Men of Peace or Men of War(January-March, 1913).

Brusilov Offensive]

January 20, the Brusilov Offensive begins, commanded by General Aleksey Alekseyevich Brusilov against the German Empire, one of the largest operations in the European theaters of the New Great War, since it was destined to take the German Empire out of the war.

The offensive included as objectives: Liberation of Bohemia, capture of Silesia, the arrival of the Oder-Niesse line and later, the capture of large portions of East Germany (including Berlin itself).

Obviously this was a massive line of combat, both in personnel and logistics, including the air force, the army, and modern mechanized units (for the time).

Molniyenosnaya Voyna or lightning war (Blitzkrieg for the Germans), was again used by Brusilov, with the intention of overcoming the German defense attempts.

On January 22, Brusilov commanded the northern armies towards Pomerania and Brandenburg, with the intention of expelling the Germans towards the Oder-Niesse line, but also to give greater possibilities to the southern armies.

The southern armies had the objective of capturing Silesia and liberating Bohemia from German control, an extremely important and difficult task, but if successful, it would liberate the Czechs and deprive Germany of important eastern areas.

The relatively flat geography between Russia and Germany was a boon for the Brusilov offensive in the north, but the southern strategy suffered from various logistical and geographical problems that would delay some parts of the offensive.

The native Poles were also somewhat indifferent, although the other Slavs in the German army were much more willing to cooperate with the Russians against the German Empire.

*******

*Perspective 1.

Aleksey Brusilov.

"What a wonderful day." Brusilov mentioned, not because of the front, but because of the weather and the day itself.

Similarly, the Russian armies were marching into Pomerania and Brandenburg, which was pretty good too.

"East Prussia, and now Berlin. It must be an honor to participate in this." Brusilov mentions.

"Maybe, but I don't know if we will be able to capture Berlin." Denikin indicates, not only from a strategic point of view, but also logistically.

"We won't know until we get to Berlin." Brusilov adds. "Tell me, do we have news about other advances?"

"Wrangel is having success in northern Silesia and the Socialists continue their advance west." Denikin reports. "Are you worried about something?"

"Our meeting with the Socialists, I wait for that moment. We cannot know for sure what will happen ...". Brusilov indicates. "Our meeting will decide if we are all men of peace or just momentary allies."

"It would be great if it were the first." Denikin indicates calmly.

"Europe has certainly not seen peace in years." Brusilov mentions, Russia usually seemed like a haven of stability ... Compared to what was seen in Germany at the moment.

Brusilov advanced strongly towards Brandenburg, for April or May, the German situation was critical before the unstoppable advance of the general.

Even so, the Russian General Staff remained preoccupied with Brusilov's reckless decisions and the German General Staff prepared to fight or die.

*Perspective 2.

Pyotr Wrangel.

The ranks of the regiments went straight, the machines are working well and on time, the soldiers are fed.

The commander, however, continued to inspect a little more, mounted with dignity.

"With honor, always." Pyotr Wrangel repeated, practically a motto for him and his men.

Wrangel led the Russian troops in the northern part of Silesia effectively, it was the flattest part and Brusilov's strategy was successful in this part.

But then there were exceptionally more complicated parts, crossing the Oder River and then dominating the southern, more mountainous part.

The Germans basically turned their side of the river into a fierce defense, prepared to fight the Russian troops and prevent them from crossing the Oder.

"Today, my men, we begin an important task. The defeat of the Germans and the beginning of the liberation of Bohemia." Wrangel exclaims with determination. "General Brusilov is marching on Pomeriania and Brandenburg, we cannot disappoint at this critical moment."

Mechanized units and cavalry were excited, when Baron Wrangel gave the order, the Russians implemented his strategy.

Several bridges were secured and the bombardment against the German defense intensified in various areas of the Silesian front.

It would be difficult, but it was possible, and Wrangel would become quite notable for his activity in Silesia on his way to Bohemia.

*******

[New Great War: Eastern Mediterranean]

January 5, 1913, the great battles in the Eastern Mediterranean continue to happen.

The Royal Navy of the Imperial Federation and the allied navies (belonging to the Block of Buenos Aires, Moscow and Washington) try to break the local sieges of Cyprus and Suez.

The Allies are defending Suez and attacking French positions in Cyprus and Greece, while on the other hand the British are defending southern Greece and Cyprus, while attempting to take Suez, a French possession.

On January 6, the battle seems to turn in favor of the British after significant losses of the Imperial French Navy in the defense of the Suez Canal.

However, British attempts to launch an invasion of the African region (Egypt) fail thanks to coastal defense and the inability to break through the rest of the allied navies. Added to bad decisions by the British Admiralty at the moment.

On January 15, the situation "stabilized" again, with the successful attack on various Greek ports and British ships, causing various problems for British logistics.

Several Greek and Imperial Federation merchant ships had been armed by the Imperial Federation and the dictatorship in Greece to function as troop ships.

However it is obvious that this strategy required responses, so the Allied navies responded with the successful sinking of several enemy 'merchant' ships in the Eastern Mediterranean.

To make matters worse, the food situation in Greece is in danger with these measures, since the invasion of northern Greece and the lack of trade seriously damage the internal situation in Greece.

The attack on merchant ships that supported the dictatorship was a serious blow to the Berlin-London Axis, since it basically weakens the Anglo-Saxon position and that of its allies in mainland Greece and worsens the siege on the island of Cyprus.

Shortly after on January 17, internal problems in Greece continue to deepen, various parts of the royalist forces and officers surrender.

January 28, protests in various parts of the areas controlled by Greece and the Imperial Federation north of the Peloponnese.

Despite this, the Greek dictatorship has proclaimed a willingness to 'fight to the end' against Imperial Russia, the Russosphere and their other allies during the New Great War.

With this, Russia finally initiates important measures, beginning to support Greek revolutionaries (republicans, socialists and the like) against the dictatorship.

Counting the popular discontent towards the monarchy and its weakening (having allowed the coup d'état of the Greek dictatorship).

In addition, the three 'strikes' of the Greek government, opposing several times against the Russosphere.

On February 1 the situation accelerates more than expected by many, the Imperial Federation has to invest more resources in Greece and less in the reconquest of Suez.

*******

*Perspective.

Alexander Kolchak

"The Royal Family continues to insist that we should do what we can to support the extradition of the Greek royal family." An officer communicates to Rear Admiral Alexander Kolchak.

"Specific orders from the emperor?" Kolchak asks.

"No". The messenger indicates.

"I understand that the Romanovs may have sympathy for the Greek royal family, but our priority should be Cyprus and the offensive, not the recovery of the Greek royal family." Kolchak indicates calmly, while he receives other notes and releases.

The Mediterranean theater was huge, the Western Mediterranean was still heavily in British hands, for the moment.

"If we do not defeat the British, Tsargrad is in danger. I will not allow that." Kolchak sentences, those who could have sympathized with the Greeks are keeping quiet.

The blood is strong, but the convictions are stronger.

"We support you sir." Several officers readily support Kolchak.

"Perfect, then we can continue. We will try to send some support, but our priorities remain different." Kolchak promptly leads.

The Eastern Mediterranean had almost fallen into British hands once, something that left deep marks on Kolchak for various reasons, it was important to prevent this front from being lost.

The news of the Greek revolution was received mixed, Kolchak did not sympathize with the liberal republicans or the leftists.

*******

[New Great War: China and Russia]

January 11, the great movements of the Russian Empire in northern China begin, similar to the movements in eastern Germany, the Russian Empire wants to drive the Republic of China away from the war for various reasons.

With this invasion from the north, the Russians soon pursued certain objectives, primarily using Inner Manchuria and Mongolia as a catapult for armies against strategic positions in northern China.

But not only this, there was also an important native component in this operation, not only because of the cooperation of former Manchu officers from the Qing dynasty or Mongols, but also because of the role of Chinese monarchists, anti-republicans and Muslims in the war.

Soon the Russian Empire had signed treaties with important figures or families to ensure a division of northern China into allied warlords or ethno-cultural states separated from the rest of China.

A clear example would be the Ma family, leaders of the Ma Clique, a family of Hui Muslims with ties to Russia for years, they were promised a series of territories in exchange for support for the invasion.

Ma Qi accepted this deal, beginning to support the Russian invasion against the Republic in the Qinghai, Ningxia and Gansu territories.

While the allies were in charge of starting problems and revolts in the west, the Russian troops focused on the much more populated and defended eastern sectors.

Shaanxi, Shanxi and obviously the capital territories of the Republic of China and the ancient Qing dynasty (heading towards Beijing and Shandong).

Yuan Shikai had a modern army to be sure, but he did not have the stability or command capacity to fight efficiently against the Russian invasion and internal rebellions within the Republic of China.

January 29, the legislative bodies of the Republic of China expressed distrust of the government of Yuan Shikai and its response against the Russian invasion of northern China, due to this the following day Yuan Shikai with his military forces overthrew the elected bodies of the Republic.

On January 31, Yuan Shikai proclaimed himself the new monarch (emperor), Hongxian Emperor of the Empire of China. An attempt to restore the hereditary monarchy in China, with the intention of bringing 'stability'.

Actually the decision is quite catastrophic for several reasons, the anti-monarchists of southern China, led by Sun Yat-sen and others, are fiercely opposed to this restoration.

While on the other hand many of the monarchists, nationalists or separatists of the north, do not want Yuan Shikai as emperor.

More reasons and motives for the problems in the north, but now Republican armies from the south are beginning to march to try to remove Yuan Shikai from power.

Instead, Yuan Shikai relies on his loyal armies (those left ...) to fight in central China, against Republicans from the south and separatist-invaders from the north.

On February 15, several attempts by Yuan Shikai to maintain his unified government failed, while Russian forces continued to successfully approach the city of Beijing.

During this time the Conference on Unification of Pronunciation failed, the first attempt to establish a standard for the Chinese language (including 44 delegates, the Chinese language has many characteristics).

*******

*Perspective, Mongolian-Russian forces.

"If Yuan Shikai is emperor, I am the Great Khan." Roman Fyodorovich von Ungern-Sternberg laughs a bit, reading part of the news.

The colonel gives him a little blow to the head with the newspaper. "Yes, you are both stupid or crazy." Colonel (and physician) Pyotr Efimovich Shchetinkin calmly indicates.

"Hey." Roman calls in some annoyance, and his usually hot-headed demeanor.

"Is this usual?" The young Mongolian soldier, Damdin Sükhbaatar with curiosity.

"It's just a bit of camaraderie my friend. You have to entertain yourself when you're not fighting." Roman insists, promptly changing the subject.

"It's more like Ungern is just mad." Pyotr readily asserts, returning to small debates with Baron Ungern-Sternberg.

Damdin thought that in a sense Mongols and Russians had 'similar' behavior, only Roman von Ungern-Sternberg was weird, from time to time.

The Mongol troops got along well with the Cossacks and the Russian infantry, and were fascinated by technology they did not usually see, such as the Russian Medved (mechanized units).

"You know? I really think we're doing a good thing fighting Yuan Shikai, but I'm not sure I like the Mongol nobility in Inner Mongolia." Damdin Sükhbaatar explains while he drinks tea with Pyotr Shchetinkin.

"I can understand what you are saying, not everyone in Russia likes the nobility either." Shchetinkin exclaims calmly.

"Is there something that can be done about it?". Sükhbaatar asks curiously.

"...Maybe." Pyotr Shchetinkin responds.

Sükhbaatar was rising rapidly through the Russian ranks, commanding alongside several Mongolian officers from Outer Mongolia and Mongolian cooperators from Inner Mongolia.

Roman as always, was leading frontal assaults against various parts of the Chinese resistance, which were failing to contain the Russian invasion and revolts like those of the Ma Clique.

He, too, grew up in the Russian army ... in his own way.

He had military successes, but perhaps the strangest thing was his methodology for attracting locals and brutality against the officers of Yuan Shikai's armies.

********

[300 more years]

March 6, 1913 (February 21 in the Old Style), a little over a year has passed since the Russian Empire joined the New Great War on the side of the Washington Block and Buenos Aires.

Despite how terrible the war is, the Russian state has reason to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the rise of the Romanov dynasty to power, since the election and accession of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the Russian throne.

This is one of the most notable events of the Alexandrian period, both historically and propagandistically, and the last large-scale event of its kind in which Tsar Alexander III was present.

Celebrating the Romanov monarchy was very helpful to the Russian state, led by Mikhail Skobelev's Second Duma, not only because the majority of the government was loyal to the monarchy, but also to keep public and military morale strong.

Keep everyone in favor of the monarchy, avoid possible riots or uprisings, etc.

Saint Petersburg, Moscow and Kostroma ('cradle' of the Romanovs) were the three main cities of the tricentennial celebration. Similar celebrations and pan-Slavic friendship were held in Serbia and Bulgaria in particular.

In honor of this date, the government of the Russian Empire carried out several actions:

* Prayers of gratitude in the largest churches in the country (Orthodox).

* Military parades of local garrisons.

* Governors and mayors were part of charity projects, delivering food and other support to the population of the Russian Empire.

* Historical exhibits and other local celebrations.

* Forgiveness of certain crimes and exceptions of certain debts-loans.

* Large charity and aid projects for the citizens of the Russian Empire.

* Propaganda and speeches through the media.

The windows of many houses and shops were decorated with flags and portraits of Tsar Mikhail Romanov and the reigning Emperor, Alexander III.

The royal family, including Tsar Alexander III and Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov, would make a trip through ancient Russian cities and provinces in March, as a kind of pilgrimage celebrating the date.

Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov, Tsarskoe Selo, Crimea and the aforementioned Kostroma and Moscow were visited (in this last city the trip ended precisely and it was the last city to finish the celebrations).

In this trip, the state symbols prevailed over the Romanov symbols (which indicated certain changes in the perception of the Russian state in these times of war), but the image of the Little Father, his relationship with the divine and the the protection of Russia.

We can say that currently the event served a lot, the state certainly did not want to overspend, but much of the money currently invested was used in charity programs and situations related to the propaganda image of the state during the war.

Especially among the Orthodox and East Slavic population (Great Russians, Ukrainians-Little Russians, Belarusians-White Russians) of the Russian Empire, these celebrations would prove a success.

No doubt the majority of the general population liked the monarchy, but the spending on helping civilians was also very well received by now.

Not that Russia was in a critical situation like Germany, but the New Great War was not a small thing and there were many issues to attend to.

********

*Perspective.

Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich Romanov, son of Tsesarevich Nicholas, was sitting next to his grandfather, very close the young man was excited to see one of the regiments of the Russian army.

State flags and local symbols were flying with strength and pride.

"Hey, Nicholas." Emperor Alexander III, with his raspy voice, calls out to his grandson.

"What's happening?". Nicholas asks calmly.

"Let me tell you something. Your father already understands, but you are still too young." The emperor indicates.

"I'm already 15 years old." The Grand Duke responds promptly.

"I know, but there are things you won't understand, even when you're as old as me." Emperor Alexander III insists. "Just listen to me carefully. It doesn't matter if you are a soldier, a grand duke or a baker. You have to take into account the symbols of Russia, what those symbols represent, it is much bigger than me, and it is much bigger than you, greater than the entire imperial family. "

To the young Grand Duke Nicholas, those words were a lot.

Throughout his life, the status of Grand Duke had entailed certain privileges, a position that not many possessed (mainly because such a position could not be achieved through any merit) and he gained attention just by existing.

He was even older coming from the emperor, the Little Father, whose cult of personality was strongly present in the Russian Empire.

*******

[International]

January 1, the British Board of Film Classification is established, dedicated to censoring and classifying certain content in the Imperial Federation.

January 2, the operation for the re-capture of New England from British hands begins, similar to the war in the Eastern Mediterranean, several British and American divisions are soon involved.

The United States has taken several army and navy expansions seriously, many troops are green, but the mobilization of resources into the New Great War has been successful on several points.

January 3, a coastal storm on the east coast of the United States, several deaths and civil ships strapped due to the weather.

January 11, the public transport system in Paris (People's Republic of France) is completed, a fully electric public tram system and similar improvements for urban transit.

January 12, discovery of Mastaba of Kaninisut, ancient Egyptian tomb west of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

January 13, internal problems in Ireland, United Kingdom (Imperial Federation) intensify, the last Irish unionists under Edward Carson and James Craig, supported by Social Aristocrats such as Winston Churchill, form the Ulster Volunteer Force.

This Ulster Volunteer Force was not just a movement to fight Home Rule, it was generally a movement to fight Irish unions and separatism, smuggling over 25,000 rifles from the London government.

Currently the Ulster Volunteer Force were mostly British with few Irish, but they still fought Irish separatist efforts with great violence. Being the first examples of 'Black and Tans'.

January 23, several assaults by the Turkish revolutionaries against enemy positions, some northern ports of the Republic of Turkey finally fall under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal, leader of the communist revolution in Turkey.

January 24, the United States Army begins to pull back the British armies in New England, several of the local resistance circles successfully join the military efforts of the United States Army.

Washington and other vital positions meanwhile, became active war fields, the British have managed at the time of the occupation, to create some defenses (although not enough for a war of this caliber).

The same day that the US counter-offensive began in New England, General Smedley Butler achieved the 'liberation' of Nicaragua from the British and their allies.

The operation effectively managed to put an end to this civil-international conflict in the country, which is once again aligned with the United States ... but after this Butler begins to be disappointed with the war.

Not because of its innate brutality, but because of US and European imperialism in areas as weak and run-down as Central America.

* [Greek Revolution]

February 1, 1913, Alexandros Schinas, a self-proclaimed socialist (sometimes called an anarchist, simply insane, or even a foreign agent) assassinated King George I of Greece.

George I of Greece had an extremely good start as monarch, but eventually his reign and his governments were marred by bad geo-political and economic decisions, which eventually led to the dictatorship in Greece and other disastrous events.

The monarchy was officially succeeded by Crown Prince Constantine, also known as Constantine I of Greece.

The assassination of the king, far from emboldening the nationalists and monarchists, was celebrated by many in the Kingdom of Greece, they were already quite upset by the national situation.

With this, the riots in Athens began, caused in part by the propaganda actually created by the assassination of King George I of Greece.

Effectively starting the Greek Revolution, led by anti-monarchists of leftist, republican or liberal origin.

Small communist, socialist and anarchist groups in Greece came together to found the Σοσιαλιστικό Εργατικό Κόμμα Ελλάδας, Sosialistikó Ergatikó Kómma Elládas or ΣΕΚΕ / SEKE, translated as Socialist Labor Party of Greece.

Yanis Kordatos became its first First Secretary, defeating Nikolaos Dimitratos (considered 'suspect' by many).

Constantine I already had sympathies for the dictatorship, but the assassination of his father and the start of the revolution made him a hard-line rightist.

With this, the opportunities for the Romanovs to get the Greek royal family out of Greece were greatly hampered ...

*******

February 4, Manuel Enrique Araujo, president of El Salvador, suffers an assassination attempt, whose wounds cause his death five days later.

Because of this, fearing a revolution, the United States sends the US Navy into the country to 're-establish order'.

February 5, the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire carry out several successful attacks with the support of Russian aircraft carriers, achieving notable successes against Anglo-German ships in the Pacific.

With this success and the past sinking of the Orion, it is 100% clear the functionality of the air force and aircraft carriers as support for a navy's war effort.

The Imperial Diet of Japan censors several national protests with police force.

February 7, birth of Jaime Ramón Mercader del Río, better known simply as Ramón Mercader.

February 8, the Greek revolution successfully spread to various parts of the country, especially areas of the interior of Greece (free or occupied by foreign forces), beyond the reach of the dictatorship and the Imperial Federation.

Several politicians in the United States are studying or seeking the possibility of creating a Nicaragua Canal or a Panama Canal.

This is because the Mexican socialists have nationalized the Tehuantepec canal, which effectively hinders various military-economic operations for the United States in the New Great War.

Panama would be 'simple' since it is already a United States territory, but it would still cost millions of dollars and years to complete, added to other possible disasters such as diseases in Central America.

February 9, the battle for Washington DC intensifies.

February 11, 20,000 citizens protest in front of the Parliament Building in the Empire of Japan, the country is not doing very well after the death of Emperor Meiji and the economic-political instability.

February 12, the Prime Minister of Japan, Yamamoto Gonnohyōe, succeeds in stopping the protests through police force and government domination of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

During February 13-18, Bolivia becomes a great battlefield between forces of the Berlin-London Axis and the Block of Buenos Aires, Moscow and Washington.

Forces from the Republic of Acre, Argentina, the Empire of Brazil, and Bolivian cooperators fight against forces from Peru, Chile, the Republic of the United States of Brazil, and other Bolivian cooperators.

Tens of thousands of people are killed, infrastructure and economy destroyed, as well as various crimes against humanity, including the use of chemical weapons and what several call genocide against various Native American tribes.

February 24, the Empire of Brazil begins to have notable successes against the Republic of the United States of Brazil, although this is only among the Brazilian states.

In Bolivia the Argentine, American and Russian bloc is losing to the Imperial Federation, Peru and Chile. However, it is still good news that the Republic of the United States of Brazil is dying.

March 3, Smedley Butler leaves the Republican Party, originally siding with the Democratic Party.

March 4, Champ Clark officially becomes President of the United States of America.

Clark has the goal of ending the New Great War during his tenure, although he does not have the position of strength to do so fully.

In addition, his government will be strongly influenced by the economic elites of Wall Street.

March 10, the British continue to be defeated in New England despite their remarkable successes.

March 13, British archaeologists Katherine and William Scoresby Routledge (wife and husband), begin the Mana expedition to the island of Pascúa, Chile.

The first archaeological expedition to Rapa Nui, the island of Pascúa, an island in the South Pacific.

March 17, 1913, at the age of 31, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, cousin of the writer Theodore Roosevelt, returns to New York to practice law, leaving politics (for the time being).

FDR opposed Champ Clark's nomination and was seriously affected politically by this (and the downfall of President William J. Bryan).

March 19, the opera Boris Godunov is performed for the first time in the United States.

March 20, the liberation of Bengal by the Indian revolutionaries is almost complete.

The war between southern and central China, supporting Sun Yat-sen and Yuan Shikai respectively, intensifies with the assassination of several elite politicians, such as Song Jiaoren (Sung Chiao-jen), one of the most important members of the Kuomintang.

March 22, Thailand continues its successful part of the New Great War, with German Cambodia mostly in Thai hands.

On this day too, King Vajiravudh / Rama VI of Siam, decrees several important edicts, first of all the army's treatment of Cambodian (non-German) civilians.

Second and third, laws about Thai surnames (all Siamese people should have the family name of their father or husband) and Thai diaspora (all persons born to a Siamese father, all persons born to a Siamese mother with a unknown father and any foreign woman with a Siamese husband anywhere in the world, were Siamese citizens).

March 23, the war in Indochina intensifies with the successful Japanese invasion of German Vietnam, and in this case we are not referring only to port attacks, we are talking about the Imperial Japanese Navy successfully occupying areas in southern Vietnam (Prey Nokor, Sài Gòn).

This time the Japanese have learned a bit, and while they are losing the Philippines, they are making sure to take advantage of Vietnamese separatist movements to drive Vietnam out of the German colonial empire.

With successes, and some strange people (like Phan Xích Long, a Japanese collaborator who claims to be the rightful emperor of Vietnam).

March 26, the Free Republic of Mexico honors Venustiano Carranza in an official ceremony, with some monuments and squares in his honor.

March 31, death of John Pierpont Morgan, one of the greatest architects of the American monopolies and oligarchies.