The Manchurian-Russian Tsesarevich (April-June, 1887)

Sino-Japanese War: Development]

Through the month of April, the Japanese and French successfully advanced through their geopolitical interests in Taiwan and Hainan respectively, which in late April and early May resulted in the entirety of the islands (or at least the positions important and coastal) were under enemy occupation.

In the south the German Empire had succeeded in its offensives in Yunnan, even though it had been overextending itself since its Indochina campaign.

Obviously there is a tension between Christian Germanics and Chinese (traditional religion or Buddhist), putting up resistance to foreign occupation after the Qing army has failed to defend the southern border.

On the other hand Russia was occupying Manchuria, preparing for a new offensive to the west to attack Beijing, on the other hand in the Qing dynasty the regent Empress Cixi and the Guangxu emperor are forced to leave the city due to security concerns (the Russian offensive).

The war continues with few opportunities for diplomacy, in part because Japan is examining the situation around Hainan asking for support from Germany and Russia, the Qing's refusal, and the fact that France is so disconnected from the Germany-Japan triple alliance. Russia.

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On March 3, the Russian offensive to the west begins, hitting the Chinese defenses in the region, heading towards Beijing.

The conflict in Inner Mongolia-Inner Manchuria remains rather calm or slow, due to the Qing setting up their defenses in the south against the Russians.

The Russian forces, while meeting Chinese resistance, have crushed the Chinese navy in the Yellow Sea, and have allies in Korea and efficient logistics lines in the Russian Far East.

Because of this the east coast of China suffers from serious problems in the multilateral war, which is extremely costly for the less developed economies of the war (China, Japan and France to some extent).

On May 23 the Qing forces are finally ambushed in Beijing, where the Russian forces enter the Forbidden City.

The Summer Palace (頤和園) flies the Russian flag, although some areas in particular are destroyed. A Japanese and Korean delegation heads to Beijing shortly afterwards to finally discuss peace terms with the Chinese authorities.

Germany and France also send their diplomatic delegations to the news of the end of the war, because Qing enters into peace discussions with the invading powers.

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* Aleksey Brusilov, perspective.

Commander Brusilov watched the shores of Kunming Lake, one of the dominant regions of the Summer Palace, now with a few more gardens destroyed. A future cost to Qing, not Russia after all.

Some statues, works of art and others were looted "discreetly" by the Russians as their war reparations, some went as gifts to Emperor Alexander III and others went to the administration.

Not unlike how the British would take Egyptian things after their campaign in the region, the difference is that the Russians made their intention to annex Manchuria clear while the British maintained a facade.

"Hey." Brusilov and one of his assistants call, along with other camp followers from the rest of the Russian army, Wan Fulin was cleaning some army clothes in the lake water.

"I'm almost done." Fulin responds.

"It's not that boy, the war is about to end. Where do you plan to go?" Brusilov tries to explain, although it is still a bit difficult for the Chinese and the Russian to communicate with each other.

Obviously such a young boy had no answer, which is why Wan Fulin would essentially end up raised by the Russian military in Manchuria after the war. When he was older, he would be sent to officer school.

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[Sino-Japanese War: Diplomacy]

It was obvious that the Sino-Japanese war should have some annexations, among other issues: On the one hand, Qing should recognize the independence of the Lanfang Republic and the Kingdom of Korea. One now being an official Russian protectorate, and in the other Russia already dominated de-facto.

Japan on the other hand was divided, the Imperial Japanese Navy aimed at the conquest of the islands of Taiwan and Hainan for its geopolitical purposes. The Imperial Japanese Army on the other hand wanted Port Arthur, concessions at Weihaiwei and Manchuria, but due to their failures (and the Russian-IJN-German blockade) they were dead in the diplomatic talks.

The Imperial Japanese Navy accepted as a common coordination point to ask for a concession in Weihaiwei, but it was not their priority.

Germany for its part wanted recognition of its conquests in Indochina by the Qing dynasty, and potentially Yunnan or concessions in the region.

Russia proposed the following arrangement for Germany:

* Germany received Vietnam in its entirety.

* Germany received a concession for railways and missionaries in Yunnan, being able to deploy "guards" to secure their investments and citizens in southern China. Effectively putting Yunnan under the de-facto German zone of influence, but without alerting (at all ...) the English.

In return Germany would accept the Russo-Japanese annexations. An offer that Chancellor Otto von Bismarck accepted.

Yet there was an elephant in the room, France. Generalissimo Boulanger argued that as France conquered the island of Hainan, France could annex it. Since after all Germany, Russia and Japan would annex the territories they conquered.

Germany, Russia and Japan tried to form a kind of common front before the idea, looking for a term that would satisfy the objectives of Japan and that will lead France to leave the island. Russia offered for example to pay the French in exchange for looted objects and the island, to make Boulanger back down (since France had entered the war for economic resources).

But Germany was less open to this type of discussion, and France on the other hand actively began to interfere with the United Kingdom and Austria-Hungary in these matters. Rudolf I did not want to be in the discussions of this war, but the UK was investing money in Qing and France, and it was obvious that their Chinese investment failed so something had to be done for France.

This made Germany also bring the diplomatic support of Italy, the problem was that Japan and Russia were getting into the game that did not suit them, the European alliance system.

Britain also asked for its share of the pie, asking for the Japanese concession on Weihaiwei. Austria-Hungary did not ask for anything at all.

In June the tension between both members only grew more and more, until finally Germany and Russia were forced to give in after Japan (due to their economic problems) had to cede the Weihaiwei and Hainan concession to the United Kingdom and France.

On June 18, the treaty that ends the Sino-Japanese war would be signed, establishing the following points.

* Japan gets Taiwan.

* Germany obtains its conquests in Indochina, and certain economic-religious privileges in Yunnan (defense of railways and missionaries Almanes in the region).

* The United Kingdom obtains a concession in Weihaiwei, with broad economic, diplomatic and territorial rights.

* Russia gets Manchuria.

* France gets Hainan, and some silver from Qing.

* The Kingdom of Korea and the Lanfang Republic gain independence from Qing. Lanfang is recognized as a Russian protectorate.

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[Sino-Japanese War: Aftermath]

* Japanese perspective.

The diplomatic discussions of the Sino-Japanese war closed Japanese diplomatic relations with other powers in the following years, the Japanese economy had suffered seriously from the actions carried out in the war but the Imperial Japanese Navy had achieved a series of notable victories over the traditional cultural hegemon of Japan, China.

This was a remarkable event and a pride for Japan, although the Imperial Japanese Army had been seriously damaged, politically, due to its defeats, Russian rule over Manchuria, and Russian influence on the Japanese economy during and after the war.

This would mark revenge nationalism in the IJA but that is another matter.

The important thing is that Japan's relations with the European powers (with the exception of Russia and Germany, allies during the war and who were a support to the IJN and Japanese objectives) were seriously damaged and cut.

Although it was not a primary objective, handing over Weihaiwei's victory to the English, who did not waste a bullet, sweat or blood, was seen as a series of diplomatic and military offerings from the United Kingdom to Japan.

On the other hand, the IJN and the diplomatic-military-administrative apparatus were seriously impacted by the actions of the French, which although they had been useful in causing damage to the Qing in the south, had taken one of their geopolitical objectives from them very suddenly, without asking or offering negotiation terms to reach mutual bilateral relations.

The IJN wanted his personal revenge against France, while still targeting the south (though not at his "traditional" ally Russia).

This would prevent any diplomatic rapprochement between the UK or France with Japan.

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* English perspective.

Although the English had effectively lost nothing, territorially speaking, the Sino-Japanese War or the War of the Quadruple Intervention (Japan, Russia, Germany and France) was in a sense a huge diplomatic and geostrategic loss.

The Germans had gained the coast of Indochina and a strong position to access southern China, any short-term possibility of an Anglo-Japanese alliance directed against Russia was destroyed, and Russia itself had expanded.

While France had only won one island to access southern China and threaten the coast of German Indochina, but obviously this meant that the French and English now had to spend resources on the island's logistics and defense for it to be effective. .

Some English seriously considered that this was all orchestrated by Tsar Alexander III. Some on the other hand feared that the Anglo-French-Austrian pressure from the conference effectively pulled Russia into the German sphere.

* French perspective.

For Boulanger, the war was not only an economic success that meant obtaining new resources for France, and the possibility of beginning to intervene in the southern Chinese market to French advantage.

But the military victory and the conquest of Hainan, while a waste of resources, meant a public relations success with the army, navy and part of the population.

France had imposed on Germany in the possession of Hainan, and the Qing dynasty had been defeated with success, fulfilling part of the French Civilizing Mission towards the region.

Hainan was put under military administration, strongly repressing any attempt at rebellion, now with a new possession in East Asia, France only had to start exploiting it to take out its full economic potential and take it to continental Europe for the benefit of the homeland.

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* Russia-Germany.

The German Empire and the Russian Empire could not be happier, yes, Japan did not fulfill all their objectives, but because of this they both gained a more reliable partner in the Pacific directed against France / UK, and fulfilled all their geopolitical objectives in the south and northeast China.

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[International]

On April 4, the city of Argonia, Kansas elects Susanna M. Salter as mayor, effectively the first woman mayor of the United States of America.

April 9, 1887, a large wave of Dutch migrants arrived in the United States, although there were also considerable groups of Germans, French and Spanish.

The situation of these migrants is curious, especially of the Germans, who range from nationalists to socialists (mainly those on the left). In the period 1886-1887, forty-two anarchists out of 100 were Germans on various labor strikes in Chicago, the Germans formed a considerable part of the trade union-socialist movement, etc.

Among the French they were generally members of the political groups repressed by the Boulanger regime (monarchists for the time being).

The Spanish and Dutch came mainly for economic reasons, although German dominance over Dutch politics also motivated the latter.

April 21, an anti-governmental demonstration among certain individuals of the Orleanists-Legitimists occurs in France, because the Emperor Napoleon IV had promised that there would be no repercussions against them, but here we are talking about the government of the Generalissimo, and the government of Boulanger smash this demonstration-strike and continue to advance its agenda.

By 1887, the groups will no longer be a threat against the regime.

On May 27, 34 Chinese miners are ambushed and killed in Hells Canyon, Oregon. Just another evolution of anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States.

June 21, Zululand becomes an English colony.

June 23, Canada, Banff National Park becomes the first national park in the state.

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[Russian-German secret diplomacy]

June 28, 1887, representatives of Kaiser Wilhelm I and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, and the King of Italy, Umberto I, approached the Russian high command of Tsar Alexander III, proposing a Reinsurance Treaty between Russia, Germany and Italy.

In such a treaty, in exchange for Germany and Italy recognizing not only Russian interests in the straits, but also their influence in Bulgaria, Russia would not join the Paris-Vienna-London axis, and would remain neutral in case a third party attacked. to Germany-Italy.

Tsar Alexander III and the high command agreed to leave the matter under discussion.

It is an offer that the UK and France would never offer, not being honest of course, but Russia also has no guarantees to fully trust Germany or Italy.

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[Manchuria]

"Are you going to accept the German offer?" Tsesarevich Nicholas, now 19, asks curiously.

"We are not going to discuss that at this time. We have more important business to attend to in Manchuria, I have decided to create a commission for a trans-Manchurian railway in our new conquests, you will be in charge together with Sergei Witte." Tsar Alexander III orders.

"...What?". Nicholas exclaims in surprise.

"Sorry not to have consulted you or said it before, but I think that the surprise is precisely the best. Nicholas, I trust you but people need to know that you are not only my son, but also that you gain experience in your work and you have your own merits. So I decided that it is a good idea for you to start working on projects in a new part of the empire that we need to manage, plus having some new connections with elements of the government never hurts. " Tsar Alexander III explains.

"Okay, if you want it that way old man." Nicholas accepts. "I will strive."

"Very good." Alexander III exclaims.

*******

"Good luck." Tsar Alexander III exclaims saying goodbye to Nicholas and Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich, now an officer accompanying the Tsesarevich's commission to Manchuria.

"Goodbye dad!" Alexander and Nicholas exclaim saying goodbye to their father.

"Remember to eat well! Rest and do not get carried away by vice!" Alexander mentions as his sons leave.

"You are worrying too much, Nicholas is responsible." Maria Feodorovna exclaims.

"Yeah, but they're growing up really fast, and I'm not exactly getting any younger."

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*Nicholas perspective.

"What are you doing?". Alexander Alexandrovich curiously asks his older brother, who was taking out quite a few notes and papers.

"Just a few notes that Dad and I made about the administration of Inner Manchuria. We have the idea of the Trans-Manchurian railway to begin to integrate the region, motivate Russian migration to the area and generate jobs, economic attractiveness, etc." Nicholas explains. "But we also have other projects, infrastructure, interaction with local cultures and more."

"It sounds boring." Alexander promptly exclaims sitting across from his brother.

Nicholas was an administrator, Alexander Alexandrovich on the other hand, not so much, he wasn't even a particularly ambitious or talented officer (in strategy) but he wanted to be a soldier and was relatively good at carrying out orders, so Alexander III and Nicholas let him do his own things.

The important thing as such was that this would be one of the first litmus tests of Nicholas Alexandrovich as Tsesarevich, accompanied by Deputy Minister of Railways Sergei Witte.

*******

[Cossacks of Manchuria]

The conquered region of Inner Manchuria, before the first great waves of migrants or administration arrived, received some attention from the Cossacks, members of the military and the military administration that was dealing with the region.

The land was extensive, mostly rural except for some large or important cities. There a small host of Cossacks decided to make the place their own, perhaps temporarily or permanently, everything depended on what happened.

The Cossacks began to ride and ride through the lands of Inner Manchuria, hunting rabbits and some other fauna of the region.

Also together with soldiers they would play a vital role in pacifying the region, ridding it of local horseman-bandits who posed a threat to local farms and roads.

Some Chinese joined the unofficial "Cossack Manchurian Host."