Uruguay, already governed by Venancio Flores, aligns…
May 1865 CE
Uruguay, already governed by Venancio Flores, aligns itself with Brazil and Argentina.
The crossing of Argentinian territory by Paraguayan forces had set the stage for signing, on May 1, 1865, by Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay (now little more than a Brazilian puppet state) of the Treaty of the Triple Alliance, under which these nations vow to pursue the war against López's government "until no arms or elements of war should be left to it."
Mitre is named supreme commander of the allied forces.
Although the British economy and commercial interests will benefit from the war, the British government is opposed to it from the start, the general view being that all war damages international commerce, and it is discontented with the secret clauses in the Treaty of the Triple Alliance.
While Britain’s main cotton supplier, the United States, has been embroiled in civil war, Britain now has a growing supply of Egyptian cotton and is not in need of a new supply from Paraguay.
Sir Edward Thornton, appointed Minister to the Argentine Republic in 1859, and to Brazil in 1865, had been present at the signing of a treaty of alliance between Brazil and Argentina on June 18, 1864, which Brazilian politician Jose Antonio Saraiva will later declare to be the real start of their alliance.
Thornton's role had briefly been taken by William Doria (the Charge D'Affairs for Paraguay), who had joined French and Italian diplomats in condemning Mitre's involvement in Uruguay; Thornton had reversed this and thrown his full support to Mitre when he returned to the job in December 1863.
Thornton has encouraged the leaders of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, while British banks provide the three nations with funding for their military campaigns.
Some historians have claimed that this was an official British government decision, as they wanted to see Paraguay opened to expanded British trade and investment.
Other historians have disputed this, pointing to Britain's lack of interest in the war and its discontent with the secret parts of the Treaty of the Triple Alliance.
However, it is known that Thornton personally favors the Triple Alliance against Paraguay and is a strong supporter of Argentina's President Mitre, while being personally opposed to President Lopez.
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