Argentina

Argentina is a country in South America.

Argentina in A Different Flesh
Argentina was one of two successful colonies Spain maintained in the New World.

Argentina in The Disunited States of America
Argentina was one of the world's great powers.

Argentina in In the Presence of Mine Enemies
Argentina was one of the independent nations that was allied with the Greater German Reich. Its head of state was the Perón, (the name of Juan Perón having been made into the title of the head of state).

Like other Nazi allies and satellites, the Argentian regime was outspokenly antisemitic. However, unlike the Nazis they did not undertake a systematic extermination of all Jews, preferring to keep them as permanent scapegoats against whom popular discontent could be diverted in times of political instability or economic crisis. For much of the time, Argantinian Jews - as well as European and North American Jews who fled there - could lead a reasonably normal life, especially if able to procure the protection of venal officials. Relative to the lot of Jews elsewhere, they could consider themselves lucky.

For their part, the more fanatic Nazi factions raged at the Argentinian "laxness" and several times plans were drawn up for the invasion of the country and imposition of direct German rule, or for threatening Argentina with nuclear bombardment unless it admitted the Einzatzgruppen. However, Wehrmacht commanders pointed out that their forces were already overextended; and the Foreign Ministry argued that Latin Americans were in general pleased with the German humbling of "The Arrogant Yankess", but open aggression against Argentina might arouse anti-German feelings. Thus, such plans were never implemented and were gradually abandoned altogether.

Argentina in Southern Victory
Argentina was a trading partner and military ally of Britain when the Great War began. A member of the Entente, it supplied Britain with beef and grain imports which were necessary for that country to remain in the war. It was invaded by a modest ground force of Chilean and Paraguayan troops.

In 1917 Argentina was forced to surrender when Brazil joined the Central Powers and a joint American, Brazilian, and Chilean navy cut the shipping lines between Argentina and Britain. The move also forced Britain's surrender.

In the Second Great War, Argentina once again allied itself with the Entente. In 1941 a joint British and Confederate naval expedition took Bermuda out of US hands to prevent a repeat of the above Great War manuever. Nevertheless, Argentina was much more wary of the U.S. Navy in that war, and let the USS Remembrance pass within range of its shore defenses unchallenged when the aircraft carrier was en route to the Sandwich Islands in 1941.

Argentina in Worldwar
Argentina was quickly conquered by the Race's Conquest Fleet in 1942 along with the rest of South America. The Race imprisoned Ayatollah Khomeini in Argentina, thinking it was out of range of Muslim rebels.

Usually docile as a colony, Argentina vehemently rejected the cult of emperor-worship when Atvar attempted to introduce it in 1964, and revolted against Race rule later that year.

Argentina in The Two Georges
In the later 18th and early 19th centuries, some of the Spanish colonists at the colony of La Plata aspired to sever connections with the motherland across the Atlantic and make themselves into an independent country. The merging of Spain and France into the Holy Alliance, meaning that the center of power has effectively shifted from Madrid to Paris, increased the disaffection in South America - but also the military power which could be wielded against any rebels. Eventually, local leaders such as La Martin became resigned to continued colonial status, as did British colonists in North America a generation earlier.

La Plata was somewhat mollified by the extension of the territory under its administration to the other side of the Andes, taking in the southern part of the Pacific shore, as well as the widening of its autonomy. In the later part of the 19th Century, Buenos Aires-based companies did well in exploiting mineral wealth as well as fishing and whaling, building up a greater local economic power while political power remained in the hands of the colonial governor. By the 20th Century, they have taken up exploration of the great southern frozen continent, creating effective fait accomplis while the world's great powers remained undecided about the cotinent’s fate.

In the 20th Century, there was a new upsurge of political agitation. While only marginal groups sought a complete break with the European Motherland(s) Spain-France, there was a considerable body of opinion seeking to emulate the semi-sovereign North American Union, which gained from the British government the ability to build up its own armed forces and maintain its own diplomatic relations - privileges which Paris was unwilling to allow its own colonies. However, the main obstacle for the formation of a South American Union was the division into three colonies - La Plata, Peru and Nueva Granda - each jealous of its own interests and unwilling to concede to the others, differences which the central government knew well to exploit.

A conspicuous manifestation of La Plata's seeking greater autonomy was the widespread dislike for the activities of the Spanish Inquisition. It was the pride of La Platans that no Auto da fe had taken place in their territory since the early 19th Century. While it proved impossible to close down altogether the Inquisition office, since the 1930's the office of Chief Inquisitor of Buenos Aires became a sinecure, regularly granted to a courtier who had the King's favour at the time and who remained in Madrid, without bothering to cross the ocean and without taking any interest in the office, other than drawing income from it. The arrangement was satisfactory to both colonists and courtier, and was the envy of other colonies where the Inquisition remained far more active.