You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
alternatehistory.com
Chapter 14: Wider World Gazette, Edition 2: Europe and Asia 1865-1885
Wider World Gazette
Edition 2, 1865 - 1885, Europe and Asia
The United Kingdom - In 1862, after six years of working with politicians and other court officials, Queen Victoria has successfully changed the rules of royal succession to absolute primogeniture, making the 18 year old Princess Victoria Alexandra the legal heir over her younger brother, Prince Edward. When the change was announced, the Queen further ruffled feathers by announcing that all new peerages that she would create would be governed by the same rules as the royal house. Women would inherit title. Victoria also told members of government that she wanted to change the laws to make all peerages operate the same way, but this would be a longer fight, not realized until 1873.
Seeing the interest from the monarchy towards expanding women’s rights, and rights in general, the British women’s suffrage movement swelled with members, including men, and by the early 1880s there were large protests in London demanding the right for women to vote. British society was rocked when in 1883, 40 year old Princess Victoria Alexandra showed up to speak at a large rally in central London. The Queen had told her not to go, but the Princess was proving to be even more of a radical reformer than her mother. In 1884, thanks to new peerages under absolute primogeniture rules, the first female member of the House of Lords attempted to claim her seat. There was a great deal of uproar at this, but the royal family supported the move, and so those peers that had objected acquiesced. It was also during the 1880s that the British People’s Party really took off. It still had only a small showing in Parliament, but it had the growing support of large sections of the lower and even middle classes, and the unspoken but well known support of the Crown Princess. They advocated for not only female suffrage, but the expansion of the franchise for all citizens, both men and women, who are “of age,” and to do away with any remaining property restrictions. They also called for better protection of factory workers and better wages, and to expand the Queen’s earlier work in education. The press often referred to the BPP as the cousin of the American Liberal Party in the United States.
This growth of acceptance towards reform is what ultimately laid the groundwork for the Irish Revolution that would come at the end of the century under the reign of Victoria II. Founded in 1881, the Irish People’s Party was, on paper, a branch of the BPP, but it quickly split off on it’s own course. It called for full home rule for Ireland in addition to many of the reformist policies common among liberal parties of the time. But it was this home rule demand that was very militant, and quickly put the organization at odds with the authorities. In addition, several key members were also influenced by the writings of men like Robert Owens and his sons in the United States, Tex-German writer and politician Carl Marks, and Prussian activist Heinrich Schilder. By the end of the 1880s, the IPP looked nothing like the its sister party in Britain, and was constantly being harassed by the police.
France - France was as close to a model of stability as Europe could come by in the 1860s and 1870s, thanks to the fairly even-handed leadership of King Henry V. While the German states were fluctuating with different politically radical movements and the conservative responses to those movements, Henry V was able to guide France through small amounts of liberalism while maintaining royal control. And while the far left radicals didn’t like the monarchy and wanted a republic, most French liberals were very supportive of their king. However, all good things must come to an end. During the Prusso-Austrian War (1874-1876), France backed Austria, though never actually entered the conflict. When Austria was defeated, France took a major hit in their economy, and unrest rose. King Henry struggled to balance the radicals at home, and to try and prop up allies abroad. The fall of the Austrian monarchy further harmed things, though Henry V was able to ultimately get the republican government in Vienna to release Maximilian and his family to live in exile in Switzerland. Tragedy struck first in 1879 when the heir to the throne, Prince Henri Antoine died in an accident outside Paris. The stress of the last several years, plus the loss of his son, proved to be too much for the King. Henry V died on April 3, 1880. Succeeding him was his second son, Prince Louis, who took the throne as King Louis XIX. At 27, the new King was a total departure from his father. He was much more conservative, favored conservative prime ministers, and tried to roll back liberal reforms wherever possible. Louis XIX also tried to find every way possible to keep Prussia’s growing power in check, getting involved in the politics of the southern German states, especially Bavaria. By the mid-to-late 1880s, tensions between France and Prussia are on the rise.
Prussia, Austria, and the German States - Prussia continued to be the rising the star of Europe in the mid-to-late 1800s. The big shake up, of course, was the Prusso-Austrian War. Following Austria’s defeat in 1876 and subsequent collapse in 1877, Prussia continued to expand its influence under King Frederick William V. During this time, a new form of German nationalism began to emerge, one that urged the Prussians to unify all of the German speaking states. These new, conservative nationalists began to gain power, though King Frederick William V was less supportive of these ideas. Nationalists, like Gerhard Fischer and Otto Hoffmann, began to seek out other members of the royal family for support. This support was found in the young 27 Crown Prince, Johannes Karl, who began to advocate for his father to accept these new ideas. It was slow going, but by the 1880s things began to change. Prussia began to seek more controls on Bavaria and the few other remaining independent states in the south, putting it at odds with France’s ambitions there. Prussia also continued to take a hard line against the Austrian republicans. Despite the fact that Prussia and Austria had been long time rivals, the Prussians were not happy with the overthrow of the Austrian monarchy, fearing that the revolutionary fever might spread. The conservative nationalists called on the Prussians to invade Austria and put an end to republicanism. The Austrians had internal struggles of their own. One faction believed they should just control Austria, while the other large faction believed that the old empire should be crafted together as a new “federal republic.” There were two different constitutions enacted between by 1885 (one in 1878, the other in 1882), and over half a dozen different leaders in this early period.
China and Japan - The Opium Wars occurred similarly to OTL, with the first one from 1839-1840, and the second from 1859-1863. More territory was ceded to Britain, taking both Hong Kong and Chusan. Other nations in Europe also forced treaties on China, all supported by Britain. As the United Kingdom consolidated its presence in China, friction with Japan skyrocketed. In 1858, after numerous incidents with British ships being fired upon while trying to enter Japanese ports, the British decided they’d had enough. Britain launches an invasion of Japan, with ships and troops arriving in both Tokyo and Kyoto. Britain is able to capture the Japanese Emperor Komei and the Shogun is killed. Japan is thrown into chaos. The Emperor’s son is taken by the British authorities back to London, with their intention to eventually make him a puppet ruler. Britain had intended to subdue most of the country, and possibly rule it like India. However, the Second Opium War breaking out in China in 1859, British forces were divided and unable to give the full force that they’d intended. It will take over a decade, but by 1870, Japan is subdued. Komei’s son, Mutsuhito, was installed as Emperor (known as the Torimono, or Captivity, Emperor), with Tokyo, Osaka, Nagasaki, and Akita placed under direct British control. The British used the feudal lords to rule over certain parts, playing them against each other but having them all loyal (in theory) to the Emperor. Things were stable for the short term, but things simmered just under the surface. Various underground opposition groups sprang up in the 1870s, ranging from traditionalists who wanted to expel the foreigners, to radicals inspired by western ideas of freedom and democracy who wanted to oust the British AND the monarchy, and various groups in between.
Okay, so here's the current state of affairs in key areas outside the US up to where the main time line currently is, more or less. Hoping to have the next US chapter out by the end of the week. My goal is also to start incorporating more international news into the regular updates to make these "wider world" issues needed less often.
As always, input, questions, and critiques welcome.