Second Russian expedition to Papua New Guinea]

Nicholas Nicolaevich Miklouho-Maclay was nervous about meeting Emperor Alexander III for the first time. Miklouho-Maclay became quite popular in Russia since his expedition to the northeast of Papua New Guinea (a territory that at the time was not conolized by Europeans) in 1869, becoming quite recognized in Europe as well.

Economic problems delayed him, but he had received a meeting with the Emperor Alexander III himself, to talk about Muklouho's experiences and studies at "Cape Maclay" (Maclay being "a person with a similar skin color in the light of the moon "although the Russians at first translated it as" Man of the moon ").

There where Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay was also called "Tamo Russ" which in the native Bongu language means "Man from Russia".

"I am planning a second expedition." Miklouho-Maclay explains slowly, the tsar is waiting patiently. "But ... I have financial problems."

"I was expecting you to say something along those lines." Emperor Alexander III mentions it almost immediately, but does not seem offended. "Tell me Miklouho, what would you think of Papua New Guinea being British territory?"

"It would be catastrophic for the native population sir, it would condemn the natives to racism and systematic servitude of non-whites in the British system. Possibly extermination. I insist that although the natives are not technologically advanced, their social systems and culture are still complex, they are an enormous contribution to humanity as a whole ". Miklouho-Maclay insisted.

"Let's say I help you. How are you going to help me back?"

*******

Five days later, on October 31, Emperor Alexander III paid all the debts (through his personal money) of Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay. The Russian natural science societies now had Maclay as an honorary and rewarded member.

It was also stipulated that now his discoveries would be published in Russia and written in Russian (it was not prohibited abroad, only more diffusion would be given at home). Although proper, Maclay's Russian had deteriorated a bit for the time.

Maclay had the objective of founding a Russian protectorate in the area. In the eyes of Maclay, a Russian protectorate was not equivalent to colonialism, it would only put the region under vassalage-protection but not necessarily the settlement of the region by the Russians.

Upon returning to Cape Maclay, Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay continued his contact with the natives of the area, gaining their trust and increasing his authority among them, he was allowed to meet the wives and children of the locals, he was allowed to enter villages , join ceremonies and go on expeditions around the area.

However, to protect the future protectorate against what he saw as the greatest evil for the survival of his adoptive people (the natives of Papua), Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay came into contact with German businessmen from Deutsche Südostasiens.

*******

[Kovno]

The "Lithuanian" territories of Russia were mainly concentrated in the former Kovno Governorate, where in reality the high nobility mostly spoke Polish, the east was rapidly becoming Slavic due to White or Belarusian Russians, and Poles.

Only the small nobility of Samogitia and the Samogitians had mostly kept the Lithuanian language, but in general it was seen as an oral language of the poor. If you wanted to get promoted, you learned Polish.

That was beginning to change with the Lithuanian national revival, where Catholic priests played an important role in teaching the Lithuanian Latin alphabet, and Lithuanian smugglers from Prussia brought banned Lithuanian literature to the region.

Despite the reforms, it was obvious that Lithuanian as a language was growing (partly due to the parochial schools) the problem was that a mass of Kovno university "intellectuals" were against learning Russian and disavowed it.

In 1864 the Lithuanian Latin alphabet was banned by Alexander II, de facto that law had become useless under the government of Alexander III who allowed it, but the problem was precisely the non-expansion of the Russian language.

Many followed banned Lithuanian newspapers however, more for their separatist content than anything else.

"What can we do with the Lithuanians?" Interior Minister Alexander Yegorovich Timashev questioned together with the emperor. "We cannot use Germans like in Estonia, the Poles dominate there, but we are precisely using Lithuanians against Poles."

"Do we use the other Slavs? Maybe the Estonians or Finns themselves? Latvians?" The emperor exclaims. "No, throwing minorities at minorities is not going to do."

"... Not if we do it normally, but we can divide and win." Suddenly Timashev had an idea.

*******

Lithuanians due to their historical times formed certain dialects, some of which are debated if they are a separate language or a dialect precisely. For example the Western Samogitian, Western Aukštaitian (divided into more), Southern Aukštaitian (divided into more) and Eastern Aukštaitian (divided into more).

With so many regionalisms, it was obvious that education in the Lithuanian language would be different in churches and homes ...

The Okhrana put into action groups and false "catholic fathers" smugglers of Lithuanian texts towards Kovno, the issue was that these texts spread regional nationalisms among Lithuanians.

If any group or individual found and went against the spread of such texts, the Okhrana through its "Lithuanian section" already had information about whom. And these people against were precisely found of crimes against the Russian state.

Some of the main literature smuggling groups were supplanted by the Okhrana, and some Catholic priests fell into the idea of collaborating with these groups when in fact they were collaborating with the Okhrana.

Lithuanians from the west, south and east began to fight each other, after all the cultural rebirth of Samogitia came first than the rest of the Lithuanian (or "Lithuanian") regions.

Some Samogitians began to believe themselves superior to the rest, others believed themselves superior to the Samogitians, closer to the "standard Lithuanian".

This division allowed the Russian government to buy (in essence) some Lithuanian allies, who were precisely fighting politically against other Lithuanians.

In the regions with a greater presence of Slavs (eastern regions), tax advantages were given to companies run and with employees of such origins. Allowing in part an immigration of Great Russians, White Russians, Poles and Little Russians to the aforementioned areas, beginning to have an advantage over the Lithuanians.

The immigration of Germans from Russia (the Baltic and the Volga), Finns and Estonians (Ugro-Finnese people), Latvians (Baltic people) and even Jews (since Kovno was part of the Pale of Settlement) was also motivated, with advantages similar to the Slavic companies (although a little smaller).

So the Lithuanians also focused on the arrival of an external "enemy", other ethnic groups. But these Lithuanians could not unite because of their internal regionalisms, creating a much weaker movement organizationally.

It did not eliminate the advance of the Lithuanian language far from it, but it focused the energy of the separatist movement to other areas, strengthening Russian control at an economic level due to the growth of the industry, it allowed to eliminate the most problematic leaders, etc.

For Tsar Alexander III it was a temporary solution to resolve the Lithuanian opposition in the region, divide and conquer.

[Preparations]

The Russian government of Alexander III was preparing for a massive economic reform led by Finance Minister Nikolai von Bunge. The reform involved putting into practice many lessons learned from experiments carried out throughout the Russian Empire.

A "State Urban Planning" commission was prepared, led by the Zemstvos (at the county and province level in its early years), and approved by the ministries involved (mainly finance).

The expenses and the infrastructure built for the reform, etc. were reviewed and reviewed many times.

The economy was not a simple area, Russia was a developing country at the time. A huge country with considerable natural resources, but a small industry compared to the other big ones.

In addition to the fact that it was commercially different, the balance of trade had barely been stabilized, although the industrial economic boom certainly helped.

*******

[International]

In the United States there were two massacres, on the one hand in Los Angeles, Chinatown, a total of 18 Chinese immigrants were killed by a mob of 500 inhabitants of the United States. On the other hand in Arizona, supposedly people of the Yavapai tribe killed six men.

A total of 100,000 people are left homeless after devastating fires in the western United States (primarily Michigan).

In France, by some Legitimists and Orleanists, Henry V is crowned as the rightful King of France ... now only Napoleon IV has to be dealt with.

In the British Raj a total of 160 communities are denominated like "Denotified Tribes" by the British, alleging that these communities carry out of habitual form criminal activities.

*******

Probably the most important is the German-Italian summit, where the German Empire led by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and Kaiser Wilhelm I meet with Victor Emmanuel II of Italy.

Feeling threatened by Austria and France, both states make up the Dual Alliance (at the time of signing, with secret clauses unknown to the general public).

A defensive pact (at first sight) between both countries in case of external attacks, this alliance makes clear a System of European Alliances. Between Germany and Italy, and Austria and France.

Knowing that just relying on Italy could be dangerous, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck sent Russia a request for a tripartite summit between Russia, Germany and Italy.

*******

"They obviously want a bigger counterweight against Austria and France." Foreign Minister Gorchakov exclaimed.

"Of course, but I refuse to let Russia become cannon fodder for Germany and Italy." Tsar Alexander III mentions.

"Do you want me to send the refusal of the invitation?" Minister Gorchakov asks.

"... No, we will attend as a courtesy. In case there are no acceptable terms for Russia, we will simply reject the German offers."