100 years of Napoleon (July-September, 1912)
Japan-Russia axis in the New Great War]
July 8, early in the month, after the elections in the Japanese government with the supremacy of the Imperial Japanese Navy (and before the death of the Meiji Emperor), the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan sign a secret agreement.
In this agreement Japan accepted to enter the New Great War on the side of Russia, the United States and Argentina as a member on equal terms (diplomatic representation as one of those involved).
What was Japan being offered in exchange for its support?
* Economic concessions in certain parts of the Russosphere and hypothetical conquered territories, such as the Thai Canal and Tailandi, portions of northern China, etc.
* The possibility of obtaining territories in parts of British Borneo, German Indonesia and German Indochina.
** The exceptions to this concession were Sarawak (Borneo), Laos, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, and the island of Sumatra.
* New bilateral agreements between Russia, Japan and the United States to support the Japanese war effort.
Sarawak, Laos, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, and Sumatra were exceptions because they could fall within the interests of the Lanfang Republic, Thailand, Aceh, and the Russian colonial empire.
On August 16, weeks after the end of the Meiji era and the rise of Emperor Taishō, the Japanese government finally took steps to join the New Great War with the support of Russia and the United States pushing for Japanese intervention.
The Imperial Japanese Navy gained an almost instantaneous boom with foreign support to fight the British Royal Navy, the German Imperial Navy, attack European colonial empires, and raid-plunder Chinese coastal positions.
Of course not everything turned out immediately positive, Japan had its successes in using Taiwan to defend the French Hainan and attack the German colonial empire and the Republic of China, but the situation in the Japanese colonial empire was not 100% stable.
The support of the Imperial Federation and Germany for the 'independent Philippines' of General Antonio Luna, who was leading the local fight against the Japanese colonial government, soon became public (at least leading the fight from the nationalist faction, Isabelo de los Reyes led the left-socialist faction).
Despite this, the Japanese intervention successfully guaranteed the security of the North Pacific for the side of Russia and the United States.
On August 25, the Imperial Japanese Navy demonstrated that despite being 'on the edge', they could achieve important victories in the South Pacific and the China Sea, by successfully attacking the European navies and the Republic of China.
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[Russosphere]
In other areas of the Russosphere (especially the Middle East and Anatolia), the situation was mostly quiet, except for the occasional coastal attacks in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Alawite state and Lebanon depended on Russian technology and Russian-allied troops for their defense (which effectively set these countries on a constant military-political dependence on their allies).
Kuwait was in a similar position, but unlike Lebanon and the Alawites, they had oil and trade to the Persian Gulf, which gave them a bit more priority (but this is another front).
Countries with more offensive-defensive capabilities enjoyed more active roles and even accelerated modernization, in particular Syria, Kurdistan, Iraqs (Baghdad and Mesopotamia) and Cilicia.
In particular Syria and Cilicia indeed, due to Syria's central position in the Middle East (including the recent modernization of the financial sector and trade, making Syria increasingly a center of this geographic region) and Cilicia's involvement in the war against the British.
Telecommunications, means of transport, armies and the economy of Cilicia (a Turkish republic with large Armenian populations and some Greeks, Jews, etc.) had a boom.
In all this included a great expansion of the navy, especially when Cilicia was a dagger to the heart for British Cyprus and the British invasion plans of Egypt.
This is why the Cilicians plus their allies and the British were in constant conflict since Russia and the Russosphere joined the war.
It is true that most of these naval conflicts ended up undecided, but the tension was increasing as both sides increased the investment and size of the forces involved.
It only took one mistake for one side to win and the scales would start to fall.
*******
*Perspective.
"I wanted Suez, and I wanted it for April or June ...". King Albert Victor insists. "Why is there another delay?"
The king spoke like many other members of parliament, since the loss of Suez prices in the Home Islands had risen dramatically and without stopping. In addition, the maritime trade had suffered greatly in the Great Depression.
"Well, your highness, the meddling of the barbarians from Russia and its allies was a disaster for the operation to retake Suez. We are faced with the need to attack two points at about the same time, the southern Red Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean. "Prime Minister Mountbatten says calmly.
"Your Highness, I swear to you that we will recover Suez before Christmas. I will begin preparations for the invasion immediately." Winston Churchill states.
Mountbatten looked at Churchill, the Prime Minister wanted to kill the 'leader' of the admiralty.
"Don't eat more than you can chew." Mountbatten wisely warns Churchill, who simply ignores the advice with 'grace'.
"You also said that the Orion was unsinkable." Churchill argues almost childishly.
"I didn't want to send him to the Baltic, that was your idea to defend Kiel from the Russians." Louis Alexander Mountbatten insists.
*******
[100 years of Napoleon]
The Patriotic War of 1812 is how the Napoleonic invasion of 1812 is known in the Russian Empire, on September 7, 1912 the Russians celebrated the centenary of victory in this war over the Grande Armée.
Not only were there many military and civil celebrations, but the date was also accompanied by other events, including speeches by public authorities, propaganda and entertainment, etc.
For example, at this event, the Russian architect Roman Ivanovich Klein (Robert Julius Klein) built the Borodinsky Bridge over the Moskva in Moscow, a monument to the Battle of Borodino.
Considered a French victory that led the French to Moscow. The battle has been called from a Pyrrhic victory to an inconclusive victory, or even a battle without a clear decisive victory by others, etc ...
In general there is a lot of politics involved and historiographical problems regarding the battle.
An important connotation of this event as mentioned above was propaganda, especially regarding the armed forces of the Russian Empire and the New Great War.
At times the victories of the Russian Empire have been downplayed simply in favor of its geography and climate (the Russian winter in particular), or even simple numerical superiority. Ignoring all the strategy and logistics behind, sacrifices of the citizens of Russia and its generals.
In Russia the situation is obviously different, there is a tradition of respect for the armed forces, accompanied by militarism and the militarization of society during the Alexandrian period and the Premiership of Mikhail Skobelev (Second Duma), plus years of propaganda.
Those who were still in Russia, those who were at the front and those who had already died were honored.
How was the New Great War related to all of this?
For propaganda many of the enemies of the Russian Empire were denigrated in these celebrations, comparing the destinies of Germany and the Imperial Federation (including its monarchs or generals) to the destinies of Napoleon Bonaparte and his empire.
Charles XII of Sweden and Napoleon I made room in the cemetery for Wilhelm III and the armies of the German Empire, the Orion and other British assets.
The Second French Empire had some problems, saying that it was still led by the Bonaparts ... but Russia ignored them.
There were also celebrations of recent victories on the fronts, especially of General Brusilov and associates in Europe.
*******
*Perspective.
"The fall of Washington, what a surprise." Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich mentions Romanov, keeping his cool as he can while he drinks coffee.
"All the great historical events-facts and characters appear twice, the first time as a tragedy and the second time as a farce." Stalin mentions while he smokes.
"Is the situation in America worrying?" Premier Mikhail Skobelev asks, the answer comes fast.
"... No. Even with the fall of their capital, the United States is not going to surrender. Not soon at least. They have a huge country and a patriotic spirit, they should be able to drive out the British. At some point." Nicholas Alexandrovich responds.
"So we and the Americans have a lot more in common than I thought." Skobelev indicates calmly.
"The United States will be fine indeed, but the rest of the American fronts ... Possibly not so much. Our side has lost Gran Colombia, Paraguay and Peru in less than a year. Bolivia and Acre are also in a delicate situation." Stalin affirms.
"Rio Grande do Sul and the Empire of Dom Pedro III have managed to keep the Brazilian fronts under control, but with the loss of close allies we could face problems there as well. Besides, our maritime control in the Atlantic is very little ...". Skobelev adds.
The discussion between members of the government soon centered on the decisions of the General Staff, and how the Premier and Minister Skobelev, Tsar Alexander III and others had reacted to those decisions.
The General Staff wanted to promptly expel the German Empire and the Republic of China from the conflict, which would lead to the elimination of the major continental allies of the Imperial Federation, weakening them in Eurasia.
* Originally the General Staff had accepted the Oder-Niesse line as its first and foremost objective, but by then the line had been extended to larger portions of eastern Germany.
* In China the situation was going well with the integration of Japan into the conflict and the constant Chinese divisions, the 'independence' of Inner Mongolia had been guaranteed. Now it was necessary to continue towards Qinghai, Gansu and Hebei, at least to expel the Chinese from Beijing and the northern parts of the Yellow River.
"Why the sudden expansion into Germany?" One of those present asks.
"Some are concerned about the advance of the German socialists to the east once they conquer the south and west of Germany, as they seem to be doing." Stalin reports.
"There is also an interest in safeguarding our current profits, and positioning Russian forces in Berlin. If it is not possible that the royal family will escape or fall into the hands of the socialists." Nicholas Alexandrovich reports.
"Brusilov has already been notified, he is already planning what he wants to do for the next months of the war. But we don't know if the logistics will be fully ready by then." Skobelev indicates professionally.
"What about China?" Nicholas asks. "It seems our operations there have been ... slow?"
"Not exactly. The division of China seems to be constant." Stalin reports. "The old revolutionary government in the south and the current government in the north are separating, there are problems between the military, regionalist aspirations and we are fueling propaganda and rebel groups."
"We have only spent time in gaining a little more local support and fortifying our gained positions, our modernization process in Outer Mongolia was stopped and that hurt us, a little." Mikhail Skobelev argues. "The Chinese have been trying to take back Inner Mongolia and protect the northeast, but they are giving way more and more. We just need to keep pushing them."
"The problem is the British and the Germans supporting them from the south." Nicholas Alexandrovich and others argue.
"Indeed. That's why we have Thailand, Japan and others disturbing the flow of resources and logistics to southern China. But it is still not an assured victory." Mikhail Skobelev exclaims.
Industrialists, nobles, and various cliques were hungry, eager to divide colonies and territories conquered during the New Great War, simply for commercial or nationalistic interests.
*******
[Russian Air Force]
The Kiev aeronautics circle is already making remarkable progress.
On September 30, the Ministry of War under Mikhail Skobelev (general and Premier) accepts the opinions of the Russian Air Force, accepting a design from the young Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky, the Sikorsky S-6 prototype (which won a military competition).
For a few wars that the Russian Empire has successfully verified the role of the air force in terms of exploration and offensive movements (bombing, etc.).
But in the New Great War situation, each country looked for more innovations to attack its opponents, especially after the Russian victories on the German-Russian front and the defeat of the Super-Drednout Orion.
The Molniyenosnaya Voyna had included rapid use of mechanized units and the air force, so Russia's Western Front (or Europe's Eastern Front, it all depends on perspective) needed certain innovations in these sectors.
Innovations that were in progress due to state activity, such as the Tachanka 1 project (Medved, mechanized units), Alexander Mikhailovich Romanov's five-year plan for the navy, and now the Sikorsky S-6 project plus other aircraft.
The talent of the young Sikorsky continued to be recognized and increased thanks to this victory of his design, in the approval of the high command of the St. Petersburg air force.
(OOC: This Sikorsky S-6 is not the same as OTL, take into account the technological differences between ITL 1912 and OTL 1912, plus the greater resources that Sikorsky has).
*******
[International]
July 1, secretly the Imperial Parliament approved a new operation for the seizure of the Suez Canal from the hands of the Second French Empire.
The original plan was delayed and had to be modified by the intervention of the Russian Empire and its allies in the war, which posed a serious threat to the attempts to take Suez.
British copyright law takes effect.
In the Second French Empire a law was created that makes all 'ancient objects' the property of the state (and any violation of this law allowed the state to confiscate items).
It was basically an excuse for the French government in Africa to continue looting its native Africans of historical objects.
Many were sold and exported from the country, or even melted down, to fuel the war effort against the Imperial Federation and the 'treacherous rebels'.
Russian ethnologist Shloyme Zanvl Rappoport, also known as Shloyme Ansky, backed by Goratsii Gintsburg (Horace Günzburg, a Russian philanthropist) launches the Jewish Ethnographic Expedition.
The Jewish Ethnographic Expedition had as its objective the collection and conservation of Jewish artifacts from the Russian Empire, helping to save artifacts from various parts of the Russian Empire (in its beginnings, especially the Congress of Poland, because of how dangerous the New Great War was).
* [Presidential candidates: USA]
July 2, 1912, all the important candidates for the 1912 presidential election have finally been selected in the primaries.
The dominant faction of the Democratic Party (led by William J. Bryan) has received heavy blows due to the New Great War and its failures, leading to a change of internal powers and the interference of external agents (American capitalists).
Champ Clark won the presidential nomination, strongly supported by Wall Street financiers. The vice presidential candidate is Judson Harmon, the favorite son of the Ohio Democrats.
The National Republican Party obviously elected Robert M. La Follette Sr as its candidate for president and Henry Ford as vice president.
The party is relatively young but on the rise after the mistakes of the old Republican Party and the mistakes of Democrats, ranging from right-wing populists to true progressives.
The Socialist Party of America elected Eugene V. Debs as its presidential candidate and Emil Seidel as its vice-presidential candidate.
Since their founding and first elections, the Socialists have been uphill to the top, but have only been able to take third place in each election (at best).
*******
July 4, 41 people killed in the Hippo Wars.
July 7, the bombardment between Chile and Argentina intensifies, with the victories of the Imperial Federation and its allies against the Washington-Buenos Aires bloc, Chile has had time to build better defenses.
Chile is not doing well economically, they are increasingly in debt and their economy is not improving at all, but now they have a way to successfully counter-attack Argentina through better air force and British naval support.
July 8, signing of the Russian-Japanese secret treaty.
Henrique Mitchell de Paiva Couceiro, supported by British money and arms, launches an invasion attempt to restore the monarchy in the Portuguese Socialist Republic.
This attempt begins with a surprise attack in the north of Socialist Portugal (part of the Union of Iberian Socialist Republics), failing spectacularly.
July 10, the war between German New Guinea and Novaya Gvineya (Russian colonial empire) ends with the murder of the German colonial governor at the hands of natives.
The Germans subsequently launch punitive expeditions against rebellious natives and the Russian colony of Novaya Gvineya, but are defeated due to tribal guerilla warfare and the difficult interior of the island.
July 12, the Persians and Russians approach to retake the areas of southeastern Persia lost to the British Empire. We talk about columns and columns of Persians and Russians (including Cossacks and artillery).
July 13, Urdu-speaking Muslims (natives of the Hindi-Urdu Belt) increasingly begin to join the anti-British resistance movements.
July 19-20, Imperial Federation forces continue to march successfully over New England, heading for Washington D.C.
July 21, a small rebellion in East Timor (occupied by the British) is crushed. With this, 3000 natives are killed and another 4000 are captured.
July 24, Peru finally falls back totally into the hands of the Peruvian liberals-civilists thanks to the support of the Imperial Federation.
Which involves a lot of civil losses for Peru and its natives (Native Americans, white Peruvians and others), but more influence for British companies in the country ...
The New Great War and its Latin American fronts continue after this.
In London (Imperial Federation) the First International Congress on Eugenics takes place, preceded by 400 people from 12 nations and Leonard Darwin (one of Charles Darwin's sons).
"The unfit amongst men are now no longer necessarily killed off by hunger and disease, but are cherished with care, thus being enabled to reproduce their kind, however bad that may be ... the effect likely to be produced by our charity on future generations is, to say the least, but weakness and folly. "
-Leonard Darwin to the delegates of the International Congress on Eugenics.
July 27, large evacuation of women and children from New England, United States.
July 29, the United States must intervene again in Nicaragua, rebels supported by the British and led by General Luis Mena attack the capital (Managua).
Making a change of government due to the flight of the president and the capture of Managua by General Mena.
July 30, death of the Meiji Emperor, ending a 44-year reign and the Meiji Era.
Crown Prince Yoshihito of Japan rises as the new monarch, now known as Emperor Taishō (beginning the Taishō era).
August 1, shortly after the death of Emperor Meiji and the ascension of the new monarch, the Japanese Federation of Labor or Nihon Rōdō Sodomei (also originally called Yuaikai) is founded.
With more than 100,000 workers, a result of the unionization process that occurred in the country for years as a result of economic crises and other factors.
August 2, the United States Senate, seeing the situation in Peru at the hands of British companies, voted in favor of extending the Monroe Doctrine to "Protect the Americas from foreign companies."
Of course this is a huge double-sided lie.
Not only because Russia (an ally of the USA) has influential companies in Latin American countries (Rio Grande do Sul), but also because of precisely how American companies were already influencing the affairs of Central American countries.
Well if I do it, bad if you do it.
August 3-4, the war between the British and the Americans in Central America intensifies.
Through the Royal Navy, money-economy and its Caribbean positions, the Imperial Federation has managed to successfully create some civil conflicts and amphibious assaults in Central America against the American puppet-allies. Belize, for the moment, is safe.
Of course, the United States responded in a similar way, leading to naval and land conflicts (especially the use of US Marines) on the coasts and soils of Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras.
August 7, Victor Francis Hess discovers cosmic rays (what today we understand as high-energy protons and atomic nuclei that move through space, nearly at the speed of light).
Composer Sergei Prokofiev performed his Piano Concerto No. 1 for the first time for the public in Moscow, Russian Empire.
* [Washington has fallen]
August 8-13, the United States suffered a major defeat after the British advance (Imperial Federation) in New England, forcing the government to move to a more secure position.
The Imperial Federation successfully gained control of most of New England (ignoring pockets of local resistance), once again taking control of Washington D.C.
The Battle of Washington, which officially began on August 8, was undoubtedly quite difficult, the British advance on New England had been accelerated and unexpected for many, but successful at the end of the events.
Soon United States troops would be mobilized to attempt to retake the capital and protect the surrounding borders after the successes of the Imperial Federation.
In the process many of the captured military and government officials were executed by British troops.
********
August 8, Friederich Krupp AG, the arms company of the Krupp family, celebrates its centenary accompanied by the Prussian-German Imperial Family (Kaiser Wilhelm III and his family).
This is done in Berlin ... because Essen and therefore many properties of the German Empire in North Rhine-Westphalia have fallen into the hands of the German socialists.
Pope Pius X (James Gibbons, July 23 of 1834 - March 24 of 1921), the first American Pope, protests due to the mistreatment of Native Americans in Peru at the hands of the liberal government and its British allies (businessmen and administrators).
August 13, the United States Radio Law is enacted (provides that all American radio stations are licensed and assigned a specific frequency).
August 14, the rebellions of the Khost tribes end, with the Afghan government making concessions to the rebellious tribes in exchange for peace.
To be sure, the Afghan government is no longer what it was under the Iron Emir.
August 15, Paraguay manages to officially abandon the New Great War and the great Latin American wars after making a deal with Argentina and the United States.
Similar to this, Bolivia suffers again from internal problems between the pro-American / Argentine and the pro-British, with the influence and forces of Peru, Chile and the Imperial Federation against the influence and forces of the United States and Argentina.
Takushi jidosha kabushiki kaisha, Japan's first taxi service, is founded.
August 16, the Empire of Japan officially joins the New Great War on the side of the United States and the Russian Empire.
August 19, Augusto Bernardino Leguía y Salcedo becomes president of Peru, as part of the re-established civilista government in Peru.
Augusto Leguía would establish certain civil-governmental reforms, including reforming the constitution of Peru (eventually). But he would rule in a rather dictatorial style with support from the armed forces loyal to the Civilists.
August 20, 40 Chinese pirates seized control of the British-controlled Cheung Chau Island near Hong Kong.
Shortly after control is regained by the British.
August 22-23, major attempts in August 1912 by US forces to retake Washington D.C.
August 24, general order of the forces of the Imperial Federation gives rise to the Second Burning of Washington D.C, 98 years after the First Burning of Washington D.C (War of 1812).
The British did not know if they were going to keep Washington D.C. until 1914, so it was better to do it quickly, in the opinion of Albert Victor I and the government of the Imperial Parliament.
August 25, civil conflicts in China seriously escalate between the north and the south.
Doctor Sun Yat-sen, one of the leaders of the 1911 revolution, founded the Kuomintang, also known as the Nationalist Chinese Party.
August 28, Officer Georgy Lvovich Brusilov is put in command of the White Sea logistics (and several icebreakers) by Navy Minister Alexander Mikhailovich Romanov.
September 1, operations to retake New England are successfully intensified.
In the midst of this too, businessman Carl G. Fisher, president of the Prest-O-Lite Company proposes the Lincoln Highway to his auto industry associates. A road from east to west of the United States, from New York to San Francisco.
The proposal was successful, but was delayed by the New Great War (more pertinent issues and the English occupation).
September 5, a ship carrying a monument honoring French Napoleon's victory over the Russians at Borodino sank, killing everyone on board.
(OOC: From what I found, this is historical, according to The Britannica Year-Book 1913 ... ITL is just fantastic.)
Lieutenant General Arthur MacArthur Jr. suffers a fatal stroke.
August 17, British-Moroccan operations begin in French Algeria (Second French Empire).
August 18, in the Republic of China new taxes are added to salt to pay the loans received by China from the Imperial Federation and other 'allies'.
The population does not welcome this, or the other conditions imposed by foreign bankers on the Chinese economy.
August 21, Norway's first airport is established.
August 29, construction of new airports in Venezuela (Gran Colombia)