Whither Spain:The Fall and Rise of the House of La Frontera

[lord of the mark]

Betrayals

Autumn 1656.

The encampent of the Armada D'Italia, Piedmont, France

Present: Colonel Rodriguez, Captain Javier Lopez.

Rod: I have something I need to discuss with you Captain - a message I received from Madrid. Its good AND bad. But as you have been my aide and friend these last two years, I wish to share it with you.

Jlo: What is it Senor? have they diverted the new siege artillery elswhere?? I understand it is the armies in southwest France that have been more successful - But we have managed to take Emilia, we have repelled repeated invasions of Lombardy, and we are finally pushing back.


Rod: Its more dramatic then that. The forces in the Southwest of France took a big province.

Jlo: Good!!!

Rod: Not so good.

Jlo: why not?

Rod: as soon as news reached the various capitals, the Papal States, who led us into this war, started negotiations with the French. They signed an agreement very quickly.

Jlo: what do we get?

Rod: we get nothing. Nada. oh, a few ducats, out of the indemnity. But France receives ALL its territory back, even Jamaica

Jlo: Bastards!! Not the French, the friggim Cardinals, the lousy.... We should have made our own deal with the French!

Rod: we could have, but Madrid didnt want to alienate our allies.

Jlo: you mean the Don de la Frontera didnt want to!!

Rod: he has always place great value on this alliance he built, on this "holy league"

Jlo:spain needs a govt that puts SPAIN first! Why does the king allow it?

Rod: the king, Phillip IV is dying, and has always been like putty in the DDLFs hands. The new king, Charles II is, how shall we say it, mentally challenged. Whoever establishes himself as the royal favorite will exercise great power. I can say no more of that, but I need to know if you will be with me whatever happens?

Jlo: senor, i have been with you through mud, and death, and horror - i will trust your judgement in politics. But Senor, is there peace with Verona?

Rod: No, that has yet to be completed. Spanish armies will join in the finishing touches of that - but it will not add to the power of Spain - Papal armies hold, and the Pope claims, the Marches, the only territory Verona has left. Fortunately, my friend, we are not going there, but have been recalled to Spain, to guard the French border. Prepare the army to march across France, under flag of truce, to Rossello.


Conspiracies

The final destruction of Verona, by which the last province of that unhappy princedom was annexed to the Papal States, only enraged Spanish opinion further. The Army in particular respected the French foes, but was bitter about the Papal States, and mildly resentful of the Austrians. Across Spain there was outcry about the waste of life and treasure, apparently to no good end.

It should not be thought that there was any sense that Spain should depart the Catholic Church. All bitterness was directed against the Papacy as a secular power in Italy - which power it was widely thought should be cut down to size - Spain was still loyal to the Pope as a RELIGIOUS authority. Perhaps in part it was this, which limited the expression of hatred for the Papacy, that caused the anger to be focused instead on the Spanish government, and in particular on the Don de la Frontera, the kings principle advisor of longstanding.

It was in these circumstance that the Count of Castrillo (1) arranged a series of meetings with several magnates, high officials, and army leaders, including Colonel Rodriguez. While many of the "Colonels" were said to be mainly angry at the DDLFs policy of denying promotion to general, Rodriguez was seen as completely patriotic in his motives, and so it was Rod. who was assigned to lead his army to the gates of Madrid. At the same time Castrillo and the others would approach the king to dismiss the DDLF.


A Realistic Attitude

Early winter 1657 Escorial Palace Madrid.

Present: Castrillo, Rodriquez, the other leading conspirators, and the DDLF.

DDLF: I have made it clear that I will NOT press the issue - the king is old, I wish to spare him the agony. I will resign, and ease your path, but you must make certain minimal concessions.

Cast: Very good, that is wise of you, Senor. We will of course spare your life, and even promise a full royal pardon in advance for any crimes. There will be no prosecutions.

DDLF: Thats not enough. I will give up all my official positons, but I will retain my family title of Don de la Frontera, and i will retain all my estates in Andalusia.

Cast: Very well.

DDLF: And I ask that my son, who is an officer in the army in Peru, be allowed to continue his military career. He is a competent officer.

Cast:Hmmm

Rod: Yes, that will be fine - Count, I can vouch for the man myself. He will be no trouble.

Cast: I accept the new Constable's assurances then.
As for yourself, Don, you will be free to return your estates and live out your days - but i must set one condition.

DDLF: what?

Cast: You must never return to Madrid. In fact you must not enter the province of Castillia, on pain of death.

DDLF: I understand. I would do the same in your position. That will not be a difficulty.

Cast: Good, all is settled then. You have two weeks to make your arrangements, Senor.


Partings

The DDLF was quite busy in those last couple of weeks. In addition to assisting in the transition, and seeing to the removal of his personal effects, he had to deal with various people in office. Certain of DDLFS other relatives were granted assurance by the Countof their offices, based on their competence and good behavior. Other officials, not his relatives, had the benefit of some parting advice from the DDLF, and some added discussions whose import would only be seen in the fullness of time.

Finally, there was a farewell ball, attended by the diplomatic community, with which he had had such good relations.

The ambassador from the Vatican was off in a corner, drinking heavily, and looking weary.

The ambassador from Austria, a large, muscular man, approached the DDLF.

"I wish you well, mein herr. We are wary of the new regime, and will miss your wisdom."

To the Austrian, DDLF whispered "I'll be back!"





(1) Yes, the same Castrillo who overthrew Olivares in OTL. I dont know much about him, so any differences from his historic personality can be attributed to butterfly effects.

[lord of the mark]

Governing

The new regime under the Count of Castrillo and his associates made few changes to Spanish domestic policy. The DDLFs policies on administrative reform, economy, and colonization were continued more or less intact. The major change to domestic policy was to religion. There had been a wave of new attitudes toward religion sweeping Europe over the previous few decades. While modern ideas of religious equality were certainly not in vogue, there was a growing distaste for extremes of religious persecution. In Spain this took the form of a new dislike for intense violence against the heretical Christian groups, which was also associated with the resentment against the Papal States. Not that Spain was becoming generally tolerant - hatred of muslim and Jew, and a firm will to convert pagans, was still there. But the govt was in keeping with public opinion, when it relaxed some of the more severe restrictions on Lutherans, Calvinists, and other Christian groups.

There were some modifications to military affairs. While the DDLF had generally kept troops in being at the end of prior wars, the new govt authorized Constable Rodriguez to go further and expand the army in the wake of the recent war with France and Verona. The Council of State clearly had renewed conflict in mind.

And that was where the new regime hit a dilemma. While many hawks in the army were eager for a war with the Papal states, in revenge at the "stolen victory",
the Constable and the Council had to face strategic reality.

Spain held four provinces on the Italian mainland. Naples, Sienna, Lombardy, and Mantua. While Naple and Sienna were easily reached by sea, the provinces in northern Italy presented a different problem. Their only seacoast was the Mantuas coastline on the Adriatic. It lacked a good port, and the Adriatic meant a long and vulnerable seaborne line of communication. In efffect Spain relied on military access via Austria, and especially the Papal States to reach those two valuable and strategically important provinces. And in the event of a war with the Papal States, the friendship of Austria could not be assured.

all logic pointed to another war with france first, to take Emilia, and thus secure a supply line in northern Italy. Facing this reality, the Count of Castrillo began to prepare. Diplomatically a warning was sent to France against any interference with any other power. At the same time Field Marshall Don Juan Jose of Austria (the ban on promotions having been dropped) was sent to command in northern Italy.


The war with France

Historians are still trying to reconstruct the exact diplomatic background to the war, which is made complex both by the complexity of the arrangements, and the loss of many key documents during the troubles of later years. However as best can be reconstructed, France entered a war with Austria, perhaps related to Austrias war with France's ally, Venice. This then enabled the Count of Castillo to invoke the Spanish warning to France, and declare war, in the fall of 1663. The count decided to invite Spains allies to the war, as he was convinced that Don Juan Jose's military and political skills could ensure that Emilia ended up under Spanish control, even if Papal armies joined operations there. The count was interested in no other French territory in Europe, and so didnt care what else the allies did. In fact the Count wished to preserve France as a balancing factor. Now since Austria was already at war with France, it did not fall into Spains wartime alliance against France, which included only Spain, the Papal States, and Portugal. However Austria continued to maintain its diplomatic alliance with Spain.

The war went largely as the Constable expected. French attacks on Milan were ineffective, the siege of Emilia went fairly smoothly (this time, with no Veronese army to deal with, Naples and Sienna were in Spanish hands) and the Spanish army moved aggressively into first southwestern France, and later, after Emilia was taken, into Southeastern France. The war dragged on somewhat, as the French were insistent negotiators, but in early 1 665, France agreed to peace, ceding Emilia and Jamaica to Spain, as well as significant war indemnity. Spain THOUGHT that France had agreed to cede Jaffna, in Ceylon, to Portugal. But through a misunderstanding (some said incompetence) Jaffna was actually ceded to Spain. Meanwhile Austria remained at war with France, finally reaching peace and annexing Piedmont.


Reactions

Spanish opinion, especially in the army, found all this profoundly confusing. There were few who understood why it was FRANCE that was being attacked - that it done with the Papal army alongside outraged the militant anti-Papal faction that had been at the base of the new governments support. The snafu over Jaffna made the govt a laughingstock, and the Austrian annexation of Piedmont was deeply unpopular. Nonetheless the indemnity had enriched govt coffers, and the Count saw nothing to worry about.

Shortly after the war ended, King Felippe the fourth passed away. Charles the second, the feeble-minded, was declared king. While the king normally did not interfere with govt business, he had an obsession with the missions to the new world. As it became clear to the Council of the Americas that the king was insisting on giving control over missions to odd mystical types, who had little understanding of new world conditions, and were more likely to anger the natives than convert them, the council paniced over the vast sums being budgeted for conversion. It was decided to cut back missions to the minimum. It was said that several members of the Council of the Americas did this on the advice, received by letter, of an elder statesman from Andalusia, one they prefered not to name.

However this only landed Castrillo and his supporters in deeper hot water. Having alienated the anti-Papal faction in the military with his foreign policies, he now stirred up the ultramontane faction in the church, already seething over the initial chill with the Vatican, and the new tolerance of the heretics. It was said that the Count had cut back the missions because he didnt want the natives brought to the Church - some even said he wished to keep them in darkness until he could convert Spain to Protestant Heresy, and then he would convert them to that bundle of lies.

With bishops, generals, and even some magnates turning against him, there was no choice. The Count had to bring in someone who was strong and experienced. More importantly, it had to be some who was associated with the previous "Catholic" policies to assuage the church, but who was pragmatic enough to understand the current policies, especially the halt to mission activity.

A messenger was sent to the Don de la Frontera on his estates in Andalusia, and the ban on his presence in Madrid was revoked.

[Spiffor]

Excellent More!

[lord of the mark]

Summer 1668. Escorial Palace Madrid.

Present - the Count of Castrillo, chief advisor to the King, Head of the Council of State. The Don de la Frontera, member Council of State, Council of Finance.

Cast: So you advise we remain at peace?

DDLF: There is little choice Senor. For a range of reasons. But let me start with the most important

(The DDLF rises, opens the door, looks behind it and closes it, knocks on the walls checking for hollow spots.

DDLF: Very well. His majesty king, is, to put it bluntly insane (1). And all Europe knows this!

Cast: That was an odd exercise to protect a secret everyone knows (smiling)

DDLFont speak like a fool - Neither you nor I can say this, even if all know it. In any case, this complicates the usual uncertainties of European power politics. With a king who is not respected, with no royal children available for marriages, our diplomacy is handicapped. It will be that much more difficult to build the alliances we want, to isolate an adversary, and so forth. Under these conditions war is very dangerous.

And let us examine particular options.

Suppose we go to war with the Papal states, as you wish. Yes, its easier to do now that we hold Emilia. But first you will alienate the ultramontane faction at home, who are already a problem. Second you will have to face the real possibility of bring Austria into the war against you. Perhaps Venice as well. You could attempt, I suppose to reverse alliance, and join with France. That will not be easy after two bloody wars, and with the diplomatic handicaps we have discussed. Far too dangerous, I think.

Alternatively you could go to war against France again - though that too will aggravate your domestic problems. And while at one time you could have established a land link to Lombardy by taking enough southern French provinces, thats no longer possible, due to Austria holding the Piedmont.

If i HAD to go to war with a major European power now, I would probably pick England. Its a chance to war on a heretic power, without alienating the anti-Papal faction. Our navy is still no match for the English in quality, but it far outnumbers theirs. We could go for new world provinces, Manhattan, forex, and there new colonies in the Oregon region. OTOH, do we want new Protestant provinces, when our conversion possibilities are so limited?

No, my target for a next war would be the North American pagan nations - probably the Shawnee, or maybe the Iroquois. Though, again, Im not sure we want more pagan provinces when our missionaries are handicapped.

Theres enough else to do now. I note your govt has continued my policy of tight fiscal policy and reducing inflation - I would continue that. I would also continue advancing the administrative improvements - there are still some provinces that would benefit from the appointment of governors and associated officials. There are also places where we have existing colonies whose build up I would continue - Martinique where we have made good progress - then i would move on to Trinidan, Jamaica, perhaps even Panama. If funds remain we should consider extending the judicial system. Also I note that you have halted my old program of building forts on the Caribean islands - there are places that could benefit from those, especially if we are thinking of a war against England.

We might also consider some major improvements at home. We once had a thriving cultural centre in the capital, back in the days of Ferdinand and Isabella - it collapsed in the time of the bankrupticies - it might be useful to patronize one again, to heal some of the wounds of empire and bring the people together. Alternatively we might consider a weapons factory, to improve our army.