Of Rajahs and Hornbills: A timeline of Brooke Sarawak
- Thread starter Al-numbers
- Start date
It's always one of the highlights of my day when this updates.
Really great update @Al-numbers
Thanks, all!!
They won't be seen as the bumbling nation of WWI in this timelime for sure, at least not in the East Indies. Sarawak's weak and outdated oceanic navy will compel Sandakan to take the offensive as much as possible before reinforcements arrive, but that very same rapidity makes them weak against any force that takes the "slow and steady" approach.
As for local resistance, it's a combination of Sarawakian loyalty and being anti-authority in general. Northern and eastern Sabah have always been wild in character, even in the glory days of Brunei and Sulu. The competing spheres of influence between the two kingdoms - plus the centuries of pirate raids and hideouts - has bred a streak of rowdiness among region's inhabitants, and they won't take a colonial power butting in by simply laying down. The main reason Sarawak kept the place till now is because - barring superior firepower - the Brookes let local notables run the show in the far north.
With Italy on the retreat, the priority of Sandakan would now switch to defense. That means retrofitting forts, retreating from undefensible areas, keeping their navy within colonial boundaries, and preparing to evacuate to the Philippines or Papua (worst case scenario). Scorched earth tactics are being considered, and I think there would be some instances across the region, but it wouldn't be done wholesale. Aside from the implications of burning a rainforest, destroying crop fields and villages would bring a wave of native opposition that could destroy Sandakan before the Brookes or British even arrive!
The nation has a few outdated ships, but by and large the Regia Marina is actually among the foremost navies of her time, though not the largest by far. The sheer length and breadth of Italy's colonial empire, and the distance between the peninsula and her colonies, would force Rome to modernize her navy regardless of circumstances. The rising tensions prior to 1905 would also influence the government to invest in newer designs. Spitballing from OTL sources, the Regia Marina during the eve of the Great War would have been on par with the Dutch, with around 46 naval warships and around 25 miscellaneous gunboats.
Of these, around half are serving on the Mediterranean theater, while the other half are either wreaking havoc on the South China Sea or patrolling Italian Papua.
I don't see Syarif Osman and James Brooke having the same kind of values that could make them friends (the Brooke family and the Royal Navy viewed Osman as a pirate), but I could see them accepting each other as Worthy Opponents, with their respective kingdoms warring and making peace until Osman's death in 1864, one year before the Yankee Rajah affair unfolded.
Hmm, which brings to mind the question of what is going on in New Guinea. With how paranoid Australia was over invasion, I am surprised it sent ships to fight Italy in Borneo if war was not already being waged to contain Italy in their own neighborhood.
This is more a matter of perspective and will be touched upon in the future, but Australia has been far from silent over the battles in Southeast Asia. They have dispatched some ships to handle the ruckus in the South China Sea, but their invasion paranoia leads them to send the bulk of their navy to Papua.
Now it's just a matter of capturing the flippin' place.
It occurs to me that the Italian offensive may have been a godsend for Brunei. With the Italians pushing back after the fall of Brunei and even conquering Sarawakian lands, Rajah Charles would have pressure to reach an accord from his own people as well as the British so they can focus on eliminating Sandakan.
While if the Italians had stayed on the defensive the British and Kuching would have felt more at ease to dictate what they please to the Sultan.
While if the Italians had stayed on the defensive the British and Kuching would have felt more at ease to dictate what they please to the Sultan.
Italy unified 50 years prior so had some decades to built his naval force and even OTL Regia Marina was considered a strong navy, here with being sligthly more stable, slightly more rich and with some more success it will be a hard nut to crack.
Naturally if the strategy is similar to OTL, the colonial empire was always destinated to be lost, just cause more damage possible, even if the alliance with France can give at the strategist the window for a possible victory as there is Indochina as base were retreat the forces.
For now Italy principal theatre will be Europe with A-H being mauled on three front from the beginning and without reform and with Conrad at the helm, well i think is in a bad place now.
PS BTW good to see the TL back and hope all his ok
I... hadn't think of that. Huh.
That's an intriguing idea. My original proposition would be that Rajah Charles and the British would freeze their quarreling over Brunei and strike a truce with the sultan that would fall apart after the war, but your comment is much more probable. The rapid offensives in Sabah and the local seas would force Charles to reach an an agreement with the British and the Bruneian court over the sultanate; the state would remain as it is under British protection, with the Seria oilfields now under Singaporean and Sarawakian control with a cut going to the state. It won't please Sultan Aqmaddin or Charles, but it would be enough to mollify their egos.
What lukedalton said, basically. Due to Count Cavour living longer during the Risorgimento, Italy in this timeline is a more prosperous and stable nation (though it still has problems) which allowed her government to invest more in her naval resources. Her navy isn't as large as the British or even the French, but it can still pack a powerful punch as the South China Sea theater showed. Really, the only major flaw is that the Jeune École strategy turned the Regia Marina into veritable Fragile Speedsters; fast and powerful, but fragile under pressure.
A retreat is now in order, though as he also said, the navy could still cause havoc as they head to French Indochina or neutral ground.
And as for the European front... I won't lie, we won't return to Europe for quite some time. But I think I won't be giving anything away when I say Rome and Vienna are learning a lot about warfare from their battles.
I'm much better, and I think I'll try keeping my private life from bleeding onto these webpages. I missed this dang place, and all its discussions and catfights.
Last edited:
Great update! Always good to see this story. And What more could the Italians have up their sleeves here.
I'm... gonna have to save this link for later. Definitely didn't know it either, and throws an interesting spanner in the works.
I'm... gonna have to save this link for later. Definitely didn't know it either, and throws an interesting spanner in the works.
Awesome update! The Italians have taken a few blows but I definitely feel like they're far from being on the ropes. As long as they maintain naval superiority, Sarawak will have its work cut out.
Now that i thinking,with Italy having more funds mean that Cunimberti project will have a probability to be financed and approved by Regia Marina...basically Italy will have the first Dreadnought class type (that will be assigned to the Mediterrean theater as is the most important)
Thank you! The colonial army and the Regia Marina may be retreating, but they're not going down without a fight, and as the latest narrative shows, they are beginning to adapt to jungle warfare and gathering local recruits. So long as there's someone willing to promise money and power, there are always those who will follow orders.
If there's one thing about historical Borneo, it's that there is absolutely no shortage of amazing, kooky, and and downright incredible characters to play with.
That is interesting. I've never heard of Cuniberti, but his idea of a "perfect battleship" would definitely find resonance in a world that's lurching towards war. Given the heightened circumstances ITTL, Europe's greatest navies would all be experimenting on a Dreadnought-class design, but Cuniberti's proposal and the kingdom's greater funds would mean that Italy wouldn't be far behind in making their plans work. I'll flip a coin and say that Rome authorized the construction of a Colosso-class "all-gun-ship" in late 1904, with the vessel mostly done when the Great War rolled into being.
As a part of the British Empire (though its really complicated), Sarawak mostly uses British-made firearms when it comes to it. By now, the most notable weapon used by everyone is the Enfield rifle, or Lee-Enfield if you want to be specific. Easy to use and portable across distances, it has become the weapon of choice for the Sarawak Rangers and the auxiliary Dayak army, though the Brookes do keep an eye on the distribution of weapons to prevent any chieftains from getting rebellious ideas. Another noted import is the Maxim gun, which was notably used during the takeover of Seria. There were other weapons used, but these two are coming to the fore as the armaments of the offensive.
As for artillery, that's a good question. Until 1905, Sarawak did not (usually*) use field guns and cannons in the same way most nations do, not least because the rainforest and humidity made ground transport near-impossible. Instead, the kingdom uses gunboats armed with cannons and artillery pieces to bombard enemy pirates and longhouses into submission, which was aided by the fact that most Dayaks live next to navigable waterways. For the models themselves, I'm not really sure. One of the more frustrating bits of early 20th-century Sarawak is that the government doesn't record the exact models of their weapons, but I hazard a good guess that they used artillery models up to the Ordnance QF 13-pounder, though with the wheels screwed off and the gun lashed to a boat deck.
*I say "usually" because there were cases when this rule didn't apply, such as with the Rentap rebellion when the chieftain actually hauled and used an iron cannon that his father pilfered from Dutch Borneo!
After this war, they're going to want to invest fairly heavily in man (mule) portable mortars would be my guess.
If tracked tractors exist by now, they might want some of those, too.
If tracked tractors exist by now, they might want some of those, too.
August-September 1905: The Brooke counterattack
Sava Antonovych Filonenko, From the Jungles to the Seas: The Great War across the Colonial World (Osprey: 1987)
…Needless to say, neither Sarawak nor Italian Sabah were prepared for industrial war.
For the Kingdom of Sarawak, warfare was an exercise of state expansion, pacification, and consolidation, uniting the different ethnic groups and rainforest tribes in a grand adventure that appealed to traditional sensibilities. But it was also conducted in a somewhat medieval manner, in which tribal levies are called up by local chieftains, gunboats acted as movable bombards, and where blowpipes and daggers are used alongside cannons and bullets. While most Sarawakian forts were equipped with heavy artillery and rifles, they were more used as a deterrent than as instruments of devastation. With respect to innovative tactics, honour and tribal laws are paramount.
By contrast, Italian Sabah only paid lip service to local mores and preferred a more ‘conventional’ method of governance and defence. Befitting an exploitative colony, the colonial forces preferred modern weapons that could overawe and/or pummel rebellious tribes into surrendering; new cannons, machine guns, and even a handful of mobile artillery, imported from Europe. The colonial troops were also of a different make: conscripted Italian colonists whom had to serve a number of years for settling in the territory. Though smaller in scale and paltry in numbers, their training and understanding of modern weaponry gave an invaluable edge against the forest peoples.
And it was this that allowed the Forza Locale of Sandakan the initial lead: Despite being a colony, it had superior armaments. Besides that, the nature of being far from home in a foreign environment actually resulted in local settlers having greater loyalty to the Sandakan establishment, whom saw itself as a vanguard against, as the Resident Neopolo Felici called it, “…Brooke despotism and Sarawakian nativism”. Combined with the Regia Maria and the Jeune École tactic, it is easy to see why the Forza Locale spearheaded a blistering campaign across northern Sabah.
But it was this attack style that ultimately hampered the colonial army. Lightning campaigns leave little time for consolidation, and the mountainous terrain of Sarawakian Sabah – and the locals whom inhabited there – formed a giant block against interior expansion. With the fierce resistance that followed, Italian troops began falling on the field, quickly creating a manpower shortage that left Sandakan scrabbling for options. Besides that, there was the issue of procuring new weapons and rounds; despite their superior armaments, Italian Sabah was still just a colony, and bullets and shell-shot were primarily imported from mother country. With the Great War disrupting global shipping lanes, there was no question that replenishment will not be happening any time soon.
And above all, the invading forces underestimated the Brooke Dynasty’s ability of doing what it had always done in previous times of crisis: adapt. As the Battle of Seria showed, the White Rajahs and allied chieftains were quick to augment their numbers, weaponry, and tactics to new situations. Then there were the commercial links of Sarawak to the British Empire and their ability to bankroll their offensive, which can be an entire topic in itself. With tactics and ample funds, the adventuring family began to reclaim their northern holdings…
********************
Amelia Reyner, Sarawak in the Great War, (Pagalan: 2011)
…The reconquest of the coastal Tempasok region is one great example of Sarawak’s asymmetric tactics. First, a probing team of spies and Sarawak Rangers assessed the hilly coast and snooped on the occupied forces inhabiting the Kuala Abai fort. Second, teams of Malays and Dayaks quickly severed local land supplies and sniped at Italian forces from afar, as well as laying traps and capturing live men to further weaken morale. Finally, at sunset, several groups would haul heavy cannons onto the surrounding hills and pummel the coastal fort into surrendering, while a contingent of the Royal Navy ambushed the battered wing of the Regia Marina trapped within the bay.
From utilizing animals to harm roving troops to striking commanders with poisoned darts from blowpipe-snipers, the tactics of the Brooke leaders bedevilled and destroyed the overall command structure of the Forza Locale, allowing Sarawak to reclaim most of the Sabahan west coast by the 4th of September. The buckling of the Italian and French navies on the South China Sea further snowballed their victories with less and less aid reaching still-occupied forts. There were attempts from the oceanic navies to attack Sarawakian positions and an amphibious Franco-Italian landing was even attempted near Sikuati on the 29th of August, only to fail disastrously as the newly-equipped Dayak forces used captured artillery and Maxim guns to bombard the naval cadets into a retreat.
But more so than war, it was diplomacy that helped with over the Sabahan populace. After retaking an area, Charles and Clarke Brooke made numerous accords with the local rebels after promising to uphold traditional law and include northern chieftains into the Council Negri, though the activities of piracy, slavery, and headhunting are still banned.
Ironically, it was these restrictions that allowed the Sandakan high command to see a way out of their manpower shortage. With the chieftains of both Sarawak and Italian Sabah unresponsive to cooperation, – their demands of near-complete autonomy and/or total independence a price too high to accept – the commanders began to reach out to the ordinary populace and bottom sector of tribal society: criminals, louts, and men of disrepute. From village to village, these dregs of the land were enticed with offers of power, supremacy, leadership, and an exalted status if they would work or serve under the Italian colours. While no accurate numbers exist of the number of locals whom enlisted, it is estimated that at least 4000 to 5500 criminals, thieves, and former pirates joined the ranks.
These men, the Askari Sabah, would form an important part under the new defensive position adopted by Sandakan. With Sarawak advancing and the Franco-Italian navies retreating – with a fair number heading to Indochina, no less – the doctrine of lightning expansion was abandoned. In its place, the remaining navy was sent back to defend the colony while local forts, under the advice of the new native allies, were modified and retrofitted to counter Sarawakian battle tactics. Still, it was not enough. By the dawn of September 10th, the Anglo-Sarawakian force reached Marudu Bay. By the 14th, the islands of Balambangan and Banggi were retaken from the new Italian-allied privateers. Five days later, the fort of Timbang Batu fell to a surprise attack of Sarawak Rangers and local groups bearing bamboo and timber cannons [1].
And with that, mainland Sarawak was united once more. But the fighting was far from over. The main colony of Italian Sabah now lay before the Brooke Dynasty, and in their retreat, the criminal companies began burning local villages in a scorched earth tactic to slow the advancing forces…
********************
Kudat Jail (makeshift), Kingdom of Sarawak, 21 September 1905
“Why did you do it?”
Maraun was not an angry person. He tried not to. Anger leads to rashness, and rashness leads to mistakes, and that is not the way of a Sarawak Ranger. But after what he saw at Timbang Batu, and the figures that lay before the road, he wanted an answer.
“Why did you do it?!”
The figure before him rose his head. “Why did you become the Rajah’s pet?”
The Rungus man was irate. “That is not what this is about here– ”
The prisoner exploded. “YES. IT. IS!! Why have you abandoned the ways of our ancestors! Why have you embraced the rule of these foreign men! Why have you decided to fight under their standard! We are supposed to be free! FREE!! Free from the mores of sultans and rajahs!! Free from the rules of nobles and to carve our own destiny!! And yet now. NOW. You sit here as a member of their forces!!!”
“And you joined the other side as well!! And harmed and killed people who were once our neighbours!!!”
“They supported the Rajah!! They threw me out when I said we should rebel! They’d forgotten who they were. I reminded them.”
Feeling a wave of disgust at the man’s words, Maraun stood to leave. This was a mistake. “Enough. We are done.”
Walking towards the door, he heard one last insult hurled at him.
“Our ancestors will weep for how far you have fallen, brother!!”
He stilled. Then walked out. For a moment, he could see the faces of his mother and father, happy and sad, calling out for him to return home from Kuching. He also saw his brother, to the side, staring at him with disdain, a fighting cock nestled in his arms.
I think they would weep for us both anyhow.
____________________
Footnote:
1.) Knowledge of cannons and gunpowder are well-known amongst the lowland and seafaring peoples of Borneo, with Brunei being most famous for their bronze cannonworks. And there is evidence that some states used timber and bamboo cannons as a weapon, too. Indeed, the city of Pontianak in Indonesian Borneo still fires timber cannons to celebrate Ramadan and Eid, as well as commemorate the city’s founding (scaring a vampiress with cannon blasts). However, it’s not widely used by the indigenous Dayaks, mainly because timber and bamboo can degrade strength with use and the chances of a natural-wood cannon exploding into shrapnel rises fast when used continuously.
Also, let us pretend that the Bersaglieri are Italian colonial troops, OK? Out of all the pictures of the Italian armies, they at least looked like they could be fighting in a rainforest.
I think Italy will regret this Legion of Villainy. Whatever rapport they had with the natives will evaporate with this threat to traditional society and the Brookes are the ones they will flock too in this case.
And finally the fact this is in many ways a civil war. That before the dynasties and Empires there are the peoples who have long called Borneo home caught up in this.
And finally the fact this is in many ways a civil war. That before the dynasties and Empires there are the peoples who have long called Borneo home caught up in this.
Unfortunate. The nature of the world was such that even those who never knew their rulers as anything other than names had to choose sides, though that be the providence of war. In his effort to fight for freedom, he both criticized and became what he loathed, a servant, a soldier and a hypocrite. At least with the Brookes his people would have been able to negotiate autonomy or retention of traditions. It's sad is all, brothers fighting brothers, but such is war.