Revolución de Marzo

INFODUMP FOR ORDIC REVIEW

Catamarca founded, 1384; Spanishlandic possession until (1870s?) Fought with Khorn in EWII; war with Averillas Unionised workers (FOC) and anti-monarchists coordinated with members of the Partido Socialista Altiplanero and RNCP to dissolve the government and exile the nobility from the country. Third province to join. Unions are banned and there are very little guaranteed rights; conditions for many workers remain at How the Other Half Lives tenement-hall levels until the mid-fifties; when this changes wages are still abysmal and the nobility is simultaneously corrupt and miserly. 1963; Federación Obrera de Catamarca is founded as a shipbuilders' union despite being illegal, tries to negotiate with the King (Rodrigo II), and is forcibly disbanded and the leaders are imprisoned. Another attempt made in 1966 after their release. Large strikes in support of negotiations. Rodrigo II agrees to legalise unions in 1970 and gradually correct wage imbalance to help conditions. King dies suddenly in '69; young son's regent repeals reforms and crushes protests with martial law. Warrants put out to arrest leaders and FOC goes underground, radicalises, continues to expand beyond industrial workers in the cities to farmers and textile workers. Re-organised as a communist union by 1974-5, gets support from Partido Socialista Altiplanero, and begins planning organised strikes to shut down industry and demand more significant reforms. Because the new king is still only 15 in 1977, the most powerful nobles remain in charge. As soon as things go haywire in September in Averillas, the army is mobilised to assist. Problem is that Catamarca's strength is its navy but that is of little assistance given that the insurgency is in the mountains and is entirely internal; troops are ill-trained and cannot make headway against experienced fighters of the ELN and an amphibious assault is deemed too costly. Public sentiment against the war and additional taxes levelled within two months; December sees strikes in major cities and the emergence of the FOC as an organising force, now decidedly socialist. By February, the ELN has begun to occupy the northern departments of Catamarca and approaching Puerto Real. March 14, a small group of avowed anti-monarchists unaffiliated with FOC storm palace and hold the regent hostage and demand negotiation; the FOC actually works with the nobility to resolve the hostage situation. By this point the southern half of the country has been unofficially annexed by Altiplano, and the nobility seeks to come to an agreement by which they're allowed to retain assets and go to Isla Palomas or New Spanishland; move to a provisional government. This votes to join la Confederación on 28 March 1977.

Averillas founded, 1481; Spanishlandic possession through Eutanasio Rodriguez and defeat by Catamarca; independent 1938. 1976; public unrest led to the interruption of Fabián II's coronation and, in conjunction with the actions of revolutionaries across the region, led to the dissolution of the government during the March Revolution The state was the second to join the Confederation, having been primed for revolution by years of unpopular taxation and policies and an ongoing battle against guerrilla groups in the mountains of the south. Extremely stratified society, heavy dependence on agriculture but farmers are taxed horribly in much of the country. Morrión Crisis occurs in 1947 when a town rebels against taxes, is massacred by the army. Mountainous regions become less stable and you get the Ejército de Liberación Nacional, a guerrilla resistance, by 1949. They're initially just anti-monarchist, but are influenced again by the PSA and general Marxist ideology; actually end up being the most violently revolutionary and RNCP-like of all contributing groups. Outside of the armed-resistance thing, conditions aren't that great and there's a significant recession in the early sixties because agricultural prices fall; this happens at the same time as the rising middle class demands voting rights and some representation. Strikes, civil disobedience (but only in the cities), and the government responds by jailing people and making threats. Since these folks remembered Morrión, they go underground and also move further left in time as a reaction to the increasingly right-wing monarchy. (Note: Averillas is the most right-wing because they were nearly fascist right before EWII; when the country becomes independent the most right-wing of the powerful nobles is the one who becomes king.) King dies in 1976 and this is sort of the "go button" for the ELN in the mountains and the unionists and anti-monarchists in the cities. Large-scale repeat of Morrión; much of the south rebels outright and there are protests and strikes in the city; Altiplano provides funding to procure some weaponry and the ELN ends up storming the capital, though the nobles fled to Santander beforehand so the revolution is more or less bloodless. Army is primarily conscripts and capitulates since the command structure (nobility) fled to the non-contiguous department. Averillas has more or less finished its revolution by mid-December of 1976 but is fighting a war against Catamarca; joins la Confederación in March 1977 when things start looking up; the army is disbanded but many work with the ELN to help fight against the monarchy in Catamarca.

Altiplano, virtually a commune-based society by the early 19th century; lack of industrialisation due to lack of population and capital. By mid-1800s, largest farmers plus wealthiest of people involved in limited extraction of natural resources decide to embark on rapid industrialisation. This leads to a civil constitution signed by the communes that places the country under a body not dissimilar from the Supreme Soviet. Think communist Switzerland here; this occurs in 1864. More formal constitution and government structure signed into effect in 1879 and the industrialisation process really takes off since Altiplano has the resources that the coastal states lack. Small population and highly communal mindset engender socialist government, not revolutionary Marxist but merely based on sharing of resources, labour, and profits. Come 1905 and that socialist faction is formally the Partido Socialista Altiplanero and controls the government still, as it will through the Endwars until '77. As it grows and organises, works to establish ties with industrial workers in Catamarca and farmers in Averillas.

Will finish bits on Roblemar and Puerto Sierra in a bit.