Grande flag with the Mexican Eagle taking place of the stars.
With the conditions being ripe for a fullscale war in 1861, it was now or never for Mexico to regain its territory. In a secretly coded letter to Montoya, Juarez ordered his friend to initiate a national revolt within the Rio Grande for Pan-Mexican unification, giving Juarez the opening to move in under the guise of supporting the people. Montoya spread word among his various lieutenants across the states to begin a revolution on April 4th, the 24th anniversary of the dreaded Treaty of Guadelupe-Hidalgo. On April 4th the Order mobilized all across the nation, marching in battalions of hundreds and carrying Mexican flags while singing "Mexicans, at the call of war", an anthem created by Juarez in 1854. The progress was swift as the entirety of both Chihuahua and Durango were declared to be subdued by the end of May. Nuevo Leon was in the middle of collapsing while Tamaulipas and Coahuila were both struggling to survive, solely due to the influence of the French forces and the government for the former and latter respectively. Both Austin and Merida looked on in worry but were unsure of what to do as they did not want to risk getting caught in a quagmire, nor were they certain of Mexican involvement. Another worrying sign that both governments would not be aware of for weeks was the ongoing situation in Paris, where an impatient Emperor Napoleon III was getting tired of wasting French lives and money in the Rio Grande with little to no compensation. These revolts being the last straw, Napoleon would order for a grand withdraw of French forces in the nation on May 5th. Napoleon not being worried about any potential Mexican aggression. Yet what he did not realize was that on the same day, was when Mexico began its invasions.
On May 5th 1861, Mexico declared war against the Republics of the Rio Grande, Texas, and the Yucatan. Juarez sighted in his address to the Mexican congress that all three nations were abusing the Mexican people and that their territory had been stolen from Mexico on illegal grounds. Juarez's declaration received a unanimous approval from the Mexican Senate, though Mexico's generals had already begun to march. The Mexican plan of battle would consist first of a primary invasion of the Rio Grande with three divisions of 30,000 men from the Mexican forces along with an additional 45,000 volunteers from the various state millitias and Mexican citizens who wanted to join the reunification of their nation. The Mexican forces would be split into five groups of 15,000 men who would then march into all five states of the Rio Grande simultaneously in order to conquer the Rio Grande by force. The states of Chihuahua and Durango were naturally the first to fall thanks to their occupation by the order with only less than 100 casualties in both theaters. A similar process took place in Nuevo Leon with the Mexican Army marching through and destroying any filibusters and bandits who would dare step in their way. Due to the more chaotic nature of the state, Mexican forces took 395 killed and 478 wounded during the march. The casualties were worth the gains though as 80% of the state was under Mexican control by the end of June. With Nuevo Leon under occupation, elements of the 2nd Army would split off to support their comrades in both Coahuila and Tamulipas.
In Tamaulipas, the Mexican Army were able to march all the way to the port of Tampico on June 2nd where they met the remaining French garrison, who were only a day from being relieved by the French Navy. Wanting revenge against the French who had torn up his country, General Ignacio Zaragoza ordered a fullscale assault on the port until "every last frog is dead." For 24 hours the French garrison held on valiantly as they fought for their lives with every single ounce of ammunition being used against the waves of Mexican troops. Relief came early the next morning as a French flotilla managed to sneak its way into the harbor and bombard the Mexican forces to provide an escape for the Frenchmen who desperately swam out to the transport ships in small fishing boats. The battle was bloody with the French having suffered 676 killed and 355 wounded, while the Mexicans suffered 773 killed and 689 wounded. But with the deaths of hundreds of Mexicans came the sweet taste of victory as the French Empire was driven out of the Rio Grande, Mexico having been victorious against a European power for the first time in forty years. In the Coahuila campaign the most decisive battle would be the Battle of Satillo on May 20th where the Rio Grande loyalists would wage a brave last stand against the might of the Mexican horde. Though the men fought bravely, they were not match for the Mexican regulars along with the Republican Guard, the situation only being made worse with a majority of the cities populace rising up against the "legitimate" government. The battle ended on May 21st with a Mexican victory with Mexican forces taking 505 killed, and 621 wounded. Meanwhile the Satillo loyalists while casualties not being fully documented, were estimated to take near 1600 casualties. On May 22nd the Rio Grande government and along with the remaining Army officers who had not deserted were lined up in the capitol courtyard where crowds of thousands cheered on as they were marched to their deaths. President Guillermo Cardenas (a distance cousin of Jesus Cardenas who took over the previous year) along with 37 others were brought before a company of the Republican guards and were summarily shot to death while the city cheered in jubilation. The Republic of the Rio Grande was dead.
Battle of Tampico (Left). Mexican troops storming into Satillo (Central). Execution of President Cardenas (Right)
When word spread of the Mexican invasion of the Rio Grande to both Texas and Yucatan, the populace first became smothered with feelings of shock, and then those of outrage and hatred. It seemed that Juarez was truly a man of his word and that he would make it his mission to see the end of the two Republics once and for all. The quick capitulation of the Rio Grande only made these fears worse as many felt that either Texas or the Yucatan would be next pickings and that Mexico would begin a bloody path of destruction. Rumors spread all throughout the countries of "Mexican huns" going on a mindless spree of carnage and violence, raping women and destroying property wherever they went. While historical analysis of events have proved these rumors to be entirely false except for a few isolated incidents, it was not enough to the Texans and Yucatani as they became enraged of the injustice that had been brought against their sister republic by Mexico. Acting quickly in order to put a stop to Mexican aggression and hopefully end the war swiftly like the last two conflicts, Presidents Seguin and Peraza would call on both the Congresses of Texas and the Yucatan respectively to declare war against Mexico to end the threat of their southern neighbor once and for all. Merida declared war on May 18th while Austin declared war on May 24th. Both nations mobilized their armed forces along with the French garrisons to send their troops to the border, while thousands of men appeared in recruiting stations to volunteer for the fight against Mexico. The Texan Army made their way to secure the Rio Grande river while Yucatani troops prepared along the borders of Oaxaca and Veracruz. So began the Mexican War.
Texan troops journeying to the Rio Grande (Left) Yucatan troops on display in Merida (Right)