Iberian Union TNO RP

Even as part of the Triumvirate, all three members of the alliance resolve their internal problems in splendid isolation. In the case of Iberia, it has deemed it prudent to involve itself in the affairs of its former colonies. Dominican Republic President Rafael Trujillo has found his patron in the halls of Madrid. With Iberia's support, Trujillo's regime continues to suppress any potential threats to its dictatorial rule, unwilling to share its power with anyone. Various rebel movements in Colombia and Ecuador also operate with Iberia's tacit support. But how long will this support last? This is a question that will sooner or later have to be answered...

While the Spanish Army, the Civil Guard, and the Portuguese Army still exist in limited capacity, the Iberian Army is rightly considered a godless mess. Conflicting doctrines and methods of operation, a lack of standardization, a lack of decisive funding, and the Iberian Federal Government's very limited capacity to actually make decisions completely limit the army. While the Spanish and Portuguese armies could put up a worthy resistance in the event of an invasion, placing either under federal control would likely strain the Union to breaking point.

Had conditions been even slightly better, the Iberian Union would have prospered immensely, as the combined forces of Spain and Portugal would have allowed for economic dominance in the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, circumstances prevented these dreams from becoming a reality.

While the economy struggles for its life, suffocated by a bloated bureaucracy, the system is in constant conflict with itself, representing an incredible mixture of capitalism, corporatism and state intervention, and constantly opposing attempts at economic growth.

Germany's invasion of Portugal's African possessions dealt a crushing blow to one of the few remaining colonial powers, so the Iberian Union is now keeping a close eye on its remaining colonies. In West Africa, in Guinea-Bissau, the local population is beginning to seethe with discontent and agitate for independence. Western Sahara and Mauritania have become mere military outposts and resource extraction operations, where Iberians and their companies are trying to scrape together what little remains in the Sahara. Morocco is the most developed of Iberia's possessions, and also the thorniest rose in Franco's vase. Hassan II and the High Commissioner are locked in a tense battle of wits, in which only one can emerge victorious and declare themselves the true ruler of Morocco. While they struggle, rebels within their lands are sharpening their knives. If the empire collapses, they will be there when it does.

Hardened nationalists in Spain and Portugal are now accusing the caudillos of treason, and rumors are swirling of coup attempts by hardliners within the regime, which were suppressed before news of them even left the government offices. Even the Catholic Church and the Armed Forces, the two most powerful pillars of the system, have begun to quietly complain. In this situation, the caudillos now sit almost alone, clinging to anyone who shows the slightest sign of loyalty; but ultimately, they are betrayed by their allies, isolated by their own decisions.

An ineffective government, along with a weak federal armed forces and prolonged authoritarian rule, led to the growth of nationalist independence movements in the regions, particularly in Galicia, Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Morocco. These movements received large sums of funding from the German and other governments.

The country is a federation between the nations of Spain and Portugal. Technically, the country has two heads of state: Francisco Franco, the caudillo (military dictator) of Spain, and António de Oliveira Salazar, the prime minister of Portugal. Both countries have equal political representation in the union and the right to veto any legislation the other side attempts to pass. This significantly harms the country's government, as both sides frequently bicker. While Franco and Salazar may appear to be a pair of strongmen running the country on their own, this is far from the truth. Both men sit at the apex of a tangled web of alliances, factions, ideologies, and interests that have determined to elevate them to their current positions. They both previously enjoyed great loyalty from their allies, but the creation of Iberia slowly and steadily eroded their universal popularity.

With no prospect of a possible restoration, monarchists in both countries quickly abandoned their tacit collaboration, and many even left the country.

distance himself from Iberia, while Franco restructured his policies and began to restore relations with his old ally. Like Madrid and Lisbon, the Kingdom of Italy was also betrayed by Hitler once it had satisfied the Führer's insidious ambitions. Together with Turkey, the three Mediterranean powers formed the Triumvirate alliance to maintain their control over the Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, the Gulpe d'Albufeira incident halted years of painstaking reforms and progress. The social progress that had been achieved crumbled into dust. Iberia once again closed itself off from the world and rebuilt a dirigiste economy, with which it could become completely self-sufficient. Today, in 1962, the cracks that litter the entire Union are once again beginning to make themselves felt. Will Iberia continue on its course, or will it once again gravitate toward the West? If the country can even remain united…

Since 1640, Madrid and Lisbon have sailed the oceans under different flags. But fate is a fickle mistress, and she is not too kind to those who disobey her. During World War II, despite Franco's sympathies for Berlin, Portugal and Spain remained neutral, though this did not prevent Spain from wresting Gibraltar from the clutches of the dying British Empire. However, no sooner had Hitler pacified Europe than he decided to test his strength in Africa. With the few units assembled on the Dark Continent, Germany struck at the Portuguese colonies of Angola and Mozambique.

Fearing that the undisputed master of Europe might now turn his attention to them, the two countries hastily arranged meetings to mutually guarantee their shared sovereignty. Ultimately, despite Portugal's historical stubbornness, necessity gave birth to a new state: the Iberian Union. Even by the 1950s, the coalition of Prime Minister Salazar and Caudillo Franco was beginning to crumble. The reformist thaw that swept the Iberian Union transformed it into an economically advanced power. Portugal's maritime infrastructure and investments from the OCN countries transformed Iberia's policy from autarky to industrialization. It seemed that the Union would become the most important free world player in the fortress called Europe.

One fine day, the Gulpe d'Albufeira, led by Humberto Delgado, made their move. These conspirators aimed to dismantle the Iberian Union and restore Portuguese independence. However, before the plot could be carried out, it was discovered—as was the organization's connection to Salazar. Instead of sparking a war of independence, this incident cemented the conservatives' hold on the government and ushered in a new round of repression.