New Year new things (January-March, 1871

[Russian Arctic Expedition]

Emperor Alexander III watched with his son, Tsesarevich Nicholas, dressed in a thick fur coat, from the port of Murmansk as the cetaceans of the Arctic Ocean swam in the distance. In this case, belugas.

"If one approaches, we could caress one" The tsar excitedly proposes to his son, who seems certainly excited at the idea.

But then one of the officers calls out to the emperor "Everything is ready, emperor!" The Tsar then takes his son and goes to the ship of the Russian Arctic expedition.

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"Very well, the intention is to explore and establish posts in the regions following this directions." The emperor explains by showing a map, quite inaccurate at the moment.

For the first months of 1871 the Russian Empire, in its search for scientific advances (in various areas such as zoology, meteorology, catography, astronomy, etc.), planned the Russian Arctic Expedition of 1871-1874.

A total of 168 individuals were divided for the expedition to search various northern islands, for scientific collection and the claim of Arctic territories for the Russian Empire.

How was Arctic territories to be claimed? Simple enough, a relatively usual presence, a flag and statements from Foreign Minister Alexander Gorchakov.

The expedition follows the proposals and studies of a route planned by the Russian Geographical Society (the president being the emperor's uncle, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich).

There was a north-western route and an eastern route.

The north-western route was to be a short break in Norway for review of the ships, and then it would depart north. On the other hand, the eastern route would go through northern Siberia and the Russian Far East, but before making a climb in Arkhangelsk.

The first three months were uncertain about the results of the expedition, but fortunately in May of this year the first news from both teams would arrive.

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[The Caucasus]

The Emperor Alexander III proposed for 1871 a further development of the Caucasus industry, and to improve the control and state image over the area, he decided to tour the territories of Dagestan, Chechnya, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

These were particularly disparate territories in many ways, economically they have different values, they have different ethnic and religious identities (Orthodox and Muslim).

In these areas, education had expanded in the construction of various schools where all the natives of the region were admitted (a huge ethno-cultural range).

There were also many schools of religious origin (Jewish, Orthodox and Muslim), made by religious loyal to the state, they were useful in this region due to the inaccessibility of the mountains and the various languages spoken in the region.

In education however the state schools were more advanced than the parochial schools in equipment and scope. Secular primary education was built (for the first time in regions like Chechnya) and some of the first secondary schools were also opened in regions like Dagestan, to give an example of the effects of the reform.

The industry was growing, it could get better, but it was growing and that was good for the moment.

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In terms of economic development, the oil industry of Russian Azerbaijan was recent, with Baku's first oil well being discovered in 1847. To continue the economic development of the region, Tsar Alexander III proclaimed the resumption of the Trans-Caucasian Railway, which the Emperor Alexander III called the Southern Transcaucasus Railway.

The South Transcaucasus Railroad was a project of Alexander II, but it was stopped for his murder. Now Alexander III decided to resume it, and further expand his father's ideas, with a Transcaucasus railway in the South Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia) and a Transcaucasus North Railway (linking the North Caucasus regions with southern Russia and more finds).

The South Transcaucasus Railway would link Tbilisi in Russian Georgia and Baku, with ports on the Black Sea and cities in the southern Caucasus like Poti, Zestafoni, Samtredi, Batum, Yerevan, Julfa, Alexandropol, etc.

The construction involved an investment in industry and infrastructure in the southern Caucasus, and brought attention to potential markets in the region. Factories in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan began to grow (and with it a working class).

The Russian state for its part invested in the modernization of Russia's oil plants, going from something more primitive to more modern extraction plants, although the real change would come after 1877, the Russian oil industry in the Caucasus was already steadily increasing from 1871 onwards.

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The construction of the North Transcaucasus supposed an investment in the regions of the Caucasus closest to the heart and south of Russia, this investment also produced the formation not only of factories made by the state (and private) but also of settlements.

These points were plotted along the new military academies and barracks built during the military reform, all part of a strategy to improve Russia's military and economic position.

Chechnya and Dagestan in the north could still rebel, so increasing Russian economic and military dominance was helpful in trying to keep them under control (plus economic growth would attract new citizens who could be a balance to the native population).

It would be a slow process, but at least a portion of the local elites could begin to assimilate into the Russian administrative apparatus.

New generations attending state education would also be more willing to continue to integrate into Russian society for various reasons.

The northern Transcaucasus would join the Black Sea ports and through railway lines with the heart of Russia, allowing the best logistics and exchange between this region and the rest of the empire.

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Propagandistically speaking, Tsar Alexander III was better received by Georgians and Armenians (and some other peoples like the Ossetians), other Orthodox like him. But it was obvious that there were also Muslims and other ethnic minorities who could receive it amicably.

The emperor emphasized the need to increase the quality of life in the Caucasus, something that could only be done through education, economic development and other services.

And at the end of the day, many people want what is best for their children. Tsar Alexander III across the state sponsored this for the people of the Caucasus and the general good of the Empire.

He also praised the courage and talent of the various people of the Caucasus.

The Caucasus had featured a few prominent men who served Russia, mainly Georgians and Armenians, but one point of the Tsar was that Russia was still open to more contributions.

In the future there will be more Chechen, Dagestani and Azeri men (among many others) to the Russian Empire on a technological, administrative, cultural level, etc.

All with time.

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[Politically]

With the era of Alexander III's reforms, it is obvious that a growing Russia was going to undergo some political change. Traditionally the peasants were a conservative mass, the church and the nobility as well, with certain minorities being separatists or of a certain ideology (example, the Poles), etc.

But the growth of industry and literacy, despite the prohibitions imposed on the universities, would cause the growth of a third political pillar.

More foreign and that would grow in the next decades, slowly, socialism (as opposed to nationalism and liberalism).

Not without competition: In central Russia the Slavophile newspaper Moskva continued to rise, and nationalism and conservatism were strong in government.

There were also still liberals and moderates from the time of Tsar Alexander II, who did not completely disappear, continuing to participate. For example, Minister Nikolai von Bunge, and other ministers of Tsar Alexander III were characterized as being moderate (not being too nationalistic or too liberal).

There were also other stranger local ideologies, like some Georgians prophesying an independent Transcaucasus Union, though obviously such thoughts never got particularly far.

In particular, among certain Russian currents, thinkers such as Pavel Dmitrievich Golokhvastov emerged, who although they supported the modernization of the Russian state, it was only to solve internal problems, and they looked to the past to guide the Russian Empire and its institutions.

Slavophiles advocated for Russian civilization finding its way, a different way from the way of Western Europe. This is why Golokhvastov made his 1879 proposal (which was eventually modified, but the point is that Golokhvastov was the root).

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[Russian diplomacy]

In March, Minister Alexander Gorchakov appointed by Emperor Alexander III, meets with dignitaries from Germany, France, Italy, the Ottoman Empire, the United Kingdom, and Austria-Hungary. Before France recovers its might.

At the meeting in London, Russia formally called for the lifting of the Paris bans on the Russian navy in the Black Sea, as it was now obvious that the deal was useless after the change of European order in the Franco-Prussian war. In essence France could no longer rule the treaty, the Austrian Empire became Austria-Hungary, Germany was formed, Italy was formed, etc.

Napoleon IV's France tried to oppose it, but the friendly relations between Germany (thanks to Chancellor Bismarck, seeking to isolate France diplomatically) and Russia made a powerful force in this regard.

The Russians did not want the passage of their ships through the strait, but the right to maintain a military fleet in the Black Sea.

The Russian request was accepted, allowing Russia and the Ottoman Empire to hold military forts and navies in the Black Sea, however not all the Paris agreements were canceled.

Austria-Hungary and the United Kingdom would retain the right to intervene in a Russo-Ottoman war. Ships of the Crimean allied powers could pass the estuaries.

Almost immediately with this accepted, Russia set out to rebuild some of its facilities in the region, in addition to creating a Navy Development Commission station for the work of Stepan Makarov and associates in naval-military technology.

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[International]

In the Second French Empire of Napoleon IV the factions of the monarchical right, the Orleanists and Legitimists began to rise politically, to the concern of the Bonapartist government.

The public in France continues to demand the Tianjin resolution, the French government had asked for a total of 300,000 silver taels and a formal apology, but China refused due to additional demands regarding the treatment of missionaries. The nationalistic public on the other hand asks for more.

Under these circumstances, the Austro-Hungarian revanchists force Franz Joseph to approach the young Napoleon IV since the conference in London, because the Russian fleet is again in the game so close to the Balkans.

Another place where there is deep political instability is in the Netherlands, where the population is notably upset with their monarch for his negotiations with the former French emperor Napoleon III for the sale of Luxembourg.

The opposition has been there constantly growing out of need for reform. In addition he is growing among certain parts of the current elite with a question.

What if the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (Willem Alexander Karel Hendrik Frederik, third son of King William III of the Netherlands) becomes heir to the Netherlands? (There is no part of the constitution in the Netherlands or Germany that prohibits such an event in the event of the death of Willem Nicolaas Alexander Frederik Karel Hendrik, heir apparent, for now.)

Finally during this period the scandal and financial concern in the United States begins to fade.

However, many of the US economic positions have been lost with a scandal of almost 1 year, in particular the United States has discovered its new economic weakness in certain foreign lands.

The capitalist world does not forgive weaknesses.