July, 1870
Washington
While working at his desk, Seward would suddenly feel short of breath to the point that he had to call in his Secretary to summon a doctor. A few hours later, the President felt better but the Doctor inquired if the President had been feeling off lately.
In truth, Seward had been working very hard and was unusually tired but deemed this due to the stress of the office and his own aging. The Doctor ordered the President to relax a bit more, Congress was out of session and all, and Seward promised he would.
Within a few minutes of the Doctor leaving, Seward got back to work.
The Suez Canal
Having become convinced that the Russians and French were plotting to invade India (they weren't), Disraeli's government ordered a blockade of the Suez Canal to all foreign shipping. In outrage, the Khedive also closed the Canal to the British as well.
Though this had the obvious effect of escalating tensions, the British were confident that they could get away with these actions as the rapid expansion of the British ironclad fleet had not been matched by the French or Russians. The French, in particular, practically publicly admitted their current ship designs were inferior and were in the early stages of designing new ones.
The ten years period in which Britain's mastery of the seas was challenged by the likes of France, Russia and America appeared to be over.
London
Gladstone had led the opposition for years against the arch-imperialist Disraeli. Though political foes with no personal affection, Gladstone at least admired Disraeli's acumen. However, it was apparent to the Liberal Party Leader that Gladstone was escalating a situation which could be relatively easily solved by diplomacy.
While this boded well for Gladstone's return to power, he was uncertain how much of a British Empire would be left for him to command.
Washington
Secretary of War Ulysses S. Grant would spend a hot afternoon reviewing the latest upgrades to the "Coffee Mill" Guns and the Gatling Guns. These latest versions were moderately lighter, more reliable and less prone to jamming. The range and accuracy of the weapons were also expanded.
Grant, having witnessed the value to the guns in the Confederacy, British North America and Mexico, was a supporter of continued use and demanded that the shortcomings of the weapons be addressed before he authorized a new order.
Most of the somewhat flimsy weapons had already been taken out of circulation and Grant wanted first-hand testing for a period of months by the actual soldiers who were to use them. The cavalry forces out west had been commanded to utilize them in maneuvers and see how they held up to the rigors of a campaign.
For the most part, the new versions were considered significant improvements on the previous generation and Grant approved the purchase of hundreds of each. Indeed, the rivalry between the two companies was driving innovation as each sought to become the army's preferred supplier.
Grant had used the same tactic in forcing competition for artillery. The old "Napoleon 53's" had done Yeoman's work in the past but was plainly outdated even by 1860. The Board of Ordnance had approved a competition for an updated series of rifled cannon to replace the old bronze muzzle-loaders.
Some spectacular weapons had been invented in the large "siege" gun category and that of the small "infantry support" category. However, the mid-sized model to replace the workhorse Napoleons proved problematic. A half dozen companies offered their wares....but each proved inferior to the Armstrong Cannon, to say absolutely nothing about the amazing Krupp Cannon.
So irritated was Grant, that he approved the purchase of 200 Krupps from Germany pending the American manufacturers capacity to design a competing model. Thus far, he'd been disappointed.
Grant had been equally disappointed that the Winchester, Spencer and Sharpe's rifles had not been improved upon. While each of these had its advantages over the latest "best infantry rifle" on earth (the Chassepot), they each had drawbacks as well.
Had it not been for the American innovations in repeating rifles, Gatling guns, Coffee Mill guns, Dahlgren and Parrot Naval Artillery and armored monitors, the Union's victory over the Confederacy, British and French may not have been possible.
To have a technological DISADVANTAGE to the Europeans would be utter suicide.
A new rifle and new mid-sized cannon competing with or superior to the Europeans MUST be found no matter what.
Grant had barely returned to his office when an aide rushed in with the tragic news: General Robert E. Lee had died.
A wave of grief poured through Grant. The man had given everything to his nation before, during and after the War Between the States. Grant knew that the Virginian had never wanted to fight the Confederacy but was happy to stand up against the British and French.
The nation had lost perhaps the finest soldier since the late Winfield Scott....or even George Washington.
Grant would recommend the President that Lee be laid in state at the Capital, a fitting tribute to the man's contributions to the country. Within a few months, a subscription was raised to build a monument to Lee in Washington. "Washington University", of which Lee had been Chancellor, would be renamed "Washington and Lee University" in his honor.
Grant doubted he'd be remembered as fondly.
Melbourne, Australia
For the past several years, the various colonies of Australia (including New Zealand) had been united into a formal country compromising all but Western Australia.
The rapidly expanding trans-Australian railroad would soon connect Perth to the rest of the Island and ensure a common purpose.
The rapid encroachment of Russian and French forces in the region would lead to the British government requesting that governance over New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and other small British possessions in the South Pacific be assumed by the Austrians.
In 1870, the government of Australia would be surprised to discover they were also requested and required to assume control over the far-flung Hawaiian islands.
In a relatively short period, the influx of British settlers and American Mormon "refugees" had reached nearly 40,000 souls. This would cause huge societal upheaval in Hawaii and the natives promptly rose up in revolt....only to be crushed by superior firepower.
The Hawaiian monarchy was dissolved and a British government put in place of it. The Mormons, who settled largely on the islands of Maui, Kauai and especially the "BIG" island of Hawaii, had largely been left alone for the first few years of their residence.
By 1870, though, the Mormons were attracting large numbers of native converts as well, much to the Anglican Missionaries chagrin. Polygamy was, of course, illegal in Britain but the Hawaiian King didn't seem to care much about that as having too many foreigners invading his country.
Now that Hawaii was a British possession, that meant that the government had to do something about this.
But the Australians would soon have more important things to worry about and did not want to rock the boat by coming down too hard on the Mormons who had helped them overthrow the King of Hawaii. Instead, the Polygamy matter simmered while Australia was being drawn into a new global conflict.