Free Catalonia

Justification
Ricciotti Garibaldi is sincere and collaborates with Estat Català guerrilla for separating Catalonia from Spain. Nobody discovers the plot and Catalan separatists leaded by Francesc Macià can cross the border between France and Spain and get into Olot, where they procclaim the Third Catalan republic.

Ramifications
-After a one-year war with Spain, Catalans see their nation recognized as an independent european state.

-Short after independence, Catalonia joins the Society of Nations and decades later becomes a founding member of United Nations.

-Spain is forced by the USA, UK and the Society of Nations to recognize Catalonia as an independent state. This is why this country is involved in a great political crisis which provokes a civil war which overthrowns Primo de Rivera's military dictatorship and Monarchy. Then, a one-party Socialist Republic with strong links with Soviet Union is established in the country.

-During WWII Spain is invaded by Germany because fascists wanted to reach Gibraltar. A nazi puppet Spanish State leaded by General Francisco Franco is founded. Short after this, Catalonia is also invaded by axis powers. Its democratically-elected government have to escape to London and the territory is shared out among Spain, Vichy France and Italy.

-Allied powers enters to Europe throgh Gibraltar and liberate the hole continent in 1945. In Portugal dictator Salazar is judged and condemned to Death Toll one year later. A liberal democratic republic is procclaimed. The Catalan Government-in-exile returns to Barcelona and calls for elections for a Constituent Parliament. The Catalan Fourth Republic is procclaimed two years later. As a repairing payment, allied powers accorded in Yalta to give to the country Northern Catalonia and L'Alguer. The Spanish People's Republic is restored.

-During Cold War Spain is the only country in Western Europe to belong to the Soviet Block. An electrified fence is installed in the border between all neighbouring countries. Fearing a Soviet invasion Portugal and Catalonia signed Friendship Agreements with the USSR in the late 40s declared themselves neutral countries.

-The fall of the USSR leaves Spain without its most important ally and became an isolated country with little possibilities to survive. In 1991 a popular uprising supported by most of the Army overthowns Communist rulers and imprisoned them. A free-market democracy is procclaimed. Spanish Africa become the last African territories to be de-colonized in 1992. All this allows Portugal and Catalonia to throw off their former condition of neutral countries and join NATO in 1993 and the European Union in 1994. Spain would do the same in 2007.

-In 2008 Andorra, trying to preserve its condition of tax heaven economy accepts the abdication of Nicolas Sarkozy as Prince and changes the Constitution for appointing President of Catalonia as the new Prince after signing a Friendship Agreement with Catalonia.