Also stupid, given how she kept reversing reforms that could've kept the Kingdom intact.
- Status
6. Entrenchment
Asami
Banned
六. 塹壕
Chapter Six: Entrenchment
The war in Europe was going nowhere fast.
By the start of 1916, the Western front was a grinding mess of unmovable trenches, with neither side managing to get the leg up on the other. While Germany had the natural upper-hand going into the year, her salient to the seat which had cut off supplies to Calais and Western Belgium had done very little to help the situation as the Kaiserliche Marine had not been able to prevent Britain from delivering supplies to the small pocket.
The Eastern Front was, in fact, very fluid. In September 1915, German forces were still slogging east through Congress Poland, however, by the time of the winter setting in a few scant months later, German forces had made it as far as Riga and Minsk, and settled in for Mother Winter’s steely bitterness.
For Austria, their fortunes against all their adversaries had been less than successful in the grand scheme of things—while Serbia had fallen in fall 1915, Italy had entered the war on the side of the Entente, and was causing issues for the Austrians. As well, they had failed to capture back most of their land from Russia, causing for Germany to ‘de-facto’ occupy chunks of Galicia-Lodomeria.
Bulgaria, which had joined the Central Powers in 1915, had been given a lion’s share of Southern Serbia for their contributions. However, the final ersatz ally of the Central Powers, the once glorious Ottoman Empire was suffering an unbelievable number of set-backs in their efforts to conquer Britain’s territories in Africa and Arabia. The British had reversed the Ottoman invasions of Egypt and Kuwait, and had made great strides in beating back the Turks—by the start of 1916, the British were in the Levant, Hejaz and Iraq causing significant issues for the Turks.
The Russians, despite their numerous defeats by the Central Powers, had managed to turn things around in the Caucasian Mountains, where they drove the Turks back across their own border, and had advanced into Trebizond, south to Lake Van. Their advancements into Turkish territory would be reversed by January 1917, and the border would go back to being static.
The Lusitania, an American cargo ship, was sank by the German Navy in 1915, sparking outrage amongst Americans whom felt that their rights as a nation were violated. Within weeks of that, false allegations of British diplomats attempting to bribe U.S. government officials enflamed anti-British sentiment in the United States as well—Irish-Americans, German-Americans and Jewish-Americans all patently disliked the British Empire. The Irish-Americans were largely expatriates whose families had been forced out of Ireland during the Potato Famine 70 years prior; the German-Americans and Jewish-Americans either had great ties back to Germany, or felt that Britain did not sufficiently represent their interests as groups.
Theodore Roosevelt, former President, and major political operative, gave a speech in 1916 crucifying these groups for ‘anti-American behaviour’, lambasting ‘hyphenated Americans’, claiming that the U.S. had no use for such people. While the patriotic sentiment was there, it just enflamed anti-Anglo sentiments, as many people felt that Teddy Roosevelt was implying that Anglos were the only acceptable form of Americans. Despite attempts by the governments of states and the federal government itself, the anti-English sentiment did not falter through 1916.
In the 1916 election, the Republicans decided to gamble with the isolationist wing of the party. William Borah, a incorrigible Senator, and a firebrand isolationist, was nominated for their candidacy. Borah’s campaign focused on keeping America out of European affairs, and embracing the ‘Nation with Two Oceanic Walls’ ideals that had been celebrated for years prior. He believed that America should keep to America’s region of the world, and that by building efforts here at home to focus on home, America’s prosperity would be unending.
Wilson attacked Borah for his ‘cowardly stance’ in the face of ‘German aggression’, but Borah hit back saying that both alliances were playing America like a fiddle, and that America was above getting involved in Europe’s petty wars over nobility and imperialism. With threats at home, including ‘the specter of Socialism’, and other ‘domestic threats to American prosperity’, Borah believed that America ought to be treated as a world within itself.
The American public seemed to agree, as William Borah was elected to the office of the President of the United States in November 1916, soundly defeating President Woodrow Wilson, whose growing interventionist ideas were soundly refuted by the American public. They wanted no part of a foreign war.
Thus, Borah announced his intentions to begin to move to rescind the availability of loans and materiel to the Entente. While Japan needed no American loans, and was, at the time of the war, a creditor nation, Britain was concerned that if America ‘turned off the tap’, it would be a catastrophic set-back for the war effort. Add in the growing casualties of the war, Britain began to look for an exit to keep their Empire together, and prevent revolution that seemed ever the more likely in Russia by the day.
Japan and the United Kingdom both made clear that they were willing to withdraw from the war against Germany in exchange for certain concessions by late November 1916. The Anglo-Japanese Alliance implied to Germany in late November 1916 that they would seek peace with Germany on the condition that they recognized the territorial seizures undertaken by both Empires, and that Germany pledge not to take any territory from Belgium in a peace treaty.
The Germans were interested in the proposal. The Western Front was a static bloodbath, and even if France was uninterested in ending the war (blood of the German must flow, in their minds), Germany could lessen a significant naval thorn in the form of Japan and the United Kingdom. The Belgian clause of the peace agreement was a bitter pill to swallow for Berlin, but it was admitted in higher level circles in both the military and civilian elements that seeking a separate peace and acquiescing to the demands given were the better solution than fighting to exhaustion.
Sanity reigned, and the British and Japanese exited World War I on December 3rd, 1916, with Britain’s dominions following three days later. All the territorial acquisitions of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance were recognized by the German Empire. While Germany had made peace with Britain and Japan, none of the other Central Powers had. Germany’s decision alienated her in the courts of Vienna and Istanbul, while Tokyo and London’s actions deeply alienated them in Paris and Rome.
Britain’s withdrawal lead to the rapid collapse of the Calais pocket as British troops left France en masse. With a lack of British naval support, the French were required to reorganize their war effort, realizing that now they were on the naval back-foot, as the Kaiserliche Marine had an incredibly narrow margin over them, enough to annoy the French.
By the start of 1917, the Ottomans were teetering on collapse, the British having advanced almost into Anatolia, armed to the hilt and ready to bring down the Ottoman Sultanate. Russia was teetering on the brink of revolution; her armies weary and ready to lay down their arms and find peace. Vladimir Lenin and his cadre of Bolsheviks were stirring up a storm, and Russia was ready to break. France was on the ropes herself, her fields bloodied with the bodies of youth, and with her officers unsure of how to proceed against the Hun menace after the British betrayal.
Britain licked her wounds, and steeled herself in the face of growing Irish nationalism. The Easter Rising of April 1916 had been a major factor in Britain seeking to exit the war, so that she may deal with the issues growing at home. However, the now threat of an unchallenged Germany caused a significant rise of alarm in Britain, and the move for a rapid naval expansion. Britain’s attentions there-after became two-fold—deal with the rise in nationalism in India and Ireland; and built an untouchable navy.
For Japan, their attentions had not lingered on the war for quite some time, as affairs in Asia had grown into a serious situation must faster than originally anticipated…
By the start of 1916, the Western front was a grinding mess of unmovable trenches, with neither side managing to get the leg up on the other. While Germany had the natural upper-hand going into the year, her salient to the seat which had cut off supplies to Calais and Western Belgium had done very little to help the situation as the Kaiserliche Marine had not been able to prevent Britain from delivering supplies to the small pocket.
The Eastern Front was, in fact, very fluid. In September 1915, German forces were still slogging east through Congress Poland, however, by the time of the winter setting in a few scant months later, German forces had made it as far as Riga and Minsk, and settled in for Mother Winter’s steely bitterness.
For Austria, their fortunes against all their adversaries had been less than successful in the grand scheme of things—while Serbia had fallen in fall 1915, Italy had entered the war on the side of the Entente, and was causing issues for the Austrians. As well, they had failed to capture back most of their land from Russia, causing for Germany to ‘de-facto’ occupy chunks of Galicia-Lodomeria.
Bulgaria, which had joined the Central Powers in 1915, had been given a lion’s share of Southern Serbia for their contributions. However, the final ersatz ally of the Central Powers, the once glorious Ottoman Empire was suffering an unbelievable number of set-backs in their efforts to conquer Britain’s territories in Africa and Arabia. The British had reversed the Ottoman invasions of Egypt and Kuwait, and had made great strides in beating back the Turks—by the start of 1916, the British were in the Levant, Hejaz and Iraq causing significant issues for the Turks.
The Russians, despite their numerous defeats by the Central Powers, had managed to turn things around in the Caucasian Mountains, where they drove the Turks back across their own border, and had advanced into Trebizond, south to Lake Van. Their advancements into Turkish territory would be reversed by January 1917, and the border would go back to being static.
…
In the United States, the Presidential Election of 1916 was in full-swing. President Woodrow Wilson was campaigning on the platform of ‘He Kept Us Out of the War’, and was appealing to the sense of American exceptionalism at its finest—the United States was having an increasingly complex relationship with both the Entente and the Central Powers.
The Lusitania, an American cargo ship, was sank by the German Navy in 1915, sparking outrage amongst Americans whom felt that their rights as a nation were violated. Within weeks of that, false allegations of British diplomats attempting to bribe U.S. government officials enflamed anti-British sentiment in the United States as well—Irish-Americans, German-Americans and Jewish-Americans all patently disliked the British Empire. The Irish-Americans were largely expatriates whose families had been forced out of Ireland during the Potato Famine 70 years prior; the German-Americans and Jewish-Americans either had great ties back to Germany, or felt that Britain did not sufficiently represent their interests as groups.
Theodore Roosevelt, former President, and major political operative, gave a speech in 1916 crucifying these groups for ‘anti-American behaviour’, lambasting ‘hyphenated Americans’, claiming that the U.S. had no use for such people. While the patriotic sentiment was there, it just enflamed anti-Anglo sentiments, as many people felt that Teddy Roosevelt was implying that Anglos were the only acceptable form of Americans. Despite attempts by the governments of states and the federal government itself, the anti-English sentiment did not falter through 1916.
In the 1916 election, the Republicans decided to gamble with the isolationist wing of the party. William Borah, a incorrigible Senator, and a firebrand isolationist, was nominated for their candidacy. Borah’s campaign focused on keeping America out of European affairs, and embracing the ‘Nation with Two Oceanic Walls’ ideals that had been celebrated for years prior. He believed that America should keep to America’s region of the world, and that by building efforts here at home to focus on home, America’s prosperity would be unending.
Wilson attacked Borah for his ‘cowardly stance’ in the face of ‘German aggression’, but Borah hit back saying that both alliances were playing America like a fiddle, and that America was above getting involved in Europe’s petty wars over nobility and imperialism. With threats at home, including ‘the specter of Socialism’, and other ‘domestic threats to American prosperity’, Borah believed that America ought to be treated as a world within itself.
The American public seemed to agree, as William Borah was elected to the office of the President of the United States in November 1916, soundly defeating President Woodrow Wilson, whose growing interventionist ideas were soundly refuted by the American public. They wanted no part of a foreign war.
Thus, Borah announced his intentions to begin to move to rescind the availability of loans and materiel to the Entente. While Japan needed no American loans, and was, at the time of the war, a creditor nation, Britain was concerned that if America ‘turned off the tap’, it would be a catastrophic set-back for the war effort. Add in the growing casualties of the war, Britain began to look for an exit to keep their Empire together, and prevent revolution that seemed ever the more likely in Russia by the day.
…
Japan and the United Kingdom both made clear that they were willing to withdraw from the war against Germany in exchange for certain concessions by late November 1916. The Anglo-Japanese Alliance implied to Germany in late November 1916 that they would seek peace with Germany on the condition that they recognized the territorial seizures undertaken by both Empires, and that Germany pledge not to take any territory from Belgium in a peace treaty.
The Germans were interested in the proposal. The Western Front was a static bloodbath, and even if France was uninterested in ending the war (blood of the German must flow, in their minds), Germany could lessen a significant naval thorn in the form of Japan and the United Kingdom. The Belgian clause of the peace agreement was a bitter pill to swallow for Berlin, but it was admitted in higher level circles in both the military and civilian elements that seeking a separate peace and acquiescing to the demands given were the better solution than fighting to exhaustion.
Sanity reigned, and the British and Japanese exited World War I on December 3rd, 1916, with Britain’s dominions following three days later. All the territorial acquisitions of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance were recognized by the German Empire. While Germany had made peace with Britain and Japan, none of the other Central Powers had. Germany’s decision alienated her in the courts of Vienna and Istanbul, while Tokyo and London’s actions deeply alienated them in Paris and Rome.
Britain’s withdrawal lead to the rapid collapse of the Calais pocket as British troops left France en masse. With a lack of British naval support, the French were required to reorganize their war effort, realizing that now they were on the naval back-foot, as the Kaiserliche Marine had an incredibly narrow margin over them, enough to annoy the French.
By the start of 1917, the Ottomans were teetering on collapse, the British having advanced almost into Anatolia, armed to the hilt and ready to bring down the Ottoman Sultanate. Russia was teetering on the brink of revolution; her armies weary and ready to lay down their arms and find peace. Vladimir Lenin and his cadre of Bolsheviks were stirring up a storm, and Russia was ready to break. France was on the ropes herself, her fields bloodied with the bodies of youth, and with her officers unsure of how to proceed against the Hun menace after the British betrayal.
Britain licked her wounds, and steeled herself in the face of growing Irish nationalism. The Easter Rising of April 1916 had been a major factor in Britain seeking to exit the war, so that she may deal with the issues growing at home. However, the now threat of an unchallenged Germany caused a significant rise of alarm in Britain, and the move for a rapid naval expansion. Britain’s attentions there-after became two-fold—deal with the rise in nationalism in India and Ireland; and built an untouchable navy.
For Japan, their attentions had not lingered on the war for quite some time, as affairs in Asia had grown into a serious situation must faster than originally anticipated…
What else is new?
Those poor Entente bastards. The Italians on their side.
Works for me.
Suck it Wilson, you hypocritical bastard!
Oh, to be a fly on the wall in Paris when that news came out....
Wow. I never really thought about England dropping out of the war (At least with Germany) before. Well, the French are serious screw now.
With Britain backstabbing France by concluding a peace deal with Germany, could a Hitler-esque figure leading a Nazi-esque party take power in France? I could see one directing hate and anger of the French towards the British, for backstabbing them, and Germans.
American credit is no longer flowing into the British and French coffers to fully find the attrition bloody war...
Funding will be very tight now....
With America staying isolationist and Britain and Japan out of the war does that mean that the terms of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty are going to be sticking around for at least the short term?
Interesting developments in Europe. I suspect the differences in Japan will become clearer later, as I'm not exactly savvy on Japanese domestic history at any point in history and basically have no idea what's going on (besides the power of the military being curbed). Also, neutral America? Good. Good. It would have been interesting, though, if the Entente still won even without American aid.
7. Yuan Shikai
Asami
Banned
七. 袁世凱
Chapter Seven: Yuan Shikai
August 1915 - January 1917
Yuan Shikai’s power was slipping. The activity of the Kuomintang in the South, the growing Japanese influence in the Shandong region and Manchuria, and the ever-growing threat of encroachment against the Republic required a strong response. In August 1915, he ordered Yang Du to begin canvassing support domestically for the return of the Chinese monarchy.
On December 11th, 1915, after months of considering the matter, the Chinese legislative assembly unanimously elected Yuan as ‘Emperor of China’. Yuan initially declined (as was customary), but accepted later that same day after the National Assembly proposed again. Supported by his son Yuan Keding, he declared the Empire of China, with himself as “Great Emperor of the Chinese Empire”, taking up the era name Hongxian. To quell unrest, he declared he would not be inaugurated until January 1st, 1916.
When the news of the President’s abandonment of the Republic spread, chaos erupted throughout China. Unrest intensified, and the new Emperor found himself without backing in many parts of society. The Aisin-Gioro clan, whom were living in exile in the Forbidden City, reluctantly gave their approval to Hongxian’s ascent, despite the Anti-Republican Alliance’s hatred of Yuan Shikai.
It turned out that, for the Qing dynasty, it was the perfect situation to find themselves in. After Yuan’s inauguration as Emperor on January 1st, province after province began to rise in rebellion against the Empire. The first to leave was Yunnan, led by Cai E, whom called for a constitutional restoration and the end of Yuan’s Empire. He proclaimed his movement the National Protection Alliance, and claimed to be the rightful Republic of China. However, the situation soon grew complicated.
In the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, the Kuomintang maneuvered to seize power from the domestic governors and impose their own rule in full. From Guangzhou, Sun Yat-sen proclaimed the restoration of the Republic of China, this time under Kuomintang rule. Many generals under the Beiyang Army did not put up a major resistance to the KMT and the NPA’s advances, and instead were beaten back in numerous areas.
In February 1916, Yuan fled Beijing during a period of unrest. Taking advantage of the situation, several officers under the Anti-Republican Alliance seized the city and the neighboring country-side, and proclaimed the restoration of the rightful Chinese Empire—Puyi was restored as Emperor of China on February 18, 1916. However, the newly appointed ‘Prime Minister’, Zhang Xun, decreed several constitutional reforms and the establishment of the National Assembly for the Empire. He claimed that the ‘pretender Yuan has fled, and the Republic has faltered—allow the true Empire to rise once more!’
The 10-year-old Emperor was placed under a new Regency Council consisting of his father, Prince Chun; the Prime Minister, Zhang Xun; and the new Foreign Minister, Tsuneo Matsudaira. Moving quick, the rapidly reorganizing Imperial Army moved and expanded south, taking as far as just south of the Shandong Peninsula, which fell under their rule—and the full influence of Japan’s economic power.
As 1916 waned on, Yuan’s power further collapsed. While the NPA and Kuomintang fought amongst themselves, several anti-Yuan, anti-KMT Republicans seized power in Nanjing and sent out their own loyalists to secure the countryside. Several provincial governors did not heed their demands, and instead established their own warlord states.
Duan Qirui became the President of China—at least, of the China commonly referred to in foreign press as “China-Nanjing”, countering the Republic of China-Guangzhou (under Sun Yat-sen), Republic of China-Yunnan (under Cai E), the Empire of China-Chengdu (under the ailing Yuan), and the Empire of China-Peking (under the young Puyi).
Japan utilized the collapse of central Chinese authority to further extend their political power in Manchuria, effectively taking control of the lion’s share of the region economically. While they had no de jure boots on the ground, and Manchuria was occupied by local warlords, Japan’s influence was not minor, and had a great effect on the state and economic prosperity of the region.
In June 1916, the Hongxian Emperor ceased to be, willing that his son take the throne from him. His son ascended to the throne of the Sichuan government, and proclaimed his era name to be 乾興 (Qiánxīng), making him the Qianxing Emperor. Remaining resolute with his territories of the Chinese steppe, he refused to submit to Nanjing, Beijing or Yunnan’s authority, and managed to stave off numerous incursions into his territory, keeping the borders static.
The Chinese Civil War would remain static as the sides were too weak to do much of anything, and all the regimes began to entrench in preparation for the coming conflict. By January 1917, the region was ready to once again plunge into the thick of it, with the nascent Kuomintang ready to prove that they were not a weakling in the grand scheme of things...
When the news of the President’s abandonment of the Republic spread, chaos erupted throughout China. Unrest intensified, and the new Emperor found himself without backing in many parts of society. The Aisin-Gioro clan, whom were living in exile in the Forbidden City, reluctantly gave their approval to Hongxian’s ascent, despite the Anti-Republican Alliance’s hatred of Yuan Shikai.
It turned out that, for the Qing dynasty, it was the perfect situation to find themselves in. After Yuan’s inauguration as Emperor on January 1st, province after province began to rise in rebellion against the Empire. The first to leave was Yunnan, led by Cai E, whom called for a constitutional restoration and the end of Yuan’s Empire. He proclaimed his movement the National Protection Alliance, and claimed to be the rightful Republic of China. However, the situation soon grew complicated.
In the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, the Kuomintang maneuvered to seize power from the domestic governors and impose their own rule in full. From Guangzhou, Sun Yat-sen proclaimed the restoration of the Republic of China, this time under Kuomintang rule. Many generals under the Beiyang Army did not put up a major resistance to the KMT and the NPA’s advances, and instead were beaten back in numerous areas.
In February 1916, Yuan fled Beijing during a period of unrest. Taking advantage of the situation, several officers under the Anti-Republican Alliance seized the city and the neighboring country-side, and proclaimed the restoration of the rightful Chinese Empire—Puyi was restored as Emperor of China on February 18, 1916. However, the newly appointed ‘Prime Minister’, Zhang Xun, decreed several constitutional reforms and the establishment of the National Assembly for the Empire. He claimed that the ‘pretender Yuan has fled, and the Republic has faltered—allow the true Empire to rise once more!’
The 10-year-old Emperor was placed under a new Regency Council consisting of his father, Prince Chun; the Prime Minister, Zhang Xun; and the new Foreign Minister, Tsuneo Matsudaira. Moving quick, the rapidly reorganizing Imperial Army moved and expanded south, taking as far as just south of the Shandong Peninsula, which fell under their rule—and the full influence of Japan’s economic power.
As 1916 waned on, Yuan’s power further collapsed. While the NPA and Kuomintang fought amongst themselves, several anti-Yuan, anti-KMT Republicans seized power in Nanjing and sent out their own loyalists to secure the countryside. Several provincial governors did not heed their demands, and instead established their own warlord states.
Duan Qirui became the President of China—at least, of the China commonly referred to in foreign press as “China-Nanjing”, countering the Republic of China-Guangzhou (under Sun Yat-sen), Republic of China-Yunnan (under Cai E), the Empire of China-Chengdu (under the ailing Yuan), and the Empire of China-Peking (under the young Puyi).
Japan utilized the collapse of central Chinese authority to further extend their political power in Manchuria, effectively taking control of the lion’s share of the region economically. While they had no de jure boots on the ground, and Manchuria was occupied by local warlords, Japan’s influence was not minor, and had a great effect on the state and economic prosperity of the region.
In June 1916, the Hongxian Emperor ceased to be, willing that his son take the throne from him. His son ascended to the throne of the Sichuan government, and proclaimed his era name to be 乾興 (Qiánxīng), making him the Qianxing Emperor. Remaining resolute with his territories of the Chinese steppe, he refused to submit to Nanjing, Beijing or Yunnan’s authority, and managed to stave off numerous incursions into his territory, keeping the borders static.
The Chinese Civil War would remain static as the sides were too weak to do much of anything, and all the regimes began to entrench in preparation for the coming conflict. By January 1917, the region was ready to once again plunge into the thick of it, with the nascent Kuomintang ready to prove that they were not a weakling in the grand scheme of things...
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No I mean just snip if off the map you made and just differentiate the different... entities.
Well, not only is the French and the Russians screwed in this, but China just went off the deep end big time.
Perhaps you could explain who has what.
And let me just say this TL is as great as your last one.
Status Update, China 1917
Asami
Banned
Capital: Chengdu
Head of State: Emperor Niujin of the Second Yuan Dynasty (son of Yuan Shikai)
In compared to OTL, in ATL, Yuan Shikai does not cancel or abolish his attempt to restore the monarchy. After he realizes that he is under threat in Beijing, he evacuates west into the steppe, where he sets up a provisional war-time capital in the Sichuan town of Chengdu. The Empire is relatively popular amongst the Xinjiang, Qinghai and western provinces as the Emperor has pledged to give them land, entitlements, and power should they remain loyal to him. As such, it is a difficult slog for any of the rival factions to move west into the Imperial lands. It is relatively strong, but due to the mass defection of generals, it has a very poorly composed officer corps, and is incapable of striking deep into China right now, but that may change.
2. Tibet
Capital: Lhasa
Head of State: Thubten Gyatso. 13th Dalai Lama
Tibet is the same as it has always been. It is an authoritarian theocratic state under the rule of the Dalai Lama. It is uninvolved in the chaos in China, but the Yuan Empire is looking to use Tibet as a test of it's military power, and to eliminate a threat to their ambition whom holds claims on their lands. However, with the bad terrain and winter, invading Tibet has been ruled an incredibly bad idea... at least for now.
3. Provisional Government for the Republic of China ("China-Nanjing")
Capital: Nanjing
Head of State: Duan Qirui, President of the Provisional Government for the Republic of China
Resembling that of Yuan-era Republican China, this Republic is interested in keeping stability in a core area of China, and not allowing it to fall to warlordism. There is no real democracy, and Duan rules by decree and military rule, but it is relatively stable. There are growing leftist sentiments in the state, and many believe that Duan is a servant of British industrial interests, as the British influence along the Yangtze River is key to keeping Duan's power together. He is bitterly poised against the KMT, and has allowed three major provincial warlords to exist outside of the purvey of his regime as a buffer to the KMT. One of which has fallen to Japanese influence.
4. Heavenly Empire of China ("China-Peking" or "Second Qing Empire")
Capital: Peking
Head of State: Xuantong Emperor of the Aisin-Gioro Dynasty (Puyi)
The Manchu Restoration is earlier, and a success, compared to OTL. Puyi is now the Emperor of China once again, but his powers have been limited at the insistence of not only the Chinese constitutionalists in the court, but also the very powerful Japanese advisers, whom have a heavy hand in matters of state. There is some resentment there, but Japan is one of the only reasons that the Qing Empire is capable of being as large as it is right now. Their armies are very weak, but can hold their own against the other demoralized Chinese warlords and successor regimes. At the insistence of the Prime Minister, the Empire is undergoing constitutional reforms to introduce parliamentary democracy and British-style rule to the country, which has ingratiated the Qing to many in Beijing, Tianjin and other towns across their territory.
5. Revolutionary Provisional Government of the Republic of China ("China-Guangzhou")
Capital: Guangzhou
Head of State: Sun Yat-sen, President of the Republic of China
Sun Yat-sen's so called Third Revolution has succeeded. After his defeat in 1913, he had absconded to Japan, but had returned in short order to stir up more trouble, particularly once Japan switched their interests away from the Kuomintang, and to the Anti-Republican Alliance they helped create. Now, Sun Yat-sen's Kuomintang controls swaths of China's wealthy southern regions, and has won the grace of France and Britain for their continued support for their mercantile measures. However, the Kuomintang's power is also hampered by these concessions, and they seek to break them, or push against their enemies soon, before their power base wanes. Sun believes that once he advances, China will be united in short order.
6. National Protection Alliance ("China-Yunnan")
Capital: Kunming
Head of State; Cai E, President of the Republic of China
Cai E's rival Republic is similar to that of Duan Qirui, however, Cai E does intend on restoring the original Chinese government as soon as he possibly can--with the Assembly and all things. He also wants to shatter the revolutionary Kuomintang (whom he feels have outlived their usefulness) and the Nanjing republic and their corrupt generals (whom he feels care not for China, and only for their wallets), as such, he is poised against almost every other faction. The only benefit that exists for him, is his mountainous state's natural defense against invasion. However, he and the KMT are giving each other sideways looks, wondering whom will strike first.
Minor Warlord States/Exterior Groups
a. Hunan clique -- pro-Nanjing, anti-KMT
b. Jiangxi clique -- pro-Nanjing, anti-KMT, anti-Japan
c. Fujian clique -- pro-Japan, anti-Nanjing, neutral to KMT
d. Shaanxi clique -- pro-Nanjing, anti-Yuan, anti-Qing
e. Chahar clique -- pro-Japan, pro-Qing, anti-Yuan, anti-Nanjing
f. Shanxi clique -- pro-Nanjing, pro-Qing, anti-Yuan
g. Xing'an clique -- pro-Japan, anti-Russia, pro-Qing, anti-Yuan
h. Mongolia, Russian client state, now independent.
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Hot-damn. Good update.
I really like your writing style, actually. It's brutal and to the point, while still really informative. Good work.
I wonder if a form of nationalism might take hold in Yunnan. Aren't they ethnically rather different from the rest of China?
I really like your writing style, actually. It's brutal and to the point, while still really informative. Good work.
I wonder if a form of nationalism might take hold in Yunnan. Aren't they ethnically rather different from the rest of China?
Today, Yunnan's population has the highest percentage of ethnic minority groups in China, a little less than 40 %. A century ago, this percentage was probably much higher.
- Status