Characters / TNO Iberian Union

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Iberian Union

^{Flag of the Iberian Federation}

^{Flag of the Iberian State}

Official Name: Iberian Union, Iberian Federation (Democratic), Iberian Federal Government (Iberian Wars), Iberian State (Falangist coup)

Ruling Party: União Nacional-Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista^note National Union-Traditionalist Spanish Phalanx of the Councils of the National Syndicalist Offensive

Ideology: Civilian Dictatorship^note Despotism

The Iberian nations of Spain and Portugal remained neutral during the Second World War, but repeated German aggression after the war (in the form of their seizure of Portuguese Africa) quickly antagonized the two nations against Germany. The strongmen rulers of Iberia, Francisco Franco and António de Oliveira Salazar, decided to sign a defensive pact to form the Iberian Union, which quickly evolved and eventually united the two nations into a single one.

Iberia went on to form the Triumvirate with Italy and Turkey, who all saw Germany as a threat. However, with Germany's fall, the German threat was greatly diminished, and the Triumvirate began to divide. Far worse than that, however, Iberia's own divisions began to surface. The union of the twin Caudillos resulted not in unity, but disunity. Ethnic tensions intensified, political divisions worsened, and nearly every aspect of the Union's politics, military, and society became increasingly fractured by the day. It remains to see whether the Union comes out of the crisis united, or divided.

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General Tropes

• Allohistorical Allusion:
  • If the Unión Republicana's reforms anger the military too much, they might end up trying to coup the government. Should they take Congress, it will play out similarly to the 23-F coup d'etat attempt (ironically, here the Guardia Civil can play an important role in protecting Congress and stopping the coup).
  • In 1963, the Santa Maria gets hijacked by pro-democracy terrorists, led by Henrique Galvão, but now to inspire reformism in the Iberian Union rather than just Portugal. The Caudillos can even call for intervention from the United States to save American passengers onboard.
  • Besides the chiefly political factions of the conflict, the Iberian War can also be fought by armed movements representing ethnicities given "equal status" on paper in the Union, much like post-Tito Yugoslavia.
• Arcadia: The old-fashioned rural lifestyle is idealized by most Iberians and commemorated in the annual Rural Roots Festival, where people can get away from the usual urbanscape to experience what its like and shop at farmer's markets.
• Army of Thieves and Whores: Faced with growing terrorist sentiment, the AAS mobilizes the Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación, composed of mercenaries, former police officers, and criminals. Their effectively given a blank check to infiltrate and suppress the terrorist organizations running rampant, permitting them to perform kidnappings, interrogation, and extortion.
• Assassin Outclassin': In the middle of a government debate, an unknown terrorist tries to kill the attendees with a bomb in A Coruña. The attempt only fails because the Caudillos declared a delay to their lunch break.
• Authority in Name Only: If the Iberian Council is relegated to an advisory position, the Union will present it as a sign of transitioning democracy, even though the entire system has clearly been rigged in favor of the Caudillos.
• Balkanize Me: Iberia can break up in several ways. The simplest is for Spain and Portugal to simply divorce peacefully. However, Iberia can also collapse into civil war, with multiple Spanish and Portuguese states popping up, as well as several minorities breaking free as well. If things get crazy enough, even the splinter states can break up and fight each other! The Iberian Wars also aren't fought to the death (except between factions that claim to be the rightful government of Spain or Iberia), and can end up with Spain's various autonomous regions becoming independent countries. Oh, and their colonies (Morocco, Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé) all declare independence too.
• Beneath Notice: The Falangists, Carlists, and Alfonsists are still present in Iberia, but are so small and irrelevant that the only reason why they haven't been finished off is because nobody remembers them.
• Boring, but Practical: Their first order of business in 1962 is an infrastructure program that pales in magnificence to the megaprojects in Germany, but nonetheless do a suitable job of repairing the disparate system of roads that hinder many regions of the country.
• But Thou Must!: In the aftermath of Salazar's death, the player has the option of choosing his successor between Marcelo das Neves Alves Caetano or António da Motta Veiga. However, picking the latter leads to a scandal revealing that he completed fabricated some statistics of Portugal's fiscal policy and cost the nation a lot of money. With his reputation in the tank, da Mota Veiga indefinitely delays his inauguration for "personal reasons", leading to Caetano becoming the new Caudillo anyways.
• Civil War: One can happen to Iberia if the player isn't careful. Depending on how badly the civil war goes, Iberia can break up so catastrophically that even the splinter states collapse into their own civil wars.
• The Church: Catholicism is deeply important in both Spain and Portugal, including to Franco and Salazar. At some point, the Catholic Church's grip over Iberia's civilian matters will need to be addressed, as some reformists believe that its influence is too great and must be reined in.
• Consolation Prize: While creating an advisory Iberian Council, the Caudillos will give the minorities a "fair" representation in it so that they can settle down and stop trying to fight for independence. If the Council goes despotic, the Committee for Regional Cultures is founded to further appease the minority groups' interests, even if the agency is largely managed by the Caudillos and denies them independence as an option.
• Crapsaccharine World: Be it Franco's firm adherence to conservative values or Salazar's traditionalist image of Portugal, the Iberian Union projects an image of seemingly wholesome tranquility in a chaotic continent. By the early 1960s, however, said image has already begun to fray and depending on what policies are enacted, could collapse entirely.
• Democracy Is Flawed: Even when the Iberian Union reforms into a democracy, their first elections are plagued with fraud and underhanded tactics to undermine the system, such as Falangists terrorizing Catalan voters and radical leftists forging ballot papers. The player can even indulge in some of these activities to tilt favor to their desired party.
• Didn't Think This Through:
  • At the time, forming the Iberian Union seemed like a good idea to counter German aggression, but it ignores the deep cultural diversity in both Spain and Portugal, containing various ethnic minorities who are unhappy about being part of another nation cry for independence. The Union only exacerbates these problems, as they grow envious of the systematic privilege given to the Spanish and Portuguese, enflaming separatist movements that could spell doom for the nation.
  • Combatting the CNT in the Battle of Barcelona, the government allows TV crews to broadcast the clash, hoping that it would serve as good propaganda. Instead, the brutal and violent footage shakes everyone's belief that the government can protect them and creates panic over future terrorist attacks.
• Do Well, But Not Perfect: On top of trying to balance the desires of various groups, there's also the dynamic between the Caudillos. Whether Franco or Salazar take prominence, letting either get too powerful can have unintended consequences.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: It's especially challenging to not only keep Iberia together but also ensure through reforms that it stays that way. One failure too many, though, can cause everything to fall apart very quickly.
• Enemy Mine:
  • The Union was formed out of a merger of Spain and Portugal, fearful that they would become victimized by the ever growing German influence in Europe.
  • They support the United States during the South African War to get some payback on the African Reichskommissariats who have long antagonized and contested control for their territory.
• Evil Colonialist: Not as blatantly obvious as some of the other empires in the setting, but the Iberian Union does own some African colonies and the indigenous people are treated like second-class citizens in favor of Portuguese and Spanish settlers.
• The Federation: With much effort and a bit of luck, the dysfunctional Iberian Union can be reformed into the Iberian Federation, a relatively democratic federation that represents Spain, Portugal and minorities equally.
• Golden Mean Fallacy: A legislative Iberian Council can try to balance itself between the reformist and conservative factions while trying to liberalize, which ultimately creates a democracy heavily favored and controlled by the Caudillos.
• Good Capitalism, Evil Capitalism: The implementation of free-market reforms have both good and bad effects on the Iberian Union. On the one hand, opening up to foreign markets means cheaper goods for the average consumer to enjoy and it increases the prospect of economic mobility. On the other hand, it puts a detriment to domestic sellers who now have to compete with foreign products and leads to mass lay-offs as businesses can no longer afford to hire so many workers.
• Gunboat Diplomacy: If Bormann wins the German Civil War, the Iberian Union will conduct a massive military exercise in western Pyrenees, showing off their impressive defenses in case Germany ever decides to antagonize them.
• I Can't Believe I'm Saying This: To counter the rise of minority separatism, Franco and Salazar agree to form the Axencia Anti-Separatista, an organization dedicated to suppressing these movements. This is one of the few things they unanimously agree on and most observers express surprise about it.
• I Work Alone: After the Triumvirate collapses, the Iberian Union can withdraw itself from the international community, deciding to stand on its own two feet alone rather than get stuck in another doomed and deceitful alliance.
• In Spite of a Nail: Several well-known movies and other media (such as Mortadelo y Filemón) still show up in the world of The New Order.
• Interservice Rivalry: The AAS and military compete for influence in the government, fighting over who should be tasked with hunting down separatist forces.
• Jerkass Has a Point: The reactionary movement is opposed to regional autonomy for the minorities because it would create unrest and decentralization that motivated the military coup that kickstarted the Spanish Civil War. Even Fernández-Miranda, the most reformist candidate in the 1970 elections, finds the concern valid and has to work around that.
• Kangaroo Court:
  • When the Iberian Union discovers that Goa was given to India as part of a bribe by the garrison, they arrest the commander, Vassalo e Silva, and his accomplices, who are brought to a show trial and sentenced to hard labor.
  • As the final steps in their plan to crack down on terrorist organizations, the government organizes the "Trial of the Century", where two dozens of their worst will be publicly prosected for all the world to see. The court is set to give them either a life sentence or death penalty, since its true purpose is to intimidate rather than fairly judge them.
• Mêlée à Trois: The balkanization and civil war aspects of the Iberian Wars can stack together to make a truly ridiculous amount of factions, all trying to kill each other.
• Minor Crime Reveals Major Plot: A cursory investigation by the AAS will reveal that some arms shipments have gone missing without a trace. Investigating the lead further uncovers that the CNT were behind the theft, which is part of a larger operation to occupt the city of Barcelona.
• Mix-and-Match Critters: In the hopes of fostering unity by creating a new national animal, Iberian artists draw a combination of the Spanish bull and Portuguese rooster, creating an ugly, chimera-like creature with seven pairs of horns and three heads minimum. When the design is leaked, the international community brutally mocks the disastrous art piece and becomes an embarassment for the Union.
• Mood Whiplash: While using Abraham Maslow's pyramid of needs to revise the constitution and satisfy the people's basic necessities, the relatively mundane affair is suddenly interrupted when the topic of sleep and reproduction is brought up, in which the announcer says that there's nothing to discuss about those and everyone silently agrees. The event is so hilariously succinct compared to the rest of the subplot and a rare moment of unity in the government.
• Multiple Endings: Iberia has a plethora of different endings, based on the Caudillos' handling of the Iberian Council, the aftermath of the death of Salazar, and Iberia's stability:
  • If Iberia's stability reaches a critical level, the Basques will revolt, quickly causing the collapse of the Iberian government in the Iberian Wars.
  • The Caudillos can agree to separate peacefully before that point, if Iberia's stability is low enough.
  • If the Iberian Council is given legislative powers and reformism in the Council is sufficiently high after Salazar's death, then Franco and Caetano will step down as Caudillos, paving the way for the formation of the Iberian Federation, to be led by the Unión Nacional (UN, Paternalists), Alianza Popular (AP, Conservatives), Unión Republicana (UR, Liberals), or Partido Renovador Democrático (PRD, Market Liberals).
    • If the UN are elected, they can be overthrown by Manuel Fraga and the Democratic Salvation Commission should the UN attempt to dissolve the Iberian Council.
    • If the UR are elected, they can be the subject of an attempted coup should they anger the military too much. This may lead to a Civil War if the coup is prevented in Madrid but its leaders are not arrested - essentially what happened in 1936.
  • If the Iberian Council is given legislative powers and reformism in the Council is sufficiently low, or if the Council is initially relegated to an advisory position and then accumulates enough influence, the Caudillos can adopt a quasi-democratic system in which both serve as co-Presidents. How this ends depends on their level of authoritarianism:
    • If authoritarianism is low, they will be the subject of a military coup led by Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado following an intensification of protests, who leads Iberia down the path of democracy in what is referred to as the Carnation Revolution.
    • If authoritarianism is middling, the protests will die out, and upon Franco's death in 1974, António de Spínola will be appointed as President to take his place.
    • If authoritarianism is high, the protests will reach a fever pitch and eventually spark the Iberian Wars.
  • If the Iberian Council is relegated to an advisory function and fails to accumulate enough influence, then Franco has the option to dissolve it; if Iberia manages to remain stable through the aftermath, then upon Franco's death in 1974, Spain and Portugal will automatically divorce, with Alejandro Rodríguez de Valcárcel leading Spain and Pedro Teotónio Pereira leading Portugal.
• Non-Indicative Name: Under a depotist Franco, the Iberian Union will pass the Treason Law to punish traitors to the country. The only problem is that the definition of treason has been expanded to include people who would even dare criticize the Caudillos' rule.
• Not-So-Omniscient Council of Bickering: The two Caudillos may not truly hate each other, but they constantly, constantly, constantly clash over matters of policy great and small, able to agree where there are problems to be solved but not on the correct method of solving them.
• Odd Friendship: Despite the rivalry between both Franco and Salazar themselves and their countries, and their many arguments over Iberian policy, Franco eventually comes to see Salazar as a friend, and weeps hard at his funeral. Some time after Salazar's death, Franco makes a last examination of the chessboard they played on, sets it on Salazar's preferred table, and decides to never use the board again, so its memories would remain untainted.
• Opportunistic Bastard: During WWII, Spain invaded and took over some French colonies as France collapsed, creating the weirdly-shaped Iberian colony in Mauritania, and the Iberian part of Algeria. Spain also seized the formerly British Gibraltar.
• Pragmatic Hero: The reformists in Iberia are all committed to democracy and liberty, but the equally influential reactionaries must also be accomodated by them. As such, if they reform Iberia into a democratic federation, they need to temporarily halt their campaigns for regional autonomy and total freedom because their efforts would get blocked and put their movement to a standstill.
• Pragmatic Villainy:
  • Their first focus tree is dedicated to developing the infrastructure of their colonies to strengthen their own sphere of influence.
  • Plagued by a mess of a bureaucracy and a Galician assassination attempt against the Caudillos, an Iberian Council can be created for the express purpose of creating a more stable regime by resolving regional conflicts peacefully. Whether the Council is merely advisory or has legitimate provisional power, the Caudillos still intend to hold onto power, at least for the time being. Even on the latter route, certain undemocratic actions are taken to still limit its influence, such as banning left-wing participation in it.
  • In an empowered Iberian Council, regional representation can be improved rather than favoring just Spain and Portugal, but only to stem the tide of separatist movements.
  • The AAS worries about two teenagers mysteriously dying in their custody because it would reflect badly on them to the public.
• Prison: The Tarrafal is one of the infamous and brutal prisons known in Iberia, practically run like a concertation camp for political prisoners to be contained and abused. Under Fernández-Miranda, it is thankfully shut down to either be repurposed as a museum or luxury hotel. Under a tyrannical Franco, the conditions get even worse as masses of protestors are sent there.
• The Purge: If the Iberian Council is empowered and allowed to reform into a democracy, they will need to purge the Falangists and hardline militarists who stand opposed to any kind of reform.
• Pyrrhic Victory:
  • When the CNT-FAI seize Barcelona, the Iberian Union will manage to suppress the insurrection and retake the city, but if done so with extreme force, much of its infrastructure will have been destroyed and optics surrounding the government have soured after they violently murdered several protestors.
  • The Iberian police infiltrate a large holdout from the CNT, but this just emboldens the rebels to commit further attacks against the establishment.
• "Rashomon"-Style: Franco and Salazar's conflicts manifest themselves by conflicting descriptions in each leader's bios: Franco's bio says that Salazar approached him to create the Iberian Union, while Salazar's bio says it was Franco who reached out to create the union. Salazar's bio also attests to Franco passing a "Law of Succession" that would reinstall a monarchy and absorb Portugal into Spain after both of them died, while Franco's bio says that Salazar made up the law. If the Iberian Union collapses, Salazar's bio blames it on Franco's failure to deal with the Basque revolt, while Franco's blames Salazar for his incompetency in aiding Franco and later for his flight to Lisbon.
• Realpolitik: When the South African War kicks off, the Iberian Union can get a set of events that allow them to send volunteers to help South Africa.
• Reassigned to Antarctica:
  • If the legislative Iberian Council goes conservative, they will consolidate Franco's power by reassigning troublesome officials to a distant embassy, where they can no longer pose a tangible threat to the government.
  • If Franco dissolves the Iberian Concil, he will get rid of his rivals and critics by reassigning them to the colonies, unable to pose a threat ever again.
• Red Scare: After the disastrous Battle of Barcelona, the Iberian government worries of further attacks by socialist terrorists and immediately moves to suppress these groups.
• Right Hand Versus Left Hand:
  • While the twin Caudillos Franco and Salazar are officially equals who share power, in reality, both men want more influence than the other. This leads to lots of infighting, worsening the internal divisions in Iberia.
  • The Iberian Council is likewise divided between conservatives who think the status quo is good as is and the liberals who demand reforms. Managing their influence through foci will determine the dominant attitude in the Council and potentially shape the path Iberia will go down.
• Rule of Drama: The creation of the Iberian Union has no real life basis, but the Iberian storylines wouldn't happen without it.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Once Italy and Turkey go to war with each other, the Iberian Union makes its own exit from the Triumvirate, deciding that it would no longer become exploited by either the Italians or Turks.
• Settling the Frontier: Some Iberians have tried to settle into the colonies, much to the chagrin of the natives living there. Naturally, this occasionally spawns violent conflicts between the two groups.
• Sinister Surveillance: If the Iberian Council is decided to play only an advisory role, the representatives will be kept under close surveillance by the government. While ostensibly for the benefit of preventing corruption, it's also clearly intended to ensure that no one gets too powerful to challenge the status quo.
• Slobs vs. Snobs: Downplayed, since they are trying to make their national union work, but Franco and Salazar are not only the leaders of very different nations, but very different men; Franco the plain-spoken former soldier and fervent Catholic who fought in colonial wars and has the support of the army and the native peoples and Salazar the eloquent leader more at home in a business suit than a uniform who grew up among the settlers and wants to make an impression on the world.
• State Sec: The Axencia Anti-Separatista is a paramilitary agency empowered by the government to hunt down and spy on suspected terrorists who would post a threat to their security. Under Fraga and Rodríguez de Valcárcel, the AAS is expanded further to quash terrorist cells.
• Tempting Fate: After uncovering a deep corruption scandal where Goan officials and high-ranking Iberian politicians were bribed into giving up Goa to India, the government tries to archive the whole case, confident that it will never see the light of day again. After some time passes, the incident leaks to the public and disillusions the people's fath in the Iberian Council
• Unreliable Narrator: Franco's and Salazar's bios contradict each other, claiming that the other was responsible for the idea of forming the Iberian Union.
• Vast Bureaucracy: The 1962 Infrastructure Program is hindered by bureaucratic interference and petty disputes over how it should be executed and who bears its cost. It's an effective establishment of the nightmarishly complex government that makes progress difficult in the Iberian Union and inspires the creation of the Iberian Council to fix the problem.
• Villain Team-Up: Franco and Salazar, dictators of Spain and Portugal respectively, joined together in the face of German aggression to form the Iberian Union, and rule as its twin Caudillos.
• Villain with Good Publicity: A unique mechanic for the Iberian Union is managing the popularity of the Caudillos, in which keeping up good PR will be needed to keep the country alive. Whoever has the most popularity between the two will be acknowledged as the head of state.
• We ARE Struggling Together: The Iberian Union was formed in response to a potential German invasion, which never happened. Without an external threat to unite against, the Spanish and Portuguese, not to mention the unruly minorities, have a very hard time cooperating.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Some members of the Iberian Union take a hard stance against the ethnic minority terrorists because they're trying to enforce national security.
• Western Terrorists: Iberia is filled to the brim with separatist forces willing to use terror for their goals, including the Confederacion Nacional del Trabajo Federacion Anarquista Iberica (CNT-FAI), the Basque Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), the Portuguese Frente Socialista de Libertacao Portuguesa (FSLP), and the Batallones de Trabajadores Asturianos (BTA). If the government takes one bad turn, the ethnic tensions will literally and figuratively explode, causing large amounts of terrorist attacks that further increase ethnic tensions in the country.
• World Tour: If the Iberian Union decides to find new trade routes after the Triumvirate's collapse, Franco and Salazar will conduct trips to countries all over the world, including the United States and Japan.

Spanish Caudillos

Francisco Franco

^{Francisco Franco in the 70s}

Role: Head of State, Caudillo of Iberia^note Head of Government (Salazar and Iberian Divorce Franco cabinet)

Party: União Nacional^note National Union (Iberian Federation/Advisory Council kept), FET y de las JONS (Ortodoxos)^note Traditionalist Spanish Phalanx of the Councils of the National Syndicalist Offensive - Orthodox

Ideology: Civilian Dictatorship^note Despotism, Controlled Democracy^note Paternalism (Iberian Federation), National Conservatism^note Paternalism (Advisory Council kept)

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show} While internationally a divisive figure, it cannot be denied that Caudillo Francisco Franco clawed his way to his position through merit. With the German victory in WW2, António de Oliveira Salazar of Portugal approached Franco to create a protective union against the Germans. Spain found itself uniting with Portugal in a comprehensive defence-pact-turned nation.

But of course, that was the past. In the last decade, Franco has been witness to insurmountable calamities. His erstwhile allies in the Triumvirate are at each other's throats, ready to drop all pretence of unity over the slightest dispute. The colonization of Algeria in the 1950s, considered a proud accomplishment, has revealed itself as a double-edged sword that has dragged his nation into constant conflict with Italy. Salazar's unfounded notions of a non-existent "Law of Succession", that would see Portugal absorbed into Spain under the reinstated Spanish monarchy after both Caudillos had died, has raised questions about the future of Iberia under Franco. An attempted coup by old shirt Falangists was only just stopped through their removal from power by Franco.

Iberia, once proud, has fallen on hard times, and even the Caudillo himself has begun to doubt their ability to stay unified, though he'd never admit this to anybody. He can see the writing on the wall, and deep down he feels that it's only a matter of time before all that he's worked for comes crashing down around him.

In-Game Biography (Iberian Wars) ^{Click to Show} While internationally a divisive figure, it cannot be denied that Caudillo Francisco Franco clawed his way to his position through merit. With the German victory in WW2, António de Oliveira Salazar of Portugal approached Franco to create a protective union against the Germans. Spain found itself uniting with Portugal in a comprehensive defence-pact-turned nation.

But of course, that was the past. In the last decade, Franco has been witness to insurmountable calamities. His erstwhile allies in the Triumvirate are at each other's throats, ready to drop all pretence of unity over the slightest dispute. The colonization of Algeria in the 1950s, considered a proud accomplishment, has revealed itself as a double-edged sword that has dragged his nation into constant conflict with Italy. Salazar's unfounded notions of a non-existent "Law of Succession", that would see Portugal absorbed into Spain under the reinstated Spanish monarchy after both Caudillos had died, has raised questions about the future of Iberia under Franco. An attempted coup by old shirt Falangists was only just stopped through their removal from power by Franco.

Iberia, once proud, has fallen on hard times, and even the Caudillo himself has begun to doubt their ability to stay unified, though he'd never admit this to anybody. He can see the writing on the wall, and deep down he feels that it's only a matter of time before all that he's worked for comes crashing down around him.

With the rise of the Basques and Salazar's initial incompetency in helping deal with the revolt and his later treasonous flight to Portugal, the time had come. With factions and traitors all around him Franco held onto what he had helped build. After all, did the federal government not have the real legitimate authority over Iberia?

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• Allohistorical Allusion: When the Iberian Council is dissolved so that Franco can rule as dictator, he will enforce "National Syndicalism with Iberian characteristics", a play on words with the OTL "Socialism with Chinese characteristics" advocated by Deng Xiaoping. Ironically, whereas the latter was about reforming the Chinese economic system, the former is a reactionary set of policies.
• Appeal to Tradition: Franco despises liberalism and reformism for defiling the traditions that have defined Iberia for centuries. If he decides to rule with absolute power, he will enforce reactionary policies that will instill conservative values.
• Bait the Dog: Frustrated with an advisory Iberian Council's indecisiveness, Franco will announce that he will greatly expand their responsibilities and offer to elaborate on them in the next session. When the councilmen take the bait and convene in the chamber, it's revealed to be a trap for Franco to contain them, forcing them to sit down and address what needs to be change in order for the Union to survive.
• Berserk Button: Separatists. To Franco, they're just violent terrorists who ruin the country he loves most and can never be negotiated with.
• Bread and Circuses: If he rules Iberia as a dictator, he will distract the populace from his tyranny by hosting a Grand Prix event to excite the masses, even as minority and separatist teams are banned from competing.
• Break Out the Museum Piece: To counteract the Oil Crisis on his despotic path, Franco will prohibit the usage of technologies like lamps and cars. In their place, he advises citizens to use older, less effective methods like candles and horses.
• Condescending Compassion: In the moderate path of the advisory Iberian Council's fate, Franco will hear out the plights of Iberia's ethnic minorities and compromise with them, even though he has zero intention of giving them autonomy and calls their past resistance efforts as "quirks".
• Cool Bike: If he makes a diplomatic visit to America, Franco will arrive to Washington D.C. on an impressive motorcycle.
• Corrupt Politician: While coordinating with Spanish business leaders, Franco can engage in some corrupt practices to favor the some of their most influential and maximize their profits in exchange for their support. Of course, there is a chance that Franco can get caught and tarnish his reputation even more severely.
• Didn't Think This Through:
  • If he decides to concentrate all power to himself after Salazar's death, Franco expects it to be a smooth transition and makes a speech to commemorate his fellow Caudllo's funeral. Unfortunately, he failed to consider how popular Salazar was among the Portuguese and that he fails to wield the same appeal to that demographic, forcing him down a path to quash the protests against his dictatorship. If Salazar had a greater popularity than Franco, the task will be even harder and punishing in hindsight.
  • Should the Iberian Council be dissolved, Franco cements his dictatorial rule by imprisoning all of his critics and sending them to Tarrafal. It works for a short period of time before Tarrafal is overrun with prisoners without the supplies to keep them in line. This starts a national crisis where the prisoners rise up and take over the facility, requiring Franco to send the Guardia Civil to quash the uprising and alienate the population with his gross tyranny.
• Disappeared Dad: Franco was never loved by his father, and tried to repress his slight after becoming Caudillo, yet another thing that set him apart from his Portuguese counterpart. Even after Salazar's death, his desire to be buried next to his parents unsettles Franco.
• Do Well, But Not Perfect: If Franco remains in charge of a pseudo-democratic Iberia, he must manage his levels of authoritarianism. Raising it too high risks starting the Iberian Wars and leaving it too low will kickstart the Carnation Revolution and depose him.
• Due to the Dead: Franco accompanies Salazar's funeral procession all the way from Madrid to the Portuguese Caudillo's hometown of Vimieiro, insisting on traveling on horseback for the entire journey.
• Dystopia Is Hard: Dissolving the Iberian Council and cracking down hard on dissent comes to backfire on Franco, as protests amplify against the Caudillos' reign and the Guardia Civil struggles to contain the violence as it grows by the day. In this route, there is no way for Franco to consolidate his power and, when he passes, the Iberian Union will inevitably split into Spain and Portugal.
• Evil Reactionary: Downplayed, but while Franco is A Lighter Shade of Black to Nazi Germany, he is also a deeply conservative man who pushes for Catholic values above all else. Even if he chooses focuses and policies that liberalize somewhat, events show that in private he still mocks feminism and other such movements.
• Heel–Face Turn: If Franco implements enough reforms and chooses to strengthen the Iberian Council, he can willingly give up his power in favor of opening up democratic elections and he's genuinely happy to see Iberia to transition into a new government that will hopefully keep the Union together.
• Heel Realization: It can potentially happen, if gradually. Franco could wind up realizing that his policies would undo everything he'd accomplished, and that a transition to democracy would guarantee the Union's survival, however much he may disagree with with the finer details.
• I Have Your Wife: If he decides to keep the Iberian Council as an advisory body, Franco will ensure their continued loyalty by keeping tabs on the councilmen's families and holding them hostage for "safety's sake".
• Incurable Cough of Death: As the game progresses to the 70's, Franco will develop a nasty cough at one dinner and nearly chokes to death, a sign of his growing age and impending death.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: Despite Franco's personal misgivings, he can potentially push for a transition toward democracy, which would allow him to both retain some shred of his dignity and preserve his legacy in some form. Especially upon realizing that his own policies could undo everything he'd accomplished.
• A Lighter Shade of Black: Despite being being a pseudo-fascist dictator, Franco is far less repressive than the Falangists and other hardcore fascists.
• Manly Tears: Franco will take Salazar's death hard and weep at his funeral.
• Necessarily Evil:
  • If reforming the legislative Iberian Council is limited, Franco will be allowed to keep his power and intervene whenever he wants because he's acknowledged as one of the few men who could prevent the Union from falling into anarchy.
  • To manage the Oil Crisis' effects, Franco will implement tough austerity policies against the population to revive the dying economy, despite promising not to.
• Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Franco's high-pitched Galician accent comes through as he concludes Salzar's eulogy, the emotion of the moment making him unable to maintain his practiced tones.
• The Pardon: Should Franco dissolve the Iberian Council for its incompetence, he'll spare the loyal for their service, believing that they shouldn't be punished for the mistakes of their colleagues.
• Pet the Dog: If the Americans help Iberia dismantle the Santa Maria incident, Franco will repay the favor by sending them aid during the South African War.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: He holds chauvinistic attitudes against women and ethnic minorities, viewing the former as secondary to men and the latter as troublemakers who need to oppressed.
• Pragmatic Villainy:
  • Franco could grant more autonomy to the Moroccans, but only because they can give the Iberians greater access to their resources.
  • Meeting with some settlers in Morocco, Franco can give them token financial support to alleviate their struggles with inhabiting the land, if only to keep them quiet.
  • While visiting his ministries, Franco hears out some of their problems and can promise reforms to alleviate the situation, but only because it benefits him. For example, when the ministry of national education requests more funding, Franco provides it because it will produce more qualified workers and assert the Iberian Union's position in geopolitics.
  • In an advisory Iberian Council, Franco will pretend to liberalize on his political stances, but this is just to fool the extremists that matters will get better and calm them down so that the Council can decide its next move.
  • After the Battle of Barcelon's conclusion, Franco wants to revise the Constitution to give more welfare benefits to dissuade them from ever launching more terrorist attacks.
  • Under an authoritarian Iberian Council, Franco will begrudgingly cut back on the repression of ethnic minorities because these methods just breed resentment that destabilizes the nation.
  • If he dissolves the Iberian Council, Franco can influence the country's education system, where he can tone down some of its propaganda to tailor more closely with the youth's political views, making them more palatable to his own conservative ideology.
• President for Life: If he either reforms an advisory Iberian Council or creates a conservative, legislative Iberian Council, Franco will host directed elections so that the Caudillos rule Iberia indefinitely, even titling themselves "Presidents for Life of the Iberian Council".
• Propaganda Machine: If Franco decides to make himself sole Caudillo of Iberia after Salazar's death, he'll task his propagandists with reminding the people of Franco's accomplishments, of his great campaign that saved Spain from the ills of foreign communism, of him standing up the German threat, against all odds of the all-powerful Nazi war machine. Every man, woman and child are to be bombarded with appraisals of the Caudillo, and trust in Franco is trust in the nation.
• The Purge:
  • When Portugal merged with Spain, Franco conducted a purge of the old, radical Falangists, who would've attempted a coup against him.
  • In his despotic path, Franco will blame the freemasons of the Opus Dei for amplifying the Oil Crisis' effects, purging them out of his administration.
• Putting the Band Back Together: If he assumes absolute power in the wake of Salazar's death, Franco replaces Salazar's remaining supporters with the old guard of the Falange, despite their past enmities that led the dictator to purge them in the first place.
• Single Tear: He drops a single tear when the Iberian Union democratizes. While he's still personally adverse to giving additional powers to the Council, even he can't help but feel joy seeing crowds rejoice over the country's reformation, something he hasn't heard since the end of the Spanish Civil War.
• Small Role, Big Impact: In Argentina. Isabel Perón succeeding Juan Perón and paving the way for the installation of an esoteric Nazi regime could all be avoided if Franco didn't force Juan to marry her when he was in exile in Iberia and she was just another one of his mistresses.
• Stay in the Kitchen: He has a very conservative view on women's roles, thinking that they should be limited to domestic duties to raise the next generation of Iberian youths.
• Stepford Smiler: On his 80th birthday, Franco feels distressed and insecure about the kind of legacy he's going to leave behind, even still missing Salazar by his side. However, he buries his internal conflict and puts on a dignified face to the jubilant crowds and colleagues who celebrate the occasion.
• Tyrant Takes the Helm: If he completely dissolves the Iberian Council, Franco will rule Iberia as a dictator, crushing dissent wherever it goes.
• Ungrateful Bastard: Franco has a tumultuous relationship with Salazar, despite the fact that he helped him deal with a traitorous Falangist faction that tried to overthrow him.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: After Salazar's death, Franco can assume total control of the regime and greatly setback reformist sentiments in the Union because he believes having another Caudillo will lead to the same period of infighting and stagnation that plagued the country prior.

Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado

Role: Military Commander, Minister of War^note Security Minister (Fernández-Miranda cabinet), Minister of Defence^note Security Minister (Iberian Wars Fernández-Miranda cabinet), Head of State (Military Coup)

Party: Unión Republicana^note Republican Union

Ideology: Conservatism, Liberalism (Military Coup)

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show} Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado was born in 1912, in Madrid. Orphaned at a very young age, he relied on his uncle to provide him with what he needed in order to continue studies. He entered the Zaragoza Military Academy in 1929, which was then headed by Francisco Franco. Under Franco's tutelage, he also joined the Falange in 1935. During the civil war, he was quick to distinguish himself and rapidly rose through the ranks, assisting in the operations of the secret police. When World War II broke out, he joined the Blue Division as one of its high commanders, overseeing their operations from Berlin.

After the war, Mellado continued to obtain promotions. He was seen by his peers as a righteous man, and despite his lack of political commitment, his strong moral compass often landed him as a reformist. He had no particular attachment to them, but their proposals often found a champion in him.

When the Iberian Council lost its grip on the country, they began to take drastic measures to keep their grip. The Council's desperate flailing came to a head when Mellado was ordered to fire upon protestors. Enough was enough.

Now, Mellado has been appointed the provisional President of Iberia. Now, he must create a democracy from a state that did its hardest to stop it. Manuel Mellado wants the best for the Iberian people, but can he achieve this before the infighting consumes Iberia?

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• Allohistorical Allusion: In real life, Gutiérrez played an important role in the transition of post-Francoist Spain into democracy. In TNO, he can launch a coup called the Carnation Revolution, which restores democracy in Iberia in the exact same way the real life Carnation Revolution restored democracy to Portugal.
• Cincinnatus: Provisional President Gutiérrez has no intention of becoming dictator, and vows to hold democratic elections when his job is done.
• Honor Before Reason: As extreme socialists and social democrats refuse to compromise on their goals, Gutiérrez chooses to grant some of their wishes rather than take the easy way out and repress them because that would go against his original mission.
• Military Coup: As a non-reformist Iberian Council relaxes its repressive policies but still maintains its authoritarian grip, protests erupt across the peninsula, leading to Gutiérrez commanding the military loyal to him to overthrow the government and gradually return democracy to Iberia.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: As interim president, Gutiérrez will seek the support of all those who support a democratic system, including the conservatives and socialists.

Alfonso Armada

Role: Military Commander, Head of State (Iberian State)

Party: Camisas Viejas^note Old Shirts

Ideology: Falangism^note Fascism

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show} Alfonso Armada is among the youngest of Iberia's generals. Only a teenager when he served in the Civil War and only 22 when he marched into Leningrad with the Blue Division, his rise to prominence had little to do with his actual military talent. Rather, it was his connections to the royal family.

Alfonso's father Luis was a Gentleman of the Chamber and close friend of King Alfonso XIII, such that Alfonso's own godmother was none other than the King's mother. He was among the men selected to groom Prince Juan Carlos for an eventual military career, tutoring the Prince throughout his childhood. They maintain a friendly relationship to this day.

In the reshuffling of the army command structure when the Iberian Union was established, Armada was promoted to Lieutenant General. Today he serves in some ways as a liaison between the Caudillos and the former Spanish royal family, serving as a conduit through which the Caudillos hope to ensure that Juan Carlos remains loyal to and supportive of the Iberian Union and its government.

In-Game Biography (Iberian State) ^{Click to Show} Alfonso Armada Comyn has found himself reliving his glory days.

Born in 1920 to a family with a history of fighting and warfare, he was quick to pick up the tradition for himself. Deeply religious, it is easy to say that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. At the young age of 16, he opted to carry on his family's legacy in the best way possible - saving Spain from Bolshevism. After fighting through all of Spain, he later joined the Blue Division and participated in the Fall of Leningrad, aiming to help save a second country from Bolshevism.

By the late 1940's, Alfonso had become a military instructor in several different academies. He was a natural choice for promotion, from a mixture of genuine talent and political compatibility.

Democracy treated the man very poorly. He hated every facet, every moment of the system, but for the sake of his job he bit his tongue. He learned greatly from his comrades, who lost their positions for their protests. When the new democracy began to tear down Franco's legacy, he reached his limit. He secretly organized a coup, so that he may save Iberia from Bolshevism once more.

Alfonso Armada shall see himself Caudillo, and he will ensure that Iberia's new state does not repeat the mistakes that made the old Caudillos weak.

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• Evil Reactionary: If Fernández-Miranda wins the 1970 elections, Armada will despise his many reforms and may attempt to overthrow him if he angers the military too much, in which he intends to install himself as Iberia's new Caudillo.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: If Iberia transitions into a democracy, Armada will hate it, but since many of his fellow comrades were fired for protesting this, Armada keeps his mouth shut to avoid a similar fate. However, his silence will be broken if Fernández-Miranda implements too many reforms and angers the military enough to revolt against him.

Portuguese Caudillos

António de Olivera Salazar

Role: Head of State, Caudillo of Iberia^note Head of Government (Franco cabinet)

Ideology: Civilian Dictatorship^note Despotism

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show} It would be quite unfair to dismiss António de Olivera Salazar, the leader of Portugal since 1932, as merely an obstructive bureaucrat. Coming to power in Portugal a few years before Franco gained control of Spain, Salazar was a political power player in his own right. Only under the pressure of German troops seizing Angola and Mozambique did he decide to accept a deal with his own personal devil. When Franco approached Salazar to create a defensive-pact-turned-nation, he accepted, merging Portugal with the similarly right-wing nation of Spain. Now the Iberian Union, the two countries would work together in harmony... at least in theory.

In actuality, however, this could not be further from the truth. Salazar was not concerned with the welfare of the Union so much as the welfare of Portugal. Wielding a desire to protect his nation from anything that might harm her in the one hand, and an almost pathological obsession with vetoing proposals that would solidify the Union further in the other, Salazar quickly gained a reputation in the Council for being obstructive. His paranoia concerning "Spanish oppression of Portugal" led to many a confrontation with Franco himself, who saw him as one of many reasons why Iberia was likely to fall apart. With Franco's attempted passing of the "Law of Succession", meaning Portugal's absorption into Spain through the reinstallation of the monarchy after the deaths of the Caudillos, the divide between the two was firmly set. This was despite Salazar removing old shirt falangist elements who had attempted to stage a coup against the Union.

In-Game Biography (Iberian Divorce) ^{Click to Show}It would be quite unfair to dismiss António de Olivera Salazar, the leader of Portugal since 1932, as merely an obstructive bureaucrat. Coming to power in Portugal a few years before Franco gained control of Spain, Salazar was a political power player in his own right. Only under the pressure of German troops seizing Angola and Mozambique did he decide to accept a deal with his own personal devil. When Franco approached Salazar to create a defensive-pact-turned-nation, he accepted, merging Portugal with the similarly right-wing nation of Spain. However, the dream was not meant to be.

Attrition with his fellow Caudillo, the internal turmoils, the exhaustion and stress of age, a thousand reasons could be given to the end of the Union, yet none of them really matters in the end. Now, at his personal house, he oversees the rebuilding of a Portugal that, once again, stays on their own lonesome self against a rapidly changing world.

One he is certain he will not live to see past this decade.

In-Game Biography (Iberian Wars) ^{Click to Show}It would be quite unfair to dismiss Antonio de Olivera Salazar, the leader of Portugal since 1932, as merely an obstructive bureaucrat. Coming to power in Portugal a few years before Franco gained control of Spain, Salazar was a political power player in his own right. Only under the pressure of German troops seizing Angola and Mozambique did he decide to accept a deal with his own personal devil. When Franco approached Salazar to create a defensive-pact-turned-nation, he accepted reservedly, merging Portugal with the similarly right-wing nation of Spain. Now the Iberian Union, the two countries would work together in harmony... at least in theory.

In actuality, however, this could not be further from the truth. Salazar was not concerned with the welfare of the Union so much as the welfare of Portugal. Wielding a desire to protect his nation from anything that might harm her in the one hand, and an almost pathological obsession with vetoing proposals that would solidify the Union further in the other, Salazar quickly gained a reputation in the Council for being obstructive. His paranoia concerning "Spanish oppression of Portugal" led to many a confrontation with Franco himself, who saw him as one of many reasons why Iberia was likely to fall apart. With Franco's attempted passing of the "Law of Succession", meaning Portugal's absorption into Spain through the reinstallation of the monarchy after the deaths of the Caudillos, the divide between the two was firmly set. This was despite Salazar removing old shirt falangist elements who had attempted to stage a coup against the Union.

Yet it had not been Salazar's obstructionism which had led to the collapse of the Union. That blame could be entirely dropped at Franco's feet, for the Spanish dictator had failed to effectively deal with the Basque revolt. Salazar had fled Madrid for Lisbon soon after, declaring independence for the state of Portugal in an Iberia now torn apart by civil strife.

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• Creator Killer: An in-universe example. If his written book fails to commit to a single direction, it will get savaged by critics as a confusing and vague work that is awfully boring to read. Much to his dismay, this kills any chance for Salazar to write a second book and convince a publisher to sell it.
• Due to the Dead: When news of his passing is announced, Iberia goes into a nationwide period of mourning, hosting a parade in his honor for all the accomplishments he achieved in his life.
• Evil Reactionary: Downplayed, even compared to Franco. Salazar lionizes a nostalgia-tinged image of Portugal based on his conservative and traditionalist upbringing, though he's not blind to the inevitable winds of change. This has manifested in a repressed atmosphere that nonetheless has enough leeway for potential reform.
• Foreshadowing: During one of their chess games, Franco achieves a surprising victory against Salazar, with both men noting that Salazar was not as agile as usual. Soon after, he begins to show the overt signs of the illness that eventually kills him.
• Heel–Face Turn: Salazar can potentially provide the necessary push towards reform, though initially more out of ensuring the Union's survival and that his ideals are infused than genuine democratization though he does come to see value in the latter. He dies, however, before seeing it through.
• Heel Realization: Salazar's drive for reforms is partly derived from a realization that the status quo, and thus the integrity of the Iberian Union, would not outlive him for long.
• Hope Spot: Salazar's reforms are shown to be effective enough to help stabilize Iberia and even foster a genuine economic boom, especially should he emerge as the dominant Caudillo. Unfortunately, he dies not long after achieving this. Unless there are sufficient reforms beforehand, this quickly sparks a chain of events that undoes those efforts and leads to the Iberian Wars.
• Just Ignore It: During the Santa Maria hijacking, Salazar advises against calling for American aid and not responding to the attack because he doesn't want to give any more attention to the pro-democracy terrorists behind the incident.
• A Lighter Shade of Black: Similarly to Franco. While Salazar's regime is socially and politically repressive, it's nowhere near as bad as the Falangists, let alone the Nazis.
• Necessarily Evil: Salazar genuinely believes that his despotic policies are for the good of the Portuguese people, and by extension, all Iberians. Over time, however, he realizes that the status quo he's helped uphold wouldn't outlive him for long, and would instead lead to chaos.
• Obstructive Bureaucrat: Salazar has built a reputation in the Iberian Union's ruling council for being incredibly obstructive, even by their standards. Ultimately, Salazar's goal is to empower Portugal and will veto any policies that would suppress it, even if it would benefit the Union as a whole.
• Pragmatic Villainy:
  • He works to improve relations with other Catholic nations to gain stronger trade agreements and usurp Italy's title as the strongest Catholic country.
  • Between the two Caudillos, Salazar is more eager to get involved in the South African War to foster friendlier relations with South Africa, providing a buffer state against German aggression in Africa and giving them a starting point to exert further global outreach.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: If the Basques rise against the Iberian Union and Salazar thinks Franco isn't doing enough to curtail them, he'll flee from Madrid to Lisbon and declare Portugal's independence as well.
• Sincerity Mode: If trying to raise his profile among the Catholic Church, Salazar can sincerely talk about his own childhood desire to be a priest and win over many of them with his eloquence.
• Smart People Play Chess: Salazar was a university professor before he entered politics, and he eventually badgers Franco into playing a few games of chess with him.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: While his reforms and efforts do prove beneficial to Iberia, his death by 1968 can potentially destabilize the state, and if handled poorly could spark the Iberian Wars.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Salazar genuinely seems to believe that he's doing what is best for the Portuguese, and by extension, Iberia, no matter how questionable or autocratic those measures are.
• When All You Have Is a Hammer…: Salazar conducts himself as an academic, technocrat and pious Catholic. His rule as Caudillo works accordingly, for good and ill.
• Wicked Cultured: In his spare time, Salazar enjoys writing, in which he can decide what the contents of his next book should be and what legacy he wants to leave behind.

Marcelo das Neves Alves Caetano

Role: Caudillo of Iberia^note Head of Government (Franco cabinet)

Ideology: Paternalism, Civilian Dictatorship^note Despotism (Iberian Wars)

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• Allohistorical Allusion: Caetano succeeding Salazar following the latter's death can come off as very reminiscent of how he assumed power over the Estado Novo regime in OTL.
• Dragon Ascendant: After Salazar's death, Franco will appoint Caetano as the new Portuguese Caudillo, acting as a stabilizing figure to keep the Union together.
• Internal Reformist: Downplayed. Caetano is an outspoken proponent of education reform for the Iberian Union, in which he'll resign from the University of Lisbon in protest to the government's repression of students and academic freedom. Otherwise, he remains opposed to democratizing Iberia and must be pressured into going along with the process, if the Council decides to liberalize.
• The Purge: One of Caetano's first acts after succeeding Salazar is to kick out all of his predecessor's cronies, and the various other yes-men who served under his office.
• What's Up, King Dude?: Upon being inaugurated as Salazar's successor, Caetano organizes a grand tour across the nation so that he could see the masses face-to-face, a first in the Iberian Union's history.

António de Spínola

Role: Military Commander, Head of State (Franco succession)

Party: União Nacional^note National Union

Ideology: National Conservatism^note Paternalism

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show}António de Spínola is a relative newcomer to the Iberian military command. Born in 1910, he became a cavalry officer in the Portuguese Army in 1928, a position which he would hold for more than twenty years. When Südwestafrika began massing troops on Portuguese West Africa's southern border, he volunteered to lead a cavalry battalion, and held the strategically important border town of Namacunde for several days. His bold defense gave Portuguese nationals precious time to evacuate the colony before its complete takeover by the SS.

His strategic victory at Namacunde greatly increased his recognition in military circles, positioning him to become a brigadier general in the newly formed Iberian Army. Shortly thereafter he was deployed to Equatorial Guinea for the Congo Expedition. Following the death of his commanding officer from malaria, Spínola became a Divisional General in charge of all Portuguese forces in Equatorial Africa, and under his command the army secured all Cameroonian lands south of the Sanaga River more than a week prior to the expected completion date.

Having achieved two great military accomplishments in the colonies, Spínola has only become more prominent and is now well acquainted with the Caudillos, as well as other top-ranking military members. An orthodox conservative, he is supportive of the Union and its present leadership, and is not especially drawn to partisan politics. Perhaps the one political issue he is truly passionate about is the reclamation of the stolen colonies of Portuguese West Africa and Moçambique. Though he recognizes that such a reconquest is likely impossible, should an opportunity emerge to fight in Africa once more there is little doubt Spínola will want to serve on the frontlines.

In-Game Biography (Franco succession) ^{Click to Show}António de Spínola was born in 1910 in Estremoz, in what was formerly Portugal. He had a very uneventful childhood, and his path to leadership began in 1920, when he entered the Military School of Lisbon. He learned there for eight more years, and his education paid off when he was made commander of the National Republican Guard. Come 1940, he was sent to Germany to observe their troops operate during Barbarossa.

António was never one for political involvement, finding that politics got in the way of his duties as commander. Even so, he always leaned towards the conservative side of things - though how much this truly showed itself is debatable. This effort clearly worked, since Spinola kept being granted promotion after promotion. It was joked that he would be a Caudillo before 1970, with how fast he was promoted.

When Franco died, the Council could not find anyone else to replace his spot as President, and it increasingly seemed like Iberia would have to make do with only Caetano. That is, before Spinola intervened. Through some "surprise politics", he was found Franco's successor.

He may not have been a Caudillo by 1970, but he still came exceptionally close. Now, with politics as the forefront of his duty, Spinola has set to ensuring that Iberia stays content within its status quo, by any means necessary.

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• Status Quo Is God: Spinola's primary agenda as President is to keep Franco's quasi-democratic status quo afloat by any means necessary.
• Unexpected Successor: When Franco dies in 1974 after having created a quasi-democratic system with the Caudillos as Presidents, many expect Caetano to become the sole President of the Iberian Union at best and express doubts about Iberia's future at worse. Spinola intervenes and through some "surprise politics" is appointed as Franco's successor as co-President.

Pedro Teotónio Pereira

Role: Joint Minister of State^note Head of Government (Iberian Divorce Salazar cabinet), Head of State (Iberian Divorce)

Party: União Nacional - Salazaristas^note National Union - Salazarists

Ideology: Civilian Dictatorship^note Despotism

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• Meet the New Boss: Pereira carries on where Salazar left off following his death, ensuring the Portugal will get more of the same for the foreseeable future.
• You Are in Command Now: After Salazar's untimely passing, Pereira will take over Salazar's old party, even leading Portugal if the Union peacefully dissolves.

Democratic Leaders

Torcuato Fernández-Miranda

Role: Head of State (1970 election, Iberian Wars)

Party: Coalición por la Democracia - Liberales^note Coalition for Democracy - Liberals, Unión Republicana^note Republican Union (Iberian Federation)

Ideology: Liberalism

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show} Born on the north coast of Spain in 1915 Torcuato Fernández-Miranda enjoyed an education in law before joining the civil war and leaving the conflict as lieutenant. Proceeding to make use of his education he started work as a law professor at the University of Oviedo. His connections to the Francoist regime would however not be limited to the civil conflict. Apparently picked by Franco himself, Fernández-Miranda was chosen to serve in the education department of the new Iberian state. He was reported to be an effective civil servant yet questioned on his political beliefs at times.

Only when he was able to rise higher in the state apparatus did he choose to disclose some of his leanings. Believing that the Union desperately required a democratic transition to continue thriving and not falling to the traps of ethnic tensions and representation. He soon became a solid part of the reformist faction of the government. Watching as inactivity and caution however reined in men like Fraga and other conservatives he realized the path for the Union required a different path. Creating a new faction around him he was able to garner the support of those with more radical views on democratization and social issues. He now steers towards providing a better and more fair future for the Iberian Peninsula.

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• All-Loving Hero: Of all the democratic candidates, Fernández-Miranda cares the most about Iberia's minorities and seeks to increase their representation in the government.
• Ambiguous Situation: If the Unión Republicana wins the 1970 elections, Fernández-Miranda will make a speech that suggests he may resign once he achieves his goals to securing Iberia's democracy, but Fernández-Miranda doesn't officially address this.
• Befriending the Enemy: Upon his election, he realizes that the AAS isn't quite as politicized as he originally thought and meets with them to clear any misunderstandings so that they can both be on the same side.
• Broken Pedestal: Unlike the other democratic parties, Fernández-Miranda will openly denounce Franco as a repressive dictator, potentially angering many Falangists and even some members of the Alianza Popular.
• For Great Justice: His prison reforms are to free the prisoners who have been unjustly jailed for petty crimes and subjected to cruel living conditions. He asserts that he won't stop this crusade until the legal system can be considered truly righteous.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: Fernández-Miranda is disliked by the rural population, who perceive him as too elitist and urban for their tastes. If Fernández-Miranda becomes president, he'll have to help them in some way to fix this reputation.
• History Repeats: To tackle the Oil Crisis, Fernández-Miranda starts his own New Economic Program that will blend free-market practices with state control, just like the Soviet Union did. However, unlike Bukharin's implementation of it, the plan can succeed here.
• Internal Reformist: Fernández-Miranda leads a reformist faction in Iberia's government, which wants to establish a provincial autonomy system, expand civil rights, and eliminate Iberia's more authoritarian inclinations. He can choose to pursue this goal, either by force in the Iberian Wars or by winning the 1970 elections.
• Necessarily Evil: Fernández-Miranda despises the AAS as a tyrannical tool abused by Franco to hold on to his power, but he can't dismantle them and the most he can do is cooperate with them for the time being.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
  • As part of his election campaign, Fernández-Miranda promises to lift bans on left-wing parties, but when's actually elected and put in a position of power to do so, he could turn around and break his promise so as to not anger the military. This starts a massive strike in Barcelona by several left-wing parties who are outraged by the betrayal, in which either a compromise can be reached, or the ban could be kept in place.
  • If Fernández-Miranda implements too many radical reforms, he can anger the military enough to revolt against them under Alfonso Armada, breaking apart the Union.
• Power of Trust: He firmly criticizes the Iberian government's distrust that the people can manage themselves without bringing destructive radicalism to the nation, faithfully believing that the people can govern themselves to the benefit of the nation.
• Reasonable Authority Figure:
  • Even though Fernández-Miranda is a little unnerved by the idea, he'll allow leftist parties to participate in the new Iberian democratic system, including the anarchists.
  • Fernández-Miranda is also willing to grant some level of autonomy to Iberia's ethnic minorities, such as legalizing their languages.
• Reluctant Retiree: If Iberia fails to transition to democracy, Fernández-Miranda, knowing that his political career was over, resigns from his position as Minister-Secretary of the Movimiento Nacional, returns to Asturias and buys a modest estate, where he would live out the rest of his life.
• Take a Third Option: As president, Fernández-Miranda is presented with the ultimatum of giving regional autonomy to the ethnic minorities and risking national division or denying them the privilege and going back on his campaign promises. Instead, he opts to fulfill his vow by creating constituent nations to represent the minorities and protect their rights, while still keeping the nation united.
• Wide-Eyed Idealist: One of the most idealistic politicians in Iberia who advocates dramatic reforms to the system, something that traditionalists hate about him. If he doesn't carefully manage this optimism, he could risk civil war.
• Witch Hunt: Subverted. While investigating cases of election fraud, Fernández-Miranda ensures that he is doing so as lawfully as he can, performing thorough investigations before anyone is arrested and giving them due process.

Alberto Ullastres Calvo

Role: Head of State (1970 election)

Party: Partido Renovador Democrático^note Democratic Renewal Party

Ideology: Market Liberalism^note Liberal Conservatism

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show} Ullastres Calvo was born on the eve of only the first of the many unfathomable catastrophes that seized the reins of the 20th century. He dedicated his early years in Madrid to attaining a strong education, graduating first in Law and Commerce and later obtaining his doctorate. Initially working as professor for Political Economy he soon found his way into serving for the newly established Iberian administration. His economic knowledge was greatly needed as the Union took a harsh economic hit from the 1950s German Financial Crash and the animosity between the Einheitspakt and the Triumvirate.

Quickly working his way up the civil service ladder he was soon screened for ministerial positions. Reservations about his revealed close connections to the highly religious order Opus Dei remained but Ullastres managed to finally serve as trade minister for the Union. The longer he served however the more disillusioned he became with the current direction of the Union, especially its economic policy. So when Iberia's democratisation succeeded he finally decided to act. Along with fellow business reform minded people within the administration and private organizations, amongst them notably Opus Dei, he formed the Partido Renovador Democrático. The party advocated for cutting more government restrictions in the economy and generally scaling back the size of the state. These they argued would bring greater prosperity to the people of Iberia and ensure the capacity of the Union to withstand modern challenges. With lofty promises and great propaganda Ullastres and the party were able to seize the reins of control. They could now begin to shape the future.

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• Being Good Sucks: His reformist agenda doesn't get quite as much backlash as Fernández-Miranda, but he still gets it bad. All over Iberia, protests pop up against his crackdown on conservative and Falangist politicians, to the point that some have attempted assassination against PRD politicians.
• Benevolent Conspiracy: Opus Dei tries to be this within Iberia, its members and affiliates ostensibly presenting their ideas as being beneficial to the economy. Whether they make enough headway, however, depends on how stable the state is and who's in charge.
• Capitalism Is Bad: Inverted. Ullastres is probably the most open democratic candidate to the idea of capitalism, in which he'll end Iberia's old autarky policies in favor of greater economic freedom.
• Dark Horse Victory: To the surprise of many, Ullastres can potentially win the 1970 elections, giving him a chance to enact his promises of economic liberalization.
• Everyone Has Standards: Even though he is in favor of capitalism, Ullastres is not happy to hear of a factory unfairly firing most of its staff to maximize profits during the troublesome Oil Crisis. As such, Ullastres implements reforms to give limited government interference in the economy, ensuring that workers are not being freely exploited by corporate interests.
• Hero-Worshipper: His free-market stances are inspired by the United States' own title as the "land of opportunity". As president, Ullastres will work to follow in their footsteps, which he hopes will produce their own "Ford or Rockefeller".
• Internal Reformist: A large part of his platform is to fire incompetent government officials and introduce economic reforms to maximize Iberia's efficiency.
• Morton's Fork: Despite personally being Catholic, Ullastres understands that not everyone in Iberia is of the same religion and he's confronted with tough choices about how enforced his beliefs should be, such as the status of divorce and secularism. No matter what he picks, someone's going to be unhappy.
• Necessarily Evil: In spite of the success of his economic policies, they are disliked by certain interest groups as too technocratic and not interventionist enough to help the people during the Oil Crisis, but Ullastres is content to make this short-term sacrifice, confident that this will help Iberia in the long run.
• Only Sane Man: From Ullastres' perspective, his party stands above the other democratic parties for avoiding the inflammatory language they frequently use.
• Privately Owned Society: The free market reforms presented by economists linked to Opus Dei wind up creating a peculiar blend of hypercapitalism and theocracy.
• Real Men Love Jesus: As a member of Opus Dei, he genuinely believes that his economic and social reforms are done in the name of God.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Ullastres is interested in introducing laws to grant equal justice and legal status to Iberia's minorities.
• Taking a Third Option: Ullastres' party represents a middling option between the political ideologies of the Unión Republicana and the Coalición de Salvación Democrática.
• The Unapologetic: In the face of criticism for his economic policies negatively impacting certain groups during the Oil Crisis, Ullastres appears on TV to justify the necessity and long-term benefits of his actions, never once apologizing for the costs he puts the nation under.

Manuel Fraga

Role: President of the Government^note Head of Government (Iberian Divorce Franco cabinet), Head of State (1970 election)

Party: Alianza Popular^note People's Alliance, Coalición de Salvación Democrática^note Coalition of Democratic Salvation (Valcárcel removed)

Ideology: Conservatism

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show} To some, Manuel Fraga Iribarne is the champion of the new democratic Iberia, a firm and fair leader who can keep the country from falling apart in the aftermath of the transition to democracy. To others, Fraga is just another Falangist, a holdover from the old regime whose project is to retain the economic and political legacy of the dictatorship while giving the same old authoritarianism a new, modern sheen. The truth lies somewhere in the middle.

A lawyer by trade, Fraga's involvement in politics goes back to the 1950's, when he held various minor posts in the regime of the Caudillos. His big break came when he was appointed Minister for Information and Tourism, where he earned a name for himself by revitalizing the Iberian tourism industry, leading a campaign under the slogan "Iberia is different!" In the 60's Fraga also earned an unsavory reputation for his role as a propagandist for the regime, publicly justifying the execution of political prisoners such as Julian Grimau. Despite his complicity in the worst abuses of the Caudillos, Fraga became a part of a reformist faction within the regime, seeking to move Iberia in the direction of democracy. When the rule of the Caudillos ended, he formed the Alianza Popular, an alliance of various smaller parties led by former reformist ministers in the old regime.

After the election of the Unión Nacional in Iberia's first democratic elections, Fraga and the Alianza Popular eventually entered into opposition, opposing the anti-democratic trajectory of the new government. With President Valcárcel's failed attempt to destroy the Iberian Council and re-establish a dictatorial regime, Fraga was forced to band together with the other democratic parties in what is now known as the Democratic Salvation Coalition. Thrust into the position of President, he must now keep the unruly transitional coalition alive long enough to deal with the Unión Nacional and ensure the continuation of Iberian democracy.

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• Boring, but Practical: Many vote for Fraga because they believe his cautious, conservative agenda is what Iberia needs to transition into a democracy without risking a reactionary backlash.
• The Church: A major part of his platform is to entwine the government with the Catholic Church, upholding the religion's values.
• Consolation Prize: He's reluctant to give autonomy to Iberia's minorities, but he will give minor concessions to continue practicing some of their cultural traditions, such as public holidays.
• Dude, Where's My Respect?: He's not pleased to hear the masses jeer at him for the Oil Crisis' detrimental impact on Iberia, thinking them ungrateful for not appreciating his role in liberalizing the country.
• Enemy Mine: Fraga will lead a coalition of democratic parties to overthrow Valcárcel if he takes power and implements increasingly authoritarian methods. Once Valcárcel is ousted, Fraga is left with the difficult challenge of keeping the coalition together, until democratic reforms can be introduced to reverse Valcárcel's policies.
• Everyone Has Standards:
  • Disregarding their shared conservative ideology, Fraga has no love for the old Francoists and their totalitarian practices. While democracy may be flawed in his eyes, it's much better than oppressing his own people.
  • If Valcárcel takes power, Fraga will form a coalition with him so that Iberia can have a conservative majority, but if Valcárcel's suppression of other democratic parties is discovered, Fraga will be enraged and cut all ties to his party.
• Good Old Ways: Despite being more committed to democracy, Fraga shares Franco's idealization of traditional and religious values, making him less reform-minded than some of the other presidential candidates.
• Hitler Ate Sugar:
  • As part of his election campaign, Fraga denounces the more liberal political parties as crypto-communists.
  • Ironically, he becomes the victim of this himself during the Oil Crisis, where his unpopular austerity programs lead many to denounce him as a fascist.
• In Harmony with Nature: Fraga explicitly rejects the industrial bases of America and Germany, intending to uphold ruralism as the proper and responsible way to live.
• Internal Reformist:
  • He briefly served as this during his service in the Caudillos' regime, urging for democratic reforms at risk of his own career.
  • To a lesser extent than the Unión Republicana and the Partido Renovador Democrático, Fraga wants to implement token reforms to eliminate Iberia's self-destructive policies, while still keeping many of its institutions alive.
• Media Watchdog: During his presidency, Fraga passes the Press and Printing Act that allows the government to preress any news media deemed defamatory or family-unfriendly.
• Moral Guardians: He condemns sexual immorality and hedonism as sins brought about by secularization, which he wants to reverse.
• Morton's Fork: With Iberia's economy severely weakened by the Oil Crisis, Fraga has the option to either raise taxes and upset the middle class who make up the majority of their support base or leave them alone and risk financial ruin.
• My Country, Right or Wrong: On TV, Fraga makes this appeal to the public, urging them to accept his temporary, unpopular economic policies for the good of the country and its stability.
• The Narcissist: If the Alianza Popular wins the 1970 elections, Fraga will make a speech glorifying himself above the party.
• Necessarily Evil: To alleviate the effects of the Oil Crisis, he will pursue temporary, but harsh austerity policies that will upset the people for the sake of riding out the situation.
• Politically Incorrect Hero: Convicted by his Christian beliefs, Fraga doesn't wholeheartedly support feminism and can limit them to domestic duties to enforce the traditional family structure.
• Real Men Love Jesus: He intends to instill Christian values in Iberian society, upholding order and justice as sacred tenets.
• Rebuilt Pedestal: Fraga acknowledges that Franco wasn't perfect, but he'll still seek to portray him as a well-meaning dictator who was a victim of Hitler's insane policies.
• Reconcile the Bitter Foes: In contrast to the Francosists, Fraga respects the ethnic minorities that live in Iberia, intending to mend their relationship with the majority Spanish and Portuguese so that they can live under equal circumstances.
• Reformed, but Rejected: He briefly served under Franco and Salazar as Ministor for Information and Tourism. Though he's long since renounced their reactionary ideology, some have not forgotten about his collaboration with the dictators, something which he must address at some point.

Alejandro Rodríguez de Valcárcel

Role: Minister of Foreign Affairs^note Foreign Minisjter (Franco and Salazar cabinet), President of the Government^note Head of Government (Iberian Divorce Franco cabinet), Head of State (1970 election, Franco succession)

Party: Unión Nacional^note National Union (Iberian Federation)

Ideology: Civilian Dictatorship^note Despotism, National Conservatism^note Paternalism (1970 election)

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• The Assimilator: He deals with Iberia's ethnic minorities by enforcing the Spanish culture on them, subtly destroying their culture in the process.
• Blatant Lies: In the face of defecting voters who denounce their anti-democratic practices, Rodríguez de Valcárcel pretends to act cool about it, stating that it benefits the party because it purges it of any liberals. In private, Rodríguez de Valcárcel's frustrated cursing and moping prove that this is not the case.
• Dragon Ascendant: When Franco dies in 1974 without liberalizing the Union, Rodríguez de Valcárcel takes his place as Spain's Caudillo.
• Enemy Mine: In preparation for the upcoming election, Rodríguez de Valcárcel forms an alliance with the FET y de las JONS due to their shared reactionary ideology, despite having conflicting political stances otherwise.
• Evil Reactionary: Originally, Rodríguez de Valcárcel was apathetic to reforming the Iberian Union, but once they began threatening his high government position, he now leads a reactionary faction that intends to halt this development and have the Falange reign supreme over Iberia.
• Feudal Overlord: He decentralizes the Iberian Union's economy so that corporate groups to lord over the common people with minimal interference.
• The Fundamentalist: To him, Catholicism should be sacred in Iberia and expects everyone to convert to it or be damned to Hell.
• Good Old Ways: Rodríguez de Valcárcel idealizes Spain and Portugal's past of colonization, as well as its traditional, Christian values.
• Hitler Ate Sugar: He treats most reformist political parties in Iberia as Bolshevik fronts collaborating with the separatists and terrorists plaguing Iberia, in which it's supposedly his duty to discredit this opposition.
• Meet the New Boss: With the Caudillos out of power when Iberia democratizes, Rodríguez de Valcárcel will try to take over so that he can reestablish the Estado Novo regime and bring the nation back to a dictatorial direction.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: His efforts to undermine the democratic system may anger the Guardia Civil into rounding them up and arresting them, allowing the Democratic Salvation Coalition to form an interim government to fix the damage left behind.
• Number Two: Upon the Iberian Council's creation, he'll be appointed by Francisco Franco and António Salazar to serve as its President.
• Patriotic Fervor: To distract separatist sentiments, Rodríguez de Valcárcel trumpets Iberian patriotism to unite the nation against perceived threats to everyone's wellbeing.
• Pet the Dog:
  • Rodríguez de Valcárcel admires Iberia's farmers as tireless workers and faithful Catholics, so he will introduce rewards to them and improve Iberia's agriculture development.
  • His economic policies are targeted against corrupt creditors who are exploiting the system for their own game.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: He rejects any notion of minority autonomy in Iberia and refuse to give them any compromise over the issue.
• Pragmatic Villainy:
  • He doesn't resort to murder when dealing with Iberia's minorities because it'd be too troublesome and controversial, so he settles on destroying their culture by assimilating them.
  • If the people revolt against his policies, Rodríguez de Valcárcel can back down from them, as sticking to his guns may increase the population's militancy and lead to a rebellion against him.
• President Evil: Rodríguez de Valcárcel has no respect for the democratic structure of Iberia and sees it as a sham for communists to seize power. If he gets elected, he will work to undermine the system.
• Propaganda Machine: After becoming president, Rodríguez de Valcárcel will empower the propaganda ministry to enforce Christian ideals to the public.
• Rebuilt Pedestal: Rodríguez de Valcárcel still holds a fond view of the Caudillos and will seek to restore their reputation and cult of personalities if he takes power.
• Red Scare: Rodríguez de Valcárcel has a very negative view of all leftists and will start a propaganda campaign to demonize them and incite Iberia's fears of their ideology.
• The Remnant In addition to the Unión Nacional, Rodríguez de Valcárcel also leads the moderate members of the FET y de las JONS, as they will merge with Valcárcel's party.
• Token Evil Teammate: Of all the Iberian democratic candidates, Rodríguez de Valcárcel is the most reactionary of them and the least willing to reform the Union.
• Twisting the Words: Disdaining the liberal ideology of the Unión Republicana, Rodríguez de Valcárcel digs into their past to see if he can find anything to twist and make it seem as if they're supporting the terrorists.
• Villainous Breakdown: When numerous potential voters leave the UN prior to the 1970 presidential election, Rodríguez de Valcárcel loses it in private, stomping around his headquarters and cursing at anyone who tries to talk to him.

Iberian Wars

Spanish Civil War

Spain

Official Name: Spanish State, Iberian State (Falangist Uprising)

Ruling Party: Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista (Orthodoxos)^note Traditionalist Spanish Phalanx of the Councils of the National Syndicalist Offensive (Orthodox)

Ideology: Despotism

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• Dark Horse Victory: If the Iberian Wars occur, it will be a struggle for the Madrid government to win, as they're sandwiched between the Spanish Republic and the Falangists, on top of having to conquer every single secessionist nation and Portugal to restore the Iberian Union.
• Let No Crisis Go to Waste: As Britain and France were swept away by the Axis, Spain seized Gibraltar from the former and some West African territory from the latter.
• Renegade Splinter Faction: If the Unión Republicana makes too many reforms and angers the military enough, the remaining Falangists will rise up as the Iberian State, a hardliner Falangist faction.
• We Used to Be Friends: If Spain, as the Iberian Federal Government, and Portugal win their respective wars, the former will need to invade their former ally to restore the old Union. This sentiment is even stronger if the Iberian Wars occurred before Salazar's death, meaning that Franco will have to combat his old friend.

Spanish Republic

^{Flag of the Kingdom of Spain}

^{Flag of the Spanish Republic (Socialist)}

Official Name: Spanish Republic, Kingdom of Spain (Monarchy restored), Spanish Provisional Government (Campo)

Ruling Party: Coalición por la Democracia - Liberales^note Coalition for Democracy - Liberals, Junta Democrática de España^note Democratic Junta of Spain (Socialist puppet)

Ideology: Liberalism, Revolutionary Front^note Socialism (Socialist Puppet), Provisional Government^note Paternalism (Republic/Salazarist puppet)

The democratic faction in the Spanish Civil War.

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• Bittersweet Ending: If the Spanish Republic wins the Iberian Wars, they can begin the first steps to liberalize Spain, but at the cost of losing the Iberian Union and the secessionist territories that once belonged to Spain. The ending can lean more into the "bitter" side if the conflict lasts too long and the Republic becomes increasingly despotic.
• Internal Reformist: The Republic's main support base consists of reformists, though by the time the Iberian Wars erupt they've abandoned that approach and now seek to democratise Spain by force.
• Necessarily Evil: When the war starts, the Spanish Republic is a functioning democracy, but if the Iberian Wars drag on, the nation is forced to break many of their former promises and becomes increasingly despotic, first as the Kingdom of Spain and then a military junta as the "Spanish Provisional Government."
• Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: The Republican movement has a wide range of supporters, from communists, socialists, democrats and monarchists.
• Rightful King Returns: Despite being initially declared as a republic, the faction actually includes a substantial number of constitutional monarchists, who are disillusioned with Franco’s refusal to restore the House of Bourbon. As such, the Republic may be reformed into a constitutional monarchy after winning the war.

Torcuato Fernández-Miranda

Role: Head of State (1970 election, Iberian Wars)

Party: Coalición por la Democracia - Liberales^note Coalition for Democracy - Liberals, Unión Republicana^note Republican Union (Iberian Federation)

Ideology: Liberalism

See his character folder above.

Sabino Fernández Campo

Party: Gobierno Provisional^note Provisional Government

Ideology: Provisional Government^note Paternalism

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• Military Coup: If the Iberian Wars last even longer after the Republic turns into the Kingdom of Spain, Fernández will launch a coup against the government, arguing that a civilian government is incapable of winning the conflict, and begin implementing martial law over his territory out of desperation to win the war.

Falangist Spain

^{Flag of Frente Azul (National Socialism)}

Official Name: Falangist Spain, Frente Azul^Tr.Blue Front (Anarchy), Spanish State (Frente Azul - Iberian Wars victory)

Ruling Party: Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista^note Traditionalist Spanish Phalanx of the Councils of the National Syndicalist Offensive

Ideology: Falangism^note Fascism

The hardline falangist faction in the Spanish Civil War.

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• Red and Black Totalitarianism: The Falangists' flag is red-and-black, and they represent the most extreme far-right elements of the Caudillos' regime, planning to subjugate the Iberian peninsula under a fascist dictatorship.
• Renegade Splinter Faction: They splinter from Franco's moderate faction to bring an even more extreme fascist government in its place.
• The Starscream: They're an entire clique of traitors that seek to overthrow Franco, first by a coup and then through civil war when the first attempt fails.
• Villainous Legacy: Their founder, José Antonio Primo de Rivera, is long dead, but his fascist loyalists have survived and will try implementing his ideas again if the Iberian Wars occur.

Jaime Milans del Bosch

Role: Head of State

Party: Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista^note Traditionalist Spanish Phalanx of the Councils of the National Syndicalist Offensive

Ideology: Falangism^note Fascism

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show}Born as the son of a military noble family, Jaime Milans Del Bosch was set on an early trajectory in his life. Joining the Toledo Infantry Academy in 1934 and fighting as a cadet in the Spanish Civil War he was influenced by militarist and fascist ideology. He would go on to gain an officer's commission in the Spanish Foreign Legion and serve fanatically in the Blue Division to fight against the Soviet Union under German command. After the war he did not understand the distancing Spain undertook from Germany by joining in a Union with Portugal and forming the Triumvirate with the other Mediterranean powers. He quickly began to despise the political situation in Iberia and berated anyone whom he could trust that the current regime should go in favour of a more German aligned fascist Spain. Yet his lowly officer position left his concerns unnoticed to a large extent. With the Iberian situation deteriorating and his qualms being ignored he began to radicalise further.

The Basque rising however provided opportunity. Seizing the initiative, he led a successful coup in Valladolid with fellow junior officers that quickly spread through northern Spain by means of false information and propaganda. His new movement seeks to restore all Spanish lands under a hardcore Falangist government.

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• Broken Pedestal: Milans del Bosch's resentments towards Franco and his perceived betrayal against Falangism boil over into open revolt against the government.
• Deadly Euphemism: If Milans del Bosch wins, he'll give a speech, announcing his intention to shape Spain into a Falanigst "utopia." International observers collectively agree that this term can't mean anything good.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: By 1962, Milans del Bosch is only a low-ranking military officer, but once the Basque uprising happens, he can quickly seize power and become the fascist dictator of Falangist Spain.
• Historical Villain Upgrade: In real life, Milans del Bosch was a Francoist general who participated in the 1981 Spanish coup d'état attempt, but he was never a Falangist at all.
• A Lighter Shade of Black: Surprisingly, Milans del Bosch's clique is less extreme than both the Frente Azul and the National Redemption Front.
• Military Coup: Milans del Bosch seizes power by launching a successful coup in Valladolid with his fellow junior officers.
• Old Soldier: He participated in the Spanish Civil War as a cadet.
• Uncertain Doom: If Milans del Bosch gets overthrown by Arrese, it's left ambiguous as to what his fate is, but the event pertaining to the development indicates that it wasn't good.

José Luis de Arrese

Role: Head of State (Coup)

Party: Falange Española^note Spanish Phalanx

Ideology: Stratocratic Corporatism^note National Socialism

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• Eviler than Thou: If the Falangists fail to win the Iberian Wars, Arrese will grow dissatisfied and launch a coup against them, restorting to even more extreme measures to win the war.
• Foreign Culture Fetish: Their government is modeled directly after the German Reich. Even after the Frente Azul conquer Portugal, they'll try mirroring Germany's relationship to Slovakia by setting up a similar master-puppet relationship in Portugal.
• Renegade Splinter Faction: Arrese leads the Frente Azul, an ultra-right paramilitary that will coup the original Falangist government and adheres to orthodox German National Socialism.

National Redemption Front

Official Name: National Redemption Front

Ruling Party: Frente de Redención Nacional^note National Redemption Front

Ideology: Fundamentalism^note Ultranationalism

A Catholic extremist faction led by Francoist statesman Carlos Arias Navarro. Arias, driven mad by the neverending Iberian Wars, founded the National Redemption Front with a clique of fanatical Catholics in an attempt to end the war through religious fanaticism. The NRF is extremely brutal and follows their own fundamentalist brand of Catholicism, and in the long run, desires the creation of the Kingdom of God on Iberia.

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• Allohistorical Allusion: The NRF's ideology and policies have more than a few parallels with the rise of the Taliban and other radical Islamist movements, albeit with a Christian veneer. Even its flag is reminiscent of that of the Islamic State, with a religious symbol and motto in white on a black background.
• Anarcho-Tyranny: The NRF aims to eradicate all traces of secularism for their part in the so-called "Thousand Years" betrayal, including every semblance of a functional state. This also translates into mobs of fanatics cowing citizens into submission and having free rein to enact whatever they see as God's will, so long as it's tolerated by the leadership.
• Church Militant: The NRF is a group of radical Catholics that emerge out of the Iberian War, desiring to bring about the Kingdom of God on Earth.
• Creepy Crosses: The flag of the NRF features a dagger-like cross of the Order of Santiago, indicative of their murderousness.
• Crushing the Populace: The NRF brutally cleanses their territory to fully realize their fundamentalist Catholic Kingdom.
• Culture Police: As a part of their "sanitation" campaign, the NRF seeks to prohibit any secular music.
• Dark Is Evil: The National Redemption Front is by far the most evil of the Iberian War factions, and their flag comes with a pitch black background.
• Eviler than Thou: The Front hates other far-right groups just as much as (if not more than) the rest of the factions in Iberia and will purge the Carlists as soon as they achieve power.
• Foil:
  • The National Redemption Front is in many respects a dark mirror of Opus Dei. While both profess to be devout Catholic movements, the NRF seeks to achieve its vision through extreme measures and the destruction of all notions of secularism in favor of a "pure" Christendom.
  • It's also a dark reflection of Alexander Men's Divine Mandate of Siberia. While both seek to build a Kingdom of God, The Father pursues a benevolent vision of Christendom shaped by egalitarianism and Christian anarchist influences, the NRF pursues a fundamentalist version of it that leaves no room for anything other that its "purity".
• The Fundamentalist: The NRF is made up of the most extreme Catholics in Iberia. They enforce their extreme branch of Catholicism through brutal repression and terror. They wage war with everybody as they do not believe in nations, only God and his servants.
• Hated by All: The NRF is seen as so beyond the pale for most Catholics that even the Vatican itself denounces them as anti-Christian madmen.
• Malevolent Masked Men: The NRF's unification event shows its members wearing concealing robes with pointed hoods that fully hide their faces. While it's actually the uniform of penitent Catholic monks, Anglo-Saxon viewers may be reminded of another famous organisation whose members wore similar outfits, which was similarly vile.
• Monumental Damage: The NRF is more than eager to burn down Iberian palaces to completely eradicate the memory of secular regimes.
• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: The name "National Redemption Front" sounds far scarier than the regional-political names of other Iberian War factions like "Portuguese People's Republic" or "Free Catalunya"; putting the word "Redemption" in your name is an easy hint that you are a very radical faction.
• Pretentious Latin Motto: The phrase written on their flag, Miserere Nobis, literally means "have mercy upon us", a phrase from Agnus Dei.
• Principles Zealot: A very literal example. The NRF is so committed to ending the conflict and bringing about God's Kingdom on Earth that it considers things like compromise, ethics and ironically, any semblance of Christian morality other than its own as heretical.
• The Purge: The whole "Enforce Sanitation" tree is dedicated to the purge of the old regime servants, the remnants of secular culture and any semblances of an actual state.
• Renegade Splinter Faction: As if the Falangists weren't unsavory enough, the National Redemption Front takes all of their negative qualities and cranks it up tenfold to create an even more insane and genocidal state than them. Moreover, the radicals' exploits and twisted worldview make them schismatic heretics in the eyes of the wider Catholic Church.
• The Theocracy: The National Redemption Front is a faction of fundamentalist Catholics who seek to turn Iberia into a militant Catholic state, the "Kingdom of God on Earth".

Carlos Arias Navarro

Role: Head of State

Party: Frente de Redención Nacional^note National Redemption Front

Ideology: Fundamentalism^note Ultranationalism

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• Historical Villain Upgrade: Carlos Arias Navarro in real life was a hardline Francoist who sentenced thousands to death as part of the Francoist White Terror. However, here he straight up becomes an insane Catholic fundamentalist, the holy regent for the extremely brutal National Redemption Front.
• Sanity Slippage: Once, he was a simple Francoist statesman. However, after seeing the never-ending horror of the Iberian Wars, he loses all his faith in the old order and turns into a completely different person, seeking answers from no one but God himself.

Portuguese Civil War

Portugal

Official Name: Portuguese Republic

Ruling Party: União Nacional - Salazaristas^note National Union - Salazarists

Ideology: Despotism

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• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After the Basque revolt occurs, Portugal will secede from the Iberian Union, realizing that the country is doomed to collapse either way.
• Vestigial Empire: Despite being an equal member of the Iberian Union and nominal parity with Spain, Portugal has lost comparatively more in terms of territory and influence, especially after the German seizure of their colonies in Mozambique and Angola, as well as the ignoble loss of Goa. This can potentially fuel further resentment that could lead to the country seceding.

Government of National Salvation

Official Name: Government of National Salvation

Ruling Party: Governo de Salvação Nacional^note Government of National Salvation

Ideology: Stratocratic Corporatism^note National Socialism

A militarist government led by the hardline nationalist general Kaúlza de Arriaga, who aims to "save" Portugal by creating a stratocracy ruled entirely by the military and then taking revenge on all of Portugal's enemies. Their failed march on the Portuguese government and subsequent uprising initiates the civil war in Portugal.

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• Allohistorical Allusion: The circumstances and political agenda behind the GNS are in many respects, a dark mirror of the Carnation Revolution that toppled the Estado Novo in OTL.
• Armies Are Evil: The GNS is the most militaristic faction among the Portuguese breakaways during the Iberian Wars, and is very much evil.
• Deadly Gas: Unlike the rest of Iberia, the GNS is not hesitant to use chemical weapons.
• Ironic Name: The GNS shares the same name (albeit as the National Salvation Junta) as the coup that brought down the Estado Novo in real life. Unlike OTL, however, the GNS has no intention of transitioning Portugal to democracy, while their policies would be seen as beyond the pale even for Salazar.
• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: "Government of National Salvation" sounds a lot more ominous than the names of the other Portuguese factions in the civil war. It immediately hints at their belief that the rebirth of the Portuguese nation can only come through horrific violence.
• A Nazi by Any Other Name: The far-right militarist stratocracy of the Government of National Salvation, with its revanchism towards all of Portugal's enemies, are classified in-game as National Socialists.
• Renegade Splinter Faction: The Government of National Salvation appears during the Iberian Wars as a reaction towards the more sensible politicians of Portugal, who, in Arriaga's eyes, turned their back on Portugal and allowed its 500-year-old empire to be extinguished.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: The GNS wants every nation that wronged Portugal to pay back in blood.
• Secret Police: One GNS focus mentions the creation of the Flechas, the special forces unit in the Estado Novo's secret police PIDE in real life. Considering the fully militarized nature of the GNS, the Flechas will likely be even more brutal than in real life, possibly even becoming a full-fledged State Sec.
• Warhawk: The GNS, as a whole, consists of disgruntled radical Portuguese generals who wish militaristic vengeance on the enemies of Portugal—both those who tore away its colonial empire, and Spain, for forcing it into the Iberian Union. Once they achieve their initial goals, a news event implies that they are not finished and now want to expand their conquests abroad.

Kaúlza de Arriaga

Role: Head of State

Party: Governo de Salvação Nacional^note Government of National Salvation

Ideology: Stratocratic Corporatism^note National Socialism

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show}"A good military leader is not made in academies and offices, listening to instructors, attending courses and answering to evaluations, but on the field: killing and watching men die." That was what General Kaúlza de Arriaga believed when he first saw action in Angola. Seeing the Portuguese Army, well used to titles, medals, degrees and salutes being crushed by the fast and efficient Germans who took the Crown Jewels of the Portuguese Empire and the submission of those proud generals and ministers to Spanish rule in order to protect themselves made him sure of it.

General Kaúlza de Arriaga is a fanatic defendant of a new kind of Army, one free from bureaucracy and unearned promotions, with full dedication to combat, not politics, staffed only by young eager volunteers with harsh technical and psychological training willing to take any mission while equipped with the most modern weaponry available. His ideas were outright refused by the Spanish, but his growing popularity amongst Portuguese officers earned him a small field lab for his theses: The Commando Regiment, drawing their first blood in counter insurgency operations in Algeria.

Then he saw same generals and politicians who ostracized him losing the rest of the Empire, undoing 500 years of work of brave Portuguese men and decided that was enough, he would sit idly while Portugal falls. The Commando Regiment marches on Lisbon, and Hell followed with...

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• Elite Army: Arriaga advocates for a new kind of elite army, whose members are trained to the max, equipped with the best, and fully dedicated to combat in both body and mind. He created the Commando Regiment as a test lab for his ideas.
• The Generalissimo: Arriaga is the hardline militarist leader of GNS's Portugal.
• General Ripper: Arriaga is an unrepentant and unrestrained warmonger towards his fellow Portuguese, Iberians and former colonial subjects alike. If he succeeds in taking over Portugal, he will turn the country into a hypermilitaristic Stratocracy and take revenge on all the other countries that wronged Portugal. He was infamous in real life for the war crimes hiss men committed during the Portuguese colonial wars, as well as his involvement with far-right political groups and his fierce opposition to Portugal's post-Salazar governments. To put it mildly, Kaúlza is a deeply unsavory figure and easily one of the worst potential victors of the civil war (at least in Portugal specifically).
• Historical Villain Upgrade: Arriaga, a nationalist right-wing populist in real life, is a full-fledged National Socialist in TNO.
• Military Coup: Arriaga is displeased by the collapse of the Portuguese colonial empire and later the collapse of the Spanish/Iberian colonies. As such, he and his Commando Regiment marches on Lisbon and deposes the Portuguese government, in order to create a new one that in his eyes can save Portugal.
• The Quisling: If the Frente Azul wins the Iberian Wars and sets up a puppet government in Portugal, Arriaga will be sent to lead the new satellite state for the benefit of Spain.
• Tyrant Takes the Helm: Arriaga's hypermilitaristic stratocracy makes Salazar's corporatist state look like a pleasant liberal republic.

Portuguese Provisional Republic

Official Name: Portuguese Provisional Republic

Ruling Party: Movimento Forças Armadas^note Armed Forces Movement

Ideology: Paternalistic Conservatism^note Conservatism

The democratic faction in the Portuguese Civil War, led by a coalition of democratically-inclined generals under Francisco da Costa Gomes. They revolt from the Government of National Salvation if the GNS stays in the Iberian Wars for too long.

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• Enemy Mine: The Republic is a coalition of democrats and socialists who are only united in their enmity towards the Government of National Salvation.
• Heel–Face Turn: The PPR is comprised of military officers and republicans who find the GNS beyond the pale.
• In Spite of a Nail: If they succeed, they essentially wind up sparking the OTL Carnation Revolution and Portugal’s proper transition to democracy.

Francisco da Costa Gomes

Role: Head of State

Party: Movimento Forças Armadas^note Armed Forces Movement

Ideology: Paternalistic Conservatism^note Conservatism

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• Start My Own: Once a military officer in service to the Caudillo regime, Costa Gomes can finally rebel and start his own belligerent state if the Portuguese Civil War lasts for too long.

Portuguese People's Front

Official Name: Portuguese People's Front

Ruling Party: Ação Revolucionária Armada^note Armed Revolutionary Action

Ideology: Bolshevism^note Communism

The socialist faction in the Portuguese Civil War led by Francisco Martins Rodrigues, who revolt against the Portuguese liberals.

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• The Alliance: They are a united front of various communist groups and other militias that have split from the Portuguese Provisional Republic.
• Defector from Decadence: Disagreeing with the vision set by the Portuguese People's Republic, the communists will split to form their own faction and become another contender in the Iberian Wars.

Francisco Martins Rodrigues

Role: Head of State

Party: Ação revolucionária Armada^note Armed Revolutionary Action

Ideology: Bolshevism^note Communism

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• Richard Nixon, the Used Car Salesman: The OTL Rodrigues was a Marxist advocate who would found the country's first major Marxist-Leninist organizations and be imprisoned multiple times for his beliefs. Rodrigues gets far more political prominence in this timeline, as a potential belligerent in the Iberian Wars.

Spanish Breakaway States

Basque Republic

Official Name: Basque Republic

Ruling Party: Eusko Jaurlaritza^note Basque Government

Ideology: Provisional Government^note Paternalism

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• Small Role, Big Impact: If the Iberian Union proves too unstable, the Basque Republic will be the first to declare their independence, inciting a widespread emergency in the Union and signaling the country's inevitable collapse into the Iberian Wars.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: The ETA and EAJ mutually lead the Basque Republic, but they both have different political views from each other and are only united, thansk to Monzón's leadership.
• Western Terrorists: The Basque separatist group ETA is a very significant driving force behind the ethnic tensions in Iberia, and caused a lot of trouble for the Iberian government. During the Iberian Wars, if the Basque government's war exhaustion gets too high, they can coup the government and institute their own socialist rule.

Telesforo Monzón

Role: Head of State

Party: Eusko Jaurlaritza^note Basque Government

Ideology: Provisional Government^note Paternalism

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show} The recent history of the Basque Country was fraught with conflicts, between the people of Euskadi and their masters in Madrid and between different factions of the Basque movement - and Telesforo Monzón was in the centre of them all. Born into a wealthy aristocratic family in 1904, as a young man he soon joined the Basque Nationalist Party, or EAJ, quickly becoming president of his local section. An intellectual, writer, poet, and fervent supporter of jeltzale ideology, Monzón collaborated with CEDA and other groups against the Frente Popular, but when the nationalist coup d'etat that would lead into the Spanish Civil War took place, Monzón and the rest of his party found themselves fighting on the republican side.

As the war ended in disaster, Monzón and the rest of the Basque government were forced into exile. Establishing himself just across the border in France, Monzón remained a close friend of EAJ leader and lehendakari of the Basque government José Antonio Aguirre - however, his relationship with the party soon began to deteriorate over diverging positions. Monzón felt that the EAJ was not doing enough to bring about a free Euskadi, and that more radical action was needed. Thus, he kept himself in close contact with the small grassroots organizations that began to spring up in the country - first of all, Ekin, which would later evolve into ETA.

In time, Monzón became more or less the only person enjoying widespread respect among both the jeltzale right and the abertzale left - and when Iberia fell into chaos and the Basque people took to the street, Monzón was a natural choice as the new lehendakari. Taking upon himself the difficult task of managing the wartime Basque government and attempting to bridge the ideological abyss between ETA, with its numerous affiliated movements, and the old guard nationalists of the EAJ, Monzón is now the lynchpin of the delicate political equilibrium holding the Euskadi forces together - but it's hard to tell for how long it will last.

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• The Exile: After supporting the republican side in the Spanish Civil War and losing, Monzón was forced into exile in France, but maintains close ties with the Basque movement in Iberia and will return to lead them when the Iberian Wars break out.
• Universally Beloved Leader: He's the only leader who was beloved by both the jeltzale right and the avertzale left in Basque, which made him a natural choice to become their leader.

José Maria Quesada

Role: Head of State (Coup)

Party: Euskadi ta Askatasuna - Fronte Militarra^note Basque Homeland and Liberty - Military Front

Ideology: Bolshevism^note Communism

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show}In many ways, ETA and its military wing was a product of the francoist dictatorship. The brutal attempts to delete Basque language and culture, the exile into which old Basque nationalists were forced, the repression of workers' movements, the rampant industrialization and urbanization of Euskadi with immigrant workers flocking into the region - these were the ingredients that would converge into the sudden appearance of the abertzale movement. And these very same factors led to the appearance of José María Quesada Lasarte, too.

Born into a mixed Basque and Navarrese working class family, his father would die fighting on the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War, but his soon would soon take up the struggle. One of ETA's first militants, Quesada was directly responsible for several daring paramilitary and political actions, attacking convoys carrying Spanish and Iberian soldiers, publicly burning Iberian flags, and other such public demonstrations - quickly becoming the enemy number one of Iberian intelligence, and always escaping their grasp.

One of the most prominent commanders of the military wing of ETA, he was elected to take charge of the Basque government after the coup that brought the armed organizations of the abertzale left into power. While some paint him as a puppet of his younger, ambitious generals like Argala and other militant abertzale youths, Lasarte enjoys the widespread support of ETA, and he and his clique have multiple times stated their objective - Basque Country and freedom, whatever the costs.

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• The Coup: If the Iberian Wars last too long, Quesada will launch a coup against the Basque Republic and proclaim a socialist state in its place.

Republic of Catalonia

Official Name: Catalan Republic

Ruling Party: Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya^note Republican Left of Catalonia

Ideology: National Liberalism^note Liberalism

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• Civil War: Independent Catalonia can quickly get swept up in a socialist revolution if the government fails to settle the left-wingers in the region.

Josep Tarradellas

Role: Head of State

Party: Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya^note Republican Left of Catalonia

Ideology: National Liberalism^note Liberalism

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• The Exile: Once exiled by the Iberian Union, Tarradellas will return if the region collapses in the Iberian Wars, as Catalonia's leader.

Catalan Popular Front

Official Name: Catalan Popular Front

Ruling Party: Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya^note Republican Left of Catalonia

Ideology: Revolutionary Front^note Socialism

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• Western Terrorists: They serve as one of the more prominent terrorist groups that will need to be dismantled by the Iberian Union if it wants to survive.

CNT-FAI

Role: Head of State

Party: Exèrcit Popular Català^note Catalan People's Army

Ideology: Revolutionary Front^note Socialism

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Galician Republic

Official Name: Galician Republic

Ruling Party: Partido Galeguista^note Galicianist Party

Ideology: National Liberalism^note Liberalism

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• Let No Crisis Go to Waste: If the Iberian Wars are about to occur and regions begin splintering from the dying Union, Galicia will take advantage of the situation to secede and form their own nation, in which Spanish forces are too overstretched to do anything about it, until one side, bar the Spanish Republic, emerges victorious.

Álvaro Cunqueiro

Role: Head of State

Party: Partido Galeguista^note Galicianist Party

Ideology: National Liberalism^note Liberalism

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show} Álvaro Cunqueiro, a hero for the cause of Galician independence for some and a treasonous traitor to many others, had come from humble beginnings as the son of a pharmacist. He gave up his education in philosophy and literature at the University of Santiago de Compostela in 1927, deciding instead to pursue a career in journalism. Noticing his skill, a variety of newspapers and magazines such as El Pueblo Gallego employed the young writer. Living in a divided republic he however began to be influenced by politics, culminating in him being a founding member of the Partido Galeguista or the Galicianist Nationalist Party. During the civil war he encountered further nationalist politics, this time in the form of Spanish nationalism, as he began to write propaganda for the Falange. He however never lost his values and continued to pursue secretive contacts with other independence advocates and the new civil war provided the perfect opportunity to give action to his cause.

Following the realisation of local elites in Galicia that none of their own personal clout would be enough to rally the new nation against it foes, they began to look for someone else. Final crisis deliberations ultimately led to Cunqueiro being nominated, his charisma and popularity amongst the people were factors which could not be ignored. Now leading the movement to secede he stands on top of the Galician Republic. However, his acknowledgement of not being a politician but just a simple writer seems to confirm he will not pursue leadership once the conflict is over. For now, however he is the perfect figurehead, a man beloved for his writings and experienced in the art of propaganda.

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• Cincinnatus: Cunqueiro was nominated as leader of the Galician Republic due to his charisma and popularity among the people. However, he only acknowledges himself as a writer, not a politician, and expects to step down once the war is over.
• Richard Nixon, the Used Car Salesman: In real life, Cunqueiro was a writer and journalist who had little involvement with politics. In this timeline, he leads the Galician secessionist movement as the President of the Galician Republic.
• Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: He's derided by the rest of Iberia as a treasonous traitor, while the Galician people perceive him as a heroic champion for their independence.

Asturian Workers' Battalions

Official Name: Asturian Workers' Battlions

Ruling Party: Batallones de Trabajadores de Asturias^note Asturian Workers' Battlions

Ideology: Bolshevism^note Communism

A workers revolt that emerges from Asturias.

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• Revenge: Their rallying call is to "make the Fascists pay for what they done to the Asturian proletariat since 1934."

Horacio Fernández Inguanzo

Role: Head of State, General Secretary of the PCA^note Head of Government (Fernández cabinet)

Party: Batallones de Trabajadores de Asturias^note Asturian Workers' Battlions

Ideology: Bolshevism^note Communism

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• Great Escape: If the Iberian Wars last long enough, Fernández is freed by communist commandos from the maximum-security Cárcel Modelo de Oviedo, and subsequently riles the Asturian Workers' Battalions into rising against the Falangists.
• Rebel Leader: Fernández is an infamous commando in Iberia, who can lead a communist revolt against the Falangists if the Iberian Wars aren't finished in time.

Republic of Andalusia

Official Name: Republic of Andalusia

Ruling Party: Partido Socialista Obrero Andaluz^note Andalusian Socialist Workers Party

Ideology: Social Democracy^note Progressivism

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• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: If the Iberian Wars drag out long enough, the Andalusians will grow tired of the senseless conflict and secede from the Spanish Republic.
• Team Switzerland: After declaring their independence, Andalusia will remain neutral in the Iberian Wars, unless one Spanish state declares war on them.

Plácido Fernández Viagas

Role: Head of State

Party: Partido Socialista Obrero Andaluz^note Andalusian Socialist Workers Party

Ideology: Social Democracy^note Progressivism

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• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Disappointed with the Republic backsliding into military rule, Fernández leads the secession of Andalusia to spare his people any more suffering.

North African Breakaway States

Kingdom of Morocco

Official Name: Kingdom of Morocco

Ruling Party: Alaouite Dynasty

Ideology: Absolute Monarchy^note Despotism

The Kingdom of Morocco, led by the despotic king Hassan II, secedes during the start of the Iberian Wars.

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• La Résistance: After the Kingdom of Morocco secedes from the Iberian Union, King Hassan II will annex Western Sahara and Mauritania, and his country will have to deal with these regions' native Tuareg resistance fighters.

Hassan II

Role: Head of State, King of Morocco^note Head of Government (Hassan II cabinet)

Party: Alaouite Dynasty

Ideology: Absolute Monarchy^note Despotism

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show} Hassan II is the successor to the late Mohammad V for the Kingdom of Morocco. In the same vein as his father, Hassan has used the unstable situation in Iberia as leverage to increase his own power as ruler. Hassan has been able to receive the education necessary to rule, be it the formal education from his studies at the Royal Academy in Rabat or the martial education from his time leading army contingents against the rebels that resided in the mountains of the Rif. Already, he has announced his plans for a policy he refers to as "Moroccanisation" in which state-held assets that are majority foreign owned will be transferred to "friends of the Moroccan people" which has received very vocal support from the nationalists in the country.

Declared by many as an autocrat and an absolute monarch under the Iberians, Hassan has seized the opportunity to declare Morocco an independent state and has annexed West Sahara and Mauritania much to the chagrin of the locals. In addition, the declaration of the Rif republic shows that Hassan's fiefdom faces a great amount of opposition that will require a strong hand to defeat. Now, the future of Morocco seems to lie entirely in his hands as the central authority within the Kingdom but whether such a ruler, whose focus resides in increasing and maintaining his own power rather than addressing the variety of problems that plague his subjects, will be able to lead his country will be lay bare in the years to come.

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• Breaking the Glass Ceiling: If citizenship is finally opened to the African citizens living in the colonies, Hassan will be the first to get that privilege.
• Enemy Mine: Even after declaring Morocco's independence before the Iberian Wars occur, he'll recognize that his country will lack the necessary defenses against other foreign powers that might try to exploit them, so he'll offer to open an alliance to the Iberian Union in exchange for a recognition of their independence.
• Meet the New Boss: After seizing power, Hassan II will annex West Sahara and Mauritania, mirroring many of Iberia's own imperialistic ventures, only under a Moroccan flag instead.

Rif Republic

Official Name: Rif Republic, Moroccan Republic (victory against the Kingdom of Morocco)

Ruling Party: Alharakat Alshaebia

Ideology: National Liberalism^note Liberalism

A liberal republic aiming to establish democracy in all of Morocco.

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• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: The Rif Republic is filled with a variety of political powers that vie for power, in which balancing their influence is necessary for the republic to succeed in their war against Morocco.

Mohamed Choukri

Role: Head of State

Party: Alharakat Alshaebia

Ideology: National Liberalism^note Liberalism

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show} Mohamed Choukri never envisaged himself as a politician, preferring to write and teach instead. However, due to the chaos brought upon from Iberia, he now finds himself as the President of the rump state of the Rif republic. Born during a famine into a broken home with an abusive father, Choukri has only ever known strife whether it be homelessness, drug addiction, prostitution, or poverty; upon which he wrote extensively about. His magnum opus, "For Bread Alone", was an autobiographical account of his childhood detailing his struggle and its visceral detail showcased the determination and strength of Choukri's character to the people he now intends to lead. Having only become literate in his 20s, Choukri has travelled far in a very short amount of time and it remains to be seen how much further he will be able to go.

Choukri's upbringing resonates not only with many of the people in the Rif, but all of Morocco itself where they see the lavish life of the Alaouites juxtaposed with their own poverty stricken existence. Despite this, his experience with drug abuse and prostitution has led to uproar from the more zealous of the imams and the general populace. Now, standing as the figurehead of the Rif Republic, Choukri aims to establish democracy in all of Morocco and to prevent any child from going through the dread he experienced in his youth, but whether this is possible relies on his ability to balance the variety of political parties that vie for power within the young republic and whether he can garner the public support necessary to raise the armies needed to fight that despot, Hassan II.

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• All-Loving Hero: He's a professional writer who wants to overthrow the autocratic rule of Hassan and implement a functional democracy to ensure that no one will have to undergo the same homelessness and drug abuse that he once endured as a child.
• Richard Nixon, the Used Car Salesman: The real Choukri was an author. In TNO, he is the leader of the Rif Republic.

West African Breakaway states

Republic of São Tomé

Official Name: Republic of São Tomé

Ruling Party: Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe^note Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe

Ideology: Left-Wing Nationalism^note Socialism

A republic established in the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe.

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• Occupiers Out of Our Country: Once São Tomé's Iberian garrison leaves to prepare for the Iberian Wars, African freedom fighters will rise up against the Iberian Union and declare their total independence from them, to the jubilant cheers of the civilian population.

Manuel Pinto da Costa

Role: Head of State

Party: Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe^note Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe

Ideology: Left-Wing Nationalism^note Socialism

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• In Spite of a Nail: Though the outbreak of the Iberian Wars grants São Tomé's independence earlier than OTL, Pinto da Costa still becomes recognized as its first president.

Guinea-Bissau

Official Name: Republic of Guinea-Bissau

Ruling Party: Partido Africano para a Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde^note African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde

Ideology: Pan-Africanism^note Socialism

A republic established in Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde.

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• Occupiers Out of Our Country: Prior to the Iberian Wars, partisans will seize control of Guinea-Bissau before broadcasting their victory over European colonization.
• Small Role, Big Impact: Prior to the Iberian Wars, Guinea-Bissau will secede from the Union like many other countries, but Portugal's inability to do anything about it earns sharp criticism from Arriaga and his militarists, deriding it as an "act of cowardice." This development increases support for Arriaga's clique and leads to the formation of the Government of National Salvation, which later splits from Portugal during the impending civil war.

Amílcar Cabral

Role: Military Commander, Head of State

Party: Partido Africano para a Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde^note African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde

Ideology: Pan-Africanism^note Socialism

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• Chummy Commies: Inspired by Marxist doctrine, Cabral stands as an anti-colonialist revolutionary fighting for Guinea-Bissau's independence.
• In Spite of a Nail: The integration of Portugal into the Iberian Union does not prevent him from still founding and leading the PAIGC.

Equatorial Guinea

Official Name: Republic of Equatorial Guinea

Ruling Party: Gobierno Provisional^note Provisional Government

Ideology: Provisional Government^note Paternalism

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• Hold the Line: Equatorial Guinea is in Iberia's hands to act as a first line of defense against German aggression in Africa.
• Sacrificial Lamb: Equatorial Guinea can end up being unceremoniously annexed by Orungu to show how little power projection the Iberian Union has left by that time and foreshadow the coming misfortunes of the Iberian Wars.

Federico Ngomo

Role: Head of State

Ruling Party: Gobierno Provisional^note Provisional Government

Ideology: Provisional Government^note Paternalism

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• Voluntary Vassal: If the Iberian Wars are about to begin, Nogomo and his supporters can welcome Orungu troops into Equatorial Guinea to kick out the meager Iberian garrison still left in the country before peacefully submitting to them.

"Illusion's End" Update

Upcoming content coming with the Iberian Wars rework in the "Illusion's End" update.

General Tropes

• Collateral Damage: After the Spanish Republicans lose Toledo in the Iberian Wars city capture teaser, the Primatial Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo ends up being destroyed by a large explosion, as the invaders employ indirect fire tactics to save on manpower. This causes the ceiling to fall in on the civilians seeking shelter from the fighting, hoping that either God or the thick walls would protect them. Even worse, said opposing forces benefits from the strategy, with many too desperate to refuse their aid at this point and any reports on the damage being dismissed.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: In the Iberian Wars city capture teaser, a diverse group of anti-socialist political prisoners are abandoned in a dark basement, while the battle for Girona continues. With no means of escape, they claw out their own fingertips in a desperate attempt to break free and slowly perish from dehydration, regretting ever participating in the conflict.
• Do Not Go Gentle: Even if the city of Girona falls in the city capture teaser, some remaining Catalan forces continue the fight in small pockets, particularly around notable landmarks like Plaza de la Independencia. The scale of such fighting leads to most of the city's interior being heavily damaged, furthered by a lack of supplies.
• Hellhole Prison: The invaders of Girona turn the city into an internment hub for political prisoners. The Iberian Wars city capture teaser shows prisoners being thrown into makeshift cells, abandoned, and cruelly left to dehydrate, with their comrades being too busy and underequipped to search and rescue them.
• Hub City: As mentioned in the Iberian Wars city capture teaser, the city of Porto is vital to the monarchists of the Portuguese Civil War, being their most significant link to the sea and foreign trade, along with its sympathetic population.
• Hypocrite: After capturing the city of Porto from the Monarchists in the city capture teaser, the Republican forces try pitching themselves as liberators in a city sympathetic to monarchism. However, this is undercut by their widespread instances of looting and other criminal activities, which are covered up by military commanders; those trying to expose them are castigated as subversive elements and interned.
• Plunder: In the Iberian War city capture teaser, a group of Republican soldiers from Lisbon become infamous for partaking in wartime looting, avoiding the worst fighting and skirting by their superiors turning a blind eye. When the city of Porto is captured by the Republicans, these soldiers shoot an elderly man who tried to defend his warehouse filled with wine and fell over from the recoil of his gun, having missed his shot. After the warehouse is emptied, his body is left on the street as one more unknown casualty.
• Pragmatic Villainy: The invading force of Toledo in the city capture teaser is reluctant to commit excessive infrastructure damage because it would make the reconstruction effort more difficult. Otherwise, if they can benefit from it, they will do it.
• Pyrrhic Victory: Downplayed, if Porto falls to the Republicans in the Iberian city capture teaser. The retreating monarchist forces try to deny the Republicans a satisfying victory by destroying the city's infrastructure. The bridges are successfully destroyed, the highways and the airport runaway suffer some damage, and the Port of Leixões is narrowly saved, so the monarchists' gambit is only partially successful.

Portuguese Civil War Factions

Portuguese Republic

Official Name: Portuguese Republic

Ruling Party: Frente Patriotica de Libertação Nacional^note Patriotic Front of National Liberation

Ideology: Military Junta^note Despotism

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• The Alliance: According to a teased national spirit, the Republic wants to establish mutually friendly relationships with other Lusophone countries to foster unity between them. During and after the Iberian Wars, the Republic will receive military and economic aid from these countries.
• Bilingual Bonus: The Portuguese text on their flag reads "Order and Freedom", showing their lofty democratic ideals, even if they have yet to live up to them during the Iberian Wars.
• The Coup: From the Iberian Wars rework teaser, the Republic attempted a coup to prevent the establishment of a Portuguese monarchy. However, it failed and a civil war breaks out between the two factions.
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Following their failed coup against the Portuguese monarchy in an Iberian Wars rework teaser, the Republicans declared war against them to prevent the establishment of yet another dictatorship, akin to Salazar's. However, their coup had already intimidated the Kingdom to draft a democratic constitution so that they wouldn't lose the popular support they still had. With the outbreak of a war, the Kingdom gained a plausible excuse to potentially toss the constitution for stability, drawing Portugal into a meaningless civil war.
• We ARE Struggling Together: In Brazil, the FPLN was stated in the Iberian Wars teaser to be fairly united under the charismatic leadership of Delgado. However, the organization becomes split when they return to the mainland, primarily between themselves and the mainland Republicans. As such, the FPLN is a disunited coalition made up of rival factions, only united so long as their mutual enemies are still around.

Humberto Delgado

Role: Head of State

Party: Frente Patriotica de Libertação Nacional^note Patriotic Front of National Liberation

Ideology: Military Junta^note Despotism

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• Cincinnatus: From the Iberian Wars rework teaser, Delgado is temporarily classified under "Military Junta" ideology-wise because he only intends to hold power until the Portuguese Civil War is won before reinstating a democracy.
• Heel–Face Turn: In the Iberian Wars teaser, Delgado was sent to the United States as a representative in the OFN Military Command and was inspired by their democratic ideals to turn on the Estado Novo regime that he once supported.
• Self-Imposed Exile: His teased biography states that he self-exiled himself to Brazil, fearing that his democratic views would make him a target by Salazar's administration, Delgado self-exiled himself to Brazil. If the Iberian Union collapses, Delgado and his supporters will return to Portugal.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: As stated in the Iberian Wars teaser, Delgado hates communists, but he's willing to temporarily cooperate with them so long as he needs their support.

Kingdom of Portugal

Official Name: Kingdom of Portugal

Ruling Party: GPEN

Ideology: Interim Government^note Despotism

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• Allohistorical Allusion: The circumstances behind the monarchists' renewed struggle, including where they're based from, are an almost exact mirror to the real life Monarquia do Norte in 1919.
• Back from the Dead: In the Iberian Wars rework teaser, the Kingdom is a revival and proclaimed successor to the Monarquia do Norte that perished decades ago.

Jaime Álvares Pereira de Melo

Role: Head of State

Party: GPEN

Ideology: Interim Government^note Despotism

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• Beware the Quiet Ones: For a king who hates leading, his teased biography states that he's surprisingly effective at it, using charisma and speeches to rally his supporters behind him.
• Cincinnatus: In spite of being put in the forefront during the Iberian Wars, his teased biography hints that he can give up the political clout he's developed and reinstate a stable democracy through a constitutional monarchy.
• Offered the Crown: According to his teased biography, he was approached by Fernando Santos Costa for the position of King of Portugal after Salazar's death, due to his lack of interest in politics.
• Reluctant Ruler: In the Iberian Wars rework teaser, Jaime enjoys the lavish lifestyle of his royal status, but he doesn't like actually ruling. After Salazar's death, he has to be coaxed into becoming King by his mother and Fernando Santos Costa. And unfortunately for him, there are a number of people who want him to be more than a figurehead and rule as a more powerful monarch.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: While he doesn't like leading, Jaime nonetheless takes his duties seriously enough that his efforts can rebuild support for the monarchy.
• What's Up, King Dude?: From his teased biography, the King is projected to the forefront of politics, meeting people and walking with soldiers in his old uniform.

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