An Alternative Bolivia

[Rheged]

This is entirely as a result of frank2056  starting a thread on a tank of the Chaco War.


Following the "War of the Pacific"  (real world story at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Pacific ) I am assuming that Bolivia  came out more successfully and kept a short  Pacific copastline around Tocopilla.   I am further assuming that Bolivia remained a stable democracy from the mid 1880's onwards. The guano deposits of the littoral region , followed by discovery of copper ore, provided sufficient funding to improve  living standards in Bolivia, and later, around 1908, to upgrade the  Bolivian Navy.   

.....I'm sure  that there are plenty of people who can  fill in  the intervening years..... army, navy and air force....

Fast forward to 1982

Bolivia enjoys close links with Chile and  is pro Britain in the South Atlantic conflict.  There is a long standing and fairly bitter border dispute with Argentina over the Puna da Atacama.

Bolivia has an airforce of the usual updated Canberras and Hunters, but also chose to buy a couple of squadrons of Buccaneer  S3 s   and half a dozen Nimrods.  Their navy  has half a dozen Leanders and   an old heavy cruiser similar to the  County class with 8 inch guns.

ONE)    How will this affect the Falklands?
TWO)   What will Bolivian aircraft look like?
THREE)  Anyone for modelling either  a Bolivian Dreadnaught or a 1980's HMS Cumberland/Norfolk/ Suffolk?

[rallymodeller]

I am unsure that there would be any difference in the Falklands, apart from giving the British somewhere closer to stage out of. It's still a long way from Bolivia to the Falklands but closer than Ascension, and a lot there has to do with how Brazil would react (as they have had problems with Bolivia in the past as well). Realistically Bolivia would have a lot to lose if they were to get directly involved in the Falklands, as their territory could be easily threatened by Argentina (witness Chile in OTL). Helping hands, for sure, but no military action.

Now, that being said, if Chile and Bolivia were to gang up on Argentina then all bets are off. That could spell major war in South America, and then you'd see everyone choosing sides. Not a pretty outcome, to be sure...