How some territories work (April-June, 1881).
The (attempted) assassination around the world]
At the international level, the assassination attempt on Tsar Alexander III did not have a serious impact, yes, monarchs like Wilhelm I of Germany or Napoleon IV sent some messages of support, but it was not too important.
In the first place, political assassination attempts were quite common at the time, most were also unsuccessful (as for example Umberto I simply losing 1 arm was remarkable).
Furthermore, at the international level it was understood that the Russian situation was secure, the gendarmerie, the Okhrana and the Russian army had everything under control (more importantly for the western capitalists, ensuring private property).
This meant that the news did not impact much, and the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange continued to receive foreign investment in the growing Russian market without major problems.
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[Dynasty]
Grand Duchess Xenia was jumping on her parents' bed, Empress Maria Fedorovna was reading in bed while 'Bear tsar', Alexander III was resting, Grand Duke Michael (born December 1878) was asleep between his parents and Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich was wasting time at the foot of the bed when Tsesarevich Nicholas finally entered the room.
"Hello dad." The Tsesarevich salutes.
"Son, good afternoon." Tsar Alexander III mentions. "Something wrong?".
"I have some questions." Tsesarevich Nicholas explains, although Tsar Alexander III is there to listen promptly, Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich gets bored with the questions of his older brother so the emperor and the heir went to another room to discuss.
At the age of 13, Tsesarevich Nicholas began his education in military affairs, Tsar Alexander III made it clear that Nicholas Alexandrovich did not have to pursue that career but it was better to be safe than sorry.
However, the Tsesarevich had clear intentions to pursue a career in one of the ministries of the Russian Empire.
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[Alyáska: Reform and associated projects]
The demographic and economic growth of Alyáska throughout the government of Alexander III was remarkable, with respect to previous years of Russian possession of course. However in 1881, with future reforms in mind, Tsar Alexander III and Interior Minister Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov deemed Alyáska's legal status obsolete.
The Russo-American Company was de facto a state institution and had already served its purpose (mostly replaced by more loyal and capable administrators, state companies engaged in the extractive economy, private economic actors, etc).
Because of this in an imperial Ukase (edict or decree), the Russian-American Company was abolished, and the remaining more competent workers were transferred to the Russian administration of the new Alyáska Governorate.
Equipped with its own military district (made up of local armies and militia throughout the territory), applying the other reforms of the Ministry of War (centralization of military medical services in the ministry).
Governor Johan Hampus Furuhjelm after years of service retired from his post to become a port commander in Novo Arkhangelsk, a new governor was selected from among the citizens (in particular a member of the Oskolkov family) of Alyáska.
Being a Governorate (Guberniya) supposes that Alyáska was considered not a colony, but another integral territory of the Russian Empire.
Tsar Alexander III added the title of 'Tsar of Alyáska' to his repertoire of titles (which includes emperor and autocrat of All Russia, Moscow, Kiev, Vladimir and Novgorod, Tsar of Kazan, Tsar of Astrakhan, Tsar of Poland, Tsar of Siberia, Tsar of Tauric Chersonesus and Tsar of Georgia, Lord of Pskov, etc).
In the future some of the Native American tribes would appoint the Russian tsars as Chieftains (more honorably than practically) of the Alyáska tribes.
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The ex-minister Timashev was as an adviser listening to the discussions of Tsar Alexander III and the new Minister of the Interior, Loris-Melikov.
"Then, will we expand the Zemstvo also to Alyáska ?." Loris-Melikov asks.
"Indeed, the county and provincial zemstvos will expand to the entire Russian Empire." Emperor Alexander III responds. "We will still maintain enormous control in certain affairs and vigilance over the Zemstvos in areas of Poland, Lithuania and border regions. For security and military administration issues."
"We still cannot trust the Poles and the Baltic regions." Timashev exclaims, a pragmatic truth in a sense, the Russian state was still wary of possible rebellions within Russia (especially the Poles and Lithuanians).
"Very well, then, local mutual insurance, some local statistics, the construction of infrastructure, hospitals and schools will be left to the Zemstvos unless it is a state project ordered from Saint Petersburg. The central government still holds the power of the minting of coins and economic administration, postal service, education programs, diplomacy and military forces, among other non-delegated powers. We have to discuss more about the reforms in the town halls and the advisory body. " The tsar repeats at the end of the meeting.
"Understood." Loris-Melikov calmly accepts, the reform would be timid (in Mikhail opinion), compared to previous military, economic and judicial reforms. But at least it existed.
"Oh, besides, Loris-Melikov, we have to discuss with the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of War some other projects for Alyáska." Tsar Alexander III adds.
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In 1865 during the last years of the reign of Alexander II a Russian-American Telegraph had been planned across the Bering Sea, sadly with the assassination of Tsar Alexander II and other concerns of the Russian state, the project was never successfully concluded.
The government of Tsar Alexander III set out to bring the project back to life, establishing an efficient line of communication between Alyáska (the only Russian territory in the Americas) and Moscow-Saint Petersburg.
Submarine telegraph cables already existed transatlantic and across the Indian Ocean, but not across the Pacific. In addition, these telegraphs are de facto a British monopoly that mainly helps the English economy and possessions.
But obviously before carrying out the project, Russia needed the necessary manpower to carry it out. The workers would not be a problem, but the placement of submarine telegraphs did not fall within the experience of the Russian Empire, with this I began the search for private or external agents (non-English, since these would have little interest) who could help.
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The first to be interested were companies and / or entrepreneurs of German and American origin (who had money and potentially interest in investing in the project), in addition to some Russians of course.
The telegraph channel of the Pacific could expand to other regions, being an economic benefit for other nations and would strongly attack one of the greatest English benefits.
One of the Russians interested in the project would be Nikola Tesla.
The year 1881 was more of a year of discussion and proposals for the Bering Telegraph, but it would probably be the most important year for the project (its founding, to be precise).
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[Museums and collections]
Tourism in Russia was getting bigger and bigger, the advantage of having huge natural sites but also remarkable infrastructure, sites of interest, etc.
For this reason, Tsar Alexander III decided to take some measures to expand the tourist potential of Russia, some rooms of the private palaces of the Tsar were opened as museums (for a few weeks or special dates), but the most important thing is what happened to the collection private of Tsar Alexander III.
The tsar's collection was divided into two, one that would remain private and another that would become 'public' (semi-public is a better word), being distributed among the museums of Russia to increase the content and pieces present in museums in Russia.
However, the situation did not end there, Tsar Alexander III planned that every two years the two collections would be rotated (so in 2 years the semi-public pieces would be returned, becoming the private collection, and the private pieces would be distributed by Russia as public pieces).
This in the opinion of Tsar Alexander III would allow the common population to observe pieces from the royal collection (a public relations move in a sense), allow Russia to make money, and also allow the Romanov family to show off.
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[Russian growth]
* English perspective.
The military (and economic) growth of Tsarist Russia between the 1870s and 1880s was viewed with concern among many of the political circles of the Victorian era. However also many capitalists saw this as an opportunity, Russia would become capitalist (and theoretically liberal) becoming a very profitable potential partner.
But Russia and Germany were still, or were becoming, the UK's 'public enemy'.
Russia was growing at an accelerated rate, quickly taking time lost from the lack of early industrialization. Furthermore, the Trans-Siberian railway and other Russian projects gave the idea that Russia was 'arming' or 'pointing' towards certain regions or markets of the world, East Asia, the telegraphic market, etc.
Germany on the other hand was also growing as a continental and economic power, the German navy was increasing and the Germans themselves wanted to protect their economic interests (colonial or not) in the Pacific.
The Gladstone administration brought back the need for France to put a continental balance against Germany, and potentially Russia (Austria-Hungary was more or less relegated to a 'Germany of the second degree').
The French economy was recovering of course, but it was doubted that it could do anything against rising Russia and Germany in their current state.
* German perspective.
"Russian growth only means two things. We must prevent Russia from getting closer to France, and we should prepare in case that happens." Chancellor Otto von Bismarck sentences.
"And how do we prevent Russia from getting closer to France and Austria-Hungary?" Germany's minister (actually secretary) for foreign affairs, Chlodwig Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, asked.
"They will not approach Austria-Hungary, they will fight over the Balkans in that case. If Russia approaches the Paris-Vienna axis, they will approach France exclusively. But does Paris have something to offer Russia that Germany does not?" Bismarck questions.
"It is important?". Chlodwig continues.
"Yes, at best we get a neutral or allied Russia that leaves France with few alternatives to attack us from the east, and we only have to watch our flanks in the southeast and west. Russia can also be a trading partner. ..Useful". Bismarck explains the 'positive' scenarios. "At worst we have a hostile Russia, which surrounds us from the southeast, the east and the west, so in that situation ... we have little choice but to try to mount a defense and potentially an alliance with the English. A Paris-Vienna-Saint Petersburg coalition would terrify them, but I doubt they could do anything in continental Europe. " The chancellor explains the most negative cases.
Bismarck was the chancellor and the final voice in many affairs of the German Empire, but from the 1880s on, he was getting more and more rusty.
He was committed to keeping the peace in Europe, but his decisions would alienate many and form the alliance system that was getting many into trouble.
He remained dependent on the Conservative and Nationalist members, at the cost of occasional compromises with lesser German states within the Empire, but he also aligned Catholics, Socialists, and Liberals against him. Besides that the jingoists, industrialists and colonial stakeholders were continually pressuring him.
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['Diplomacy': Central Asia and Russia]
Tsar Alexander III met with his vassals from Central Asia, Russian economic investment and military control, in addition to groups of native-Muslim administrators educated by (and loyal to) Russia guaranteed the stability of the region, de-facto a Russian territory but de-jure they were vassal states.
On one side was Seyid Abdulahad Khan the Emir of Bukhara, Nasruddin Khan the Khan of Kokand and Muhammad Rahim Khan II the Khan of Khiva had recognized themselves by treaties as vassals of Emperor Alexander III, and in essence they ceded the economy, foreign diplomacy (and de-facto the army) to Russia.
"I plan to abolish the territories of Khiva, Bukhara and Kokand to fully integrate them within the Russian Empire according to legal status. In exchange the nobility of their respective status will keep their titles within the Russian Empire, and compensation in case of loss of land, without mandatory military duties. " Tsar Alexander III explains regarding the nobility (who had already lost much of their administrative roles in exchange for administrators appointed by Russia).
"'And what will happen to us?" Muhammad Rahim Khan II asks.
"You will maintain the status of nobility and most of your possessions, you will be granted honorary ranks within the Russian army and the title of Serene Highness. You can maintain at least part of your courts but devoid of all political power and money that is not use for humanitarian-philanthropic purposes or in conjunction with the state. " Tsar Alexander III ends.
The three 'leaders' of Central Asia accepted, only Russian control over the area would be formalized (in 1882).
Emir would be translated more as 'prince' than 'king', 'leader' or 'commander' among the Russo-Uzbek nobility (and others) from 1882 onwards.
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[Diplomacy: Aceh, UK and Russia]
On May 11, a British missionary ship ends up stranded in the Sultanate of Aceh, of course the government of Prime Minister Gladstone and Queen Victoria are concerned about recovering said ship but the Dutch (led by King William IV) are not reliable partner to deal with the Sultanate of Aceh.
However Sultan Alauddin Muhammad Da'ud Syah II Johan Berdaulat, leader of the Aceh peoples (having successfully united them) offered to negotiate the rescue of the English through Russia.
Something that the UK accepted at first, but in the meantime Aceh and Russia had their own plans in the middle of all this.
Under liberation the English also tacitly accepted a treaty between the Russian Empire and the Sultanate of Aceh so that the Pacific fleet could take the English from tribal territory to British Empire territory, in theory not to violate the customs of Aceh.
But in turn the Russians and the Acehnese signed an agreement that made the Sultanate of Aceh a protectorate of the Russian Empire, allowing the Russian sailors to anchor and carry the English to their destination.
The English parliament was undoubtedly somewhat surprised, the Dutch did nothing due to the free hand of Russia with respect to Aceh and the rest of the Great Powers (France, Germany and Austria-Hungary) cared little because they were fixed in their own interests
or colonial affairs.
At this Prime Minister Gladstone simply had to accept this and move on, the situation was peacefully resolved and the Russians even paid some of the damages to the English citizens.
Some might oppose the Russian expansion of the Pacific, but there was not much to do in reality, Aceh was totally out of Anglo-Saxon (or Dutch) influence or interests.
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Under the Russia-Aceh treaty of 1881, the Sultanate of Aceh became a vassal of Russia (and obtained Russian citizenship).
* Aceh's trade, military defense and foreign policy remain in the hands of the Russian Empire and its sovereign (the Emperor of Russia).
* Russia gets the right to build military buildings in Aceh and send a 'Director General' to manage Russia's 'strategic' properties in the region.
* Russia and its authorities would respect the native religions of Aceh.
In return, Russia would invest in the defense and modernization of Aceh (infrastructure, military and administrative institutions, education, economic resources, etc.).
Obviously the first thing for Russia was to establish a naval base and a port as a spearhead for the modernization of the Sultanate of Aceh.
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[International]
In April in Texas, El Paso, the Four Dead in Five seconds gun fight takes place. Where witnesses generally claim that it lasted less than five seconds after the first shots.
April 28, Billy the Kid escapes from his prison in Lincoln County. Him murdering James Bell and Robert Ollinger, stealing a horse and leaving town.
May 11, Aceh becomes a protectorate-vassal of the Russian Empire.
May 12, after border assaults by certain tribes and problems in certain geophgraphic areas of Tunisia, the bey of Tunisia Muhammed as-Sadiq asks for help from certain European powers.
This however creates obvious diplomatic problems, on the one hand there is the Kingdom of Italy led by Umberto I interested in the area, and on the other hand there are the French colonial authorities of Algeria and the Second French Empire of Napoleon IV.
France and Italy begin to fight seriously in the diplomatic field for the possession of a protectorate over Tunisia.
May 13, the island of Rotuma becomes a British dependency of the colony of Fiji.
May 16, Russian and German companies begin the creation of the Berlin electric tram.
In Russia, on the other hand, the St. Petersburg electric tram is simply expanding.
The Germans imitate the Russian model with the idea of creating a permanent, regular and punctual tram.
May 22, Prince Sergei I of Bulgaria marries a member of the Russian minor nobility (with the permission of his cousin Alexander III). The Bulgarian National Assembly also accepts marriage, a morganatic marriage is not prohibited in the constitution of the Principality of Bulgaria.
June 12, the German maritime presence and capabilities continue to increase. In theory only for the defense of the German colonies.
June 18, due to Austro-Hungarian support for French interests in Tunisia, relations between Austria-Hungary and Italy deteriorate, which also drags (to a certain extent) Germany due to the possibility of a conflict that activates the Dual Alliance.
Due to Austro-Hungarian occupations in other matters, Serbia remains relatively isolated economically and politically (in its relationship towards Austria-Hungary of course).