As the Bohemian Campaign approaches its third phase, I would like to bring the reader’s attention from Western Europe to developments in Nuevo España. Two things inspired me to elevate an idea to a work in progress project. One, the movie the “Mission “with Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons and two, the book, the Liberators by Robert Harvey, Latin America’s struggle for independence. I enjoyed the movie and its war game applications; tropical forests, waterways, native Indians, Spanish garrisons, mercenaries and of course the Church that played their role in the development of Nuevo España. The film is set in the 18th century setting, which fits well into the “Sojourn”. However, the Jesuits pursued another direction than what I needed for my scenario (“nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition”).
Add to the religious order, line troops (garrisons) some militia to bolster numbers and auxiliaries, the latter serving as scouts for the Spanish and we should be ready for a fight. The opposition, simply a lot of natives.
Returning to the book, the Liberators and the struggles for independence, I found Venezuela to offer the best possibilities for an interesting campaign; geography, demographics, and history. In the east, plains, waterways and swamps while moving further west we encounter tropical forests and still further west, mountainous regions. Demographically, the Spanish a minority were outnumbered by not only the native Indian population, but Africans as well. Historically, the campaigns for Independence took place in the early 19th century. Not a problem as we shall bring forward into our 18th century, a lot of events which took place nearly 70 years later.
