Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 438 The Paraguayan War Breaks Out

In Polis's guesthouse, Paraguayan Secretary of State Caminos was anxiously waiting. He was determined to secure an alliance with Iran this time, otherwise Paraguay would be no match for them.

In negotiations since May, Iran's stance has softened considerably. If they can be completely persuaded, Paraguay can feel more at ease facing the Trilateral Alliance.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kaminos, I'm late."

Governor Mustafa arrived, and Kaminos grasped his hand tightly.

"It doesn't matter. I'm here for the friendship between Paraguay and Iran. Argentina has been shrinking our living space. If we don't fight back, one day we will be occupied by Argentina."

Previous talks with Prince Abbas have established the right course of action: an alliance with Paraguay is the right thing to do for the situation in South America. But Paraguay must do something to ensure the value of the alliance.

"Argentina is attacking on all fronts, and its army must be stretched thin. If our two countries join forces, we can change the current situation."

Mustafa wholeheartedly agreed, saying that heresy is more detestable than paganism. Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, all Catholic nations, are irreconcilably at odds. Paraguay's rebellious nature has temporarily united Brazil and Argentina, and forming an alliance with their half-brother Iran is also a viable option, a situation reminiscent of France and Austria.

"Your country's courage is admirable, but I suggest you need even more courage."

Caminos knew this was a plea for loyalty, and immediately offered to order weapons worth 100 million rials from Paraguay, provided they agreed to follow suit after Paraguay declared war on Brazil and Argentina.

On September 9, Patagonia and Paraguay reached the Polis Agreement. The two sides formed an alliance, and if either Argentina or Brazil started a war, the other would immediately follow suit.

After ensuring his safety, López immediately began his operation. When Brazilian Minister José Antonio Salaiba led the Imperial Fleet to Uruguayan waters, demanding compensation for losses caused by a border conflict with Uruguayan farmers, Uruguayan President Atanasio Aguirre of the White Party rejected Brazil's demands, presented his own, and requested assistance from Paraguay.

Brazil issued an ultimatum to the Uruguayan government: either comply with Brazil's demands or face retaliation from the Brazilian military. The Paraguayan government learned of this and sent a threatening telegram to Brazil.

The Brazilian government may have viewed Paraguay's threat as merely diplomatic, responding that "they will never relinquish their obligation to protect the lives and interests of the Brazilian people." However, two days later, the Paraguayan government insisted in its reply that "if Brazil takes the measures protested in the previous note, Paraguay will find itself in a painful situation where its protests are effective."

On October 12, disregarding Paraguay's note and ultimatum, Brazilian troops under the command of General João Propiço Mena Barreto invaded Uruguay, marking the beginning of hostilities. While Paraguay was engaged in the war, Patagonia was also negotiating with the Bolivian government. Thanks to Iranian capital investment in recent years, Bolivia's economy had developed reasonably well, even acquiring its first railway.

However, the situation in Bolivia remains unstable. Of the nearly 3 million people in the country, only 30,000 have the right to vote. The country also lacks any significant industry and is forced to import large quantities of industrial goods from other countries. Therefore, now that a major investor has emerged, they are eager to cling to him.

Faced with a sparse population, Patagonia intensified its efforts to recruit immigrants. In particular, leveraging Prince Abbas's connections, it began recruiting more immigrants from the Arabian Peninsula. Furthermore, it mobilized all available troops, preparing for a major offensive.

On November 12, the Paraguayan ship Taguari hijacked the Brazilian ship Orinda, which had been sailing down the Paraguay River to Mato Grosso province and was carrying newly appointed high-ranking officials from that province. Brazil subsequently demanded an apology from Paraguay, but López Obrador refused.

Transportation from the La Plata Basin to the Rio de Janeiro region relied entirely on rivers, as roads were virtually nonexistent there. Whoever controlled the river won the war, so Paraguay built fortifications along the lower reaches of the Paraguay River.

Although the Paraguayan army has 10 men, their equipment is poor. Most infantry are equipped with inaccurate smoothbore rifles and carbines, which are slow to reload and have short range. The artillery is similarly weak. Officers lack training or experience, and there is no command system, as all decisions are made by López himself. Food, ammunition, and supplies are scarce, and logistics and hospital care are inadequate or nonexistent.

As for the Tripartite Alliance, it was utterly hopeless. The troops Brazil used in Uruguay were mostly armed contingents composed of gauchos and the National Guard. While some Brazilian accounts of the war describe their infantry as volunteers, other accounts by Argentine revisionists and Paraguayans downplay the situation, suggesting that Brazilian infantry were primarily recruited from slaves and the lower classes, who were promised free land.

On December 13, Paraguay officially declared war on Brazil. Subsequently, the governments of Argentina and Uruguay also declared war on Paraguay. López led the Paraguayan army in a preemptive attack against Argentina and Brazil, but the campaign was unsuccessful. Argentina mobilized 12 soldiers to advance north, preparing to cross the Beljome River and attack Paraguayan territory. Simultaneously, the Brazilian navy prepared to enter the Paraguay River, heading directly towards the Paraguayan capital, Asunción.

But then, on December 22nd, the Patagonian army gathered in Polis, and the locals saw a child on horseback addressing them. His voice was strong and clear; it was hard to believe it was a child's voice.

"We came with friendly and peaceful intentions, wanting to help everyone. But Argentina fears us; they worry about losing their own interests and are subjecting us to inhumane persecution! Our brothers and sisters are being expelled, discriminated against, and murdered, while they enjoy a wonderful life in the cities!"

We can no longer tolerate this. This is an insult to us, and an insult to the Holy City. Since they have acted this way, let us use the weapons in our hands to show them the situation! This place no longer belongs to them!

After Prince Abbas finished speaking, the Arab warriors were the first to raise their weapons, followed by the Iranian immigrants, and finally the Mapuche. They harbored various motives, but their goal was the same: to wage war against Argentina!

(End of this chapter)