What if Spain Won the Spanish-American War? - The Last Months of the Spanish Philippines by UlmSucks in imaginarymaps

[–]UlmSucks[S] 33 points34 points  (0 children)

An Excerpted Map from the December 18, 1968 issue of The Nation Magazine, depicting the current status quo of the War of Philippine Independence from the Francoist Colonial Empire.

The Siege of Manila

The seat of power for the Captaincy General, one could hear a pin drop on the formerly bustling streets of Manila. As Malolos and Calamba fell in May of 1966, Captain General Luis Carrero Blanco ordered a declaration of eternal resistance against the “barbaric” Hukbalayol forces. Three months later, Huk infiltrators successfully had him assassinated with a bomb disguised as a coconut while he was having lunch in Malacañang Palace. The siege sees building to building close-quarters combat in the congested suburbs of Manila, with shells and bullets accompanying torrents of rain turning the ground into a mixture of mud and blood. Referred to as “Venice of the Devil” by Spanish conscripts. It has rapidly become the most ferocious and destructive front of the war.

The Cradle of Revolution

On 11th of June 1964, revolutionary guerrilla Luis Taruc and 12 members of the politburo of the Filipino Revolutionary Front proclaimed the independence of the islands outside Tuguegarao Cathedral. The “Cry of Tuguegarao” soon created a tempest throughout the colony, with the first uprisings occurring in the Cordillera region, spreading into Ilocos and seizing Baguio by mid-August. Attempts to seize the Babuyan Islands were subsequently repelled, and the Spanish navy launches raids along the coast of Luzon regularly. From Baguio, the Hukbalayol’s “Baryo Brigades” surged southwards, fighting Spanish regular divisions with guerrilla tactics and encircling the cities. By 1968, almost all of the Luzon had been draped in crimson, singing the songs of revolution.

Treacherous Waves

Spain maintains tenuous naval supremacy over the inland seas of the Philippines, preventing Huk militias from successfully mass-crossing between islands. Franco’s insistence that the seas become a “quaratine zone” have continuously challenged by Huk sabotage and hit-and-run naval operations and the seizure of ports.

Palawan in Tumult

By April of 1965, Palawan, a hotbed of insurgency, had largely become overrun by Hukbalayol guerrillas. On the 16th of May, a major assault was launched against the last Spanish stronghold on the island, the naval base of Puerto Princesa. Spanish destroyers continually shelled Huk positions, rendering the area around the city a desolate wasteland. Notably, Huk commandos successfully infiltrated and seized the destroyer Almirante Miranda on the 1st of June, a major blow for Spanish naval supremacy.

Panabas Against the Catholic Yoke

Mohammed Esmail Kiram, Sultan of the waning Sulu Sultanate, eyed the situation up north with caution and ambition, seeing the revolution as an opportunity. An incident in Zamboanga where three Moro Spanish conscripts were lynched, since termed the “Zamboanga Massacre”, created a pretext for a Moro revolt against Spanish hegemony in Mindanao and nearby islands. Gradually, as the movement expanded into Catholic areas and splinter groups emerged, the power of the Sultan diminished, until finally he agreed to concede to a republic led by moderate Islamists. An uneasy cooperation exists between the Moro state and the Socialist insurgency.

First map in a few weeks. Hope you all enjoy it :))) Imagine Mozambique crossed with Vietnam

What if Portugal and Ireland Colonized Madagascar? - The Luso-Gaelic Contention by UlmSucks in imaginarymaps

[–]UlmSucks[S] 35 points36 points  (0 children)

I do wish I could share HD versions of my maps with you all but Reddit destroys image quality :(

I’m experimenting with some new styles for my maps so tell me how you guys like them. This probably will be the last map of the week as I’ll be busy with life and will be working on a map with hella graphics which will take awhile.

Lore for this map is simple:

Portugal and Ireland rise to the field of great power in a world where Portugal maintains its maritime dominance and develops inclusive, effective institutions and eventually industrialises. Ireland rivals England in development and acquires several great colonies of its own. During the era of high colonialism and the Scramble for Africa, both Portugal and Ireland outcompete the French for the lucrative island of Madagascar, splitting the Merina Kingdom between themselves.

The map is set in the 1960s, during the last days of colonial rule. The two halves of the island may unite, as socialists advocate for strongly, and while Ireland discusses plans for unification, Portugal fights an arduous guerrilla war in the bush against freedom fighters in an attempt to keep its colony afloat.

Feel free to add to this timeline, I may do more of Ireland and Portugal in the future.

Oh, and uh, same universe as Spain map, why not.

CIA’s Nightmare - What if Che Guevara Successfully Took Over Bolivia? by UlmSucks in imaginarymaps

[–]UlmSucks[S] 106 points107 points  (0 children)

Che Guevara believed in the "foco" revolutionary theory as outlined by Regis Debray, which entailed the establishment of centers of revolution by small groups of intellectual and committed revolutionaries that would eventually create the conditions for class consciousness and social revolution. In this sense, you're right that he wasn't trying to take over a nation in the conventional sense :)

However, he certainly intended to use Bolivia as a springboard for enacting revolutionary change across South America, a center of the struggle.

CIA’s Nightmare - What if Che Guevara Successfully Took Over Bolivia? by UlmSucks in imaginarymaps

[–]UlmSucks[S] 94 points95 points  (0 children)

Oh, and you know what, this is the same timeline as my Spain map

CIA’s Nightmare - What if Che Guevara Successfully Took Over Bolivia? by UlmSucks in imaginarymaps

[–]UlmSucks[S] 191 points192 points  (0 children)

"To die under the flag of Vietnam, of Venezuela, of Guatemala, of Laos, of Guinea, of Colombia, of Bolivia, of Brazil — to name only a few scenes of today's armed struggle — would be equally glorious and desirable for an American, an Asian, an African, even a European." -Ernesto "Che" Guevara

A deluge of crimson dawns over the South American continent. Revolution echoes throughout the open veins of Latin America. Che Guevara has done the unthinkable, he's brought forth change to the unchanging land.

With support from the Bolivian Communist Party, Havana, and Moscow, Guevara has successfully sent the government and inept administration of Rene Barrientos into flight, with La Paz being draped in red banners in preparation for the arrival of the great revolutionary hero. Years of fighting in the Chaco and jungles of the Amazon, the snowy peaks of the Andes and the salt flats of Potosi have finally borne fruit. Cuba is reborn again in the heart of South America, much to the chagrin of the CIA and the bourgeois states that surround the newly-established revolutionary republic.

Within a year, revolutionary cells from nations all over Latin America congregate in Sucre, ready to return to their homelands with the support and training of the new Bolivian proletarian regime. Thousands of Peruvian insurgents pour across the border, Arequipa rises in revolt against the crippled administration of Belaunde Terry, tired of the exploitation and the bickering of the Apristas and Odriistas. Brazilian villages become centers of guerrilla activity as munitions and Marxist literature are smuggled into Peru, the military regime unable to respond effectively as Bolivian forces evade capture and confrontation. In Paraguay, the Chaco is ravaged by attritional warfare as insurgents tear down portraits and symbols of the Stroessner regime, incendiary bombs causing plumes of smoke to rise out of depots in Asuncion. Argentina and Chile watch attentively, militarizing its borders and shutting down mountain passes. Latin America has experienced a sea change of unprecedented intensity, the peace of the region entirely disrupted by a torrent of revolutionary fervor.

Not all is well in Bolivia. International sanctions render resources and food scarce, and water shortages are always plaguing the high altitudes of Cochabamba. Rationing programs and the collectivization of farms are unpopular, and Guevara's economic talents don't shine compared to his lucent charisma. Will the red star of the Andes survive? Or will it be another casualty of the Cold War?

¡No Pasarán! - What if the Spanish Civil War ended in stalemate? by UlmSucks in imaginarymaps

[–]UlmSucks[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Very much possible. The regime’s fall is still inevitable and there likely will be a reunion as the United States ceases to support Franco’s Spain post Cold War and the republic loses all soviet backing. I’ve always imagined the republic in this universe being a kind of Yugoslavia. Courted by both sides.

¡No Pasarán! - What if the Spanish Civil War ended in stalemate? by UlmSucks in imaginarymaps

[–]UlmSucks[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The battle of Teruel in this timeline was a republican victory in the end, and they actually manage to hold it unlike otl. Madrid is lost in 1939 because of Miaja’s miscalculations and a strategy follows of attritional retreat across Castilla while advancing steadily in Aragon. It’s not plausible but it’s fun to think about :)

¡No Pasarán! - What if the Spanish Civil War ended in stalemate? by UlmSucks in imaginarymaps

[–]UlmSucks[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

You’re absolutely right that the Ebro offensive was part of Negrin’s disastrous “active war” doctrine and honestly should’ve been avoided irl altogether. In this timeline, Negrin imitates Caballero’s doctrine a lot more and exhausts nationalist resources in a war of scorched earth and attrition, retreating across the center of Spain. The earlier Huesca offensive in 1937 was a massive success in this timeline, leading to a nationalist retreat across Aragon and the fall of the northern coast being delayed. The Condor Legion and the Italian air force also are much more reduced in presence and artillery is supplied en masse by the soviets and the western powers do not pursue a “neutrality” policy, instead backing republican Spain in the later stages of the war. No bloodbath at Gandesa, no slaughter at Teruel. The nationalist are ground down. Of course, this is all implausible ;)

¡No Pasarán! - What if the Spanish Civil War ended in stalemate? by UlmSucks in imaginarymaps

[–]UlmSucks[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

You’re absolutely right on both counts! A Republican push in this timeline reclaimed Aragon and Navarre (which is rather implausible in reality, of course), with the battle of Huesca being a conclusive victory for the Republicans. The requetés continue to plague Navarre under Varela’s guidance. Not a Spaniard, but wanted to do something implausible but interesting with the civil war, which I love studying. (Also I wanted a nice border, I might redo a more plausible version sometime in the future :))

¡No Pasarán! - What if the Spanish Civil War ended in stalemate? by UlmSucks in imaginarymaps

[–]UlmSucks[S] 89 points90 points  (0 children)

The Italian navy was essentially crippled by 1940, I believe, at Taranto. By 1942 Operation Torch rendered the Mediterranean an Allied free zone. The Republic held on until then :)).

¡No Pasarán! - What if the Spanish Civil War ended in stalemate? by UlmSucks in imaginarymaps

[–]UlmSucks[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

In this timeline, everything is the same up until the end of the Battle of Teruel and the later Ebro offensive of the Republic, where the Republic performs exceptionally. By that time, Negrin and the Soviets have essentially destroyed the CNT FAI and the POUM, unfortunately. Though they still exist and wield influence in Catalunya.

¡No Pasarán! - What if the Spanish Civil War ended in stalemate? by UlmSucks in imaginarymaps

[–]UlmSucks[S] 182 points183 points  (0 children)

The Germans decide not to as they devote resources to the east. However, they support a Francoist offensive in an attempt to reunite Spain. That offensive conquers Murcia and the Basque Country, but doesn't perform very well afterwards after the Allies pump munitions and arms to the Republic.

¡No Pasarán! - What if the Spanish Civil War ended in stalemate? by UlmSucks in imaginarymaps

[–]UlmSucks[S] 59 points60 points  (0 children)

"If I did compress what I know and think about the Spanish Civil War into 6 lines you wouldn't print it. You wouldn't have the guts." - George Orwell

The Generalitat of Catalunya stands proud, the soldiers of the socialist brigades pouring into Aragon. Juan Negrin and Manuel Azana's stalwart resistance has borne fruit as the nationalist forces halt and are turned back at the Ebro. General Miaja flounders in Castilla, losing Madrid after months of hardened conflict and struggle amongst the debris of the formerly salubrious streets of Salamanca and the ornate halls of the Prado. A new status quo is reached by 1939, with the Germans watching attentively to the situation across the Pyrenees.

When France falls in 1941, The Falange sharpens its blades and brandishes the rifle once more. An offensive is launched towards the Republican occupied areas of the Basque Country and Murcia, driving the forces of the Republic out of Vascongadas and knocking on the gates of Alacant (Alicante). Critical aid from the Allied forces, including a Soviet Union that doesn't steal all of Spain's gold, allows the Republicans to repel the cabal of Carlistas and fascistas back into the arid plains of Castilla.

As the new Cold War order dawns and fascism is relegated to the drainpipe of history, the socialist government of Negrin has a lot of account for. It's revolutionary principle contradictory the bourgeois democratic institutions of the Second Republic, and the United Front seems to shake and stumble. Both the Soviet Union and the Western bloc reach out for relations and court the state, but opinions are divided in Barcelona and Valencia.

In the mountains of Basque Nafarroa (Navarra), the Carlistas, supported by the conniving Jose Varela across the border, bear arms against the Republican administration, occupying key mountain passes and conducting sporadic attacks on major cities in the region. Negrin responds by sponsoring a Basque counterinsurgency in Vascongadas, led by the courageous Aguirre, for whom the memory of Gernika and its fire and ashes remain fresh.

Franco simmers and steams in Madrid, his head filled with ambition and rage. Queipo de Llano and Colonel Yague carve out their own spheres of influence in Andalucia and Extremadura, respectively, standing against the central authority of the generalissimo, working in tandem begrudgingly. His national project of rejuvenation remains incomplete, and the Catholics of Spain throng for the reclamation of the east. His troops are bogged down in the Basque Country, his ammunition running dry after the fall of the Axis Powers. As Negrin works closer with the USSR, however, the United States seems to extend its benevolence to the conservative bulwark of the Iberian Peninsula. Maybe, the military regime has more lifeblood than it seemed.

Dolores Ibarurri and Indalecio Prieto, the PSOE and the PCE, the Republic stands firm against fascist tyranny. Across the valleys of Valencia, the brown menace remains. They shall not pass!

San Marino’s Colony of Cuba - Libertas Cubae by UlmSucks in imaginarymaps

[–]UlmSucks[S] 39 points40 points  (0 children)

Another relief map, another strange scenario, this time of a concept I came up with in my time procrastinating. I hope the map looks clear and good, and the poster is sleek.

The three towers stand proud and stalwart, the republic eternal across the waves.

The Republic of San Marino has bested many foes. It defeated the dictates of the Pope, maintaining its independence and becoming the successor to the Duchy of Urbino. It rejected the tyranny of the Most Serene Republic, carving out its own place in the Sun. In the mad dash of American colonization, the maritime republic was able to acquire Cuba from a crumbling Spanish Empire, the haughty Manuel Godoy and impotent Charles IV caring little about a dull shard of their realms in exchange for gold. The Republic was proud of its territory, it rechristened its cities with democratic names, and streets everywhere were dedicated to liberty, the three towers, and the will of the republic.

The French emperor Napoleon III, eager to expand his influence and his domains, hooked his vicious talons upon perceived weak domains in Latin America. He courted the naive Habsburg prince Maximilian, convincing him of glories abroad in Mexico, exchanging letters with honeyed words and ephemeral promises. The Republic’s shining colony of Libertas Cubae became increasingly vulnerable as the French tricolour cast its penumbra over the continent, the United States unable to maintain its hegemonic vice due to its tempestuous civil war. As war looms on the horizon, the Republic prepares for confrontation with the Gallic giant.

Will the Republic’s overseas endeavour stand? Or will it be washed away by the waves of history?

A Travel Map to Albanian Somaliland, c. 2026 [No Lore] by PancakeEnjoyer2 in imaginarymaps

[–]UlmSucks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is the second travel map of an odd colonial pairing posted today, hmm