Heirs of Empires (April-June, 1915)

Diplomacy: Cooperativism]

Some insist that the relations of the Russian Empire are entirely based on the Realpolitik developed in Germany during the time of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.

The truth is that although there are similarities (especially in aspects of 'pragmatism' or 'realism'), Russian foreign policy was developed based on many events and opinions, both from the monarchs and from elements of the Russian state.

In general, Russians prefer to call it 'Cooperative Politics', the evolution of 'Equidistant Politics' that existed for most of the Alexandrian period.

The equidistant policy was to have everyone at the same distance, a commitment to neutrality, and avoid getting into conflicts or alliances with the great world powers.

A policy that was useful during the modernization processes of the Russian Empire, sitting on trade and good diplomatic relations.

But with changes in national and international policies, it was obvious that a change occurred. At the end of the Alexandrian period, cooperative politics emerged.

It is very simple, Russia had to co-operate with international countries willing to co-operate, regardless of whether they had ideological differences or other problems.

A pragmatic cooperation of a purely economic and pseudo-diplomatic character, nothing more.

The Imperial Federation was the biggest problem for this policy. The Imperial Federation had amassed important parts of the globe (in Oceania, Africa, Asia and the Americas), which posed serious problems for the economic and diplomatic policies of the Russian Empire.

Other countries aligned with the Imperial Federation were also not an option, since they were not very willing to cooperate with the Russian Empire in economic matters.

The United States was trustworthy, for the moment, but its changes of government and usual history of isolationism were also a possible problem.

Leaving as an option, in Europe, the European socialist states.

Why would Tsar Nicholas II cooperate with the European socialists? Very simple, in the first place, outside of the Russosphere, they were the only alternative.

Second, even though Tsar Nicholas II was not a big fan of Socialists, he hated the Imperial Federation and the British Social Aristocracy much more.

Third and last, the cooperation of Eastern Europe (Russia and the Russosphere) and Western Europe (Iberia, Italy, France and Red Germany) was the best hope for a lasting, albeit cold, peace in the continent.

Although the New Great War was coming to an end, it was clear that the socialist countries and the Russosphere could still face external problems in the future, so it was better to get rid of potential enemies and obtain a neutral neighbor or even an ally.

For this reason, on April 26, delegates from the Russian Empire (more countries of the Russosphere in Europe) together with delegates from the Union of Iberian Socialist Republics, the Federative Socialist Republic of Italy, the People's Republic of France and the Free Republic of Germany, sign an important bilateral treaty.

A treaty of cooperation and mutual assistance in economic, diplomatic relationships and technological work, aimed against the Imperial Federation and its allies.

This treaty was made for several reasons.

* Pragmatism of the countries involved made a co-operation with common objectives.

* Similar positions against the Imperial Federation.

* Mutual economic needs regarding markets, exports, imports or similar.

* Diplomatically Russia recognized Red Germany as 'legitimate Germany' and also recognizes the Socialist Flanders.

* Diplomatically the socialist bloc kept away from aggressive positions towards the Russosphere, in the meantime there were much more important objectives.

Even both blocks shared common positions in certain aspects, both blocks proposed the decolonization of the African continent in British hands, establishing more independent and sovereign countries.

This treaty would be an important first step for post-war European stability in international and post-WW3 matters.

Russia continued to supply many resources or even products to Red Europe (and win money), which was beginning its extensive developments in industrial matters and economic integration (between themselves).

Meanwhile, neither side was too upset, and both were targeting the Imperial Federation and its allies.

Not to confuse this trade with a market economy, the Socialists were still very strict against investment and private business property. Russia simply exported to the socialist countries, which instead gave money to Russia or exported their own materials and manufactures.

Both blocks had more or less developed countries, with their industries, their manufactures and agricultural-mineral resources. The cooperation was a simple financial exchange beneficial to both parties.

*******

[Republic of Cilicia]

The Republic of Cilicia was in a golden age, they had come out successful in the battle for the Eastern Mediterranean, as a reward receiving the territory of the island of Cyprus (granted by the Allied Bloc and the victory of Cilician troops in the territory).

With this, the Republic of Cilicia guaranteed a vital importance in the projection of military and political power of the Russosphere, in addition to importance in the commercial lines of the Russosphere in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The island's integration came shortly after its handover, the republic keeping many of the Turkish-Muslims in the region safe as long as they cooperated.

The Greek Cypriots were at first somewhat more reluctant to cooperate, but seeing the state of Greece at the moment (the Peloponnese occupied by the monarchical dictatorship and the rest of the country in the unstable republic), they did not have many options.

With the local population pacified, the Cilician government under President Ahmet Rıza Bey invested in the island to keep it under the republic, both economically and militarily.

The Cilician navy and the Russian navy (along with other Russosphere allies), were stationed in Cyprus for security reasons ... Not entirely a lie (the New Great War officially continued), but also to keep the region under military control. .

Economically it was clear, there was an economy and services to develop now that the ownership of the island passed to the Cilician government.

From now on the Cilician capitalists could be an important commercial link between the Middle East, North Africa and the Bosphorus Straits (Russia and other parts of Europe).

Everything was going quite well in the republic.

* Armenian Genocide.

But this golden economic period is also characterized by the cultural transformations of the liberal Ahmet Rıza Bey. On May 24, the term of the Armenian Genocide is officially created.

Before the Cilician government had already condemned the massacres of Armenians in the old Ottoman Empire, but now the title of 'Genocide' was officially used, that is, ethnic cleansing.

Soon other countries would recognize the term as well, and condoned the actions of the now-defunct Ottoman Empire.

With the Armenian presence in Anatolia still strong, it was a time of apology and reconciliation.

Ionia, Cilicia and Mustafa Kemal's Turkish socialists would acknowledge that the Armenian Genocide existed and that it was a bad thing (the three countries despite being Turkish states, generally disassociated from the Ottoman Empire for ideological or political reasons, even though Ionia is quite conservative).

Turkish ultra-right groups would later deny or even condone the Armenian genocide, but they are rather marginal groups.

There would be an active fight to prevent massacres such as those that occurred in the Ottoman Empire from happening again.

At least in Anatolia...

*******

[Inner Mongolia and Outer Mongolia]

On June 7, the transformation of Mongolia and the Mongolian people continues with important steps.

The government of Tsar Nicholas II, generally associated more with religious-tribal power structures (local princes, the Bogd Lama and Buddhist elites), began to make more deals with the Mongolian Social Democratic Labor Party.

This allowed the rise in importance of the new Mongol military and bureaucrats, pro-Russian and generally much more progressive (in various economic, social and political matters).

It was quite a pragmatic decision to continue integrating the governorate of Mongolia and the Inner Mongolia region into the Russian state, with the resources of the government (intelligence services and the state).

The MSDLP and its officers could extend their influence in favor of the central government of the Russian Empire.

Damdin Sükhbaatar and his associates would begin to rise to prominence as part of the circle of trust of the tsar (together with his associates) and the Russian state government, leading a clique of the younger Mongol generations within the services of the Russian Empire (burocracy, armed forces and other ranks of the goverment).

Of course this did not imply betraying what had already been built, now Tsar Nicholas II and his government (plus the Tsar circle of trust), led a balance between the traditional Mongol tribal leaders, the Buddhist religious leadership and the new Mongol generations .

A somewhat tense balance on many occasions ...

But at least important points were being reached, the infrastructure and modernization of Mongolia was at a steady pace. The Mongols simply couldn't stay the same forever.

The Mongol socialists and social democrats in general pushed for more reform measures towards the modernization of Mongolia, not just technological and economic modernization, but various legislative reforms (greater secularity, policies to solve social problems, certain degrees of autonomy, etc.).

This influence of the new generations also included movements in Inner Mongolia, the new country created by Russia in northern China.

The Mongol Socialists and Social Democrats would be a good asset for the possible unification of the region with the rest of the Russian Empire, if the time was right.

As data associated with all this, with the modernization in Mongolia, the Mongolian Cyrillic alphabet began to emerge, which began to be used in public spaces and civil matters along with the traditional Mongolian alphabet and the Russian Cyrillic.

*******

*[Perspective]

Tsar Nicholas II's circle of trust followed a fairly simple hierarchy, top to bottom.

The tsar had his main allies as lieutenants and these lieutenants had their own followers and help in the objectives of the circle.

We speak of deputies, administrators, industrialists, military and others who supported the new reign of Tsar Nicholas II, heading towards the transformation of Russia after the end of the Alexandrian period.

"Perhaps we should increase our strength in other parts of the empire, now that we have gained more strength in Mongolia." Nicholas II mentions.

"How about Central Asia? Do you have someone in mind?" Kerensky asks curiously.

"I have some, but they certainly have troublesome tendencies ...". Stalin mentions with some concern.

* Mirsaid Sultan-Galiev, a reformist with some socialist and nationalist tendencies. Teacher and librarian.

Sultan-Galiev has been gathering quite a following among the Muslim Tatars of Central Asia, but now he intends to jump to the national scale giving way to multi-culturality and Tatars outside of Central Asia.

* Turar Ryskululy Ryskulov, a young man from the Shymyr clan of the Dulat tribe (Kazakhs), another young Central Asian politician, more focused on local Turks.

He was born into a family of livestock keepers and is an agricultural school graduate, participating in the Green Wall of Central Asia and local agricultural policies.

"We'll keep them on a maybe for now." Nicholas II mentions before these two proposals. "If we accept them, we will keep a good eye on them."

"How about the Baltic?" Mannerheim proposes.

"We are studying some candidates." Tsar Nicholas II affirms with confidence.

"And how is this, Savinkov?" Mannerheim asks curiously.

"An independent aligned with populist and right-wing elements. He used to be a militant member of the Socialist-Revolutionaries." Tsar Nicholas II responds.

"In short, troublesome." Stalin and Kerensky readily assert.

"He was pardoned after aligning himself with the central government, revealed various secrets and betrayed enemy groups of the state to an Okhrana agent." Felix reports promptly.

"Did you meet him in person before the Duma?" Nicholas II asks Kerensky.

"Not exactly. Although now Savinkov has abandoned all socialist position, he is only a socialist or revolutionary in name." Kerensky responds.

"He sounds like a lovely guy." Mannerheim mentions sarcastically.

But Savinkov could be very useful in certain respects ... Especially when it comes to dealing with right-wing and paramilitary groups, the only task needed was to keep him under control.

Tsar Nicholas II's circle of trust in its early stages was made up of the following elements, against the ultra-conservative and nationalist old guard left behind by Tsar Alexander III and Mikhai Skobelev's Premiership, and other new enemies for the future inside of Russia:

Nicholas II (Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov)himself.

Loyalists in the Armed Forces, the State, Secret Services and Burocracy, etc.

Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili "Stalin" and Felix Dzerzhinsky "Iron Felix".

Members of the Okhrana and the KGB under Stalin and Dzerzhinsky

Stalinist and allied factions within the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party

Lev Borisovich Kamenev (leader of the allied factions in the RSDLP).

Several local parties of the Russian Empire (absorbed by the RSDLP).

Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, Governor-General of the Grand Duchy of Finland.

Elements inside the Grand Duchy of Finland, also loyalist to the Tsar.

Alexander Fyodorovich Kerensky.

Many Left-Moderate Trudoviks and former Socialist Revolutionaries.

Georgian Social Democrats, led by Irakli Tsereteli (under Kerensky).

Damdin Sükhbaatarof the Mongolian Social Democratic Labor Party.

Khorloogiin Choibalsan, Dogsomyn Bodoo, Dansranbilegiin Dogsom, Darizavyn Losol, Soliin Danzan and Ajvaagiin Danzan, among other Mongolian officers.

Members of the MSDLP in Inner Mongolia.

Boris Viktorovich Savinkov.

Pyotr Vladimirovich Karpovich, Savinkov's assistant.

Of this group, undoubtedly the most powerful was Tsar Nicholas II, while Stalin served as a right hand and the rest of the members as advisers.

No doubt these people would define important terms in the Russian government once Mikhail Skobelev's Premiership ended sooner or later.

Even those who swear that they do everything for the tsar or the monarchy can be enemies, enemies of Russia (and so, enemies of the Tsar, the state and the people of Russia).

(OOC: I will expand the list of military people in the circle once the New Great War ends, wait).

*******

*[Perspective]

Tsesarevich Nicholas Nikolaevich Romanov was behind his guide, a young and recent volunteer who was part of the reconnaissance forces of the battalion in which the heir to the Russian Empire was.

"Here". The man indicates confidently.

The Tsesarevich and his squad remained silent, they were at a point between Lower Silesia (occupied by the Germans) and Upper Silesia (in Russian possession).

The stagnation of the European front was now more of a skirmish, but if either side showed great weakness, much larger maneuvers could be unleashed.

The skirmish with the Germans proved positive for the Russians, but unfortunately it had not been as decisive as might be expected.

The Germans would continue to have possession of Lower Silesia.

Fortunately with Upper Silesia, the Russian Empire still had an important passage to Bohemia (which was still liberated by Russian troops).

"Are you okay?". Tsesarevich Nicholas Nikolaevich asks his guide to the reconnaissance forces of the 5th Dragoon Regiment.

"Yes, it is just a small wound on the shoulder." The man responds.

"Very good to hear that." The Tsesarevich mentions sitting next to his partner.

"So? How are things in the Congress of Poland?" The Tsesarevich asks his partner, Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky.

A natural question from someone who day-to-day was in Moscow or Saint Petersburg, and in palaces.

"Well, I guess. I'm too Russian in Poland, and too Polish in Russia to know for sure." Rokossovsky mentions nonchalantly, although this was certainly a dilemma.

A certainly worrying dilemma for the Tsesarevich, being part of an empire as multi-cultural as Russia was.

By almost all accounts, the Tsesarevich was of German blood, but also Montenegrin on his mother's side. However for the day to day, his family spoke Russian and were of the Russian Orthodox Church...

"Rokossovsky is quite inspiring, he has leadership, skill and courage.

He has a lot of potential for the future. "

-Notes from Tsesarevich Nicholas Nikolaevich Romanov.

*******

[International]

April 1, labor strikes spread in the Empire of Japan.

April 3, the majority of the Republic of Turkey is unified by the communist Mustafa Kemal.

Most of the Turkish ships however are sunk in the conflict or escape socialist control.

These ships end up in Ionia, Cilicia or even Russia, generally demonstrating the problems of the old Turks with Mustafa Kemal's socialists (who nevertheless have military and political supremacy in the Republic of Turkey).

April 4, more than 25,000 Irishmen voluntarily join the Irish Red Army against British rule.

April 5, the most recent "Great White Hope" Jess Myron Willard fights heavyweight champion John Arthur Johnson (better known as Jack Johnson).

Willard triumphs against Johnson, an African American (during one of the heydays of Jim Crow's segregation laws). Many praise Willard for 'giving the title back to the white race'.

April 6, the division between radicals and moderates of the Communist Party of Mexico intensifies.

April 11, Charlie Chaplin releases the film Le Vagabond (The Tramp), with the help of several French filmmakers.

Le Vagabond did not belong to French propaganda, but it became very popular (even within the French state) for various reasons.

Among them, the character of The Tramp, with very clear features (the Tramp's willingness to be kind and help others, his rather humble nature and close to the common man) and a more focused story.

With this Chaplin had a significant rise, and the character of The Tramp became part of French proletarian art.

April 12, meeting between the Socialists of Italy, Red Germany, France and Iberia.

Not only is the integration between these countries continuing, but the planning of a necessary treaty with Eastern Europe (Russia and the Russosphere) begins.

April 15, the United States Socialists succeed in the first steps of the formation of various agricultural unions.

April 20, an American plane flying through the United Mexican States violates the airspace of the Free Republic of Mexico. The problems between socialist Mexico and its northern neighbors intensify after this.

April 22, Georgia's Social Democrats manage to remain independent from the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party of Iosif V. Stalin.

However, due to their weakness, they instead side with the moderate socialist Alexander Fyodorovich Kerensky, who is an ally of Tsar Nicholas II ... and Stalin.

April 26, various financial problems hit Sun Yat-sen's Republic of China, continuing the instability of this Chinese government.

April 28, Malay tribal leader Tok Janggut begins his armed rebellion against British colonial rule.

Although British colonial rule is bad and it is worth rebelling against it, some argue that it was actually all due to Tok Janggut resisting arrest and stabbing a British officer (the arrest attempt was caused by tax evasion, a part Tok Janggut's protest against colonial rule).

The uprising would fail due to Tok Janggut's death two months later.

Several financial banks in the United States are paralyzed throughout April and May, many companies go bankrupt.

April 30, in Italy the Balkan Socialist Committee is created, made up of socialists from the South Slavs, Greece and Albania for the possibility of socialism in the Balkans.

There are many members especially from Greece, Croatia and Slovenia.

5 of Brazil, the central government of the Republic of the United States of Brazil begins to fall after years of economic crisis and war.

The Brazilian front definitely leans in favor of the Empire of Brazil, led by Emperor Dom Pedro III.

Despite this important victory, which leads the way to the greatest unification of Brazil so far, the truth is that it is unimportant in the definitive end of the New Great War.

The London-Berlin Axis manages to successfully sustain Chile, Peru and Bolivia, successfully carrying out maritime-air attacks against Argentina and the United States, which generally lead the war to a deadlock.

The loss of Brazil was a blow, true.

But it was not a fatal blow for the London-Berlin Axis, especially when they could still target Brazil with their allies or through other means.

May 8, various problems spread through the army in Sun Yat-sen's Republic of China, after the defeat in the New Great War and the loss of North China (with all associated logistics and economy), the armies they are poorly able to move or perform many important tasks.

May 11, the hero Doctor Fate comics become quite popular in Egypt and Russian Armenia.

May 17, 1915, King Albert Victor I and Prime Minister Louis Alexander Mountbatten, faces of the UK's social-aristocratic groups, successfully complete major political purges in the Home Islands (part of the Imperial Federation).

With this coup the foundations are definitely created for a dictatorship of the Social Aristocracy for the future and future authoritarian governments (which emerge later ...).

Liberals in the Home Islands practically never recover from the purges, while Labor-Socialists in the Home Islands have to escape:

* Scottish and Welsh Socialist-Communists generally end up in Ireland.

* English Socialist-Communists wind up in parts of Europe and the United States.

* The Social Democrats of Scotland, Wales and England end up scattered throughout various parts of the world (generally Europe, Latin America and the United States).

These great purges are the pinnacle of the successful purges of Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The boss of the Italian-American mafia Giosue Gallucci (head of one of the Camorra gangs in New York City) is shot with his son Lucas in a coffee shop in East Harlem.

With the death of Giosue and Lucas Gallucci shortly thereafter, a power vacuum is created in the local criminal world leading to the Mafia-Camorra War of 1916.

May 23, the territory of Palestine and Transjordan is totally unified by the troops of Abdullah bin Al-Hussein.

With this unified territory, the pan-Arabist Abdullah bin Al-Hussein is oriented towards the south (since Lebanon and Syria are part of the Russosphere, they are outside the pan-Arabist objectives ...), initiating possible unification talks with the Arabia of the Emirate of Jabal Shammar, led by Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Rashid.

May 24, together with the creation of the term Armenian Genocide, comes the creation of the term 'crime against humanity', in its modern and popularized sense.

May 31, General Nikolai Nikolayevich Yudenich becomes one of the early supporters of Admiral Alexander Kolchak.

June 5, the Imperial Federation succeeded in replacing possibly troublesome Danes in Greenland with much more reliable and friendly English-speaking (of English and Canadian origin).

The native Greenlanders are still there, but now they face a much more aggressive and white-European supremacist government.

With this success, they initiate plans for the possible colonization of Iceland by Anglo-Germanic speakers or other Germanic loyalists to the Imperial Federation.

June 6, the Swiss socialists take control of Switzerland, the cantons are turned into workers' councils and the government re-orients itself towards the socialist neighbors of Switzerland.

June 9, the liberal-progressive factions of the Democratic Party of the United States are defeated by the factions of big business (associated with the big corporations, the monopolies and the capitalists of Wall Street), sponsored by President Champ Clark and the associates of him.

This will leave an important mark, which gives important effects in the 30s due to the influence of extreme capitalism in American politics.

June 16, massacre of 600 rebellious natives in the re-conquered British Nigeria.

June 17, several demonstrations in favor of peace in the United States of America.

Although general sentiment is in favor of the war, there are officials and activists who are against it for various reasons.

June 19, major moves by the Imperial Federation for long-term dominance of Iceland are approved.

Albert Victor I and Louis Alexander Mountbatten, of the first generation of the Social Aristocracy, are the foundation for even greater evils in the world, since long enough in fact.

June 25, the British allies in Chile successfully co-opted the government of the country (a result of the economic, military and political influence of the British in the country since the great Latin American wars).

Now Chile will be dominated by the influence of the British Social Aristocracy for the next few decades.

In the last days of June, the resistance of the Republic of the United States of Brazil collapses in the face of the imperial advance.

On June 30, 1915, Mustafa Kemal, leader of the Turkish Communist Party (Türkiye Komünist Partisi / TKP), unifies the Republic of Turkey, which becomes the Socialist Republic of Turkey.

This marks the definitive beginning of the government of Mustafa Kemal, and the rise of Kemalism (Mustafa Kemal's socialist ideology).

********

*[Perspective]

April 17, 1915.

After one more skirmish against the Socialists, the Prince of Wales, Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David or better known simply as Prince Edward, would visit his wounded comrades.

Several rise to greet him and greet him with joy, the prince seemed quite charismatic.

Although he certainly hid certain opinions and personal traits, less attractive.

"Good Morning." The prince salutes, sitting down next to one of the wounded.

"Good Morning." The wounded man, who couldn't get out of bed right now, greets him politely.

The prince was reading a book, while the wounded soldier was writing.

"What are you writing?". Edward curiously asks the injured man.

"Just a couple of ideas I have." The wounded soldier mentions, passing some of his notes to the Prince of Wales.

The notes were signed John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, and were the start of the modern fantasy genre.