I've been thinking about a TL where Britain fell to France and Spain during the 7 Years War but after the fall of Quebec. The British colonies would be isolated and under the direct rule of one of George III's younger brothers.
Odyssey of Fritz, the Turncoat Prince
- Thread starter Alt History Buff
- Start date
I've been thinking about a TL where Britain fell to France and Spain during the 7 Years War but after the fall of Quebec. The British colonies would be isolated and under the direct rule of one of George III's younger brothers.
Chapter 577
Chapter 577
April, 1899
Hakodate, Hokkaido
The anchorage at the southern town of Hokkaido had been quietly ignored by the nominal Chinese or Nipponese warlords for centuries. Used more for collecting tribute and as a base for tiny fishing vessels, the town of Hakodate (still often called Usukeshi by the Ainu) would prove quite useful by the America forces as they licked their wounds after the devastating Battle of the Tsugaru Strait.
For six hours, the Chinese Imperial Fleet and the American Navy had bludgeoned one another until the American advantage in gunnery (and caliber) would prove decisive. Half a dozen Chinese warships sank to the bottom to only one America vessel. The Chinese fleet retreated to Busan while the Americans limped into Hakodate. This was something of a disadvantage for the Americans as no port facilities of use existed in the little town. Another American ship was forced to be scuttled as Mahan attempted to patch up his fleet. Eventually, he determined to sail for the Nipponese free ports of northeastern Nippon. Yerba Buena, the next closest American port, was very....very....far away.
The Chinese fleet was prove to be even more battered as two ships were deemed so damaged that Admiral Go would order their crews stripped and reassigned to other vessels.
Admiral Mahan would request that the Nipponese Emperor aid his fleet with provisions and whatever repairs the Nipponese could provide. Having received large numbers of modern weapons from America, the Emperor was more than happy to agree. The defeat of the Chinese fleet spread throughout the island of Honshu within weeks giving heart to the Nipponese resistance.
Saxony
King George of Saxony found his country in a precarious position. Now perched between two greater German powers and the resentment of the Kingdom of Bohemia (for the seizure of the Sudetenland), King George belatedly realized that he had no friends in the region. He appealed to both Poland and the German Confederation for aid. The former was somewhat removed but the latter was willing to speak. George suspected that this may be his Kingdom's best hope for protection for the German Confederation was loosely aligned with France, Britain and other western nations.
Perhaps that may serve as a measure of protection.
With tensions arising from the old Hohenzollern and Habsburg religious and dynastic strife, the little Kingdom of Saxony would appeal to any power that could protect it from their neighbors.
Manhattan
President Bland was pleased admit Mogollon and Sacramento into the Union. Not very many Territories were left to become provinces. California someday. Costa Rica and the Moskito Coast. He was still surprised that the nation hadn't renamed that damned territory yet.
April, 1899
Hakodate, Hokkaido
The anchorage at the southern town of Hokkaido had been quietly ignored by the nominal Chinese or Nipponese warlords for centuries. Used more for collecting tribute and as a base for tiny fishing vessels, the town of Hakodate (still often called Usukeshi by the Ainu) would prove quite useful by the America forces as they licked their wounds after the devastating Battle of the Tsugaru Strait.
For six hours, the Chinese Imperial Fleet and the American Navy had bludgeoned one another until the American advantage in gunnery (and caliber) would prove decisive. Half a dozen Chinese warships sank to the bottom to only one America vessel. The Chinese fleet retreated to Busan while the Americans limped into Hakodate. This was something of a disadvantage for the Americans as no port facilities of use existed in the little town. Another American ship was forced to be scuttled as Mahan attempted to patch up his fleet. Eventually, he determined to sail for the Nipponese free ports of northeastern Nippon. Yerba Buena, the next closest American port, was very....very....far away.
The Chinese fleet was prove to be even more battered as two ships were deemed so damaged that Admiral Go would order their crews stripped and reassigned to other vessels.
Admiral Mahan would request that the Nipponese Emperor aid his fleet with provisions and whatever repairs the Nipponese could provide. Having received large numbers of modern weapons from America, the Emperor was more than happy to agree. The defeat of the Chinese fleet spread throughout the island of Honshu within weeks giving heart to the Nipponese resistance.
Saxony
King George of Saxony found his country in a precarious position. Now perched between two greater German powers and the resentment of the Kingdom of Bohemia (for the seizure of the Sudetenland), King George belatedly realized that he had no friends in the region. He appealed to both Poland and the German Confederation for aid. The former was somewhat removed but the latter was willing to speak. George suspected that this may be his Kingdom's best hope for protection for the German Confederation was loosely aligned with France, Britain and other western nations.
Perhaps that may serve as a measure of protection.
With tensions arising from the old Hohenzollern and Habsburg religious and dynastic strife, the little Kingdom of Saxony would appeal to any power that could protect it from their neighbors.
Manhattan
President Bland was pleased admit Mogollon and Sacramento into the Union. Not very many Territories were left to become provinces. California someday. Costa Rica and the Moskito Coast. He was still surprised that the nation hadn't renamed that damned territory yet.
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Chapter 578
Chapter 578
August, 1899
Manhattan
President Bland was not a decisive man in most respects. Hardworking and intelligent, yes. One to lead the nation through war was another matter entirely. He tended to research issues deeply and then form a consensus. This would have been a positive trait in man at peace. But it was crippling in a time of war. While the events in Asia spiraled out of control, the President seemed paralyzed by indecision. He was forced to rely ever more upon the Secretary of the Navy, a man for whom indecisiveness was anathema.
Theodore Roosevelt effectively assumed control over the war. Bland was left to make speeches and try to marshal Congress.
The first action Roosevelt had made was to agree with the Secretary of War over whom would be leading the "expedition force" across the Pacific. IT was easy enough. They agreed upon General Hohenzollern.
Officially the two nations were not at war. That would require some sort of dialogue to express the declaration.
Hohenzollern would arrive in early summer in the city of San Diego. By July, the fleet would depart. It would arrive in Oahu for refueling. The Mormon Theocracy would, as previously negotiated, refresh ship stores and aid in the refueling. Roosevelt's emissaries made quite clear what would happen if anything else occurred.
By August, the American expeditionary forces would reach the city of Sendai in northwestern Nippon. 10,000 American Continental regulars and Volunteers would disembark.
Madrid
The King of Spain...and Portugal...and Italy would continue reforming...and continue repressing the more ardent Reformers. Thousands of Radicals would be dispatched to the prison island of St. Martin, St. Kitts and St. Bartolome. The King became ever more frustrated. Why didn't his people(s) accept that he knew best. For over a century, the Bourbon Kings had attempted to encourage education, manufacturing, scientific research, etc.
The truth was, as it had been for over a century, the Spanish nation itself remained behind in virtually all categories to Gaul, Britain, America and...hell...probably even the Russians, Chinese and Marathas.
The King knew damned well that his navy was in a terrible position and his army was perhaps worse. Previous generations would face this same problem as the Spanish Navy grew obsolete and the result was loss of the colonies. At worst, this current naval gap would cost Spain their largely unprofitable West Indian possessions. By now, the islands of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the rest were almost seen as drags on the economy than the basis. There were no annual treasure fleets depositing gold, silver, gems and other precious metals. Instead, the fleets carried off prisoners which populated whole islands. The Navy was hardly central to the Spanish/Portuguese/Italian power these days.
But the army....yes, the Army WAS most emphatically important, particularly in light of the growing discomfort between the Bourbon Kings of Spain/Portugal/Italy and the assorted Kingdoms of the Stuart-Bourbon Gaul. The uppity Occitans would often speak of "liberating" Catalonia while the Piedmontese agitated to expand democracy throughout Bourbon Spain...which included the Tuscan Bourbons.
The King of Tuscany was trapped between two great Italian powers: the Piedmont Kingdom of Gaul and the greater portion of Italy united under the King of Spain (whom titled himself King of Italy). In the end, the King had to choose between democracy and authoritarianism. He opted for the latter.
Tuscany aligned with Spain.
August, 1899
Manhattan
President Bland was not a decisive man in most respects. Hardworking and intelligent, yes. One to lead the nation through war was another matter entirely. He tended to research issues deeply and then form a consensus. This would have been a positive trait in man at peace. But it was crippling in a time of war. While the events in Asia spiraled out of control, the President seemed paralyzed by indecision. He was forced to rely ever more upon the Secretary of the Navy, a man for whom indecisiveness was anathema.
Theodore Roosevelt effectively assumed control over the war. Bland was left to make speeches and try to marshal Congress.
The first action Roosevelt had made was to agree with the Secretary of War over whom would be leading the "expedition force" across the Pacific. IT was easy enough. They agreed upon General Hohenzollern.
Officially the two nations were not at war. That would require some sort of dialogue to express the declaration.
Hohenzollern would arrive in early summer in the city of San Diego. By July, the fleet would depart. It would arrive in Oahu for refueling. The Mormon Theocracy would, as previously negotiated, refresh ship stores and aid in the refueling. Roosevelt's emissaries made quite clear what would happen if anything else occurred.
By August, the American expeditionary forces would reach the city of Sendai in northwestern Nippon. 10,000 American Continental regulars and Volunteers would disembark.
Madrid
The King of Spain...and Portugal...and Italy would continue reforming...and continue repressing the more ardent Reformers. Thousands of Radicals would be dispatched to the prison island of St. Martin, St. Kitts and St. Bartolome. The King became ever more frustrated. Why didn't his people(s) accept that he knew best. For over a century, the Bourbon Kings had attempted to encourage education, manufacturing, scientific research, etc.
The truth was, as it had been for over a century, the Spanish nation itself remained behind in virtually all categories to Gaul, Britain, America and...hell...probably even the Russians, Chinese and Marathas.
The King knew damned well that his navy was in a terrible position and his army was perhaps worse. Previous generations would face this same problem as the Spanish Navy grew obsolete and the result was loss of the colonies. At worst, this current naval gap would cost Spain their largely unprofitable West Indian possessions. By now, the islands of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the rest were almost seen as drags on the economy than the basis. There were no annual treasure fleets depositing gold, silver, gems and other precious metals. Instead, the fleets carried off prisoners which populated whole islands. The Navy was hardly central to the Spanish/Portuguese/Italian power these days.
But the army....yes, the Army WAS most emphatically important, particularly in light of the growing discomfort between the Bourbon Kings of Spain/Portugal/Italy and the assorted Kingdoms of the Stuart-Bourbon Gaul. The uppity Occitans would often speak of "liberating" Catalonia while the Piedmontese agitated to expand democracy throughout Bourbon Spain...which included the Tuscan Bourbons.
The King of Tuscany was trapped between two great Italian powers: the Piedmont Kingdom of Gaul and the greater portion of Italy united under the King of Spain (whom titled himself King of Italy). In the end, the King had to choose between democracy and authoritarianism. He opted for the latter.
Tuscany aligned with Spain.
Chapter 579
Chapter 579
Northern Honshu, 30 miles north of Edo
November, 1899
The American forces of 10,000 (minus 2500 ill or assigned to reserve duties in the northern ports) would link with the slowly reforming Nipponese Army. General Hohenzollern would find his allies something of a mystery. Several regiments of recent volunteers had been trained along modern Regimental lines with the weapons provided by the Americans over the past months. Other Regiments…or whatever the Nipponese called their military formations, retained what Hohenzollern assumed was some sort of feudal structure.
The Samurai, whom had dominated Nippon’s forces for centuries, often argued of retaining their old formations and tactics. As these strategies had failed miserably against the Chinese, Hohenzollern considered this folly. Only with time did the American realize that the Samurai were fighting as much to retain their old rank and privilege than the war itself. They bitterly resented the modern realities which made their ancient way of fighting and governance obsolete. The American was shocked to learn that nearly a tenth of the Nipponese population consisted of this nominal warrior-class whom ranked just below the nobility in Nipponese strategy. They were fighting for their very way of life. Hohenzollern could not but compare the stubborn Nipponese holdouts as being similar to the Virginians, Carolinians and Marylanders during the ill-fated War of Southern Rebellion. They claimed to fight as much for social reasons as economic or political. Given the continued efforts in those Provinces to hamper Negro citizenship (though seldom overtly) so many decades after manumission (and forced enfranchisement), Hohenzollern suspected the Samurai class would continue to agitate for an era clearly past for the foreseeable future.
Unless, of course, the Chinese conquer Nippon. Then the Samurai class would probably be wiped out.
Hohenzollern had spoken at length with Admiral Mahan and both shared the belief that this war was not the business of America. Only by a few twists of fate – Chinese harsh treatment of the Russian exiles, an unfortunate and mutually undesired battle at sea – would see American soldiers on Nipponese soil.
On the other hand, Hohenzollern knew that China’s increasingly aggressive actions throughout eastern Asia would make them the undoubted kingmakers in the region. Allowing the fall of Nippon would effectively bind any American political or economic interests in Asia to the Chinese Emperor’s will. That was unacceptable as well.
As such, the American marched south through the snows of Honshu until meeting north of the Shogun’s ancient capital. In a miserable snowstorm, the Americans and their Nipponese allies would discover that their weapons had a marked advantage over the Chinese not only in accuracy and distance but also in functionality in adverse weather. Half the Chinese rifles failed to fire and the victory became a rout as the Americans and Nipponese launched an unexpected charge at the Chinese lines, a tactic Hohenzollern would, under normal circumstances, consider foolhardy given that the powerful new weapons had shifted the advantage to the defender.
The Chinese would retreat in confusion, eventually abandoning Edo on Christmas day (a holiday the Chinese didn’t celebrate).
The “Battle of Edo” would be reported by dozens of newspapermen and Hohenzollern’s fame would become widespread.
The Nipponese Samurai, whom had contributed little to the Battle of Edo, would demand that the Emperor allow them to reconquer Yokohama “without foreign assistance”. This the Emperor reluctantly agreed and the sword-bearing Samurai would advance upon Yokohama without support. By this point, the Chinese had gathered themselves and formed a powerful line augmented with artillery. The Samurai army of 12,000 “old-school” formations would charge valiantly…and lose over half their number before retreating in defeat having incurred few casualties upon the defenders.
After this, the Emperor would turn the war over to his more progressive Generals and his American “allies”. The Imperial Court could barely conceal their humiliation at having to beg gaijin to save them and often referred to the Americans in vague terms during correspondence.
Manhattan
President Bland had taken a great deal of abuse among his Provincial Party cohorts over his Secretary of the Navy. It did not go unnoticed that Theodore Roosevelt was, in fact, a former Nationalist Congressman and had been appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy by the prior President. When Bland had been sworn in, he had, in his mind, an old ally of his as the New Secretary of the Navy. However, that fellow was in poor health and Bland would hold off on appointing his friend until he was sure the man would be able to handle the job. Unlike most Nationalist appointees, Roosevelt would remain in office on the assumption that he would merely cover the day to day duties until his replacement would be ready. Instead, Bland ran out of patience and determined to find a new candidate.
In the end, he could find no better man than Roosevelt himself. Roosevelt was definitely a Nationalist but also was more than willing to vote against his party when he deemed it reasonable (for example, he really enjoyed busting Trusts). Bland sat down with Roosevelt and he offered the New Yorker (he was raised in the Bronx) the full time position of Secretary of the Navy if he would refrain from any politics outside of his scope. Roosevelt agreed and publicly stated that he was an “officer of the nation” whom would avoid outside issues until the burgeoning crisis would be over.
Many Provincials would be outraged but some were quietly pleased. Roosevelt was a rising star in the Nationalist Party and openly serving a Provincial Administration may kill his career in the long term. As it was, Roosevelt would fulfill his promise and refrain from national issues. Bland, in return, would support him against any criticism and agree to allow Roosevelt to run the war (as the Navy effectively was the dominant department) and fought for any material or financial requisition Roosevelt desired in support of the effort be it money, ships, manpower, supplies, etc.
In the end, Bland did not really want the responsibility and Roosevelt seemed to feed off of it.
Berlin
Though Winston Churchill had just celebrated his 25th birthday, the scion of British and American families would swiftly rise up the ranks of the foreign office. His great-grandfather had fled Britain nearly a century ago during the British Revolution and sought sanctuary amid the Queen’s other possession of Hanover (like much of the Aristocratic class of Britain, they would never return). His father married his wealthy American mother while serving as Ambassador to that nation. After returning to the now-united Prussia-Hanover, Churchill missed the “War of Liberation” of Schleswig, Holstein and Mecklenburg as being too young. But the ambitious young man caught the eye of the King of (northern) Germany and was ushered from Berlin University to the Foreign Office.
Churchill’s first assignment was, shockingly given his youth, the prestigious post of Ambassador to Great Britain. Some in the Republic would opine that perhaps this was an insult by Prussia to dispatch such a junior diplomat, especially one with British noble ancestry. But Churchill did not care. He spoke English better than half of the damnable British Parliament and would not allow the British to hamper German affairs as the inevitable confrontation between the Protestant North and Catholic South inexorably approached.
Northern Honshu, 30 miles north of Edo
November, 1899
The American forces of 10,000 (minus 2500 ill or assigned to reserve duties in the northern ports) would link with the slowly reforming Nipponese Army. General Hohenzollern would find his allies something of a mystery. Several regiments of recent volunteers had been trained along modern Regimental lines with the weapons provided by the Americans over the past months. Other Regiments…or whatever the Nipponese called their military formations, retained what Hohenzollern assumed was some sort of feudal structure.
The Samurai, whom had dominated Nippon’s forces for centuries, often argued of retaining their old formations and tactics. As these strategies had failed miserably against the Chinese, Hohenzollern considered this folly. Only with time did the American realize that the Samurai were fighting as much to retain their old rank and privilege than the war itself. They bitterly resented the modern realities which made their ancient way of fighting and governance obsolete. The American was shocked to learn that nearly a tenth of the Nipponese population consisted of this nominal warrior-class whom ranked just below the nobility in Nipponese strategy. They were fighting for their very way of life. Hohenzollern could not but compare the stubborn Nipponese holdouts as being similar to the Virginians, Carolinians and Marylanders during the ill-fated War of Southern Rebellion. They claimed to fight as much for social reasons as economic or political. Given the continued efforts in those Provinces to hamper Negro citizenship (though seldom overtly) so many decades after manumission (and forced enfranchisement), Hohenzollern suspected the Samurai class would continue to agitate for an era clearly past for the foreseeable future.
Unless, of course, the Chinese conquer Nippon. Then the Samurai class would probably be wiped out.
Hohenzollern had spoken at length with Admiral Mahan and both shared the belief that this war was not the business of America. Only by a few twists of fate – Chinese harsh treatment of the Russian exiles, an unfortunate and mutually undesired battle at sea – would see American soldiers on Nipponese soil.
On the other hand, Hohenzollern knew that China’s increasingly aggressive actions throughout eastern Asia would make them the undoubted kingmakers in the region. Allowing the fall of Nippon would effectively bind any American political or economic interests in Asia to the Chinese Emperor’s will. That was unacceptable as well.
As such, the American marched south through the snows of Honshu until meeting north of the Shogun’s ancient capital. In a miserable snowstorm, the Americans and their Nipponese allies would discover that their weapons had a marked advantage over the Chinese not only in accuracy and distance but also in functionality in adverse weather. Half the Chinese rifles failed to fire and the victory became a rout as the Americans and Nipponese launched an unexpected charge at the Chinese lines, a tactic Hohenzollern would, under normal circumstances, consider foolhardy given that the powerful new weapons had shifted the advantage to the defender.
The Chinese would retreat in confusion, eventually abandoning Edo on Christmas day (a holiday the Chinese didn’t celebrate).
The “Battle of Edo” would be reported by dozens of newspapermen and Hohenzollern’s fame would become widespread.
The Nipponese Samurai, whom had contributed little to the Battle of Edo, would demand that the Emperor allow them to reconquer Yokohama “without foreign assistance”. This the Emperor reluctantly agreed and the sword-bearing Samurai would advance upon Yokohama without support. By this point, the Chinese had gathered themselves and formed a powerful line augmented with artillery. The Samurai army of 12,000 “old-school” formations would charge valiantly…and lose over half their number before retreating in defeat having incurred few casualties upon the defenders.
After this, the Emperor would turn the war over to his more progressive Generals and his American “allies”. The Imperial Court could barely conceal their humiliation at having to beg gaijin to save them and often referred to the Americans in vague terms during correspondence.
Manhattan
President Bland had taken a great deal of abuse among his Provincial Party cohorts over his Secretary of the Navy. It did not go unnoticed that Theodore Roosevelt was, in fact, a former Nationalist Congressman and had been appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy by the prior President. When Bland had been sworn in, he had, in his mind, an old ally of his as the New Secretary of the Navy. However, that fellow was in poor health and Bland would hold off on appointing his friend until he was sure the man would be able to handle the job. Unlike most Nationalist appointees, Roosevelt would remain in office on the assumption that he would merely cover the day to day duties until his replacement would be ready. Instead, Bland ran out of patience and determined to find a new candidate.
In the end, he could find no better man than Roosevelt himself. Roosevelt was definitely a Nationalist but also was more than willing to vote against his party when he deemed it reasonable (for example, he really enjoyed busting Trusts). Bland sat down with Roosevelt and he offered the New Yorker (he was raised in the Bronx) the full time position of Secretary of the Navy if he would refrain from any politics outside of his scope. Roosevelt agreed and publicly stated that he was an “officer of the nation” whom would avoid outside issues until the burgeoning crisis would be over.
Many Provincials would be outraged but some were quietly pleased. Roosevelt was a rising star in the Nationalist Party and openly serving a Provincial Administration may kill his career in the long term. As it was, Roosevelt would fulfill his promise and refrain from national issues. Bland, in return, would support him against any criticism and agree to allow Roosevelt to run the war (as the Navy effectively was the dominant department) and fought for any material or financial requisition Roosevelt desired in support of the effort be it money, ships, manpower, supplies, etc.
In the end, Bland did not really want the responsibility and Roosevelt seemed to feed off of it.
Berlin
Though Winston Churchill had just celebrated his 25th birthday, the scion of British and American families would swiftly rise up the ranks of the foreign office. His great-grandfather had fled Britain nearly a century ago during the British Revolution and sought sanctuary amid the Queen’s other possession of Hanover (like much of the Aristocratic class of Britain, they would never return). His father married his wealthy American mother while serving as Ambassador to that nation. After returning to the now-united Prussia-Hanover, Churchill missed the “War of Liberation” of Schleswig, Holstein and Mecklenburg as being too young. But the ambitious young man caught the eye of the King of (northern) Germany and was ushered from Berlin University to the Foreign Office.
Churchill’s first assignment was, shockingly given his youth, the prestigious post of Ambassador to Great Britain. Some in the Republic would opine that perhaps this was an insult by Prussia to dispatch such a junior diplomat, especially one with British noble ancestry. But Churchill did not care. He spoke English better than half of the damnable British Parliament and would not allow the British to hamper German affairs as the inevitable confrontation between the Protestant North and Catholic South inexorably approached.
Chapter 580
Chapter 580
February, 1900
Manhattan
Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt would welcome in the new century in his native Bronx, just up the river from his ancestral lands where the Dutch Patroons once held domination as "River Gods". His New Years Day included signing off on myriad requisitions, haranguing several Congressmen still hung over from parties and enjoying something a Jewish baker (a new people to the Bronx but very common in Queens) referred to as a "bagel". Roosevelt kept himself more than busy overseeing the impossible: supplying a war from half a world away.
Fortunately, President Bland would leave the war to Roosevelt other than providing support by allies in Congress. Though Roosevelt had vowed to avoid any non-war related politics, the truth was that his ties with the Nationalists would greatly aid the Administration. There were many Nationalists whom feared Chinese domination over the Asian trade just as much as the Provincials. Bland was less than enthusiastic about the war but felt he could not act differently in honor.
Roosevelt considered the war vital to maintaining American strategic interests in the Pacific as well as globally. He intended to make America's presence permanent starting with the new American "bases" on Hokkaido, Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, etc. Even a totally successful war (and Roosevelt could consider nothing else) would result in a Nippon perpetually in danger of a reinvasion.
With Nippon under an American thumb, the nation's path to south Asia would be free.
Of course, Roosevelt would not say such a thing publicly as open coveting of other nation's territories was considered gauche in this day and age.
Yerba Buena
The war would bring hardship upon a helpless group of immigrants to the American west coast. The Chinese presence had long been relatively minor ever since the Emperor had banned emigration or foreign work contracts for his people (without permission). But some 20,000 Chinese, over 95% men, would labor in the American west. They had toiled alongside the Irish, Negroes and others to build the railroads and in the assorted gold rushes. But the war with China would turn an already ugly racial situation against the Chinese even worse. The Chinese would be rounded up by both government organizations and extra-military gangs. Dozens were openly murdered and the rest forced upon ships to other ports. As America and China were in a state of defacto war (though neither side had actually delivered the notice due to lack of diplomatic ties), the Chinese could not be actually repatriated. Therefore, many thousands were dispatched to "Neutral" Ports in Aztlan or the Mormon Theocracy or even the Maratha Southern island of Dakshee.
Many thousands more would be ushered into "Camps" for fear of some sort of sabotage.
It would be a particularly ugly incident in a long history of anti-Sino hatred in America. After the war, America would pass harsh anti-Asian immigration laws which would cap immigration to very low levels and most of these would go to Nipponese or Polynesian peoples whom could be "trusted".
February, 1900
Manhattan
Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt would welcome in the new century in his native Bronx, just up the river from his ancestral lands where the Dutch Patroons once held domination as "River Gods". His New Years Day included signing off on myriad requisitions, haranguing several Congressmen still hung over from parties and enjoying something a Jewish baker (a new people to the Bronx but very common in Queens) referred to as a "bagel". Roosevelt kept himself more than busy overseeing the impossible: supplying a war from half a world away.
Fortunately, President Bland would leave the war to Roosevelt other than providing support by allies in Congress. Though Roosevelt had vowed to avoid any non-war related politics, the truth was that his ties with the Nationalists would greatly aid the Administration. There were many Nationalists whom feared Chinese domination over the Asian trade just as much as the Provincials. Bland was less than enthusiastic about the war but felt he could not act differently in honor.
Roosevelt considered the war vital to maintaining American strategic interests in the Pacific as well as globally. He intended to make America's presence permanent starting with the new American "bases" on Hokkaido, Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, etc. Even a totally successful war (and Roosevelt could consider nothing else) would result in a Nippon perpetually in danger of a reinvasion.
With Nippon under an American thumb, the nation's path to south Asia would be free.
Of course, Roosevelt would not say such a thing publicly as open coveting of other nation's territories was considered gauche in this day and age.
Yerba Buena
The war would bring hardship upon a helpless group of immigrants to the American west coast. The Chinese presence had long been relatively minor ever since the Emperor had banned emigration or foreign work contracts for his people (without permission). But some 20,000 Chinese, over 95% men, would labor in the American west. They had toiled alongside the Irish, Negroes and others to build the railroads and in the assorted gold rushes. But the war with China would turn an already ugly racial situation against the Chinese even worse. The Chinese would be rounded up by both government organizations and extra-military gangs. Dozens were openly murdered and the rest forced upon ships to other ports. As America and China were in a state of defacto war (though neither side had actually delivered the notice due to lack of diplomatic ties), the Chinese could not be actually repatriated. Therefore, many thousands were dispatched to "Neutral" Ports in Aztlan or the Mormon Theocracy or even the Maratha Southern island of Dakshee.
Many thousands more would be ushered into "Camps" for fear of some sort of sabotage.
It would be a particularly ugly incident in a long history of anti-Sino hatred in America. After the war, America would pass harsh anti-Asian immigration laws which would cap immigration to very low levels and most of these would go to Nipponese or Polynesian peoples whom could be "trusted".
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I'll make mention of that soon. I'm assuming you are referring to the Turkic Khanate rather than those still in Anatolia or the Near East.
The former Ottomans, IE, the guys Russia's all but wiped out.
Chapter 581
Chapter 581
May, 1900,
Edo
The Chinese counter-attack to regain Edo failed miserably in the hills surrounding the city as the American commander would set up an effective defense aided by the natural topography. While no major battles would take place, there was a constant state of warfare as the Chinese counterpart desperately sought a way through to Yokohama and Edo.
As it was, the true battle was being waged at sea.
Western Nippon
Admiral Mahan would struggle with the logistics of maintaining his fleet in the obsolete and inadequate harbors of Hokkaido and Honshu. The American battle fleet would face severe troubles in repairing their ships after the previous naval battles. In the end, Mahan knew that the war in Nippon would center about controlling the line of supply into the islands.
That meant that naval supremacy must be achieved. And that meant the American fleet must sail south and cut off the Chinese reinforcements. Twenty American ships would sail south, ravaging the eastern Nipponese ports controlled by China but would not encounter the main Chinese fleet at all. Only a handful of smaller warships or those crippled in the previous battles would be discovered.
Mahan suspected that the Chinese Admiral Go would be consolidating his own forces west of Honshu in order for a massive confrontation. The previous battles had been largely won by superior American gunnery, both in technique and technology. In terms of speed and armor, the two nations were largely equal.
However, the Chinese, by virtue of their location, had the advantages of logistics and numbers. The entirety of the Chinese blue and brown water navies could be called. Mahan suspected that would give Admiral Go a sense of encouragement.
Mahan had his own weapon, one that had yet to be utilized in the standard line battle of the previous engagement. Eight more ships had arrived. None were terribly imposing. They were small and their armament smaller. However, these destroyers had one trick up their sleeves. For half a century, multiple nations had experimented with a torpedo but few had found a design that was efficient enough and robust enough to be usable in a line of battle.
The eight destroyers, a new design, would bear torpedo launchers as would four of the smaller cruisers. Mahan hoped that this would be enough to offset the Chinese numbers.
The American fleet (minus four ships left behind due to mechanical issues and to help blockade the conquered ports) would sail along the southern tip of Honshu and meet the Chinese fleet in a standard line formation...just as Mahan desired. As the American and Chinese heavy vessels exchanged broadsides from over a mile away, the smaller destroyers and cruisers would race forward and discharge their deadly cargo from a quarter mile. Initially, the heavier Chinese ships would virtually ignore the smaller Americans darting forward and continue to effect their weapons against the more distant battleships. But, as the first of the torpedoes reached the waterlines of the Chinese ships, the damage was severe and thoroughly unexpected. Half a dozen heavy Chinese Cruisers were sunk or crippled in just the first few minutes of the attack.
Admiral Mahan would see the unexpected success of the weapons upon the larger Chinese fleet and, in a moment, opt for a radical strategy not used in modern warfare: the general melee. He ordered his own ships to break formation and attack at will. The smaller American ships would dart in and out firing their torpedoes. The larger counterparts, blasting away with their heavy cannon.
In less than six hours, the Chinese fleet, what was left of it, would limp away, abandoning the army now stranded upon Nippon's shores. Admiral Go was dead, his flagship's bridge having been destroyed by an American shell.
Admiral Mahan was similarly dead. The USS Idaho had been blown up after a Chinese shell sliced through her armor and hull and impacted the powder room. There were no survivors of the American flagship.
May, 1900,
Edo
The Chinese counter-attack to regain Edo failed miserably in the hills surrounding the city as the American commander would set up an effective defense aided by the natural topography. While no major battles would take place, there was a constant state of warfare as the Chinese counterpart desperately sought a way through to Yokohama and Edo.
As it was, the true battle was being waged at sea.
Western Nippon
Admiral Mahan would struggle with the logistics of maintaining his fleet in the obsolete and inadequate harbors of Hokkaido and Honshu. The American battle fleet would face severe troubles in repairing their ships after the previous naval battles. In the end, Mahan knew that the war in Nippon would center about controlling the line of supply into the islands.
That meant that naval supremacy must be achieved. And that meant the American fleet must sail south and cut off the Chinese reinforcements. Twenty American ships would sail south, ravaging the eastern Nipponese ports controlled by China but would not encounter the main Chinese fleet at all. Only a handful of smaller warships or those crippled in the previous battles would be discovered.
Mahan suspected that the Chinese Admiral Go would be consolidating his own forces west of Honshu in order for a massive confrontation. The previous battles had been largely won by superior American gunnery, both in technique and technology. In terms of speed and armor, the two nations were largely equal.
However, the Chinese, by virtue of their location, had the advantages of logistics and numbers. The entirety of the Chinese blue and brown water navies could be called. Mahan suspected that would give Admiral Go a sense of encouragement.
Mahan had his own weapon, one that had yet to be utilized in the standard line battle of the previous engagement. Eight more ships had arrived. None were terribly imposing. They were small and their armament smaller. However, these destroyers had one trick up their sleeves. For half a century, multiple nations had experimented with a torpedo but few had found a design that was efficient enough and robust enough to be usable in a line of battle.
The eight destroyers, a new design, would bear torpedo launchers as would four of the smaller cruisers. Mahan hoped that this would be enough to offset the Chinese numbers.
The American fleet (minus four ships left behind due to mechanical issues and to help blockade the conquered ports) would sail along the southern tip of Honshu and meet the Chinese fleet in a standard line formation...just as Mahan desired. As the American and Chinese heavy vessels exchanged broadsides from over a mile away, the smaller destroyers and cruisers would race forward and discharge their deadly cargo from a quarter mile. Initially, the heavier Chinese ships would virtually ignore the smaller Americans darting forward and continue to effect their weapons against the more distant battleships. But, as the first of the torpedoes reached the waterlines of the Chinese ships, the damage was severe and thoroughly unexpected. Half a dozen heavy Chinese Cruisers were sunk or crippled in just the first few minutes of the attack.
Admiral Mahan would see the unexpected success of the weapons upon the larger Chinese fleet and, in a moment, opt for a radical strategy not used in modern warfare: the general melee. He ordered his own ships to break formation and attack at will. The smaller American ships would dart in and out firing their torpedoes. The larger counterparts, blasting away with their heavy cannon.
In less than six hours, the Chinese fleet, what was left of it, would limp away, abandoning the army now stranded upon Nippon's shores. Admiral Go was dead, his flagship's bridge having been destroyed by an American shell.
Admiral Mahan was similarly dead. The USS Idaho had been blown up after a Chinese shell sliced through her armor and hull and impacted the powder room. There were no survivors of the American flagship.
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Chapter 582
Chapter 582
September, 1900
Manhattan
President Bland would receive adulation for the great American victory in Asia but would not see the expected gains for his party in Congress. The question was asked, just what was America doing in Asia and what was there to gain. Tens of thousands of Americans would sail westwards to occupy Hokkaido, the Kuril Islands and even the Kamchatka Peninsula...for some reason. Expenses spiraled upwards with no obvious gains. Bland could not believe that a President whom had overseen such a victory would receive so brief a bump in popularity.
Kyoto
With their supply line cut, the 54,000 Chinese controlling southern Honshu would retreat from the extremities as the American forces and Nipponese partisans smelled blood. They were harassed and chased from the hills back towards the southeastern Honshu coast. It was hoped by the army that the Chinese Navy would soon reestablish local superiority and either resupply or rescue them.
General Hohenzollern, hailed as a hero in America for his battle of Edo, would fear the same thing and sought to cripple the Chinese force as quickly as possible. He would besiege the enemy along these coastal towns and wait to see if the American Navy truly had cut off the Chinese for good.
Saxony
The King of Saxony had gained land from the old Habsburg dynasty (Sudetenland) in the collapse of that multi-national Empire but the Wettins and Habsburgs would put that aside and forge an alliance against the Protestant power of the north. The King would do so largely for fear that the Hohenzollerns planned to consume his own Kingdom just as they had Mecklenburg, Holstein, Schleswig, etc. The Habsburgs of the Empire of Germany were Catholic, though, and this was not popular among the overwhelmingly Protestant Saxon population which desired closer ties and, the King feared, annexation by the Kingdom of Germany.
A riot in Dresden would lead to the Saxon King harshly suppressing the dissenters. However, this only led to more rebellion and the King had no choice but to call upon the Habsburgs for aid in reestablishing control over his Kingdom. This immediately brought protests from the Hohenzollern King and threats of invasion to "liberate" Saxony from the Catholic threat if the Habsburgs did not retire from the border Kingdom.
Krakow, Kingdom of Poland
The young King Emmanuel III of Poland would gaze on upon the situation in Germany with apprehension. He had witnessed the Protestant German aggression in the last war in his years as heir to the throne and the early years of his own Monarchy would be spend reforming the Polish army to challenge the "Kingdom" of Germany if need be. Though he did not have any of his predecessor's contempt of Protestant and Jews, his nation continued to repress these minorities to the point where most had already been "encouraged" to depart. The Jews had gone to America or the Levant and the Protestants had gone to Prussia (the now independent state surrounded by Poland), the Kingdom of Germany, Saxony or America.
For the first time in centuries, Poland was a largely religiously uniform state.
Anatolia, Russian Empire
For the past century, vast migrations of Turks out of Anatolia (and huge numbers butchered by occupying forces) would mix with Russian, Jewish, Greek, etc migration inward and form a mishmash of ethnicities that rivalled the similarly diverse Levant for confusion. In essence, Anatolia was the polar opposite of Poland.
Russians, Jews, Armenians, ethnic Sunni Turks, Alevis, Kurds of several faiths, Greeks, Bulgars, etc, would flock to the region's abandoned farmsteads and ports. Soon, the peninsula would become known for its textile industry as well as others like shipbuilding, etc. While Anatolia would not have the benefit of sedate rivers like Europe or huge amounts of natural power (coal), it would become central to the eastern Mediterranean's general economy. Other specialized professions like jewelry production, rugs, coffee, tea, sugar, etc would also prosper in the region.
By 1800, the Russians were the single largest ethnic group at roughly 25% but this was only a bare plurality over the Jewish and Turk (Sunni, Alevi and others) groups. Christians made up 45%, Jews 24%, Muslims 26% and "other" the remaining 5%.
The Sahara
While the rest of Eastern Africa was slowly....VERY slowly....recovering from the Rinderpest epidemic, a new strain would attack only a very, very specific and narrow group of animals.
This was the camel. Not true ruminants like most of the victims of Rinderpest, the Camel was similar enough that the new strain of the disease hit the animals hard. This was bad for the camels...and worse for the humans whom depended upon them for survival in the Sahara. Great civilizations like the old Ghanan Empire (Mali, etc) would grow rich over the past centuries based upon the trans-Saharan gold, salt and slave trades. As first 10%, then 25% then upwards of 80% of the camels died, the entire Saharan civilization collapsed as no other animals could navigate the desert with such aplomb.
In less than a decade, the regional economy collapsed as the isolated peoples were trapped without external communication. Hundreds of thousands died as the Sahara depopulated to levels unseen in thousands of years. Those humans capable of migration would do so, mainly moving south to the inland Muslim Kingdoms of North Africa.
September, 1900
Manhattan
President Bland would receive adulation for the great American victory in Asia but would not see the expected gains for his party in Congress. The question was asked, just what was America doing in Asia and what was there to gain. Tens of thousands of Americans would sail westwards to occupy Hokkaido, the Kuril Islands and even the Kamchatka Peninsula...for some reason. Expenses spiraled upwards with no obvious gains. Bland could not believe that a President whom had overseen such a victory would receive so brief a bump in popularity.
Kyoto
With their supply line cut, the 54,000 Chinese controlling southern Honshu would retreat from the extremities as the American forces and Nipponese partisans smelled blood. They were harassed and chased from the hills back towards the southeastern Honshu coast. It was hoped by the army that the Chinese Navy would soon reestablish local superiority and either resupply or rescue them.
General Hohenzollern, hailed as a hero in America for his battle of Edo, would fear the same thing and sought to cripple the Chinese force as quickly as possible. He would besiege the enemy along these coastal towns and wait to see if the American Navy truly had cut off the Chinese for good.
Saxony
The King of Saxony had gained land from the old Habsburg dynasty (Sudetenland) in the collapse of that multi-national Empire but the Wettins and Habsburgs would put that aside and forge an alliance against the Protestant power of the north. The King would do so largely for fear that the Hohenzollerns planned to consume his own Kingdom just as they had Mecklenburg, Holstein, Schleswig, etc. The Habsburgs of the Empire of Germany were Catholic, though, and this was not popular among the overwhelmingly Protestant Saxon population which desired closer ties and, the King feared, annexation by the Kingdom of Germany.
A riot in Dresden would lead to the Saxon King harshly suppressing the dissenters. However, this only led to more rebellion and the King had no choice but to call upon the Habsburgs for aid in reestablishing control over his Kingdom. This immediately brought protests from the Hohenzollern King and threats of invasion to "liberate" Saxony from the Catholic threat if the Habsburgs did not retire from the border Kingdom.
Krakow, Kingdom of Poland
The young King Emmanuel III of Poland would gaze on upon the situation in Germany with apprehension. He had witnessed the Protestant German aggression in the last war in his years as heir to the throne and the early years of his own Monarchy would be spend reforming the Polish army to challenge the "Kingdom" of Germany if need be. Though he did not have any of his predecessor's contempt of Protestant and Jews, his nation continued to repress these minorities to the point where most had already been "encouraged" to depart. The Jews had gone to America or the Levant and the Protestants had gone to Prussia (the now independent state surrounded by Poland), the Kingdom of Germany, Saxony or America.
For the first time in centuries, Poland was a largely religiously uniform state.
Anatolia, Russian Empire
For the past century, vast migrations of Turks out of Anatolia (and huge numbers butchered by occupying forces) would mix with Russian, Jewish, Greek, etc migration inward and form a mishmash of ethnicities that rivalled the similarly diverse Levant for confusion. In essence, Anatolia was the polar opposite of Poland.
Russians, Jews, Armenians, ethnic Sunni Turks, Alevis, Kurds of several faiths, Greeks, Bulgars, etc, would flock to the region's abandoned farmsteads and ports. Soon, the peninsula would become known for its textile industry as well as others like shipbuilding, etc. While Anatolia would not have the benefit of sedate rivers like Europe or huge amounts of natural power (coal), it would become central to the eastern Mediterranean's general economy. Other specialized professions like jewelry production, rugs, coffee, tea, sugar, etc would also prosper in the region.
By 1800, the Russians were the single largest ethnic group at roughly 25% but this was only a bare plurality over the Jewish and Turk (Sunni, Alevi and others) groups. Christians made up 45%, Jews 24%, Muslims 26% and "other" the remaining 5%.
The Sahara
While the rest of Eastern Africa was slowly....VERY slowly....recovering from the Rinderpest epidemic, a new strain would attack only a very, very specific and narrow group of animals.
This was the camel. Not true ruminants like most of the victims of Rinderpest, the Camel was similar enough that the new strain of the disease hit the animals hard. This was bad for the camels...and worse for the humans whom depended upon them for survival in the Sahara. Great civilizations like the old Ghanan Empire (Mali, etc) would grow rich over the past centuries based upon the trans-Saharan gold, salt and slave trades. As first 10%, then 25% then upwards of 80% of the camels died, the entire Saharan civilization collapsed as no other animals could navigate the desert with such aplomb.
In less than a decade, the regional economy collapsed as the isolated peoples were trapped without external communication. Hundreds of thousands died as the Sahara depopulated to levels unseen in thousands of years. Those humans capable of migration would do so, mainly moving south to the inland Muslim Kingdoms of North Africa.
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November 1899.....
yet we are now in 1800?
Has this TL breached time and space itself?
Thanks! I'll correct. I'm one of those people that keep writing down the previous year on his checks all the way into March.
AH! yeah that seems to make sense. Easy to keep track of events and such....
Chapter 583
Chapter 583
February, 1901
Spain
The King of Spain, Portugal and Italy would ally with Tuscany to ensure his domination over the Italian peninsula. Many considered this a pointless as there was no other nation deeply interested in Italian affairs. Some Spanish functionaries would opine that the Piedmontese peoples of the Gallic Kingdoms desired a unified Italian state and, therefore, the Gallic King would desire all of Italy eventually.
In truth, this was absurd as the Gallic King was not interested in the least in Italy or the Italians. He certainly did not desire conquest. Even the Piedmontese would not necessarily desire closer relations to Italy. First, the regions of "Italy" were a diverse bunch, often as different linguistically as the regions of "Germany" or the "Spains". There was no such thing as universal Italian identity. The Piedmontese language was quite different from even the northern dialects and bore much semblance to Occitan.
Moreover, the Piedmontese would look upon the rest of Italy with scorn as they lacked the Gallic sense of democracy.
Map of the "Gallo-Romance" languages (most notably French, Occitan, Piedmontese, Ligurnian, Eastern and Western Lombard).
Hiroshima, southern Honshu
Over the preceding months, the Chinese army retreated further and further south, abandoning the highlands and mountains. Kyoto was given up, then Osaka. Furious Nipponese partisans would take bloody vengeance upon any stragglers. Capture by Nipponese was a slow death. Thirty-five thousand Chinese would hole up desperately awaiting the Chinese Imperial Navy to return.
It never would.
By Spring, the Chinese commanders would seek to parlay with the Americans. They steadfastly refused to even acknowledge the Nipponese commanders or their Emperor. This would prove to be a mistake as enraged Nipponese Generals would order a full-frontal attack on Hiroshima without the aid of the Americans. Just as in the battle of Yokohama, this would fail miserably and the Nipponese would suffer over 10,000 casualties, especially among the old Samurai class.
Eventually, the American army would arrive and, at the Emperor's order, assume command of the situation. The outraged ancient Samurai class could not believe that the Emperor would humiliate them in this manner.
On March 18th, 1901, the Emperor Meiji would be assassinated by three of his own retainers. The Emperor Taisho was but a young man of twenty-three. Sickly and weak-willed, he was not the man to lead his people through war or through the coming changes forced upon his country.
General Hohenzollern, negotiating with the Chinese commanders, would be shaken by these events and desired to end the war as quickly as humanly possible for the Nipponese sake as much as the American sake. He agreed to provide dozens of transports from Hiroshima to the Chinese puppet state of the Joseon Kingdom. Some of Hohenzollern's subordinates opined that perhaps it would be better to force the Chinese into prisoner of war camps, thus using them as some sort of leverage over China. Hohenzollern would doubt that the Chinese would care overly much about a few tens of thousands of soldiers and saw no reason to drag out the war any further. Thus, without any real authorization from Manhattan, Hohenzollern agreed to a defacto end of the land war in Nippon. Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt would be livid and immediately demanded that Hohenzollern return to America to explain himself. The Secretary of War, to whom Hohenzollern technically reported, would rediscover his spine and refuse to recall the national hero and even President Bland publicly exonerated Hohenzollern's actions.
Of course, this would not be anything resembling a real peace treaty nor would it determine the extent of America's ambitions in the region. It was Americans, not Nipponese, whom had conquered Hokkaido from China as well as assuming nominal control over the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin and even the Kamchatka Peninsula.
Roosevelt was intent that the nation did not come out of the war empty-handed.
February, 1901
Spain
The King of Spain, Portugal and Italy would ally with Tuscany to ensure his domination over the Italian peninsula. Many considered this a pointless as there was no other nation deeply interested in Italian affairs. Some Spanish functionaries would opine that the Piedmontese peoples of the Gallic Kingdoms desired a unified Italian state and, therefore, the Gallic King would desire all of Italy eventually.
In truth, this was absurd as the Gallic King was not interested in the least in Italy or the Italians. He certainly did not desire conquest. Even the Piedmontese would not necessarily desire closer relations to Italy. First, the regions of "Italy" were a diverse bunch, often as different linguistically as the regions of "Germany" or the "Spains". There was no such thing as universal Italian identity. The Piedmontese language was quite different from even the northern dialects and bore much semblance to Occitan.
Moreover, the Piedmontese would look upon the rest of Italy with scorn as they lacked the Gallic sense of democracy.
Map of the "Gallo-Romance" languages (most notably French, Occitan, Piedmontese, Ligurnian, Eastern and Western Lombard).
Hiroshima, southern Honshu
Over the preceding months, the Chinese army retreated further and further south, abandoning the highlands and mountains. Kyoto was given up, then Osaka. Furious Nipponese partisans would take bloody vengeance upon any stragglers. Capture by Nipponese was a slow death. Thirty-five thousand Chinese would hole up desperately awaiting the Chinese Imperial Navy to return.
It never would.
By Spring, the Chinese commanders would seek to parlay with the Americans. They steadfastly refused to even acknowledge the Nipponese commanders or their Emperor. This would prove to be a mistake as enraged Nipponese Generals would order a full-frontal attack on Hiroshima without the aid of the Americans. Just as in the battle of Yokohama, this would fail miserably and the Nipponese would suffer over 10,000 casualties, especially among the old Samurai class.
Eventually, the American army would arrive and, at the Emperor's order, assume command of the situation. The outraged ancient Samurai class could not believe that the Emperor would humiliate them in this manner.
On March 18th, 1901, the Emperor Meiji would be assassinated by three of his own retainers. The Emperor Taisho was but a young man of twenty-three. Sickly and weak-willed, he was not the man to lead his people through war or through the coming changes forced upon his country.
General Hohenzollern, negotiating with the Chinese commanders, would be shaken by these events and desired to end the war as quickly as humanly possible for the Nipponese sake as much as the American sake. He agreed to provide dozens of transports from Hiroshima to the Chinese puppet state of the Joseon Kingdom. Some of Hohenzollern's subordinates opined that perhaps it would be better to force the Chinese into prisoner of war camps, thus using them as some sort of leverage over China. Hohenzollern would doubt that the Chinese would care overly much about a few tens of thousands of soldiers and saw no reason to drag out the war any further. Thus, without any real authorization from Manhattan, Hohenzollern agreed to a defacto end of the land war in Nippon. Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt would be livid and immediately demanded that Hohenzollern return to America to explain himself. The Secretary of War, to whom Hohenzollern technically reported, would rediscover his spine and refuse to recall the national hero and even President Bland publicly exonerated Hohenzollern's actions.
Of course, this would not be anything resembling a real peace treaty nor would it determine the extent of America's ambitions in the region. It was Americans, not Nipponese, whom had conquered Hokkaido from China as well as assuming nominal control over the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin and even the Kamchatka Peninsula.
Roosevelt was intent that the nation did not come out of the war empty-handed.
Chapter 584
Chapter 584
June, 1901
Saxony
The disorder in Saxony would continue throughout 1900 and 1901. Only the threat of the Kingdom of Germany kept the Empire of Germany from a full-blown invasion to prop up the Saxon King. Instead, the Habsburgs would send vast amounts of war material to aid their ally against the Saxon revolutionaries.
Even with the aid, the House of Wettin would be hard-pressed to maintain order. The House of Hohenzollern would be no more interested in democracy than the Habsburgs and Wettins but the potential for destabilizing the Kingdom of Saxony was too intriguing to bypass.
Eventually, the Habsburg Emperor would be forced to dispatch ten regiments...followed by ten more...in the summer of 1901 to prop up the collapsing Wettin state. The Hohenzollern King, whom expected the Saxon people to "demand" he annex the Kingdom, would dispatch his own forces into the borderlands, now openly arming the Saxon rebels.
Honolulu, Mormon Theocracy
The Mormon Theocracy had grown increasingly nervous about the high quantities of Americans passing through. The population of Hawaii was low enough than a nation of over a hundred million would easily be able to conquer Hawaii and the other Theocracy governates in the Pacific. As such, the leader of the Church offered Honolulu as "Neutral Ground" for the first significant meeting on equal terms between China and America.
Peace may end this American intrusion through Theocracy territory.
Tuscany
Saxony was not only border territory facing internal rebellion. Tuscany, under a branch of the Bourbon family related to both France and Spain, would suffer under a series of particularly dismal rulers. Tuscany stagnated and fell far behind France and even Italy developmentally. Fortunately for the inhabitants, the King of Tuscany was as inept as he was malicious and the region soon fell in anarchy.
Seeing his opportunity, the King of Spain and Italy would quietly gather up his forces in Tuscany in order to aid his "ally" in Tuscany.
Maratha Empire
The Peshwa would demand greater and greater detail on the battle to the East between China and America. He had come to realize that the Chinese fleet had several technological advantages over his own in armor while the American torpedoes had the potential to radically alter Naval Warfare on their own.
The Maratha Navy must be revitalized sooner rather than later. Without any major challengers in the region beyond Ethiopia, the Ghanan Confederacy and Russia, the Navy had been given short thrift for years. That was proving to be a mistake. While any war with America seemed unlikely, China had been probing ever further and further into southeast Asia. Demands for fealty the Chinese Emperor had been made in recent years to Tibet (already effectively a client state), the Viet states and the Philippines. China was also allying with the Manicheists of southeast Asia.
Even rumors of Chinese aggression against the Turkic Khanate and the Russians of Northern Asia had reached Maratha shores.
The Peshwa cursed his complacency. His fleet needed new vessels and needed them fast. Better vessels. Stronger vessels. Improved armaments, armor and engines would be nice.
There seemed to be only one source of war material, one which conveniently had just waged war with China. This made America a potential ally.
June, 1901
Saxony
The disorder in Saxony would continue throughout 1900 and 1901. Only the threat of the Kingdom of Germany kept the Empire of Germany from a full-blown invasion to prop up the Saxon King. Instead, the Habsburgs would send vast amounts of war material to aid their ally against the Saxon revolutionaries.
Even with the aid, the House of Wettin would be hard-pressed to maintain order. The House of Hohenzollern would be no more interested in democracy than the Habsburgs and Wettins but the potential for destabilizing the Kingdom of Saxony was too intriguing to bypass.
Eventually, the Habsburg Emperor would be forced to dispatch ten regiments...followed by ten more...in the summer of 1901 to prop up the collapsing Wettin state. The Hohenzollern King, whom expected the Saxon people to "demand" he annex the Kingdom, would dispatch his own forces into the borderlands, now openly arming the Saxon rebels.
Honolulu, Mormon Theocracy
The Mormon Theocracy had grown increasingly nervous about the high quantities of Americans passing through. The population of Hawaii was low enough than a nation of over a hundred million would easily be able to conquer Hawaii and the other Theocracy governates in the Pacific. As such, the leader of the Church offered Honolulu as "Neutral Ground" for the first significant meeting on equal terms between China and America.
Peace may end this American intrusion through Theocracy territory.
Tuscany
Saxony was not only border territory facing internal rebellion. Tuscany, under a branch of the Bourbon family related to both France and Spain, would suffer under a series of particularly dismal rulers. Tuscany stagnated and fell far behind France and even Italy developmentally. Fortunately for the inhabitants, the King of Tuscany was as inept as he was malicious and the region soon fell in anarchy.
Seeing his opportunity, the King of Spain and Italy would quietly gather up his forces in Tuscany in order to aid his "ally" in Tuscany.
Maratha Empire
The Peshwa would demand greater and greater detail on the battle to the East between China and America. He had come to realize that the Chinese fleet had several technological advantages over his own in armor while the American torpedoes had the potential to radically alter Naval Warfare on their own.
The Maratha Navy must be revitalized sooner rather than later. Without any major challengers in the region beyond Ethiopia, the Ghanan Confederacy and Russia, the Navy had been given short thrift for years. That was proving to be a mistake. While any war with America seemed unlikely, China had been probing ever further and further into southeast Asia. Demands for fealty the Chinese Emperor had been made in recent years to Tibet (already effectively a client state), the Viet states and the Philippines. China was also allying with the Manicheists of southeast Asia.
Even rumors of Chinese aggression against the Turkic Khanate and the Russians of Northern Asia had reached Maratha shores.
The Peshwa cursed his complacency. His fleet needed new vessels and needed them fast. Better vessels. Stronger vessels. Improved armaments, armor and engines would be nice.
There seemed to be only one source of war material, one which conveniently had just waged war with China. This made America a potential ally.
Chapter 585
Chapter 585
November, 1901
Manhattan
General Hohenzollern would return to America to a hero’s welcome. While some in the administration condemned his decision to allow the Chinese army to depart Nippon’s shores, the public as a whole was happy with what they perceived as a swift victory which met the stated purpose of the campaign. Particularly irked was the Secretary of the Navy, Franklin Roosevelt, whom desired a more crushing victory over the Chinese. Seldom had Hohenzollern ever encountered a more ambitious man and one so unwilling to be reasonable in his objectives.
Fortunately, Roosevelt had arranged the assignment of negotiating with the Chinese diplomats in Honolulu. Hohenzollern suspected this was a mistake as the man would probably ask to be named the Emperor’s heir. However, the soldier would soon realize that President Bland would probably do anything to get the man out of his hair for a few weeks. There was no doubt Roosevelt was the driving force behind the war effort that had succeeded so well but his rapacious nature was simply not in tune with the global sentiment. Empire was something of the past. The Western World had rejected it (though had gone back to trying to conquer other provinces in Europe like Tuscany or Saxony) and Hohenzollern suspected that the many tribute states of the great Empires of Russia, China, Maratha and Ethiopia would eventually push back upon their conquerors.
While Roosevelt was out of the country, Hohenzollern would receive the Congressional Medal of Merit from the President and feted in a parade through Brooklyn and Manhattan across the new secondary bridge built between those cities. Indeed, there was even a new subway line between Manhattan and the Bronx that had been completed since his departure.
Honolulu, Mormon Theocracy
It did not take long before Roosevelt figured out the mindset of the Chinese. In effect, they were a hidebound bunch of bureaucrats. Had the Emperor sent soldiers or admirals, the New Yorker would have expected a tougher negotiation. Instead, the functionaries were more interested in appearances, meaning saving face (as was the Asian term) was more important than physical gains.
They Chinese were surprisingly willing to cede their claims to nominal authority over Hokkaido, Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands and even the Kamchatka Peninsula as these had never been considered part “of China”. All Roosevelt had to do was eliminate any mandates for apologies for the atrocities committed by the Chinese in Nippon (much to the outrage of the Nipponese representative), forgo any compensation and ensured the treaty was carefully worded to avoid any terms like “surrender” or “defeat” and present it as a document between equals. It didn't even address the American desire for greater access to Chinese markets. To be fair, Roosevelt was not the type to force people to trade with America. If they didn't want to, that was perfectly fine with him as there were plenty of other nations will to do so. South and southeast Asia (including the vast island of Dakshee) were becoming ever larger trading partners, mainly as markets for American goods. Just before Roosevelt departed Manhattan, he received an embassy from the Maratha Emperor seeking the purchase of modern warships and voicing an interest in discussing "matters of common concern".
In return, America gained direct control over the barren and frigid northern Pacific islands and became the indispensable protector of the southern Nipponese islands. Most importantly, Roosevelt assured his nation of the right to transport to southern Asia.
However, any idiot looking at a map would know the American “acquisitions” were less than ideal for any conceivable use beyond keeping them out of the hands of the Chinese. Even Hokkaido only had limited use as a naval base, the northern regions even less promising.
What truly caught Roosevelt’s eye was this delightful little island of Oahu which had been populated by…of all peoples…Americans. The harbor of Honolulu was ideally situated as a transfer point for all Pacific trade and whichever nation controlled it would dominate the central Pacific. He could hardly see the polygamists repulsing an inevitable invasion from China or the Maratha Empire or even the Andean Republic.
Roosevelt had nothing against the Mormon Theocracy…but they were in his way.
November, 1901
Manhattan
General Hohenzollern would return to America to a hero’s welcome. While some in the administration condemned his decision to allow the Chinese army to depart Nippon’s shores, the public as a whole was happy with what they perceived as a swift victory which met the stated purpose of the campaign. Particularly irked was the Secretary of the Navy, Franklin Roosevelt, whom desired a more crushing victory over the Chinese. Seldom had Hohenzollern ever encountered a more ambitious man and one so unwilling to be reasonable in his objectives.
Fortunately, Roosevelt had arranged the assignment of negotiating with the Chinese diplomats in Honolulu. Hohenzollern suspected this was a mistake as the man would probably ask to be named the Emperor’s heir. However, the soldier would soon realize that President Bland would probably do anything to get the man out of his hair for a few weeks. There was no doubt Roosevelt was the driving force behind the war effort that had succeeded so well but his rapacious nature was simply not in tune with the global sentiment. Empire was something of the past. The Western World had rejected it (though had gone back to trying to conquer other provinces in Europe like Tuscany or Saxony) and Hohenzollern suspected that the many tribute states of the great Empires of Russia, China, Maratha and Ethiopia would eventually push back upon their conquerors.
While Roosevelt was out of the country, Hohenzollern would receive the Congressional Medal of Merit from the President and feted in a parade through Brooklyn and Manhattan across the new secondary bridge built between those cities. Indeed, there was even a new subway line between Manhattan and the Bronx that had been completed since his departure.
Honolulu, Mormon Theocracy
It did not take long before Roosevelt figured out the mindset of the Chinese. In effect, they were a hidebound bunch of bureaucrats. Had the Emperor sent soldiers or admirals, the New Yorker would have expected a tougher negotiation. Instead, the functionaries were more interested in appearances, meaning saving face (as was the Asian term) was more important than physical gains.
They Chinese were surprisingly willing to cede their claims to nominal authority over Hokkaido, Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands and even the Kamchatka Peninsula as these had never been considered part “of China”. All Roosevelt had to do was eliminate any mandates for apologies for the atrocities committed by the Chinese in Nippon (much to the outrage of the Nipponese representative), forgo any compensation and ensured the treaty was carefully worded to avoid any terms like “surrender” or “defeat” and present it as a document between equals. It didn't even address the American desire for greater access to Chinese markets. To be fair, Roosevelt was not the type to force people to trade with America. If they didn't want to, that was perfectly fine with him as there were plenty of other nations will to do so. South and southeast Asia (including the vast island of Dakshee) were becoming ever larger trading partners, mainly as markets for American goods. Just before Roosevelt departed Manhattan, he received an embassy from the Maratha Emperor seeking the purchase of modern warships and voicing an interest in discussing "matters of common concern".
In return, America gained direct control over the barren and frigid northern Pacific islands and became the indispensable protector of the southern Nipponese islands. Most importantly, Roosevelt assured his nation of the right to transport to southern Asia.
However, any idiot looking at a map would know the American “acquisitions” were less than ideal for any conceivable use beyond keeping them out of the hands of the Chinese. Even Hokkaido only had limited use as a naval base, the northern regions even less promising.
What truly caught Roosevelt’s eye was this delightful little island of Oahu which had been populated by…of all peoples…Americans. The harbor of Honolulu was ideally situated as a transfer point for all Pacific trade and whichever nation controlled it would dominate the central Pacific. He could hardly see the polygamists repulsing an inevitable invasion from China or the Maratha Empire or even the Andean Republic.
Roosevelt had nothing against the Mormon Theocracy…but they were in his way.
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