Changing the world, for good, for bad? (January-March, 1885)
Saint Petersburg Conference]
At the St. Petersburg conference it was hinted that Sudan would be in English hands, provided it could defeat the Sudanese revolt at the moment.
They already had Cairo and South Africa, they just had to find a way to unite them, the offer of the Congolese free trade zone would be one way, but Sudan still lacked to complete this dream.
Germany on the other hand was able to expand Togoland a bit and 'win' Tanzania for its own projects.
Germany couldn't ask for much more after basically 'Netherlands' (German puppet) got parts of Indonesia, and Germany itself got Tanzania.
The other great powers simply would not allow it because Germany was seriously violating their own zones of influence.
France on the other hand continued with her enormous ambitions in west-central Africa, Italy claimed Libya and some desert parts, Portugal continued to be an English vassal and nobody cared what Spain did.
Russia on the other hand continued with its small demands, but was effectively given a free hand in the Horn of Africa and the ability to discuss with the other great powers some commercial deals to get colonies (with a price of course).
* [Congo]
Belgium kept trying to press for a claim on the Congo, or rather King Leopold II did, saying that the Congo would be his personal property to press a civilizing mission.
While in a sense all countries had their view of a white man's 'civilizing mission' to native Africans, Tsar Alexander III strongly attacked the idea of a Congo as the private property of a king, and not a state.
Especially when Leopold II himself did not have the strength to defend said property, in addition the conference was a 'serious matter' of international politics.
At no time did another monarch make similar statements to Leopold II, and that won him some problems, especially when the Russian Tsar offered a juicy deal like 'Congo for all'.
Oscar II decided to accept the offer to administer the Congo in exchange for giving broad commercial rights to the European powers (and the United States) present at the conference, which won him the support of France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and the obvious nail in the Leopoldian coffin, UK.
Obviously there were guarantees that Sweden-Norway had the legislative and executive power, with certain limitations, but that in essence it would be neutral to various political actions in Africa outside the Congo.
* [Desert Diplomacy: Namibia]
In exchange for some security of trade routes, Otto von Bismarck agreed to sell his Namibian port (mainly thinking it was a worthless desert) to the Russian state.
Britain tried to protest, but Russia offered the UK limitations on the East African navy (Sagallo or New Moscow exclusively speaking) in exchange for allowing them to possess Namibia.
The limitations would be:
* Only a force capable of policing local waters will be maintained.
* The number of shortstop is limited.
Of course a relatively safe deal and one that would ensure the India-UK trade, which Gladstone accepted, without realizing that he would not talk about other Russian colonies in the Horn of Africa or about the Ethiopian navy ... But that's the future, no the present.
*[Madagascar]
Peter I had an interest in the largest island in Africa, Madagascar, and a Pole of Russian origin once became 'king' of some natives of the region (although it did not last long obviously). Tsar Alexander III on the other hand held some discussions with Emperor Napoleon IV.
France was weakened and in need of money, the lines from her to Madagascar were a tremendous expense that caused problems to focus on the bulk of the possible French colonial empire.
Even mainland France still needs money for its reconstruction programs.
So Russia offered to buy France her possessions on the island (or at least sovereignty over them, without expelling the French) and allow Russia to take over the reins of the administration in this regard.
Emperor Napoleon IV accepted, in return receiving commercial rights in the Russian ports of Madagascar, and more parts of Central-Saharan Africa (discussion accepted by the other powers).
The Kingdom of Merina (or Kingdom of Madagascar) was now led by Queen Ranavalona III, not invited of course to the conference, but that is another matter.
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[Flight]
On February 25, the Saint Petersburg Conference was about to end and Tsar Alexander III had taken his illustrious guests to a particular area of Russia, not too far from the city but more in the open country.
There Tsar Alexander III presented the Mozhaisky plane, built by Rear Admiral Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky (60 years old), the ex-revolutionary and inventor Nikolai Ivanovich Kibalchich (32-33 years old) and Professor Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky (28 years old) .
This was the last great test of the Mozhaisky plane, after its first failure in early 1882 the plane had carried out many tests but 1885 would be the last, Russia presented this to a series of international delegates (mainly European but also 2 Africans, 1 Asian and 2 Americans).
And that day February 25 for the first time a vehicle heavier than air flew, without crashing and for more than a few seconds. Russia succeeded, it had become the nation that had conquered heaven for the first time.
Tsiolkovsky and Kibalchich were the first to fly, due to his age and health problems, the elderly Mozhaisky did not have the opportunity, although his children did.
5 years after the first flight in history, Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky, father of Russian flight and aviation, would die.
On international issues, this was news that impacted the world, soon some interested parties would be looking at Russia's achievements and her successes in this regard.
No doubt a shock also in the 'civilized' parts of Europe, where even some scientists doubted that a heavier-than-air vehicle could fly.
Above all it would be shocking from the point of view of King Menelik of Shewa, Abyssinia was not even very developed in railways, while Russia had built a device capable of crossing the sky.
Of course the Russian interest in the skies did not cease, in fact it would continue to advance considerably from 1885 onwards, there was no time to rest on its laurels.
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* Foreign perspective.
Not long after the news of the Mozhaisky plane spread, some French and English newspapers parodied the news intended as hearsay, with various depictions of Russia flying a kite or simply flying a kite.
A flying barbarian, barbarians on kites flying like birds.
It was not a 'civilized' Western nation that invented flight, it was Russia, the so-called uncivilized country of Eastern Europe. Reason why the claims were initially dismissed, but promptly due to testimonies that even went up to the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, that Europe accepted reality.
What did this mean for the world? It was still too early to tell, some would continue to dismiss Russia, others wondered that she was still hiding the strange country.
Tsar Alexander III on the part of him kept looking in different directions, there were many things to do.
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[International]
On January 3, the Germans beat a numerically superior Qing force in northern Vietnam, in what is known as the Battle of Núi Bop.
Victories that continue to extend throughout the period in February, although the Sino-Vietnamese forces have secretly some English aid.
January 4, the first successful appendectomy in history, performed by Dr. William W. Grant (patient, Mary Gartside).
January 17 of the Mahdist war, between the Anglo-Egyptian troops and the Sudanese troops. The British lines of 1,400 men face more than 10,000 Sudanese.
The English forces called "The Gordon Relief Expedition", have the objective of crossing the Bayuda desert to reinforce General Charles George Gordon at Khartoum, besieged by the Sudanese.
The English are surprisingly defeated by numerically superior force in Sudan, the defeat is attributed to the slow response of Prime Minister Gladstone (losing public confidence).
On January 26 at the siege of Khartoum, General Gordon is assassinated and the city falls to the Sudanese Mahdists, marking a serious defeat for the British in the region and a victory for the rebel Muhammad Ahmad.
January 20, Russia finishes its first amusement park and roller coaster in Poland, a hit especially with children.
On January 24, the Irish damage Westminster Hall and the Tower of London with dynamite.
February 5, King Oscar II officially receives administrative rights over the Congo through the design of the other foreign powers, beginning the Swedish-Norwegian Congo (Swedish, Svensk-norska Kongo, Norwegian, Svensk-norsk Kongo).
Many of the Belgian advances in the region are reversed by the shift in economic and political support for Sweden-Norway.
February 9, the first Japanese migrant arrives in the Kingdom of Hawai'i.
February 23, an English executioner has a bad day, trying to hang the murderer John Babbacombe Lee, the execution fails 3 times and Lee's sentence goes from death to life imprisonment.
February 25, the Mozhaisky aircraft becomes the first heavier-than-air vehicle to fly successfully.
February 26, the St. Petersburg Conference ends, having divided the Pacific and Africa, more or less successfully for the European colonial powers.
On February 28, Guatemalan President Justo Rufino Barrios proclaims the union of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica in a single state.
Also proclaiming himself supreme leader of Central America of course. On March 10, the Minister-President of the Second Mexican Empire, Porfirio Diaz, sent a note prohibiting any military action by President Barrios against his Central American neighbors.
Not long after, Barrios forces the president of Honduras (Barrios' own former ally and minister) Marco Aurelio Soto to resign, effectively invading Honduras to ally himself with the next president in May, Luis Bográn.
Grover Cleveland, Democratic candidate, wins the elections as President of the United States, and is sworn in on March 4.
Former President Hancock for his part died in 1884 shortly after leaving the presidency, due to complications from diabetes and other health problems.
March 26, Prussian deportations begin in Prussia, the government was motivated to expel all Poles and Jews without German citizenship under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and Kaiser Wilhelm I.
The deportation aims to expel all the aforementioned of Russian or Austrian origin, applying inhumane measures and systematic racism against Jewish and Polish groups.
This is an early example of ethnic cleansing, condemned by Poles abroad and even in part by the German federal parliament.
On March 31, the United Kingdom establishes its protectorate over Bechuanaland (OOC: Botswana).
On the same day the English allow the Russians to establish their protectorate over Namibia according to the Saint Petersburg agreements.
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[Sport culture: First 4]
4 teams are chosen for the 5th edition of the Russian Soccer League.
* Erivan.
* Helsinki (Finland).
* Saint Petersburg.
* Kielce (Poland).
*******
[Radio]
3 of March.
Alexander Stepanovich Popov at the Imperial University of Saint Petersburg, after years of work (since 1880 at the Universal Exhibition of Saint Petersburg) with his assistant, the German Heinrich Hertz. They present to Tsar Alexander III and scientific authorities what Popov calls a 'lightning detector'. What actually Tsar Alexander III preferred to call radio.
The device was able to send communication signals from one side of the Gulf of Finland to the other after some preparations, which was undoubtedly considered a success for the professors in Saint Petersburg.
Popov and Hertz received a contract to work, mainly in secret, on the production of radios for the purposes of the Russian state.
In 1887, Hertz would describe more behind the theory about how radio works.
While in 1894-1895, Popov would present what he was allowed to continue to call a 'lightning detector'.
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[Addis Ababa]
At the end of March (30), King Menelik of Shewa was about to leave Russia to return to Abyssinia, it does not mean that he was discussing business with Tsar Alexander III.
"You know, I've been studying the geography of Abyssinia a bit." The Emperor of Russia explains, attracting the attention of the King of Shewa. "There is a region called Finfinne, inhabited by the Oromo clans."
"What is interesting about that region for you?" King Menelik questions.
"You see, it seems like a good position for you, and for Russian business. I'm interested in building a railway from Moscow, to what I call 'Addis Ababa'." Tsar Alexander III responds.
King Menelik was undoubtedly impressed by the maps presented by the Tsar of Russia, and also by business, a railway meant necessary materials, weapons, infinite possibilities, etc.
In a region in the kingdom of Shewa, this convinced King Menelik to fulfill certain deals with the Russians, one only had to convince Emperor Yohannes IV.
Later Menelik's wife would visit the site and she would be fascinated by it, effectively leading to the founding of the city 'Addis Ababa' not long after Menelik and Alexander III reunited.