It feels like Italy is really scraping the bottom of the barrel, but they seem to have found something down there that will preserve themselves for some time at least. Like Archangel said, I think it will ruin Italy's reputation in the region in the long run though.
Of Rajahs and Hornbills: A timeline of Brooke Sarawak
- Thread starter Al-numbers
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The scorched earth tactics alone were bad, this is worse. I think it may soon be any native of Sabah not a part of this askari group will be an enemy of the Italian colony. There will be a definite will among Sarawak's and the locals o commit to driving Italy out entirely after this i expect.
I knew the installment would raise a lot of responses.
To answer all the comments, we need to unpack a few things. As stated in the update before last, northern Sabah was the borderland between the Bruneian and Sulu sultanates, making it a rather wild place to live and trade. Now, the subjugation of the states, the greater attention to the surrounding seas, and the rule of Brooke Sarawak has brought some much-needed stability to the region which many people genuinely enjoyed. But with that, there were still a number of men whom long for "the good old days" when they could fight, raid, or take whatever they wanted. What Italy offered was a chance to, if not reclaim that lost era, then at least get a chance to get back at the state. Family traditions also played some part in this; if your line was known for being great warriors - with the severed heads to prove it - and the new state punishes you and makes you a criminal for being that warrior, you're going to harbor some grudges. Then there is the allure of money and power, which would entice any criminal or pirate.
For Sandakan, there is no greater pool of people whom are so against Sarawak as this. They can't offer near-complete autonomy or independence to the tribes (it would go against the exploitive order), and they can't force them to become soldiers (the consequences are way too dire, from running to the Brookes to raising internal rebellions). Why not enlist those whom the Brooke family has antagonized and make them fight for Italy? Using the enemies of the state to fight against the state is an old method of war. It's just not natural for Borneo.
But there is a danger to employing criminals, pirates, and louts, and what happened at Timbang Batu showed that. Maraun's brother showed that. While there are those among the Askaris who still have reason, a fair number of them aren't known for bearing a strong moral compass, and what better way to use your new power and weaponry than to fight those whom support the enemy?
To be fair, this is controversial, and the use of criminals and scorched earth tactics will raise heated arguments even in the Sandakan high command. There are those whom say it would antagonize the local natives to rebel, and there are those who say that the Brookes crossed the line with their ambushes, traps, surprises, and poisons. The White Rajah played dirty, so the only response is to play dirtier.
There is also an argument to be made that the Askaris do appeal to local sensibilities, what with their piracy, raids, and battles with the enemy. Isn't that what Sarawak has been doing for the past sixty-odd years? It's just a different form of sensibility that Sarawak had spurned. Expect this line of thinking to be used constantly to entice the local Sabahans to join the Italian colors. Whether they will fall for it shall be the biggest factor in the battle for the colony.
So, in case you all think this is bad...
Oh, you've seen nothing yet.
To answer all the comments, we need to unpack a few things. As stated in the update before last, northern Sabah was the borderland between the Bruneian and Sulu sultanates, making it a rather wild place to live and trade. Now, the subjugation of the states, the greater attention to the surrounding seas, and the rule of Brooke Sarawak has brought some much-needed stability to the region which many people genuinely enjoyed. But with that, there were still a number of men whom long for "the good old days" when they could fight, raid, or take whatever they wanted. What Italy offered was a chance to, if not reclaim that lost era, then at least get a chance to get back at the state. Family traditions also played some part in this; if your line was known for being great warriors - with the severed heads to prove it - and the new state punishes you and makes you a criminal for being that warrior, you're going to harbor some grudges. Then there is the allure of money and power, which would entice any criminal or pirate.
For Sandakan, there is no greater pool of people whom are so against Sarawak as this. They can't offer near-complete autonomy or independence to the tribes (it would go against the exploitive order), and they can't force them to become soldiers (the consequences are way too dire, from running to the Brookes to raising internal rebellions). Why not enlist those whom the Brooke family has antagonized and make them fight for Italy? Using the enemies of the state to fight against the state is an old method of war. It's just not natural for Borneo.
But there is a danger to employing criminals, pirates, and louts, and what happened at Timbang Batu showed that. Maraun's brother showed that. While there are those among the Askaris who still have reason, a fair number of them aren't known for bearing a strong moral compass, and what better way to use your new power and weaponry than to fight those whom support the enemy?
To be fair, this is controversial, and the use of criminals and scorched earth tactics will raise heated arguments even in the Sandakan high command. There are those whom say it would antagonize the local natives to rebel, and there are those who say that the Brookes crossed the line with their ambushes, traps, surprises, and poisons. The White Rajah played dirty, so the only response is to play dirtier.
There is also an argument to be made that the Askaris do appeal to local sensibilities, what with their piracy, raids, and battles with the enemy. Isn't that what Sarawak has been doing for the past sixty-odd years? It's just a different form of sensibility that Sarawak had spurned. Expect this line of thinking to be used constantly to entice the local Sabahans to join the Italian colors. Whether they will fall for it shall be the biggest factor in the battle for the colony.
So, in case you all think this is bad...
Oh, you've seen nothing yet.
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Yeah. And even normal soldiers serving the Italians will be tarred with that brush.
In the eyes of the peoples of Borneo, sure. Internationally? Sarawak is far enough from Europe that the average townsperson would care little about tales of Italian units composed of criminals unless civilians from said townsperson's homeland get caught in the crossfire or suffer in some other way due to these criminals.
What could they possibly do that's worse than employ criminals as soldiers? enslave and use........never mind....
I don't think anyone is talking about their reputation in Europe, but rather everywhere in SE Asia.
What Dathi THorfinnnsson said. But the news of criminals, pirates, and disgruntled warriors being used as soldiers won't stay in Southeast Asia for long, and there will be long propaganda-filled articles in European newspapers on whether the other side is lying or not, and whether it is ethical. Expect a healthy sprinkling of "savages and headhunters", plus a smattering of "noble native" stereotypes, and a final touch of "They started it first by playing dirty!". And if there were true Italians who got hurt by their new allies or quit because of their barbarity... well, wartime censorship is a thing.
Funny enough, I'm thinking of writing a mini-update that's going to involve a propaganda piece of some sort, involving Austria-Hungary and the South China Sea.
There's a lot of heated debate amongst the colonists as to their new allies, and there are a few who are disgusted with their actions. Still, loyalty to Sandakan takes precedence over everything, especially with the entire colony (and their farms/livelihoods) on the line. Back in Europe, there will be a mountain of debate as to whether the Italians in Sandakan have lost their minds.
<__<
>__>
...
foreign conscripts.And forced requisitions
VERY LATE EDIT: I just realized now that despite everything I've said about the Askari Sabah, I haven't even talked about how Sarawak reacted to this development! Overall, a majority of Sarawakians are shocked. And pissed. It is one thing to fight pirates, criminals, and fellow headhunters - they'd been doing that for the past 6 decades. But it's another thing to burn down a village and massacre its inhabitants, which goes far beyond even the worst of the Dayak tribal wars.
With that said, there is also a lot of confusion and internal struggle amongst several sections of the populace; despite the brutality of the Askaris, some of them - especially the former headhunters - are doing what their fathers or forefathers had traditionally done for generations. Plus, some of the enemy's arguments about being free from royal and foreign rule (of whatever sort) has... some merit. Cases like Maraun and his brother won't be the only one across the land, and the war for Sabah will have far-reaching repercussions that go beyond that of winning territories.
Along with the people, the Brooke family are unanimously disgusted at Sandakan for employing the dregs of the land. Privately though, Rajah Charles is a bit impressed. It's not every day that you'd get a foreign enemy that strategizes on creating criminal soldiers.
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September 1905: a war through three perspectives (narrative)
Somewhere in the Spratly Archipelago, 10 September 1905
The blazing sun glared from the heavens, and Officer Höhnel felt he could drown in his uniform.
Please let this be over soon.
It was planned to be a short affair, with the objective of boosting morale and relaying current events to the public back home. “See the brave men of the SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth! The lone Austrian ship fighting in Paradise! The flag of the Habsburgs flies high over the Spratlys!” [1] But then there was the delay in the assembling of the contingents, and then something came wrong about the weather and the clouds, and after that came the problems with the cameramen and their devices. One hour later, and just about every sailor and cadet on the beach were sweating in their shoes.
But just as Höhnel finally had it with the delay, an announcement came from the crew. The flag-raising ceremony would proceed.
With orders blunted by the heat of the day, the cadets and officers marched to their final positions, forming a line of honour on the soft sand. A makeshift flagpole was erected earlier in the day, and teams of cameramen and cellulographers now angled their machines to it. Once that was done, Höhnel gave the starting orders.
A team of cadets marched past, bearing the Austro-Hungarian banner. Another smattering of orders, and the flag was tied to the ropes and hoisted onto the shaft. Another command, and the strains of the Kaiserhymne filled the air, mixing awkwardly with that of the breaking waves.
With his arms in salute, Höhnel stared at the symbol of his homeland, backdropped against the azure sky. They’d probably think I’m lucky, not being in the trenches. Even with the broken communications, the Telegraph Office at Singapore received a few snippets of the goings-on in Europe, and they were anything but joyous. Ten to one they would all wish to be in our place, fighting for the empire off the coast of the Philippines. Oh how much has changed.
Still, he wondered if the theatres in Vienna – if they could even get the footage to Vienna – would mention how Sarawak and the Royal Navy did most of the heavy fighting, or how the Spratlys would be probably divided between them and the government in Manila. Not a single inch of land for the emperor. Not even an atoll or two as a consolation prize.
As his eyes surveyed the scene before him, of the pristine beach and the rustling palms and the turquoise-clear sea breaking gently upon the shore, he wondered if he could change that. A paradise on World’s End… that would be something for imperial morale. Even if the humidity is suffocating.
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Regia Marina dockyards, Sandakan, Italian Sabah, 13 September 2018
Regia Marina dockyards, Sandakan, Italian Sabah, 13 September 2018
“Hand me the part.”
Cicalese grunted as he inserted the final bits of machinery to where they belonged, his arms strained from the amount of work done over… who knows how long?
Finally, he closed the hatch. Over a thousand hours had he and his men worked on the vessel, repairing the inner working through the days and weeks even as the rest of Sandakan emptied away. Once, the dockyards around the harbour were crowded full with passengers and seamen crowding around the ships; Transport vessels, patrolling ironclads, and cargo hulks that were crammed to the full with the wealth of Italian Borneo. Now, the only sounds apart from his work crew were of those catering to the warships, and even they were slipping away as the colony spiralled to oblivion.
Wouldn’t blame them. With the way the Rajah’s coming, we could all kiss our asses goodbye.
Despite the hours on the docks, Cicalese wasn’t blind to the news coming in from the west, of the colonial high command conscripting undesirable peoples against Sarawak and the fistfights this caused amongst the officers in the Residency. Cicalese was no saint himself – the things he had done back home was the main reason why he hopped off to Asia – but even he was perplexed when it came that the local pirates and headhunters were conscripted into a new fighting force. And now we’ve pissed off our neighbour for doing so. Can’t blame them either. Burning villages would make anyone mad.
But orders were orders.
And that made the repair of the Rana all the more critical. It was an experimental torpedo boat that was capable of diving and speeding near the waterline, giving enemy ships the shock of their lives. [2] But it was, perhaps, too experimental. Broke down through the main voyage, and broke down again when arrived. In fact, I don’t think you’ve done much work this past month, do you?
“Break!” The voice of the head mechanic seemed to echo in the confined space, but the thought of a meal quickly overrode Cicalese’s annoyance. He slipped from the hold, landed on his two feet, and quickly made his way through the dock with the other workers, though not before turning back to glimpse at the repaired craft.
But one shot. Just one. And you’ll be remembered forever.
********************
Upper Sugut basin, Italian Sabah, 24 September 1905
“Bring the food!”Upper Sugut basin, Italian Sabah, 24 September 1905
The order was met with sharp replies of “Ya, Tuan Muda!” as a group of Kadazan warriors hauled sacks of rice to the beleaguered villagers at the forest clearing. The burnt-out dwellings couldn’t be seen from their distance, but the smell of charred wood hung heavy in the air, wafting deep down everyone’s noses.
Despite being the Rajah Muda of Sarawak – the declared heir to the throne - Clarke Brooke was more comfortable at the helm of a war Prahu than in delegating village matters. But his father did not raise himself or his brother to be commanding brats, and the skill of governance was instilled within Clarke since he could even remember. And besides, with what the Askari’s are doing, he was glad that food aid was flowing under his watch while his father dealt with another belligerent force further down south. Still a leader, even at seventy-six.
“Is there a leader of the village? Where is the chieftain?” he asked, and so he was brought along with his guards to an elderly man whom spoke of a white-faced figure that came to the longhouse, sometime ago. The pale man courted the warriors and elders, invoking the right of tribal honour, warrior’s honour, to fight under the banner of a foreign (albeit colourful) flag. While a few village warriors were interested, he and his elders were wary, and after an hours-long discussion, answered back: Only if traditional laws are accepted in full, only if their youngsters are not sent to the logging fields, and only if they would stop pestering missionaries upon missionaries upon them.
In truth, the longhouse has long been wary of the new peoples whom lived at the alien city called ‘Sandakan’. The foreign taxes, foreign laws, foreign religions, and foreign labour obligations imposed by them was the reason why the villagers migrated to the foothills of the Sugut River. That was why he cautiously accepted the offer of the Sarawakian emissaries that came a week before.
But no one expected the unthinkable to happen; of the groups of hard-faced men who called themselves Askari, of the requisitioning of rice, of the looting and plunder, of the longhouse being set alight. It was a true blessing that the Brooke forces were close by, for who knows what could become of them all?
“There were several of our sons whom fought with the Askaris, but we haven’t heard from them since the last few hours.” The chieftain finished.
That’s odd. “We never saw any other force besides ourselves.” Clarke said. “Could you tell us where they went – ”
“Tuan Muda!! We found something! Something you need to see!!” A courier ran into the huddled group, breathless.
Puzzled, the heir and the chieftain walked a ways off into the thick undergrowth before stopping before an unnatural mound of fallen leaves and twigs. “There were foot trails to and from this area, and we thought they were made by the Askari’s until…” the courier’s voice died as he went around the back.
It was only then that a new smell assaulted Clarke Brooke’s nose.
The smell of blood.
Oh God.
The back of the mound was littered with corpses. Muscles and limbs broken and bleeding, torsos and thighs lacerated with stab wounds and punctured with bullet holes. All of them, arranged in a hideous line around a pool of blood and gore.
But the worst of all were the heads.
There were no heads.
____________________
Notes:
1) This is based on the real Kaiserin Elizabeth which was stationed in China during the outbreak of the First World War. In this timeline, she was able to slip past French Indochina to join the Anglo-Sarawak fleet.
2) There is no equivalent to a ship like this IOTL, but the closest relative would be the Grillo-class “jumping boats” which were designed to be akin to motorboat-tanks with torpedoes. With the Regia Marina being more funded ITTL, such experimental designs would have been pioneered earlier during the 1900’s, though as shown above, their mileage may considerably vary.
I feel sorry for the postwar government officer who has to find something for Austria to actually do with the Spratlys.
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I've been reading your story for some time and I gotta say, great work on it!
At the same time, at the latest chapter... by the gods, the Italians have done it. Although truthfully, I thought them doing worse might be something along the lines like, recruiting and training child soldiers. But the mound of headless bodies really takes the cake. If word gets spread around the land, I would not be surprised if the villages that heard decide to say screw the Italians and side with Sarawak. But if word gets to the Italian government of what the colonials in Sandakan have done, I don't know if they would be horrified and try to put a stop to it, or instead try to sweep that under the rug.
At the same time, at the latest chapter... by the gods, the Italians have done it. Although truthfully, I thought them doing worse might be something along the lines like, recruiting and training child soldiers. But the mound of headless bodies really takes the cake. If word gets spread around the land, I would not be surprised if the villages that heard decide to say screw the Italians and side with Sarawak. But if word gets to the Italian government of what the colonials in Sandakan have done, I don't know if they would be horrified and try to put a stop to it, or instead try to sweep that under the rug.
Keep in mind that the German government and civilians in World War I could not believe a word of the mistreatment Belgian civilians suffered during the occupation. The Italians in this timeline will likely also believe this to be either outright lies and propaganda or flatly state that the Askari are not really more than bands of savage bandits unaffiliated with their state.
Shock and denial are one hell of a drug combination to have when you sit down and read or hear about atrocities that sounds far too outrageous to be real. Especially if said atrocity is caused by your own side. The only thing so far is that such a report hasn't left Borneo... yet.
So, the heads were taken. I am guessing these were the local boys who had joined the askari, and did not obey orders to pillage their home; and died for it?
It would either be the worst job in the world or the best job in the world.
If you are an officer-anthropologist or a wanderlust-loving oceanographer, there is no better place to conduct scientific studies. If you are an old-style imperialist with an affinity for taxes and hobnobbing the lower natives, it's a sentence to purgatory.And if you're thinking of filling the atolls and building a port (looking at you, China), the other islands now occupied by Sarawak and Great Britain are just as strategic, if not more so!
Thank you! And the discovery of headless corpses will indicate to all just how brutal the fighting shall be. Until this, the Sarawakian forces were mainly dealing with western forces whom were steeped in European morality - albeit a militarized, hard-headed, and degraded form of it. Now, they are facing the worst of locals, and they have a radically different view of human ethics. The local Sabahans will be both horrified and caught in a bind once the word spreads. On one hand, the brutality of the Askaris will sway many tribes to Sarawak wholesale, but it would also appeal to some peoples (warriors and criminals mainly) whom see the war as a way to gain status and honor under their Italian masters. The divisions among the Sabahan peoples will be just has hard as the regional conflict with Sarawak.
The severed telegraph cables of the Mediterranean basin (a practice done by everyone to ensure the crippling of information) would halt any mention of news coming from Borneo, but there are a few reports from the experimental wireless reaching Rome of the atrocities down there. Mostly, everyone thinks they are too outlandish to be real, but a few anthropologists are taking notice as headless corpses are a surefire sign of tribal headhunting. The military command is also a bit wary, but have contacted Sandakan to disband such forces should they exist. Regardless of affiliations, having a group made of the worst of society will not engender good-feeling among local natives or occupying forces.
In a roundabout way, if there is one positive out of this conflict, it's that the brutal methods of the Askaris will force many Sarawakians to confront their cultural rituals and practices. Headhunting has long been an honored and ennobling practice of Bornean tribal warfare. Now, everyone's thinking of just how it can be brutalized in the modern era.
Confession time: The passage was supposed to have meant "....whom fought against the Askaris."
But for what it's worth, the error also fits well into the narrative: a few warriors from the village were attracted to the Askaris and joined, but were aghast at the orders to pillage their own home. After fighting the troops for sometime and subdued, the Askari leader gave the word to execute the betrayers and take their heads.The intolerance of dissent will be another lesson for locals to confront.
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Just noticed this one. Sorry for replying so late!
This could be something the west coast Sabahans could get involved in. While many people consider the Sama-Bajau peoples to be sea nomads - and many of them are - there are actually land-based communities in Tempasok and Tuaran that breed and raise horses. Given the situation, having several draft animals could enormously help the Brooke forces to penetrate through Italian Borneo.
Plus, now I can plug some of the cultural celebration photos from up there.
![PA254479[1].jpg](https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/attachments/pa254479-1-jpg.417929/ "PA254479[1].jpg")
![tamu-besar-kota-belud-2008_6518[2].jpg](https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/attachments/tamu-besar-kota-belud-2008_6518-2-jpg.417930/ "tamu-besar-kota-belud-2008_6518[2].jpg")
This could be something the west coast Sabahans could get involved in. While many people consider the Sama-Bajau peoples to be sea nomads - and many of them are - there are actually land-based communities in Tempasok and Tuaran that breed and raise horses. Given the situation, having several draft animals could enormously help the Brooke forces to penetrate through Italian Borneo.
Plus, now I can plug some of the cultural celebration photos from up there.
OTOH, an alternative response might be "this is what happens when you headhunt and don't follow the rules." There could be a controversy between abolitionists and those who think that if people went back to traditional ways of warfare, everything would be fine.