Brazilian African Colonies

[Gary Oswald]

When Brazil declared independence from Portugal in 1822, there was some demand from Angola to go with Brazil rather than stay with Portugal.

Brazil had after all, rather than Portugal, been the capital of the Portuguese Empire from 1808 to 1820 and had always had close trading (slaves) and military links to Angola (it had been Brazilian not Portuguese troops who'd reconquered it from the Dutch way back in the 17th century).

But the peace treaty with Portugal, signed in 1825, explicitly forbid Brazilian takeover of Portuguese African colonies, thanks partly from pressure from the UK who were worried about a colony being transferred from an old ally to an unknown and potentially more powerful South Atlantic empire.

A little after that in the 1830s, the Kingdom of Dahomey under Ghezo, who employed a brazilian slave trader as basically his minister of trade, sounded out the Brazilian government on a proposal to man the abandoned Portuguese port in Whydah and establish some kind of lose alliance/protectorate relationship to protect them from the British or the French.

Brazil turned him down, obviously. During the 1820-30s there doesn't really seem to have been any major ambitions among the Brazilians to expand into Africa.

But in terms of AH, what do you need to change in Brazil for one of those two plans to go ahead and what does Western Africa look like in this scenario?

 

[Alex Richards]

Perhaps a Britain that feels more need to butter up the new Brazil might allow Angola, leading to more interest in colonies and hence something like the Dahomey venture being accepted?

Not sure how to achieve that though.

 

[Gary Oswald]

Perhaps a Britain that feels more need to butter up the new Brazil might allow Angola, leading to more interest in colonies and hence something like the Dahomey venture being accepted?

Not sure how to achieve that though.

The easiest way is probably to change the way the 1820 liberal rebellion goes so that the new Portuguese government does something to piss off the UK and make them throw their support behind the Brazilians.

But then you're dangerously close to this Brazil just being the entire Portuguese empire in exile, which is a lot easier to do with a napoleon victory and I think less interesting generally.

 

[RyanF]

The easiest way is probably to change the way the 1820 liberal rebellion goes so that the new Portuguese government does something to piss off the UK and make them throw their support behind the Brazilians.

But then you're dangerously close to this Brazil just being the entire Portuguese empire in exile, which is a lot easier to do with a napoleon victory and I think less interesting generally.

The Liberal Revolution happens as OTL but everyone's favourite Portuguese King dies shortly after the time Brazil declares its independence, the Liberal Wars start earlier and take on a more global aspect, ending with Miguel in charge of Portugal and Pedro reigning over Brazil and the African colonies.

 

[Alex Richards]

The easiest way is probably to change the way the 1820 liberal rebellion goes so that the new Portuguese government does something to piss off the UK and make them throw their support behind the Brazilians.

But then you're dangerously close to this Brazil just being the entire Portuguese empire in exile, which is a lot easier to do with a napoleon victory and I think less interesting generally.

Things get messy, the Brazilians secure Angola, loyalists hold out in Cabo Verde and Bissau, Goa and Lorenco Marques get occupied by Britain and the Dutch nab Timor?

 

[Gary Oswald]

The Liberal Revolution happens as OTL but everyone's favourite Portuguese King dies shortly after the time Brazil declares its independence, the Liberal Wars start earlier and take on a more global aspect, ending with Miguel in charge of Portugal and Pedro reigning over Brazil and the African colonies.

That would work.

I'm unsure about all the African colonies going with Brazil mind.

Certainly my instinct on Mozambique is it's much more likely, in terms of trade and military relations, that it'd follow the lead of Goa rather than either Brazil or Angola (a lot of important men in mozambique were Goan). And Goa wouldn't have Bernado Peres da Silva in charge until after this pod so would likely declare for the miguelites given how he seems to have been the main liberal voice in Goa.

I guess the logic is if all the atlantic coast goes liberal than the indian ocean colonies are very exposed if they remain with Portugal instead. And if, as in otl UK supports the liberals, than Miguel probably doesn't have the navy to keep them.

But I suppose if we are talking about a global civil war than which colony goes where becomes as much about who happens to be in the area at the time, what loyalties they have and what forces they can gather and are facing than anything else.

I quite like the idea of two lusophonic empires, one based around the south atlantic and the other in the med and the indian ocean. I think that's generally more interesting than if Brazil is just portugal - portugal.

It means that Angola and any other territories will be run by a nation with different priorities than otl.

One particular wrinkle is that in 1826, in otl, Brazil agreed not to import any more slaves. Now that wouldn't actually apply to slaves moving from one province of Brazil to another.

 

[RyanF]

Good point on the Indian Ocean side of the empire, a knock on from that might be Portugal wanting to be a player in the construction and running of any Suez Canal.

Brazil moving slaves from Angola to South America will lead to some major international crisis very quickly.

 

[Gary Oswald]

I suppose the big question is whether a Brazil with African territories would be less or more able in managing the rebellions and wars with Argentina that plagued it during this time period.

It would have more resources but also more distractions.

Finding men to fight in Angola when you're barely holding Brazil together is a problem. Especially true if you're faced with revanchism from non liberal Portugal.

 

[Alex Richards]

I suppose the big question is whether a Brazil with African territories would be less or more able in managing the rebellions and wars with Argentina that plagued it during this time period.

It would have more resources but also more distractions.

Finding men to fight in Angola when you're barely holding Brazil together is a problem. Especially true if you're faced with revanchism from non liberal Portugal.

Flying to Close to the Sun: The Fall of the Brazilian Empire.

It's a good point really. You'd probably have to work out the various power-bases of the political factions to work out who would be stronger than historically.