Sorry if I am boring (July-September, 1908).

Air Force]

On August 28, we have remarkable developments in Russian aeronautics, both airships and other aircraft, which made up the first independent projects of the Russian Empire air force, now separated from the branch of the army.

The Russian Empire had pioneered the creation of rigid aircraft, producing a relatively short period of popularity for airships in Russia (where all airships were produced with foreign aid).

There was also a gradual but notable decrease in the use of airships as other aircraft advanced, and they were more useful for war purposes. Also some accidents contributed to this decrease of the airships.

The point is that on August 28, the Russian air force approved the project "Uchebny" (Учебный, literally, training) for the training and professionalization of air force members, and experimentation continues in the development of more aircraft.

Starting from simple experiments-training with airships to the most advanced aircraft. Of course the Uchebny project would not last forever, but they were the first years of a professional air force (the United Kingdom and the United States would have phases of experimentation similar to the early twentieth century).

During this period, most Russian airships were named after birds, for example the airships "Dove" (Голубь, Golub ') or "Seagull" (Чайка, Chayka) and the aircraft "Golden Eagle" (Золотой орел, Zolotoy orel) and "Vulture" (Гриф, Grif).

Later with the aforementioned professionalization, the names and codes of aviation and aeronautics would change.

During this period, precisely with the experimentation and increases in industrial production of the independent air force, the Russian Empire achieved the largest fleet of airships and aircraft (in terms of number) in the world.

Including exploration, training, experimentation, transport and bombardment ships.

Of course it was quite an achievement for the time, where only highly industrialized countries or with great military power had the first air forces. Later many of these ships would be replaced by better models of course, but it did not take away the achievements and advances of a world in growth and expansion.

Not only this, but we also talked about how Russia was able to leverage a lot of its money and immigration to Russia to get foreign talent, while training and preparing its own national talents for the future.

From the French diaspora (due to socialism), Ferdinand Léon Delagrange, the son of a factory owner, designed several aircraft for Russia from August 1908 onwards.

Delagrange's designs would serve in innovation above all for capacity (carrying more personnel and weight), which was a considerable addition in certain cases.

We speak that by the 1920s, there were already countries with a 'modern' professional air force (in the contemporary sense of the word, regarding professionalism and bureaucracy), with Russia and others among those countries.

*******

[Russian Colonial Empire: Sports]

From July 13 to 24, we have interesting developments in what were certain parts of the colonial empire of the Russian Empire, more specifically in Namibia, Kenya and Sagallo, due to various factors, various sports and European exports began to be increasingly popular in these places. .

Due to Namibian autonomy, New Moscow's cosmopolism and the focus of European immigration that was Keniya, among of course other factors such as the popularity of sports in the Russian Empire.

Local traditions were met with an increase in economic development, education and foreign trends that would give rise to some exponential growth in the number of events and the popularity of sports activity within those places.

In Keniya in particular athletics became popular (especially speed or endurance running), from young people many Keniyans began to train for this type of activity, long walks or races throughout towns or to particular places.

The popularity of athletics in Keniya resulted in one of the first international-regional events in Africa (more specifically the Horn / East Africa), the race from Keniya (Mombasa) to Sagallo (New Moscow), passing through Ethiopia (Abyssinia) .

This especially among the native African populations of course, Jews and Russians (among other Europeans), preferred other types of sports.

Russian Namibia on the other hand became a more favorable place for soccer, where the first native sports clubs were organized in southern Africa and small sports leagues (generally multi-tribal in character) in the region.

The isolated nature of the geography of Namibia gave rise to a more local than international scene (outside of certain sporting events within the African continent). The weather was not always optimal, but indoor soccer and some fields became extremely popular.

In more recent times, Namibia has been exporting Rugby players but this for international teams (not belonging to the region).

New Moscow on the other hand was a much smaller place than Namibia or Kenya, with different histories and activities, less population and other characteristics, giving rise to a different sports scene.

Soccer, as a king sport, would be widely practiced, but there were other equally famous ones that gave a particular scene to the region, especially contact and intellectual sports ('gentlemen' sports).

Specifically, boxing and chess. Meetings of the middle and upper-middle class that were quite successful within the nature of Sagallo, a very international region specifically focused on commercial activities and which brought together first generations of great African boxers and chess masters.

*******

* Perspective: Sagallo.

Within the city of New Moscow, there were two Europeans who stood out as strangers, one was a French and the other an Italian, belonging to the monarchical governments in exile of their respective nations.

The Frenchman was Louis Ormiéres, governor of nearby French Eritrea (the southernmost position of the Red Sea under the sovereignty of the Second French Empire and its colonies.

The Italian was Giuseppe Salvago Raggi, not a governor but an administrator-official and diplomat of the Kingdom of Italy.

"This place ... is very strange." Raggi mentions with some surprise, the city was not segregated, this did not mean that racism did not exist but there were no explicitly white roads or forbidden places for native Africans.

"Look, there's a white man there, let's ask around there." Ormiéres exclaims, there was a policeman there, wearing a suit that reminded one of a Cossack from the mainland Russian empire, but more adapted to the local climate. The officer was leading his subordinates, some natives and settlers.

After some talk and confusion caused by language barriers (most foreigners do not understand Cyrillic or Russian, much less the local languages), Raggi and Ormiéres reached their destination.

New Moscow had strong architecture of various tendencies, especially Modernist and Neo-Byzantine, although the great mosques under construction had more traditional designs of the world.

It was in one of these modern secular government buildings that the governor of Eritrea and the Italian met with officials and some capitalists from New Moscow.

Most of those assembled in that room were of course white men of European descent, although there were natives serving as members of the maintenance of the place.

"The Russian government's refusal to trade with us is worrying and the decision to recognize the socialists in Europe is controversial. It is clear that in these times the Christian monarchies should be united." Ormiéres pronounces at the beginning.

"Defeating socialism is an even more pertinent task than fighting because our differences, socialism far more dangerous than any of us." Raggi continues. "I am sure this has affected you as well, and so we want help in bringing our mutual concerns to St. Petersburg and Moscow."

"It is true that the discontinued use of the Suez Canal has done some damage to Sagallo, but we continue to have other deals with Ethiopia, Japan and other members of the international trade." One of the New Moscow officials responds.

In the end Ormiéres and Raggi had to settle for returning to empty hands, although not before enjoying the city a bit, there was a great popularity of foreign art (including classical French theater, philosophy-literature from various places in Europe and the like).

"I found some ... Arab merchants, they are willing to sell us some cheap manufactured goods, before we go." Raggi explains.

"Where did they come from?" Ormiéres asks.

"It seems that they are mainly rowers, 'enterprising' traders and dock workers. They live working and immigrating between Arabia and this colony ... as" Raggi tries to explain.

"Smugglers." Ormiéres indicates.

"...Yes." Raggi finally responds explicitly.

(OOC: OTL Ormiéres and Raggi were governors of Djibouti and Eritrea)

*******

[Bulgaria]

The Bulgarian government had taken authoritarian tendencies after the assassination of its previous Prime Minister, however on September 15 it seems that a straw broke the camel's back.

This day several protests and violent revolts of Greek origin broke out against the Bulgarian rule of the annexed territories after the Bulgarian-Russian intervention in the Kingdom of Greece.

The Tsardom of Bulgaria simply had not adopted adequate measures to deal with the native non-Bulgarian population of the region, be it extremely hard or extremely soft, so eventually the weak balance in the region was broken.

Bulgaria at first would seek to fix this alone, with its powerful army, imposing measures of martial law in the Greek Macedonia annexed to the Tsardom.

However, the movement of attention and Bulgarian problems meant some instability for the troops stationed in Romanian territory, causing problems between the soldiers and the natives (both sides were not exactly friendly to each other).

On September 22 all of this continued to get more out of control, the Greek rebels declared independence with a larger mobilization of local militias (although they were still no better than the Bulgarian army) and there were still serious problems in Bulgarian-occupied Romania.

At that time Russia and Bulgaria agreed on a joint mobilization, the Russian Black-Mediterranean Sea Navy and the Bulgarian Navy (from the Black Sea, there was still no Bulgarian Navy in Mediterranean ports) to attack the Greek rebels.

The joint mobilization involved the realization of an ultimatum or the bombardment and capture of important ports in the days following September 22, assuming an attack on possible escape routes or foreign support for the rebels across the Mediterranean.

It also prevented the rebels from seizing important economic assets and strategic positions against the government armed forces.

The bombing and repression of course involved some local destruction and murder of civilians (and not just rebels). The cities and groups that surrendered to the Russian-Bulgarian ultimatum were better treated than the rest.

* Although it can be said that those who surrendered were fewer than those who fought.

During this period of the last days of September, cliques within Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary began to call for the need to increase the pressure towards Romania or to annex the occupied territories in Romania.

This due to the problems caused in the territory occupied by Romania and imperialist interests within all countries. This was certainly worrisome to some extent, but it was important to Russia as the Bulgarian-occupied territory was close to the Russian-occupied territory.

And also something had to be done with these Romanians who made problems, King Ferdinand I of Romania tried to solve it mainly through military force and the support of Russia, but after the Romanian weakening the anti-monarchy sentiment had become much stronger.

Fortunately republican and socialist thinkers were relatively weak-unpopular in the Romania of this period.

The problem was the liberals, who were forming an opposition to the traditional structures in Romania and the foreign occupation.

The Russian government and the Romanian monarchy also wanted to find a solution to this, while some Bulgarians, Hungarians and Serbs were eager for more power (some secret circles would even try to finance some Romanian rebels to have an excuse to intervene in the region again).

*******

[International]

* [Turkish Revolution]

July 3, in the Republic of Turkey the Turkish Communist Party (Türkiye Komünist Partisi, TKP) continues to successfully advance across central Turkey, with more than 12,000 men (not a professional army, rather a peasant force) to end the period of instability in the country.

This movement is mainly opposed by the Turkish National League, a broad group of anti-socialists gathered precisely to oppose the TKP, but lacking many military veterans, as if the TKP does.

This by the leadership of Mustafa Kemal, Secretary General of the Turkish Communist Party.

The march of Mustafa Kemal and his men through the center of the Republic of Turkey is proving a success, when in the battle of Ankara the socialists manage to take over the city, which becomes the main base of the TKP.

This disperses various opposing forces for the next few weeks, while the Turkish socialists can resupply and reorganize against their enemies.

The socialist rule of the city of Ankara and other territories (especially in the south of the Republic of Turkey), allows them to start creating their own currency, particular reformist policies (about the distribution of land) and in particular the fight against crime (many rapes and robberies).

In particular during this, Mustafa Kemal and the TKP redistribute much land held by the defeated 'landlords' (who had their own armed forces to force their will on others) to the local peasants who join them.

And of course the TKP continues with its own force to apply its will and protect (sometimes in quotes) the peasants living within the land held by the TKP.

"As Adam Smith said, all men love to reap where they have not sown.

If not for a central authority, the capitalists would reap where the Turkish people are trying to sow a better future for themselves. "

-Mustafa Kemal during the Turkish revolution.

The defeat of the Turkish National League in the center of the Republic of Turkey supposed its territorial division towards certain places to the north, east and west of the territory.

Some seek to unite more people against the socialist revolution, while others find themselves fighting small regional groups that have their own ideas.

On July 23, Mustafa Kemal publishes his manifesto about the Turkish socialist project, the movement's magna carta about his goals.

Unfortunately at that time, not many Turks in Turkey (Republic of Turkey, not Ionia or Cilicia) could read it.

*******

July 7, Vladimir Klavdievich Arseniev's third expedition begins, the so-called "Jubilee Expedition" of 1908-1910.

A study about the ethnicities and geographical sites of the Russian Far East, which finally ends with the 1910 census in the Russian Empire.

July 13, the Imperial Federation initiates its special commission in London, to decide on a Federation flag.

Citizens of all the federation (the British Isles, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) send their original designs, so that finally only 1 is accepted at the end, but that 1 will represent the entire federation.

The submissions of designs and finally the votes of the committee to choose a single design take a few months.

July 19, the football club Feyenoord Rotterdam, of Dutch origin, is founded. Back then, in the German Empire.

July 20, a minor industrialization begins in Albania, controlled by the Russian capital (which collects various benefits from its dealings with the Kingdom of Albania).

Various Albanian peasants obtain their scholarships to study in the Russian Empire and Albanian officers receive Russian equipment-training.

Politically several celebrations of Albanian-Russian friendship are held since the last Russo-Turkish war in 1897. Where Albania actually chose to live longer through betraying the Ottoman Empire and Russia accepted.

July 26, Officer of the United States, Charles Joseph Bonaparte founds the Bureau of Investigation, later known as Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI.

July 27-28, the Hong Kong Typhoon occurs, causing many loss of life and material damage.

An example would be the death of 421 passengers on the steamboat Ying King.

August 8, Wilbur and Orville Wright begin to export some of their designs to the Imperial Federation, essentially being some of the many commercial groups that would begin to have a relationship with the Social Aristocracy in London.

The Hoover Company of Canton, Ohio, United States, obtains the rights to the invention of James Murray Spangler, for the production of a vacuum cleaner.

* [People's Republic of France]

August 17, the son of a rubber factory worker and a linen seamstress becomes one of the first and most important propagandists of the People's Republic of France.

Émile Cohl (Émile Eugène Jean Louis Courtet), a propagandist, cartoonist-animator and civil servant, who formed part of the "Incoherent" and the "Realist Socialists" (it was a confusing period in France at that time).

Although he did not always like the socialist government (inspired by satire), Cohl, 52, was known as "The Oldest Parisian" and did not make much of a fuss.

Under Cohl's direction he led to the creation of the first postage stamps, cartoon animations for government newspapers, movies, posters and other forms of propaganda in the People's Republic of France.

Inspired by national events, including the important but short-lived Paris Commune and the French Socialist Revolution.

According to some, it is here when he begins the cult of personality in socialism, although in reality it is the custom of each state with a founding myth, to praise particular figures (in this case the commoners or Jules Guesde).

Foreign figures who were praised were for example Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. One of the few really liked Germans in socialist france.

One of Cohl's most recognized works would be "The three ways":

* The path of the right (monarchists, boulangerists and nationalists): "Destruction". A man with a pickaxe destroying the bricks of the state and civil rights in exchange for money.

* The liberal way: "Obstruction". A man lazing around, sleeping or smoking instead of working building something.

* The socialist path: "Construction". A worker laying the bricks of socialism, including bricks such as progress, agrarian reforms, infrastructure construction, proletarian democracy (dictatorship of the proletariat), pensions and 'prosperity'.

There is also for example the first animated film of the People's Republic of France, made by Cohl. The movie "Fantasmagorie".

This was not propaganda, but later Cohl's work would be.

Backcover-Pariscommune150.jpg

The Commune Calling, by Cohl.

(OOC: Art by Junaina Muhammed, from India, I found it in Resumen Latinoamericano).

*******

August 24, Ahmed al-Hiba (the Blue Sultan) and Abd al-Hafid are assassinated by officers of the Second French Empire, this for the attempts of revolt, coup and anti-colonialism carried out by Ahmed al-Hiba and Abd al-Hafid against Abdelaziz of Morocco.

Abdelaziz of Morocco is the "sultan" and subordinate collaborator to the Second French Empire of Generalissimo Charles Maurras and Napoleon IV.

Of course, the popular anti-colonial movements and the European imperialist violence against the natives do not stop only with the death of rebel leaders, we are talking about a struggle that will last many years and generations for the population that inhabits the Second French Empire.

A native part fights for their liberation and sovereignty, and the other part, foreign fights to subordinate the natives.

August 31st, the Great Storm begins, hitting the Bristol Channel for 2 days.

* [Latin American problems]

On September 10, the Latin American arms race intensifies considerably, various regional powers begin to request more weapons and military assets (ships and even submarines).

The navies of Argentina, Gran Colombia and Chile are expanding uncontrollably, prompting the purchase of weapons in Peru, Bolivia and the Brazilian states (the Republic of the United States of Brazil and the Empire of Brazil mainly, although they are behind Chile and Argentina).

In the middle of this Argentina has some crises with the Chilean navy and the territories of the British Empire nearby, the Falkland Islands claimed by Argentina.

Gran Colombia on the other hand is more focused on its growth and expansion of new armed forces, but it is annoying and intimidating the north of Brazil (empire) and other nearby international players.

Not Ecuador, but Caribbean powers and US commercial-geopolitical interests (which have influence in Central America, own Panama as their territory and are fighting in Mexico at the moment).

Germany and Mexico continue to support Greater Colombia.

(OOC: Part of this is due to the lack of the May Pacts, which restricted Chilean-Argentine naval armament)

*******

*Perspective.

First Lieutenant Thomas Etholen Selfridge was flying over some point in Mexico on September 17, 1908, however he suffered an accident that led him to crash in the jungles of southern Mexico, where he did not go unnoticed.

"Damn, damn. It hurts." Lieutenant Selfridge exclaimed as he exited the wrecked aircraft, then falling a few feet to the ground, surrounded by lush vegetation.

There was no form of direct communication with superiors or bases in the occupied territory.

"I have to find a way back, soon." Selfridge exclaims worried seeing how the day was turning into sunset.

Sunset would turn into night.

Selfridge had not yet come home, he had created a fire to keep warm and safe for a few moments in that darkness, where there could be various dangerous animals.

But he didn't have much food outside of a few leftover supplies.

He was only distracted for a few moments, and then he found a knife against his neck.

There was a brief struggle, the captors were too many.

They were Native Americans from southern Mexico, although Selfridge couldn't tell which ones as he had zero knowledge of them.

The natives, however, did know how to differentiate friend from enemy. After a review by Selfridge's team, the American's fate was sealed.

Felipe Carrillo Puerto observed how the natives of Yucatan, mainly Mayans, executed the first lieutenant of American origin.

"As I was saying, Mexico needs to unite to fight the United States." Felipe Carillo Puerto indicates to the leaders of the Mayan guerrillas.

"We know. But apart from a common enemy, we don't know what your objectives or your movement objectives are." One of the Mayan leaders responds to the white Mexican's requests.

"I was part of the Zapatista army, I served under Emiliano Zapata, my objectives are to expel the invader and ensure the well-being of the Mexican people." Felipe Carrillo Puerto exclaims.

"Where does the empire enter into all this? The empire has been very useful to us, more than any democratic government led by other white Mexicans. We do not forget." Indicates one of the oldest Mayan leaders.

Carrillo Puerto began to show more respect for the natives of the Yucatan. "I can understand that.

I swear to you that among all our peoples there is a trained, experienced and rational ones, but under our current system, they are not in charge.

Porfirio Diaz is already out of government, and Maximiliano of Habsburg will not live forever. With him gone, the situation will get worse for the indigenous inhabitants of Mexico.

Except for a few, the people at the top are not trained to listen to the minds of the best and the common people, instead they believe that their ignorance equals experience.

Those at the top think they know better and don't listen.

I will fight, for a Mexico that listen."

Certainly the Mayans were somewhat impressed, but they still would not join Felipe Carrillo Puerto so easily.

*******

The corpse of Néstor Arjonilla, a local hitman, was lying on the ground, shot by Carrillo Puerto.

"Who is the target?" Felipe asked his new partner, a local porfirista, that he was reading the papers on the body and other information at Arjonilla's hideout.

"Olegario Molina Solís, a local Creole oligarch, he has betrayed the government and the Mexicans to support the Americans. We must prevent him from sending resources to the Americans and revealing information about the local guerrillas." José María Pino Suárez reports, accompanied by a few Mayans.

"Well. What are we waiting for?" Felipe promptly indicates that Olegario Molina Solís had to be assassinated.

Solís was part of the 'divine caste', wealthy and influential creoles who had been brought under control under Maximilian I, but were now setting their eyes on gnawing at the bones of the country (Mexico).

It is said that as early as 1908, Felipe Carrillo Puerto earned the nickname "Apostol Rojo" (Red Apostle).

At the end of 1908, José María Pino Suárez, although he did not always coincide with the Mayans and Puerto, received the nickname "Caballero de la Lealtad" (Knight of loyalty).