Lonely bear (July-September, 1930)

Universal Empire]

The oldest idea of a 'universal empire' arises in ancient Mesopotamia, whose rulers since the Akkadian period called themselves 'kings of the four corners' (the four corners of the land/earth).

Similar concepts would later develop in other civilizations or states, the most famous being the case of China (and its Mandate of Heaven, the son of heaven and the Celestial Empire) - although it also existed in Egypt, the Andean region, Europe (as for example the case of the "All the world is subject to Austria" of the Habsburgs), etc.

Despite these claims of universality, no Empire in the history of humanity has dominated the entire extension of the globe/all human population - but generally a zone of influence (of a cultural, economic, political, etc. nature).

Those that have come closest have been the British Empire (with the idea of the Empire where the Sun never sets, which first arose in the Spanish Empire), the Russian Empire-Covenant of Nations, and the Mongol Empire - respectively the largest empires in the world, from first to third.

The first based on overseas colonial territories, and the second two generally through continued expansion into the Eurasian continent (although the Russians did have colonies in the modern-contemporary sense of the word, unlike the Mongols).

The only one that still exists in a more or less current form is the Russian Empire - which people keep predicting will fall year after year, although that will be seen in the future.

In a sense the Russians also developed their idea of universal empire, derived from their own history (the extension of the 'Baltic to the Pacific', and conquest of the East to Alyaska, from west to east) and other concepts, both Christian (almost Byzantine Caesar-papism, with the state being a representation of Heaven on earth) and foreigner - the The Covenant of Nations logo is called the 'Star of Genghis Kahn' (although who named it is still debated), and according to some eventually adopting more Eastern ideas ("Orientalization", although this perspective could also be more Orientalism towards Empire).

Some figures have in certain periods supported these universalist claims of the Empire, either from a nationalist perspective or a more 'humanist'/internationalist one.

Most Russian decisions however have generally been more pragmatic, with the Empire abandoning colonial territories in the post-war period.

Although it is true that in Eurasia, the Empire has refused to cede this extension from the Baltic to the Pacific (up to the Americas).

***

[Eastern Women's Congress]

On July 3 (1930), the city of Damascus in Syria (according to some the fourth holiest site in Islam), a member country of the Covenant of Nations, was the center of the first "Eastern Women's Congress".

Also called the First General Congress of Oriental Women and First Oriental Women's Congress, the event brought together women from the Middle East to East Asia - although obviously Middle Eastern women stood out more.

Although at this time many countries with a Muslim majority, meaning the members of the Covenant (Qajar-Eskandari Persia, Syria, Lebanon and others), and Ha'il - which had its representatives -, had their reforms of a more egalitarian nature (whether of local or multi-national, Islamic or more secular progressivism), some women felt there was still work to be done (be it in divorce laws, child marriage, labour, education, alcohol, social hygiene, Arabic literature, handicrafts, or national industry).

Muslim women in the Covenant already seemed to lean slightly more towards economic and legal issues - though of course there were still cultural issues in between as well - while women in Ha'il still had strong cultural-national concerns, in addition to legal concerns. -economic.

Perhaps it was because while in the Covenant a lot of ethno-cultural groups already had some level of self-determination or states of their own, by this time it was apparent that the Emirate of Ha'il was a collection of 'patches' - a project multinational.

And this is evident in the participation of "Egyptian" and "Palestinian" women in the event, both regions in the hands of Ha'il - they agreed on many things, but the mere differentiation was rhetorically and narratively important.

This event would be a precursor to some pan-Asian feminist gatherings in later years, and led to a small outburst of women's literature in small countries or portions of countries like Lebanon and Egypt (Ha'il).

As a curious fact Ashraf ol-Molouk Pahlavi -one of the most controversial Iranian women of the second half of the 20th century...mainly for her finances and attempts at political mediation-, at that time a 10-year-old girl from the oligarchic Pahlavi family, was an 'honorary member' of the event, and of its successor in Tehran (Qajar-Eskandari Persia).

***

[World Coup, Uruguay - 1930]

From July 13 to 30 of 1930, the World Cup in Uruguay takes place - considered the first modern World Cup in history, and the penultimate world cup of World War III (after 1934 there wasnt a world cup until 1946).

In this World Cup participated (in quotes in some cases): Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, "Ha'il", Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, Russia, "Siam", United States, Mexico, France, "Germany" and Serbia - Germany and Siam actually withdrew, and Ha'il never made it to the World Cup.

While we could spend some time talking about the matches, it's really not the most interesting thing about this World Cup - it's all the kinds of weird or disastrous things that happened at this World Cup.

The event was held in the South American country of Uruguay, and all the European teams were on the same boat to Montevideo on a Scottish boat - on the same boat actually was French referee Jules Rimet, who was carrying the winning team's cup in his suitcase.

At the stop in Rio, the European boat would be joined by the Brazilian team.

They were supposed to be joined by the ship that would carry the Ha'il team, sole representatives of the Islamic and Afro-Asian world (after the withdrawal from Siam)...

But it turns out that they set off late and missed the boat.

Resulting in Ha'il not being able to attend the 1930 World Cup*, and leaving the tournament down to about 13 Teams.

*Since then Ha'il has participated in four other World Cups (1934, 1990, 2018 and 2022).

Things went relatively well, and relatively violent right from the start - especially with Argentina's game against Chile, and Argentina's game against the USA.

But the World Cup turned especially violent in the knockout phase, when the Argentina vs. Russia match turned into a pitched battle with injuries that required one player to be taken to hospital, and at least one broken leg, and at least four teeth pulled out.

Even the American manager is said to have passed out-although that may have been the fault of the broken vial of chloroform he was carrying...

In the end Argentina eliminated Russia, which faced their little cousins/brothers, Serbia, for third place (resulting in Russian victory).

The final was between Argentina and Uruguay - at the time, more than 15,000 Argentines went by boat to Montevideo to watch the event...but the boat got lost in deep fog.

The Argentines from this ship arrived the day after the final match, learning that they had lost the World Cup - immediately resulting in riots.

And things didn't end there - on the way back Omanian midfielder Alfred Eisenbeisser Feraru fell ill, and the team had to leave him in Communist Italy to recuperate.

The rest of the team returned to Romania, where, failing to find Feraru, a rumor spread that he had died—resulting in his mother, convinced of him, having arranged a funeral for him.

Funeral that Alfred Feraru ended up attending, since he arrived more or less around the dates where the service was held.

Feraru would survive long enough to participate in the Spanish Olympics by the way...

Position. Country

1st Uruguay

2nd Argentina

3rd Russia

4th Serbia

The next best teams were arguably the American or the Mexican.

Group 1.

Position Team

1 Argentina

2 Mexico

3 Chile

4 France

Group 2.

Position Team

1 Serbia

2 Brazil

3 Bolivia

Group 3.

Position Team

1 Uruguay

2 Romania

3 Peru

Group 4.

Position Team

1 Russia

2 USA

3 Paraguay

[Candidates of August Democracy]

Finally 5 years had passed, and new elections were approaching the Russian Empire to form the government of the next Duma.

Some things had changed since the last elections, mainly a change regarding the candidates - which in certain cases, coincides with a certain generational change.

And in the general sphere of Russia, it coincides with a series of cultural changes and popular mobilizations between the city and the countryside.

Party Premier candidate Deputy Premier candidate

Russian Social Democratic Labour Party Sergei Mironovich Kirov Andrei Aleksandrovich Zhdanov

International Workers' Party of Russia Maria Alexandrovna Spiridonova Viktor Mikhailovich Chernov

Russian People's Party Boris Viktorovich Savinkov Pyotr Nikolayevich Krasnov

Union of Young Russians (Mladorossi) Alexander Lvovich Kazembek Prince Vladimir Andreevich Romanovsky-Krasinsky, "Vova"

Democratic Union of Russia (Democrats; New Kadets) Raphael Abramovitch Rein Fyodor Ilyich Dan

In the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party, Premier Stalin and Deputy Premier Nikholai Bukharin were retiring - the latter with his wing subjected to the decisions of the party's democratic centralism, and certain purges.

As a result, a new Premier and Deputy Premier of the Stalinist wing were selected, these were Sergei Kirov (for Premier) and Andrei Zhdanov (for Deputy Premier), disciples and allies in the party for years.

*The Trudoviks party renewed its alliance with this new RSDLP staff, in exchange for maintaining certain already-established positions - although Kirov and Zhdanov were less committed to this idea or alliance, it was nevertheless carried out that the Trudoviks would not officially introduced.

Rather mobilizing in favor of the RSDLP.

In the Int. Worker's Party of Russia, after the expulsion of Trotsky of politics in Russia, Maria Spiridonova positioned herself as a candidate for Premier (and if she did, she would be the first woman to be Premier of Russia).

The Deputy Premier could not have been other than the 'brains' of the Old-SRs, Viktor Chernov, who seems to have accepted this position (arguably as second-third in command), without much problem.

In the new right Russian People's Party, Savinkov remained the obvious candidate for Premier - this time however his Deputy Premier would be the leader of the right-wing Eurasianists, the Cossack Pyotr Nikolayevich Krasnov.

Among the Democrats-New Kadets, the candidate for Deputy Premier in the last elections, Raphael Abramovitch Rein (of a Socio Liberal tendency), became the new candidate for Premier.

His running mate for the elections was Fyodor Ilyich Dan, son-in-law of the old politician Martov (an ally of Nicholas II for a while).

The young party of the Young Russians (Mladorossi) for its part chose its president Alexander Kazembek as a candidate for Premier.

The surprise was the depiction of the "Tsar and Democracy", Prince Vladimir Andreevich Romanovsky-Krasinsky (b. 1902), nicknamed "Vova" - literally a bastard of a Russian Grand Duke (could be great-grandson of Nicholas I or Alexander II), trying to get into politics...

*There was no official reaction from the tsar regarding Prince Vova's presence - he got along relatively well with Grand Duke Cyrill, but surely no one in the royal family had high expectations.

Amongst a myriad of other minor or minor parties, contesting elections primarily locally (such as parties exclusively on ethnic-cultural minority issues).

***

Perspective.

Nicholas Alexandrovich is slightly annoyed, looking at the extensive library in front of him - a mixture of books inherited from his father, his ancestors, and everything he has collected himself...

-Are you looking for something?- Sergei Nikolayevich asks his father curiously, seeing the old man obviously having problems with something.

-Just an old story.... I don't remember the title or the author, and it's a bit frustrating- Tsar Nicholas reveals his youngest son, who is visiting for the elections

(campaigning for his mentor, of course).

-Do you remember what it's about?- Sergei asks...

-Hmm, a father loses his son, and while he transports people across the country or the border...he realizes that he does not receive sympathy from humans, but that his only friendship is his horse...- Nicholas tries to remember.

It's not that the tsar is sick, it's just that he has lived a long time and less important things can escape the grasp of his memory.

-...Doesn't sound familiar to me- Sergei readily admits, not being able to help much at his old father, who mutters grumpily.

And trying to find something like that among the mountain of documents your father has amassed over the years seems rather impossible.

Sergei's eyes wander for a moment to his father, sitting in the chair – his father now looks older than he remembers, but that 'scary' aura around him hasn't quite changed...

It's good to see that he's at least still alive and lucid - better than a shadow of himself.

[International]

July 2, Italian automobile production boom before World War III, with the appearance of several local factories throughout the country.

Over time the Italian cars of the 30s and 40s become the 'ancestors' of several other well-known brands inside or outside of Communist Europe.

July 4th, thirteen people die in a chemical factory explosion in Yorkshire, England (IF).

July 7th, death of Scottish writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, writer best known for having created the character of Sherlock Holmes-although he also had other lesser-known works, such as historical novels and so on.

Apparently he had made arrangements with his immediate family to contact them from the spirit world.

July 10, communist France briefly halts (for 6 months) certain shipbuilding plans due to the start of talks with Italy for some cooperation in these aspects.

Some authors insist that while Italy and Iberia have always been rather minor partners of France and Germany - generally like the rest of the Communist orbit - they have never fully submitted in all terms...

July 11, in the police of East Germany (Prussian Republic), the adoption of prayers such as: "I believe that thou wilt punish the betrayal of Germany and bless the actions of those who seek to free the Fatherland."

Sort of revenge slogans against the enemies of the homeland after World War II - mainly Communists, although the Russians could count too.

(OOC: This was designed by Thuringian interior minister Wilhelm Frick - in what some called an attempt to 'Nazify' the Thuringian police).

12 de Julio, a streetcar accident in Argentina ends in 56 people drowned near Buenos Aires (after the vehicle's operator failed to notice that the moveable bridge for the tracks was up, to allow a crossing of the Río de la Plata).

July 13, 6,000 spiritualists gathered in the Royal Albert Hall for a memorial to the writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, attended by his relatives.

The medium Estelle Roberts relayed a private message to Doyle's widow, which she claimed to be genuine - of course, it remains rather inconclusive and suspect evidence, at best.

July 17, first record of a hat-trick in a World Cup.

July 23, 6.5 magnitude earthquake in southern Italy results in the death of 1404 people.

July 25, the Philadelphia Athletics baseball team executes a triple steal twice in the same game against the Cleveland Indians.

This is the first and only time this feat has ever been accomplished in the history of major league baseball.

July 30, World Cup final.

July 31, Argentinian fans getting the news of the final end in riots in Uruguayan waters and land.

August 4, founding of the first modern American supermarket (meeting the following criteria: separate departments; self-service; discount pricing; chain marketing; and volume dealing - although there are previous pioneers in the area), "King Kullen" by Michael J Cullen (1884–1933/1937).

August 5, birth of Neil Alden Armstrong, one of the many citizens of Ohio with a curious fascination for the sky...

August 16, in the middle of a political scandal New York City Judge Joseph Crater disappeared in Manhattan and became the subject of one of the biggest missing persons cases in American history.

Under investigation for corruption, Judge Crater was last seen in public exiting a restaurant, Billy Haas's Chophouse.

Despite the publicity of the case for a few years, it was never discovered what happened to Crater (although the case had ceased to be investigated after 1933-1937, it was only officially closed forty years later).

August 9, first appearance of the cartoon character Betty Boop in the short film Dizzy Dishes, by Fleischer Studios.

August 12, President McAdoo of the United States of America said he was abandoning plans for a two-week vacation to the Rocky Mountain National Park, and would stay in the Washington area to direct drought relief work.

August 13, a meteoric air burst over the Curuçá River valley (Amazon River, then Second Empire of Brazil) was witnessed by thousands of people.

August 19, completion of the 28,000-ton arches of the Sydney Harbor Bridge (Australia, then Imperial Federation).

August 20, former U.S. Ambassador to Germany James W. Gerard named 59 people as the "men who rule the United States" ("They themselves are too busy to hold political office, but they determine who shall hold such office").

The list was made up of industrialists, media moguls, bankers and motion picture executives: like John D. Rockefeller Jr., William Randolph Hearst, George Fisher Baker, Harry Warner and Adolph Zukor.

August 22, the Bengal legislative council in the British Raj passed a bill giving authorities the right to imprison "terrorists" for five years without trial.

August 24, the horoscope begins to become a regular appearance in newspapers in various parts of the world.

August 28, London heat wave kills 24 people in a single day - the next day the death toll rises to 50.

September 3, a hurricane struck the island of La Hispaniola, resulting in the death of over 8,000 people and doing as estimated $15 million in damage.

September 5, American serial killer Carl Panzram is hanged in Kansas - the interesting thing, is the first execution in that state since the year of 1888.

September 11, simultaneous earthquake and eruption of the volcanic island of Stromboli, Italy (resulting in the death of 5 people).

September 15, motor bus travel becomes increasingly popular in the United Kingdom, state of the Imperial Federation.

September 18, German-born scientist Albert Einstein expresses to some Jewish media in Russia his "hope that the momentary fever and wave will rapidly fall.", speaking of course of the widespread cases of anti-Semitism (caused, in the opinion of Einstein, by the Second World War and its consequences) in some parts of Europe - like Germany, the Imperial Federation, Sweden, Norway.

September 24, 48 officials are shot as "unreconcilable enemies of the Union government and active counter-revolutionists." in the European Socialist Union.

September 26, 15 people are shot dead near Panvel (British India) in a clash between police and local people - resulting in more activity by pro-independence actors along the region.