The Octopus before the growth (October-December, 1881).
Central Asia: Transcaspian]
At the beginning of October Tsar Alexander III visited Central Asia, more specifically Turkmenistan after a trip across the Caspian Sea, accompanied by the Minister of Railways Alexey Bobrinsky, the Deputy Minister Sergei Witte, the Tsesarevich Nicholas and obviously a military escort (which included to Seyid Mir Mansur, Mikhail Skobelev, etc).
Along the way of the railroad there were cities, towns, forts, caravans and some farms of all kinds (cattle, karakul sheep, Akhal-Teke horses, cotton, etc).
"We will finish the railroad at some point in the following year." Bobrinsky assures.
"The safety and budget inspections seem to indicate that too ...". Sergei Witte adds.
"Very good. Then we can talk about the next plans." Tsar Alexander III responds. "We are going to link the Trans-Siberian with the Transcaspian from south to north and north to south. Our main problem would be the mountainous terrain and the climate in any case."
"The weather? That didn't stop us at any time. Not cold Siberia, not arid Turkestan." Bobrinsky exclaims optimistically.
"At the moment in our large projects we have worked from west to east, the climate is affected by latitude. In the north of the Kazakh steppe you have a different climate than the southern regions, but there are probably more similar climates in the east. and west. " Emperor Alexander III responds.
"Does that mean we need to take more precautions regarding weather possibilities?" Witte makes sure.
"Preferably. But we still have to be careful and I would personally still put more emphasis on the other important aspects, the natives, security, etc." The emperor exclaims.
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"Why do I have to do this? It's so hot." The Tsesarevich Nicholas exclaims annoyed as his father puts him on a horse from the region.
"Come on, you're getting older and I'm not getting any younger. We need to make a couple of memories." Tsar Alexander III exclaims about to get on another horse while his son is about to ride.
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* Concerns.
Before leaving Turkmenistan, Tsar Alexander III wrote some notes:
"Agriculture, cattle and the people of Central Asia are going to need water, but the consequences of draining and draining the region's rivers in an irresponsible way can have serious consequences on local ecosystems and geography.
It is a problem that the state is inevitably going to have to grapple with. "
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[Diplomacy: Abyssinia]
The growth of an Italian colonial power did not seem worrisome, although the French expulsion from Tunisia was. The situation in Tunisia meant that potentially Umberto I and / or the Italians would think they could make more progress if they had German support, the damage to French reputation and foreign policy, the Rome / Berlin-Paris / Vienna tensions would also trigger problems for future, etc.
Given this, the Russian Empire under Alexander III would plan its first (non-military) expedition to the African continent, for purely 'scientific, religious and potentially commercial' purposes.
With this Tsar Alexander III met the native Penza merchant Nikolai Ivanovich Ashinov (1856-1902), an officer named Victor Fedorovich Mashkov (date of birth and deaths unknown, but probably born no later than 1853) and Dmitri Fleekov , some ethnologists and linguists from Russia, and some Orthodox priests.
"The objective of the expedition will be to establish official relations with Abyssinia, we will not ask for anything but we will bring some gifts to Yohannes IV and we will study the Ethiopian languages of the region for a dictionary from Ethiopian to Russian. For now there will be nothing conclusive." They were the specific orders of Tsar Alexander III.
The expedition would depart for Abyssinia in 1881 and arrive in 1882, with the appearance of a private expedition with some ounce of state support to cover expenses.
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"This is going to be exciting. Don't you think?" Ashinov exclaims with some emotion for the trip to Africa with the military. Fleekov was silent, while on the other hand Mashkov spoke.
"We are not in business, we must be responsible, dignified but without losing sight of the diplomatic objective." Officer Mashkov finishes.
Ahinov sighs, dismissing the warnings of the officer a bit, too strict according to the trader from Penza (European Russia).
(OOC: Fun fact, Dmitri Fleekov is inspired, last name, by Ivan Fleekov, from the 2004 King Solomon Mines series).
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[International]
October 10, 1881, an anti-Italian demonstration occurs in the city of Paris by nationalist forces, the event does not turn particularly violent but the government of Napoleon IV is doubtful as to how to react.
There is no new approach to Italy or an Austro-German approach.
On the other hand after the diplomatic incidents with Rome, Kaiser Franz Joseph decides that this is another reason to visit his Italian citizens in the 'most loyal' city of Trieste (actually a nest of Italian irredentists).
On October 13th, the American Arctic expedition is declared a failure, to begin with, the latest news of the ship La Jeannette, directed by George Washington De Long, was given in June and after that there was no more news about the ship.
It turns out that this was trapped, stranded and later crushed among the terrible stops of the Arctic Sea. For a considerable period of time.
Until the expedition ended in the Lena River Delta, in Siberia, Russia. Where civilians (who do not speak English) would report strangers to the authorities, who would find De Long and the survivors of the expedition.
The group could only return in May 1882 due to investigations, and the care of the sick, wounded and malnourished, etc.
Through mid-October, anti-Semitic acts are reported in rural France, some spreading to the cities.
On October 13, a curious fact also occurs, the French authorities arrest the Russian-born Jew Eliezer Ben-Yehuda on suspicion of possible activities against the government due to his frequent meetings with other foreign Jews (mainly of Ottoman origin) in Paris. .
* French perspective.
Historically speaking, France did not have many reasons to trust Russian citizens (and the time was also anti-Semitic), partly due to the defeat of Napoleon I in Russia, and on the other hand the stereotype of barbarian Russia prevailed.
Communications between Russia and France were poor, the French sometimes received news of alleged revolts, riots and murders that never really happened. Giving a very dark or anarchic image of Russia, far from the police and autocratic state of Alexander III.
In addition Napolaón I and Napoleón III had left a pro-Polish shadow in France that concentrated negative feelings of the French society towards Russia.
At the beginning of November the soccer teams of Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania and Greece were ready to leave for the Russian Empire.
On November 3, a Mapuche uprising begins in Chile.
On November 9, marks new developments in the uprisings of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Abdul Hamid II tries to recruit troops (compulsory military service) in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia with the intention of using these troops against the uprisings in Albania ( and perhaps Kurditan), which is obviously poorly received, especially among Croatian Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
November 19, a meteorite hits land near Großliebenthal, southwest of Odessa, the Russian Empire.
The Ringtheater in Vienna suffers a fire with more than 300 casualties.
Throughout December King William IV of the Netherlands is ... deteriorating, as a result of: Sexually transmitted diseases, diseases associated with the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and other substances, in addition to the fatigue of his extremely libertine lifestyle .
A deterioration that does not seem to stop, and is seriously paralyzing and damaging Dutch domestic politics.
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[Foreign Diplomacy: Ben-Yehuda Case]
"How should we respond to Ben-Yehuda's arrest?" Emperor Alexander III asks his foreign minister Nikolai de Girs.
"Well ... do we want to answer in the first place?" Girs asks.
"It's a good question. Repeat what we know so far." Emperor Alexander III asks kindly.
"He was born in the Vilnus governorate, Jewish origin, traditional education and medical student in Paris from 1877-1878, apparently interested in the resurrection of the Hebrew, if his own testimonies are true. There is no indication that he is loyal but neither that be it a revolutionary or a spy. " Nikolai de Girs reports.
"He's not our top priority, but he's still a good citizen. And he could earn us some points with the Jewish community. Send in a request for some Russian officers to take care of his safety and help resolve the incident, it's probably just a misunderstanding. " Tsar Alexander III affirms convinced.
"Understood." The foreign minister accepts promptly.
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[Sky and further beyond]
Tsar Alexander III appeared with some members of the University of Saint Petersburg to collect the meteorite that fell near Großliebenthal. The tsar's interest was primarily curiosity, but he could also help (in a sense) to continue the Russian interest in space.
The rock was not too big and did not cause particular damage, so Tsar Alexander III and the team collected it to take it to an educational institution.
"Why are you interested in a rock?" Tsesarevich Nicholas and Grand Duke Alexander questioned their father as the three of them traveled.
"It's a rock from space." Tsar Alexander III answers simply.
"It's still a rock." The Tsesarevich mentions.
"But from space ... I just think it's pretty." The Emperor of All Russia responds, and his word is final.
Emperor Alexander III's interest in the rock led him to meet a very interesting educator who inhabited the city of Borovsk at that time.
Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky, a self-taught of Polish origin (although quite Russified) and passionate about science. Emperor Alexander III wasted no time in inviting Tsiolkosvky to serve for the Russian state as an educator and researcher in St. Petersburg, although Tsiolkovsky preferred something less ostentatious so he moved to Kaluga (a growing Russian automotive center for the time).
It was not until 1882 that Tsiolkovsky produced the first scientific texts of him and joined other general research efforts of the Russian Empire.
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[Secret orders: Korea]
In 1881 Emperor Alexander III would send precautionary orders for Russia's permanent diplomatic mission in the Josen dynasty, with the possibility of going from Seoul (Joseon) to Chedzhu (Russia) in case things got out of control.
On the other hand, in a border post on the peninsula and the port of Pusan, the Russian army or state merchants began to concentrate surplus resources, tents or beds, water and food.
Russian diplomats attempted some kind of cooperation with the Japanese legation, something that the Imperial Japanese Navy tried to support but their conflicts with the Imperial Japanese Army seriously delayed such cooperation.
The military wanted a piece of the cake regarding diplomatic influence, an influence that the navy was sadly grabbing at the time. Since Russia was becoming a serious exporter of food (soybeans, rice, etc) and necessary resources (iron, coal, oil, imported machinery) for Japan and the navy was the center of the pro-Russian factions, diplomatically speaking).