The Angola Adventure

The Angola Adventure was a military intervention carried out by the Creosotian Republic to assist the Portuguese Empire defeat a number of nationalist insurgencies in Angola. Creosotian troops arrived in September 1894 and officially withdrew in December. The campaign was infamous for the heavy and unrestrained use of high-powered artillery, decimating the countryside and numerous heritage sites, which contributed to Portugal cancelling the short-lived alliance between the nations.

The initially moderate force sent to Angola was a largely a symbolic gesture between the countries, but President Creosote took the conflict rather more seriously. It was his intervention in the war planning which led to the abundance of troops and the absurd levels destruction waged up on empty areas of countryside by shelling and dynamite in an attempt to 'scare them off'.

President Creosote's popularity surged during the war, and some successful operations carried out under Hudson's supervision increased public confidence in the Creosotian Armed Forces after their defeats to France in 1891.

Background
Most historians now agree the episode was orchestrated by George Hudson in an attempt to forestall the approaching Final Jeremboah War, by providing a reasonably risk-free military action which could be portrayed heroically in the press. Hudson had hastily forged the conditional alliance with Portugal on the basis of assisting them with their empire in Africa, after the humiliating 1890 British Ultimatum had curbed their ambitions. The run-up to the war saw the re-conversion of many military production lines which had sprung up during the First Jeremboah War, as well as a hasty importing of weapons from America.

The Portuguese had been fighting the semi-organized nationalist groups for around a year before they requested Creosotian assistance on 20th September 1894, after a particularly worrying spate of successes against the Portuguese army following the capture of a weapons stockpile. The Prime Minister of Portugal had allegedly threatened his chief of staff with the words 'one more failure and I swear I will call in the help of that obese Englishman who waved his little flag on the side-lines of the parade the other day', apparently referencing Creosote's abortive state visit to Portugal.

The Portugese also alleged that the groups were funded by foreign powers, claiming to Creosote that they suspected the French, which immediately prompted his agreement to send help. Historians now agree this funding was likely coming from the Germans, who were angling to expand Namibia's borders amid the instability.

Operations
Around 10,000 Creosotian troops under Hudson arrived on 3rd September and ran their forces in tandem with the Portugese army. Hudson impressed the Portugese with his effectiveness, carrying out his part of the offensives against the nationalists with overwhelming success.

When news of this reached President Creosote, he saw an opportunity to test his newer artillery pieces which the Republic had been developing, as well as a chance at personal glory. He arrived at the end of October, with an extra 20,000 men and his new weaponry. While he first went along with Hudson's methods, he swiftly tired of their small-scale and incisive capture of strategic points. When his proposals of 'full frontal assaults' were turned down by the Portugese, he led his troops off into enemy territory to demonstrate his tactics. From advanced positions in the jungle, Creosote ordered a series of massive bombardments on enemy positions. The shelling often lasted for as long as 4 hours before he ordered infantry advances to clear the area. The vast majority of these engagements revealed no enemy causalities as a result of the bombardments. Intelligence on the enemy positions was either faulty, or the insurgents saw the assembling of Creosote's forces from a distance and made a speedy retreat. The President claimed the latter was 'most certainly the case' and proclaimed a success in 'beating them back'.

Creosote's enormous bombardments were swiftly draining his munitions, and his inventory reports often led to bellowing rages in his mess tent. This led him to pause operations for a few days, during which Hudson sent a series of messages requesting he bring his force North to aid him and the Portuguese. Reluctantly, he acquiesced to Hudson's pleas to change tack, meeting his group in an impressive encirclement of some 15,000 insurgents. From there, the Portuguese began to discover the carnage Creosote had wrecked on the land further South, and the pair knew their days were numbered. Hudson persuaded Creosote to give him control of all the Creosotian forces, while Creosote could head back to Luanda to bask in the glories.

Now it was Hudson's turn to test the array of new artillery pieces and explosives. He was impressed with many of the innovations while concerned about how his supposedly peaceable Republic was producing them. His massive infantry force saw his best successes yet, capturing the rebel stronghold of Mavinga on 14th November with few casualties. This event embarrassed the Portuguese, who had been stumped by the defences since August. Unsubstantiated allegations that Creosotian troops were looting in the country ensued, and diplomatic relations between the countries soured.

Aftermath
President Creosote arrived in the Angolan capital of Luanda expecting to be celebrated, but instead met with boos from civilians who had heard of his tactics and the Portugese rumours about his troops' misconduct. He discovered the Portugese army was searching the city for him, and had to hide in various hotels for a week before boarding a ship home.

His escapades were presented favourably in the domestic press, though attracting some mockery from Britain (see right). The Republic received a reluctant payment of £500,000 from Portugal for its services, but their alliance was quietly terminated amid Portuguese outrage at Creosote's bombarding of Menogue, a historic town which took years to rebuild.

War Minister Taft famously opposed the war initially, claiming it would be 'a boondoggle', but came round to congratulate Hudson on his return. The event tremendously increased his - and many other people's - confidence that the Republic could punch well above its weight militarily.