A big house divided (July-September, 1903)

Inner Manchuria]

Between July 1 and 19, Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov and his family (Princess Elena of Montenegro, Grand Dukes Nicholas and Mikhail and Grand Duchess Maria), visit Inner Manchuria for a small tour and for the Tsesarevich do a little inspection of the place after his time as governor.

The world economic crisis certainly affected port cities especially (the contraction of trade meant a reduction in trade with most trading partners, except for some such as Japan, the United States or Mexico).

As in other parts of Russia, to supply the demand for labor, public construction projects were initiated, continuing the construction of railways and educational centers, partly improving what the Tsesarevich had left behind.

But Inner Manchuria was not exactly unrecognizable, there were still large rural sectors, new settlements of settlers from various parts of the Empire, many of the natives, the local Cossack host and the very cities that were annexed to Russia.

Some of the activities were, for example, Grand Duke Nicholas being photographed with various Russian army officers, such as Wan Fulin and Ma Zhanshan.

However, one of the things that did change were the effects of the Manchu cultural renaissance in the region, the programs for the inhabitants of Manchu origin to maintain their language and it became more common (to continue dividing and conquering, the Manchu would feel that if The Han were seeking the independence of Inner Manchuria, their culture would be threatened again).

This came especially to signs on streets, factories, schools and restaurants (among other buildings) that were in Russian, the Manchu alphabet and the local Han dialects, among some other languages.

Although there was still not exactly a large population of Manchu speakers, the number was growing in cities (where Manchu communities, artists who were rescuing the language, cultural centers and schools to learn the language were concentrated) and rural spaces (with programs about of the Manchu cultural renaissance).

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[Dynasty]

On August 15, Grand Duke Cyril Nicolayevich Romanov was born, the fourth child and third male child of Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov and Princess Elena of Montenegro.

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[2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party]

Between the end of July (the 30th according to the Gregorian calendar) and the first days of August (until the 6th), the Russian socialist Vladimir Ilych Ulyanov, also known as Vladimir Lenin, opens the Second Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party, which unites to various politicians of the Russian left, both nationals (such as the journalist Nikolay Valentinov) and "expatriates" (Lenin himself, who has lived more in Germany or Switzerland for years).

Due to the bad situation in France and Germany, and anti-socialist policies in places like the UK, the Russians met in Genova, Federative Socialist Republic of Italy.

With this meeting the decisions of the party program were raised.

Said congress actually had not only labor-socialists, but also other labor movements of diverse character, such as the BUND, social democrats and others.

The reason was that the Russian government no longer so explicitly persecuted the aforementioned groups, they were allowed as long as there were no terrorist attacks or newspapers that were too critical of the government. For example Tsesarevich Nicholas, governor of Moscow, worked extensively with the BUND (Jewish labor movement).

Therefore the problem was not exactly socialism in Russia, but in what form it manifested itself.

The congress showed the differences between various groups, there were for example Lenin and his followers, the "economists" (or "Pickers" if they followed Martynov) of Vladimir Petrovich Makhnovets and Alexander Samiolovich Martynov (economists believed in the reduction of all realities social, political and cultural to an economic base, denying the relationship of other factors).

Lenin affirmed the need to admit that the RSDLP wanted a dictatorship of the proletariat and the need for an alliance between the industrial proletariat and the agricultural peasantry, while some opposed such positions.

Some of the group's goals had been achieved, such as the 8-hour workday or higher workers' rights, but the tsarist autocracy was still there and there was obviously no self-determination for many of the nations of Russia.

The "Iskrists" (named after Iskra, or spark, Lenin's newspaper) finally won in their maximum and minimum programs, the economists and other reformists failed for lack of a leadership or popularity, which decided the votes in favor of Lenin , even when some changes were made to the voting bodies.

This definitely marked an important division, there were the "Bolsheviks" who currently occupied most of the congress, being followers (to varying degrees) of Lenin and the "Mensheviks", the rest and minorities of the Russian labor movements.

The Mensheviks would split again, regionally into Georgia, Azerbaijan, European Russia, etc.

This is considered an important event in Russian historiography, as the Social Democrats and Reformists lost for numerous reasons, forcing them into regional roles (such as Azeri Social Democrats, Georgians, Jews, etc).

The reason was an aforementioned lack of leadership, political consensus and popularity, in Russia many of the would-be Menshevik leaders had chosen to pursue an alliance with liberals or more conservative government figures, without taking a precisely active role. Which undoubtedly weakened his overall power.

On the other hand the Bolsheviks had several more prominent figures and even more general popularity, inside or outside Russia, part of the revolutionary spirit and strange ideas that Russia was in at the time.

The Mensheviks then became non-unified regional groups that only shared the same name, unable to get a mass of votes or coalition to gain political clout to carry out important programs outside their mentioned regions.

Also in general, not very active for a true social efficiency.

However Lenin could not return to Russia, so he could not take full advantage of the Bolshevik movement in Russia. Carrying out the deformation of Bolshevik ideas to suit the Russian situation, practicality over ideological purity.

The majority of Russian proletarians and peasants were in favor of the idea of greater rights and democracy in Russian society, but they were not in favor of the idea of the destruction of the monarchy or the self-determination of the people.

This is precisely because of the role that religion and tsarist government played in the past, Tsar Alexander III and Tsesarevich Nicholas were seen as champions of the common population against the reactionary bourgeoisie and nobility.

It is in this that some figures rise with more and more force, among them the intelligence agent Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, Grigory Yevseyevich Zinoviev, a purist, and Lev Borisovich Kamenev, "himself, among strangers" (more like a left social democrat than a Bolshevik , but it was this decision that made Kamenev more national than regional).

Dzhugashvili was briefly a student of religion, and in his opinion, no socialist movement in Russia would be successful if the "spiritual realities" of the people were not addressed.

Kamenev, while modest and cautious, had an instinct and talent for leadership and management, something that simply pushed him to the top.

Zinoviev was the purist, much closer to Lenin than Dzhugashvili or Kamenev, but not so stupid as to disappear from public politics by his position.

Lenin's responses to this derivation were not initially explicitly negative, after all Lenin first believed in the need for a socialist revolution in Germany and other parts of Europe before a Russian revolution.

*Among the rarest cases of socialism in Russia, is Dmitry Ulyanov, one of Vladimir Lenin's cousins (not to be confused with Lenin's brother, Dmitry, who was a doctor), who was an Orthodox priest who in his church included portraits, pictures and other objects that idolized not only religious figures, but also leaders of Russia (Alexander III, only to begin) and socialist figures, such as Lenin himself.

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*Perspective.

Tsar Alexander III was next to Tsesarevich Nicholas. "Think more about the German case of our world, the SPD started as a Marxist party and ended up being more moderate." Alexander insists.

"So you're saying that the radicals of this world could be ... tamed, by reforms?" Nicholas questions.

"Yes." Alexander III responds.

"Old man, in our world Nicholas II ended up murdered, THAT makes me paranoid." The Tsesarevich insists.

"I understand your fear Nicholas, but I insist that it will not happen, in this situation the end of the monarchy is politically counterproductive for any group and also we still need democratic reforms, so the participation of socialists is inevitable without possibly having worse consequences ." Tsar Alexander III explains.

In a few moments through the door came Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, on a brief return to Moscow at the call of the Alexandrian government. To the surprise of the young Georgian, he meeting Alexander III and Tsesarevich Nicholas.

"Excellent work in the Middle East I must say." Tsar Alexander III exclaims, it was the Tsar who was leading the meeting, putting Tsesarevich and Dzhugashvili somewhat on the defensive. "But there are certain concerns among some directors about your relationship with the labor movements ...".

Dzhugashvili took some air. "... You are truly an inspiration to me and many in Russia, my Tsar. My commitment to the working class and my loyalty to you are not two separate issues, especially if we understand the relationship we all have with God."

Dzhugashvili was returned to work without incident, Tsar Alexander III and his son were enjoying some food. "... I'm still a bit uncomfortable, but surprised." Nicholas affirms.

"It means that maybe we are on the right track. But we will still having an eye over the socialist, of course" Tsar Alexander III indicates.

"... Stalin is a Christian socialist?" Nicholas questions.

"I have no idea son." Alexander III responds. "I just feel the world is more weird for moments."

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[Russian government factionalism]

On the 29th of August, the Minister of Finance, Trade and Industry, Sergei Witte, spoke to Tsar Alexander III about the Obrazovska Clique. A group of members of the Russian intelligence service and the military, who had detected and started fighting Japanese espionage in Manchuria and Korea, related to the Black Dragon Society.

Apart from the fact that this meant increasing the fight against these aggressive and ultra-nationalist Japanese elements (which mainly included criminals and spies), it gave a clue about factionalism within the Russian Empire.

Although there was a unified command in almost all the governmental organs of the Russian Empire, there were also elements that went on their own following his ideas about what was best for Russia.

We already mentioned the political groups, but not the groups within the government and the factions themselves within the political groups. In a place as huge and varied as Russia, it is impossible not to form hard-line groups, extremists, moderates, reformers, etc.

The Obrazovska Clique for example, proposed the need to escalate into a war with Japan to obtain the Kuril Islands and southern Sakhalin, possibly even Hokkaido. Of course opinions with which not everyone agreed.

There were already some notable factions in the government, mainly the armed forces and the intelligence services, among some minor ministries.

Of course the ministers and directors of the KGB or Okhrana could lead the higher echelons, but they all want some influence in state affairs. Mikhail Skobelev for example, general and minister of war, for years had insisted on the pan-Slavic cause, the militancy and the conflict between Russia (the Slavic world) and the Germanic world.

Dzhugashvili was part of the administrators of the intelligence services, and through years of work he had built allies and followers of reformist tendencies. But in contrast within the intelligence services, there were still members of the Holy Militia, who were drawn to hard-line nationalist policies.

That just to give examples in the most important groups, but there were also social classes. The masses of Russia already seek their own interests as the political reforms approach, but obviously there are other smaller groups that also seek their interests.

Companies and burghers, and the nobility in danger. People with money and potential influence in certain media who did not want future reforms to threaten all their interests by voting for the majority of Russian society (bourgeoisie, businessmen, etc.) or the social class who wanted to regain influence (the nobility) .

It was inevitable that all these differences would arise, but there had to be a way to control them.

How did Tsar Alexander III do it? Well, in the period before the democratic reforms, the czar simply ruled like a tyrant with important allies to keep this political box closed.

Minister Mikhail Skobelev was loyal as were many of the army generals (mostly ethnic Russians post-military reform), the Orthodox patriarchs were under Tsarist authority, the socialists understood that they had to compromise with the monarchy or they would die. politically (or those who understood this rose higher than the rest), the Mensheviks were regional, the liberals cooperated, the nobility had lost influence, and the bourgeoisie cooperated for the moment.

Minorities, except for a few, were mostly quiet.

But it was obvious that democracy would bring a time of greater need for negotiation and conflict. Not only that, democracy, while not inherently bad, has consequences for such a multi-ethnic and geographically large state.

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[International]

July 2, through a treaty, the Kingdom of Italy formally joins the French conflict on the side of Charles Maurras to fight against the Federative Socialist Republic of Italy.

The rebel generals on the other hand do not think this is more than a distraction for the socialist Italians, as the rebels simply cannot fight three enemies at the same time (Italians, Iberians and the northern government with Pierre Curie and Jules Guesde) .

The rebels plan an operation to push back the Iberians and secure their flank, while the northern government plans an operation to go directly to crush the southern forces.

July 9, the coastal defenses of the Italian socialists manage to keep the royalist forces on the sidelines. Why?

Very simple. Neither of the two Italian states has a good army or a good navy, the socialists simply have the advantage that they play defensively and the realists have poor leadership.

So to speak, Italian socialists are one-eyed but the italians of the kingdom are blind.

The Socialist victories at Nice were due to the most surprising element in the attack.

More crimes are being committed in the southern government on the other hand, including many sexual abuse by rebel soldiers in rural villages.

While this is relatively common in warfare, it certainly does not help in a civil war, some of the inhabitants simply join the opposing side.

When normally, for religious-political reasons especially, these citizens would join Maurras.

July 11, the US troops are definitively expelled from the north of Venezuela, but the conflict in Haiti continues.

The German armed forces are mostly unaware of the plans for a US operation in Panama, so they plan an operation to seize northern Haiti and an invasion by the United States.

Some in the diplomatic service indicate the need for Mexico to enter the war for Germany to obtain greater advantage and marine supremacy (through Cuba), in exchange for promising Mexico the recovery of territories.

July 16, Italian attacks in the east of the rebel government are repelled. Despite this, obviously the north and west of the rebel government remain in grave danger.

July 18, in the Haitian Conflict, the Americans begin their invasion of the Isthmus of Panama, Colombia. This operation is a huge initial success for US forces, defeating the most unsuspecting Colombian forces, supported in part by locals now armed by the United States.

The operation gives a new strong base to the United States towards the north of Colombia and Venezuela, which have to restructure to defend the region.

Of course this movement alerts Germany and some neighboring states, such as the Second Mexican Empire and Central America.

July 19, shortly after the US operation in Panama, the central government of France (Pierre Curie and Jules Guesde) launched an attempt to expel the forces of Charles Maurras from the south of France.

However, crossing from north-central France to south-central is partly extremely costly, and does not guarantee the end of civil conflicts in France at all.

July 20, Pope Leo XIII dies, a whole situation in the Christian world and beyond, since the next Pope could decide a new policy of the Christian church towards Italian socialism that surrounds the Vatican City.

For this in particular Wilhelm II and Victor Emmanuel III tried to influence the elections of the papal conclave.

July 21, in the middle of the Haitian conflict, both armies are punished not only by tropical diseases, but also by the brutal climate of the Caribbean.

The first tropical cyclone of the season hits the island of Hispaniola and the navy of both states, especially the United States Navy.

Whether it seems or not, it is the climate that partly saved the government of southern Haiti and the German navy from serious defeat in 1903, although it did not cause the recovery of Panama, it did give the German side some time to recover.

Another country badly affected by the cyclone was the Dominican Republic.

The United States receives a request from the government of northern Haiti (the rebels they are supporting) to occupy the Dominican Republic.

July 24, in the UK government, Northern Labor and Southern Social Aristocrats continue to compete successfully against Liberals and Conservatives.

Marking a political stage where the Social Aristocrats are the dominant power in British politics, while Labor is on the rise and the Conservatives and Liberals are on the decline.

For this reason, more and more conservatives and liberals join the Social Aristocrats, to avoid the Labor rise.

Also the Social Aristocrats reapply the Treason Felony Act 1848, which some Labor members try to repel, without success.

July 28, amid the gold and coal strikes in Idaho, Colorado, United States, miner Philip Fire dynamites the transformer house at the "Sun and Moon" mine, dying in the process.

This is taken as an excuse for the gold mining companies and the federal government to violently crush the strikes, of course, it is not the most useful strategy.

July 29, 22 deaths in the Hippo Wars and 77 wounded.

A hippo is adopted by a German regiment in the Haitian conflict, obtained through German Africa, and is used as a mascot and propaganda against the United States.

July 31, the new papal conclave begins. Kaiser Wilhelm II, supported by King Victor Emmanuel III, insist that the Kaiser of Germany inherited Austro-Hungarian rights to influence the papal conclave.

More specifically, vetoing a papal candidate, a right that the Austrian kaisers did indeed have. Of course supporting candidates of a more conservative tint, in the style of Pius IX.

This was undoubtedly blocked by the papal conclave, but it had repercussions, such as the withdrawal or loss of many conservative candidates, Italians and Germans, and even French and Spanish (for their generally anti-socialist positions).

Leaving "liberals" of the line of Leo XIII and even more reformist-labor candidates. This delay also allowed Patrick Francis Moran, Cardinal of Sydney, Australia, to attend the conclave.

August 2, Mustafa Kemal of the Communist Party of Turkey, proclaims the Turkish revolution.

August 6, the second tropical cyclone of the season, it hits the south of the Antilles.

August 8, British journalists and some Puerto Rican journalists widely criticize the Japanese crimes in the Philippines after having obtained information about the various crimes committed by the Imperial Japanese Army.

Of course the IJA defends itself against these "foreign attacks", but it does not help the international reputation of the Empire of Japan.

August 10, a defeat of the Iberian socialists delayed their advance against the forces of Charles Maurras. The fighting between rebels and socialists causes the spread of fires and destruction of various crops in Aquitaine.

In Norway the "Oseberg Ship" is discovered. A 9th-century Viking ship, discovered in a large burial mound at a farm near Tønsberg, Vestfold.

Tsar Alexander III buys it.

August 11, hurricane in Jamaica.

On August 12 the same hurricane hits the Cayman Islands.

On August 16, that same hurricane hits and finally disappears Mexico, more specifically it hits San Luis Potosí, flooding the area between Tampico and Cárdenas.

August 14, the British government passes a series of laws encouraging British landowners to hold their land against Irish tenants, making it more difficult for the Irish to buy or obtain "English" land on the island of Ireland itself.

Of course this measure is not popular at all in Ireland.

August 15, the spoil system in the US government makes communication through letters certainly somewhat more difficult, especially when several politicians insist that white neighborhoods take precedence over African-American neighborhoods and some other ethnic-cultures, like the Muslim-Ottoman Turks.

August 17, the Great Western Railway is the first British railway company to operate its own road motor services when it begins running buses between Helston and The Lizard in Cornwall.

August 18, the German air forces continue to expand as inventor Karl Jatho begins producing new aircraft for the German armed forces.

Germany continues to move even more resources to war, a waste that currently does not help the German economy much.

Yes, population is mobilized but spending is uncontrolled under the Wilhelm II government, workers do not get much money to help move the economy, the housing crisis continues and also the fall of the Berlin stock market, among many other problems.

August 21, the Papal Conclave was finally decided between Patrick Francis Moran and James Gibbons, cardinals from Australia and the United States respectively.

Finally Gibbons won, who took the name of Pius X, the first American Pope.

Defining this new papal line is simple through the words of Pope Pius X himself: "It is the right of laboring classes to protect themselves, and the duty of the whole people to find a remedy against avarice, oppression, and corruption."

A supporter of the labor movements and the role of Christian workers in unions represented an even more radical turn in the Christian church, which caused a greater popularity of socialist measures among many Christians (both in the Catholic and Orthodox world).

(OOC: I use the name Pius X because I am not very original XD).

August 22, dies Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury.

August 25, Mexican and Japanese workers in California are attacked by white settlers, who set fire to several of the houses of these groups, affiliated with the labor movements of southern California.

Including the home of Teresa Urrea, a Mexican mystic and revolutionary insurgent against the Porfirio Diaz government, as she supported these labor movements.

August 27, Churchill and Lord Curzon collaborate more closely in the administration of India, briefly causing Churchill to go as governor of Bombay to the British Raj.

This is bad news for all natives in general.

Food crops are largely replaced by tea crops to lower the price, and Churchill's influence spreads from Bombay to other regions of the Raj.

September 1, the entirety of Panama falls under the control of the United States, which begins to mobilize towards the north of Colombia to try to get the Latin American countries out of the Haitian conflict.

September 5, begins to paint the first portrait of Pope Pius X, by the Irish painter Henry Jones Thaddeus.

September 9, coronation ceremony of Pope Pius X.

September 11, an Atlantic hurricane hits Florida, United States.

September 12, the German navy after having recovered hits the US navy hard, the Caribbean conflict does nothing but increase resources and personnel involved.

September 13, Vladimir Lenin writes to Alexander Nikolayevich Potresov, apologizing for his irascible behavior of him but refusing to accept that his recent decisions of him might be wrong.

Potresov, under the name "Starover" is one of the writers of the Iskra newspaper, along with Vladimir Lenin.

September 14, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Joseph Chamberlain, enlists the support of the Social Aristocrats of Prime Minister Louis Alexander Mountbatten, to initiate a series of free trade deals between the United Kingdom and the white dominions of the British Empire.

The basis for Imperial Preference and beyond.

September 16, an Atlantic hurricane hits the state of New Jersey, United States.

September 19, the rebellious Irish republican and journalist John Devoy starts the "Gaelic American", a newspaper for the Irish Catholics of the United States, since now the request to abolish the monarchy can have serious consequences in the United Kingdom.

September 21, elections in Serbia, Sava Grujić of the People's Radical Party must form a coalition government with the help of pro-Russian military cliques and independent politicians (also financed by Russia).

September 22, the ice cream vendor, Italo Marchiony patents a machine for the creation of ice cream cones. One of the first of its kind.

September 25, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake hits Persia (more specifically Razavi Khorasan Province, in the east of the country, near the British Raj and Russian Turkestan), killing 350 people.

Tsar Alexander III sends the Russian Red Cross to help.

September 27, 7 dead and 1 wounded in the Hippo Wars.

September 29, the province of Prussia, German Empire, enters a serious financial crisis due to the economic crisis and the housing crisis, many industries go bankrupt, such as the automotive industry and other industrial goods.