European boom (January-March, 1867)
International]
In January in the District of Columbia, African-American men get the right to vote.
While the Republicans and Americans still recognize Benito Juarez as the legal president of Mexico, Generals Miguel Miramón, Leonardo Márquez, and Tomás Mejía, thanks to the imperial victories in northern Mexico (thus a modicum of stability), formed a unified army loyal to Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico.
This tripartite army has marched to the south of Mexico, where the last great republican resistance of Benito Juarez remains.
Republicans should not be underestimated, it should be said that the tripartite army is green in experience, lacks much funding and is marching forcibly.
The last confrontations will take place in the next months of May and June.
Emperor Kōmei of the Empire of Japan dies at the age of 36, turning his son, Prince Mutsuhito into the emperor, this prince takes the title of Emperor Meiji.
On February 3, the Shogun abdicated, putting an end to the Hundred-of-year-old Tokugawa Shogunate, returning power to the emperor of the Yamato dynasty.
Before the British could focus too seriously and too much on the Russians and French doing their thing in Korea, in March they were caught off guard by the Fenian uprising of the Irish.
On March 23 of this year, with William III of the Netherlands in financial trouble, the French Emperor Napoleon III offered a total of 5 million guilders for the purchase of Luxembourg. William III of the Netherlands had accepted this offer.
Now it turns out that Bismarck and the Germans opposed this with various nationalist newspapers against it, in addition to some public protests.
A diplomatic crisis has broken out between the North German Confederation (newly formed, they don't even have a constitution yet, and led by the Kingdom of Prussia), and the Second French Empire of Napoleon III Bonaparte.
Austrian mediation proposals failed (because Leopold II of Belgium was refusing a territorial exchange), England also feared that this would weaken their Belgian pawn.
On the other hand, the eastern giant, Russia, led by Emperor Alexander III, remained silent, waiting to see what triggers the situation.
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[Russkaya Amyerika: Alyáska / Alaska]
* Meeting between Gorchakov, von Bunge and Emperor Alexander III in the day 29 of March.
"Then, we were discussing the possibility of the sale of the American territories of the Empire, but the American civil war stopped these businesses" Minister Alexander Gorchakov explains again to Tsar Alexander III. "Should we resume those negotiations?"
"No" Emperor Alexander III sentence.
"Emperor I can understand your refusal, but I ask you to reconsider. Russian America in the long term is not viable, it is hardly defensible, and despite the fact that we continue the fur business, feeding the diminished population is extremely difficult" Minister Gorchakov explains the infeasibility.
"So we just have to fix that." Tsar Alexander III answers "Now the question is. How?"
"They call Russian America, Siberia's Siberia, developing and populating it is going to be extremely difficult, people don't move there normally" Minister Nikolai von Bunge responds.
"Let's say we find another important economic stock there, coal, silver, gold, whatever," Emperor Alexander III argues.
"While it might motivate some immigration, I still don't think it's enough. It could also attract ... unsolicited attention, the British and Americans will move, but only for the riches of the region, and then they would try to take them home." Nikolai von Bunge exclaims.
"Some prohibitions and taxes will be placed on foreigners in that case, or we can also buy them to stay. Although populating Alyáska with foreigners is a double-edged sword" Gorchakov mentions cautiously.
"How about we turn the colony into a military district of its own? We sent some regiments and Cossacks there. We increased and eased the trade line between Tsushima, Quelpart and Vladivostok for supply and started the state monopoly on other resources in the region" Emperor Alexander III thinks.
"It could work, but it still does not solve problems such as the civilian population, local food and other problems in Russian America" Nikolai von Bunge responds. "Most Russians are probably too poor to travel to Alyáska without state support."
"Then we will support them." Emperor Alexander III sentences "We could try some reform of the land distribution in Alyáska ... Any other measures?".
"The 1845 Code still allows us to put forced labor. But I would not suggest placing any Katorga in Alyáska majesty" Minister Gorchakov mentions above. "It will be better to prepare and report to Governor in any case."
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Before the reforms of Russian America, there were issues that the ministries of the interior, economy and the army had to attend to with respect to the current administration.
Prince Dmitry Petrovich Maksutov was fired from his position as Governor of Russian America, after charges against him about stealing from the Russian-American company will be investigated, no employees will be paid or no debts will be paid.
Emperor Alexander III became the first Russian emperor to set foot on Alyáska, being there to relieve Prince Maksutov of his position, sentenced to a prison stay and a fine in European Russia.
The military governor of Primorsk, Johan Hampus Furuhjelm, was transferred again to the position of Governor of Alyáska.
Emperor Alexander III and others from Russian America considered that Furuhjelm had good capabilities as an administrator, had expanded the naval capabilities of Russian America, and established good neighborliness with the Native Americans.
The only big mistake made by Furuhjelm had been the successor he chose.
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[Finance]
A new fiscal year begins for the Russian Empire, by this time some debts have been paid and Russia has achieved certain investments after political stability in the empire of Tsar Alexander III.
But it is obvious to Nikolai von Bunge (finance minister) and the emperor, that there is a lot of work to do.
Reforms were launched on the way of collecting taxes, and some unnecessary expenses were reduced in the finance ministry (through the accounting of such expenses).
Customs duties on imported goods were increased, improving the Russian trade balance and gaining a source of income, since among some taxes, the salt tax, the poll tax were abolished (in addition to the redemption payments for the abolition of serfdom).
Instead, taxes on alcohol, sugar and tobacco, a stamp tax and some others (such as an income tax, property tax transferred for free, taxes on apartments, among others) were increased.
In short, indirect taxes also increased.
In addition, the Zemstvo of the Russian Empire were called variously for discussion about the reductions of redemption payments, and the realization of the new taxes.
In other words, the government of Alexander III has become economically protectionist.
A considerable part of industrial development is marked by the state seeking to strengthen itself.
And the other part is the growth of private industries through certain companies.
Other important monetary reforms are still missing but the year starts well for Russia in this regard, stabilizing its trade balance a bit more and strengthening state finances.
They are close to 0 and positive numbers right now, but not there yet.
Minister Nikolai von Bunge also has his thoughts found against certain conservative parts of the government, for example Nikolai von Bunge opposes punishments of mutual responsibility and the rural community.
Bunge also opposes loans to landowners who do not occupy their land on their own account.
Opinions that are not exactly completely favored in the government, but are being discussed. A series of new financial reforms would be launched in 1872.
The Russian industrialization arising from these reforms began in the metallurgy sector, the production of iron, steel and coal extraction, vital for an industry but also for the Russian army.
The reason for the state promotion of these industries, the European and American needs for these materials were also the motive for foreign and private support for Russian industries.
Later reasons would bring other industrial developments in this area, such as the emergence of Tula, Moscow and Saint Petersburg, among other cities in the heart of Russia as large industrial sites.
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[Dynamite]
In these months the Swede Alfred Nobel demonstrated the uses of his "Nobel's Safety Powder" in a Ural mine, demonstrating to Tsar Alexander III and Russian business associates (who became important investors since last year), the functionality of his invention over nitroglycerin.
Nitroglycerin Aktiebolaget AB under the watchful eye of Alexei Pavlovich Bobrinsky (deputy minister of the Ministry of Railways) and Nikolai von Bunge (minister of finance), opened a factory in the Tula region.
The Russian city of Tula soon began making "Dynamite" the name by which the inventor, Alfred Nobel, settled (ditching the name "Nobel's Safety Powder").
Russian dynamite was soon used by the state in the construction of infrastructure and mining.
A railway line from Tula to Moscow was built with the industrial growth of the area. Tula became the capital of Russian arms, even more so during the government of Alexander III.
The Russian Chassepots rifle factory, and Hiram Berdan's work centered around the city of Tula.
In the following months Nobel would patent his invention in Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States