Connecting the civilization (October-December, 1880).

Trans-Siberian railway]

It is at the beginning of October (day 17 NS) of 1880 when after 12-10 years of work (beginning in January-March of 1868 but officially beginning in April-June of 1870) when the Trans-Siberian Railway is finally finished and inaugurated.

The mega project carried out in the Russian Empire is a remarkable achievement that connects 9288 kilometers (approximately 5771 miles), from Europe (Moscow) to the Pacific (Vladivostok). Not counting its unions with other Russian railway lines and future expansions in progress and / or planning.

Tsar Alexander III got on the first day of the opening of the Trans-Siberian to travel from Moscow to Vladivostok for the first route of the railway.

The event itself was full of joy, celebrations by the population and enthusiastic foreigners, lots of alcohol, lots of food, lots of trips and souvenirs.

The idea of a project of such magnitude that I allowed to go from Moscow to Vladivostok and vice versa was a huge advance for the economy and military capabilities of Russia, the rest of the world understood (although in different magnitudes).

Some saw this as a huge investment possibility, business ties, etc. Others saw it as a possible threat, meaning that Russia had greatly increased her capabilities to mobilize troops from west to east, and from east to west.

Already built (and growing) Russian cities and industries in between simply grew larger with the possibility of much simpler migration, better infrastructure, and local or international investments.

*******

* Alexandrian perspective.

Tsar Alexander III looked through the window of his train car, there was the city of Khabarovsk, just a little more and the Trans-Siberian would reach Vladivostok finishing his trip successfully. The tsar sighed and smiled.

The train station received with applause and music as its emperor got off, of course there were other passengers with whom Alexander III could also say hello and share a bit. However, then a message arrived that had to be discussed in secret when the train was about to leave again.

"Your Highness, news from Vladivostok." One of the emperor's guards notified. "A member of the Narodnaya Volya tried to plant a bomb at Vladivostok station."

"Is the situation safe?" The emperor asks concerned.

"At the moment it seems that he was a lone member of the organization, the Okhrana and the army have everything under control." The guard explains passing the message to the emperor.

"Attempts to spoil the Narodnaya Volya's universal exposition in St. Petersburg failed, and when it was about to end, they tried to kill me far from the capital of the Empire.

... I hope I can deal with these terrorists soon, or they will truly be a problem for the entire Empire.

I have instructed the order to try to get more information on the member captured in Vladivostok. "

-Annotations of Alexander III.

*******

For the public good, information of the Narodnaya Volya attempt was initially kept secret (until after the first Trans-Siberian voyage), only to be later revealed as propaganda against the Narodnaya Volya for such a blatant attack on innocents in Vladivostok and the Trans-Siberian.

Tsar Alexander III was obviously well received in Vladivostok, where an Orthodox priest blessed the Trans-Siberian (as did the Moscow Metropolitan before the Trans-Siberian left for the first time) and the emperor decorated those charged with catching Stepan Nicolaevich Khalturin, a member. of the Narodnaya Volya.

These were the military:

* Sergeant Major Kirill Dmitriev.

* Chief Warrant Officer Efim Belonin.

* Cornet Ivan Antonov.

* Corporal Tikhon Feoktistov.

* Corporal Boris Leletsky.

* Private Fyodor Solovyov.

* Soldier Vladimir Shukshin.

* Private Danila Senin.

* Private Ardalion Zakharov.

* Private Grigory Zhuravlev.

* Private Semyon Koshelev.

In addition to one of the train managers who reported the suspicious presence of Khalturin to the authorities.

Everything turned out relatively well in the end, and without a doubt propagandistically the attack resulted in a severe blow to the Narodnaya Volya among the peasants and the middle class of the Russian Empire.

*******

[Workers]

With the Trans-Siberian completed, there were now a considerable number of railway builders and associates who needed to be dispatched to new projects.

On the one hand, one part went to Turkestan to accelerate the construction of the Transcaspian, another part was distributed in a varied way in smaller projects.

And finally there was a part that would be destined for the Joseon dynasty, which accepted the Russian offer for the construction of a series of railway lines from the south of the peninsula to the north to connect various cities and strategic points (including a Korean- Russian line to Vladivostok).

* Korean perspective.

Why did the Joseon dynasty accept the Russian proposal? Very simple, the interests of the reformist factions in industrialization and on the other hand because of the pressure imposed. There was a remarkably short time limit on a tempting offer that could seriously skyrocket the Korean economy.

The presence of Russian-trained Korean officers and Russian-motivated traders in some form or another also helped.

The Joseon dynasty was splitting into two, a pseudo-reactionary group against opening up to the outside (towards Russia) and industrialization that could pose a problem, especially for the upper classes (mainly nobles) and a reformist group supported by the Reina and her associates.

In theory the officials and merchants bent towards Russia were with the queen, but they were much more independent than it seemed at first glance.

However, there were problems within both factions in the government, the administration was mostly in the hands of Russian experts, who obviously used Korean and Russian labor (unevenly, depending on the region and availability).

The first rail lines of Seoul were left in the hands of the state authorities, where cases of corruption and mismanagement of funds, lack of experience, etc.

I hinder the work, obviously causing some national embarrassment, delays and problems between elements of the government.

On the other hand, the Russian administration had more experience and preparation, in addition to the fact that Russian workers could train the Korean workforce more easily due to these attributes so that the plans could advance in a better way.

The Pusan Railway and Northern Peninsula Railways would be the first Korean railways to be completed, from which Korean silk, iron, and coal (among some other products) would go to Russian ports and cities.

*******

[Korean Food]

Due to the exponentially increasing presence of Russian workers in Korea, interaction between Russian workers and Korean workers (mostly also agricultural workers, people from merchant families, volunteers, etc.) was inevitable.

The Russians needed homes so around the stations the first Russian-style houses were built in Korea (some had to live in Korean buildings, but only in the sections with the largest Russian presence where there was not enough space for exclusively Russian housing) and some other necessary buildings (warehouses for food, etc).

After a few hours of work, the Russian workers in Korea took their time to eat with their pears.

"Hey, what's that?". One of the Russians, Boris, asks his Korean partner Sop Seong-Gi (or simply called 'Yuri' by Boris).

"This? It's a Kimchi rice." Seong-Gi responds in fairly basic Russian to Boris. "You want to try?".

"Sure." The Russian agrees, only to end up complaining about the spicy Korean 'gochugaru', a reaction that makes Seong-Gi laughs.

Unknowingly (for Boris and Seong-Gi) the encounter would be just one of many and important at the same time, where Korean cuisine would eventually find its way onto the palate of Russian workers (with some modifications over time, but not too many initially) and later to Russia.

But the first encounters were for Korean immigrants in Vladivostok and for Russian workers in the Joseon dynasty because of the interaction between two different peoples cooperating.

*******

[Radio?]

Alexander Stepanovich Popov (21 at the time) looked interested in an article in Elektrichestvo magazine about Malone Loomis' experiments on wireless communication at the World's Fair in St. Petersburg.

Supposedly an 'enhancement to telegraphy' but there is no exact description or photographs of such technology, only certain texts about the Loomis experiments.

Interested in these experiments and the idea of wireless communication due to the texts and demonstrations of the telephone, Popov (graduate of physics and mathematics) began the study of wireless communication (not related to his thesis of 1882 'On the principles of magneto and dynamoelectric machines' but that's another matter).

Which would lead to experiments to do just that, the reception of waves.

*******

[Sports culture]

The final of the third edition of the Russian Soccer League takes place between Arkhangelsk and Grozny, where the Arkhangelsk team beat Grozny 3-1.

Without a doubt between the first and third editions, the third edition of the Russian Soccer League (Rossiyskaya Futbol'naya Liga) was the one that received the most attention at the national and international level.

After this the next edition was prepared in Arkhangelsk, and in addition to this the best players of the third edition were selected to participate in the international pseudo-tournament of 1882.

*******

[International]

In October, the blizzard of 1880 begins, a huge snowstorm that is lingering in North America (especially the United States).

No one was prepared for such a large amount of snow that it will start so early in the winter, leading to even two-story houses having problems with snow.

On October 15, although the Minister-President Porfirio Diaz is not the best friend of the Native Americans, the Emperor Maximiliano I of Mexico insists on the celebration of a cultural festival of the Native American tribes (widely protected under the government of Maximiliano for improve their quality of life and try to match it to that of average Mexicans and whites).

On November 2, the United States elections take place, after the economic scandals during Grant's presidency in the 70s, the Democratic party and its candidate Winfield Scott Hancock use the connection (somewhat confused) of James Garfield (Republican candidate) in the Credit Mobilier of America scandal to attack his campaign.

Garfield and the Republicans on the other hand attack Hancock's positions - unclear and somewhat vague positions - on a revenue-only fee that would affect northern industrial workers and their plight. Hancock was silent on the sensitive subject.

But despite this, the Democrats won in Ohio and Indiana and some others (narrowly) over the Republicans (who still strongly supported the rest of the northern states).

Chinese migration to the United States became a major issue at the end of the presidential campaigns. Democratic propaganda also stated that Garfield would maintain Chinese migration to the United States due to agreements with industrialists and companies, which would be a danger to Native American wages (although to be honest, both parties would oppose more Chinese immigration to the United States). United).

Hancock: 192 electoral colleges.

Garfield: 172 electoral colleges.

Making Hancock president and William Hayden English vice president.

Austro-Hungarian Croatia is shaken by an earthquake.

After a battle, Ottoman troops hang up Albanian rebels without permission from the Sultan, despite this and which would usually be a 'just' punishment, many Albanians are offended because of the action.

The Ottoman revolts between the Kurds and Albanians continue to be mainly guerrilla warfare.

The Ottomans have had some successes against the Albanians, divided between the rebels of the Prizren League and the Albanians who are part of the government. Unfortunately there is no such luck as the Kurds are less divided.

On December 16-20, the First Anglo-Boer War began between the English and the Boer after various interests and conflicts in economic, political and colonial matters.

The Boers win at Bronkhorstspruit and 10 days after December 30 Transvaal becomes a Boer republic with an elected president (Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger).

*******

* Colonial movements.

In November the Second French Empire mobilizes a naval position towards the Congo, led by the naval officer Pierre de Brazza (French name, actually of Italian origin), Ncuna (or Brazaville) but the French interest in colonial possessions in Africa and its Profitability makes Pierre de Braza advance into the deep territories beyond.

To other parts of the Congo River and the territories of the Congo Basin, more specifically towards Lake Mai-Ndombe where the French establish a camp based on previous native settlements in the region. Obviously there the population does not understand French and there are even some mini-conflicts, but the French under Napoleon IV and his government are excited to get the riches of the Congo. So the tribes sign a French traty which they don't understand!

This put them (the French) in conflict with Leopold II of Belgium, also interested (and other colonial powers) in the Congo, he also did the same trick by the way.

Obviously the only big loser will be the native Africans and not the Europeans...

(OOC: To be understood, Brazza arrived first in the Republic of the Congo, and from there he went to the Democratic Republic of the Congo / OTL Belgian Congo).