1921-The Chilean and Argentinian dreadnoughts, whose construction was delayed by the war, are finally completed and sent to their respective countries. Chile and Argentina order 11 and 13 V/W class destroyers built in Britain; however, the UK is unable to provide the resources or the funding for construction due to war debts, so Argentina opens up a shipyard and begins constructing 13 destroyers under the British design. Chile follows Argentina's lead and begins the lengthy process of constructing a shipyard in Valdivia. The Irish attempt to break away from the UK, but their insurrection is quickly put down. The US, after 5 years of delay due to WWI, begins construction on its planned Lexington-class battlecruisers. However, the US, having seen the destructive capability of aircraft carriers, coverts three of the 6 battlecruisers into Saratoga-class carriers. The UK has 2 shipyards and ports built and/or expanded in Canada; one in Esquimalt on the West Coast, and one in Halifax on the East Coast. Germany continues to spiral into debt, and a famine breaks out due to shortages caused by the war; sailors begin to mutiny, but the uprising is quickly put down. German East Africans begin to demand independence and hold protests; the Germans, having seen India break away from Britain at a time of the latter's weakness, knows that it too is being exploited when it cannot hold the colony. Germany decides to grant its East Africa colony better autonomy; the region is renamed to Tanganyika, and the area is given more freedom in self-governance, similar to the dominions in the British Empire. Protests soon subside. In Russia, the Civil War rages on; the Red Army is clearly gaining the upper hand as they capture and annex Mongolia into the newly formed Soviet Union. The Australian and Canadian Navies each purchase a Town-class cruiser from the Royal Navy; Australia copies the design and produces 4 similar ships in its own harbors, while Canada purchases 2 St. Louis-class cruisers from the US. Canada also purchases the design plans for the US's New Mexico class battleships and build one of their own in Esquimalt. The Netherlands is finished with construction of its 6 Maarten Tromp-class cruisers and 22 V-Boats (destroyers); 3 cruisers and 13 V-boats join 4 of the battleships stationed in the Dutch East Indies. The British, intimidated by their loss of India and no longer in need of an overly massive industrial base, downplays the industrialization of its colonies. Other European colonial powers follow suit. However, Portugal, late to the show, does the opposite; it discovers oil and mineral reserves in Portugeuse West Africa. Refineries are built in Portugeuse East Africa, and due to good relations with the British, the Portugeuse build both a rail line and a pipeline to connect its two colonies. A large commercial and naval port is constructed in the Eastern colony, at Maputo. The Portuguese economy is soon booming. Indian aviation makes it first debut when Indian and foreign aircraft designers collaborate to form the Indian National Aircraft Company (INAC). INAC makes its first plane, the R-1. The R-1 is a scout biplane, made exclusively for reconnaisance. Yugoslavia discovers large oil reserves towards the north of the region of Albania, causing industry, particularly oil refineries, to sprout up all over Yugoslavia and greatly boosting the monetary situation there. Greece completes 3 Olympia-class heavy cruisers, 4 Aristomenes-class light cruisers, and 7 Hermes-class destroyers; these ships, in addition to its Zeus-class battleships (The Queen Elizabeth-class battleships bought from the UK), these ships become an intimidating force in the Meditteranean. They are intimidating enough to make the leaders of Turkey feel threatened; Turkey's leaders demand that Greece withdraws its ships from patrolling in the Bosporus. The Turkish navy, equipped with a former German battlecruiser and light cruiser (which were acquired after they docked in Istanbul on the run from the British and French, causing them to be seized by the then-Ottoman Empire), 7 destroyers of various origin and design, 2 old cruisers (one American-built, one British-built) and an outdated battleship, was not much of a match for the Hellenic Navy and its modern warships. It was in no position to be on the offensive against the Greeks. The Turks, nevertheless, issued an ultimatum demanding Greek withdrawal from the Bosporus and quit all naval patrols deemed too close to the coastline, or they will declare war. The Greeks decline to withdraw, beginning the Greco-Turkish War. The Turks immediately start on the offensive by invading the Greek territory formerly known as European Turkey. Delegates of the major naval powers of the world meet in Washington DC to discuss a treaty limiting naval construction.
1922-The Netherlands purchases an Orion-class battleship from the British and converts it into an aircraft carrier for testing. Fokker develops naval versions of its fighters, and the carrier performs several trials throughout the year. The naval limiting talks held in Washington break down, due in part to the fact that each nation distrusts eachother to follow the treaty. Turkeys offensive into Greek Thrace is initially successful; however, as they begin to advance closer to the original Greek borders, their numbers begin to wear down in the face of increased Greek resistance. The Turkish Navy ferries reinforcements across the Sea of Marmara into conquered territory; however, this influx of Turkish troops stops with the Battle of the Marmaran Sea, which formally asserts Greek dominance of the seas. In it, a Zeus-class battleship, escorted by a heavy cruiser and 5 destroyers, decisively destroy the Turkish navy and stop troop transports from reinforcing and continuing the offensive into Greece. The Turks lose their only battlecruiser, 3 destroyers, both of their older cruisers, and numerous smaller boats and ships. Turkish naval capability to any degree is ended; the Greeks gain dominance of the sea. In March, a month after the battle, they launch a counter-offensive into Thrace, aimed at taking Constantinople. By November, the northern end of the Turkish straits are in Greek hands; Greek commanders then begin planning an offensive straight into Anatolia itself. Yugoslavia is gaining much profit from the Greeks by selling them oil, which greatly boosts its economy. It uses this money to build large fortifications all along its northern and western borders. The UK is profitting greatly from its productive domains and resource-rich colonies; however, it is wary of any of them breaking away. Germany is spiraling downhill; it quickly scraps 4 battleships, 2 destroyers, and 3 cruisers, and sells their material. The Russian Civil War ends with the Bolshevik Red Army emerging as the victor; the Soviet Union emerges in the place of the Russian Empire. Brazil and the deep South American Entente (Chile and Argentina) remain at odds with eachother. Tensions continue to brew.
1923-Brazil begins to purchase large quantities of British and American aircraft. It also purchases a small set of Indian INAC R-1 aircraft; the total amount of aircraft acquired for the Brazilians is 318. Brazil's continued military build-up sends Chile and Argentina into a fit of worry. They soon begin running drills with their navies and expanding and training their armies. Equipment is purchased from various nations, most particularly Greece, India, and France; the former two because of the cheap prices of their equipment, and the latter because of the war surplus the French need to dispose of. French aircraft are also sold to the two countries. Greece's drive into Anatolia is very succesful, and the Greeks are 400 km into Anatolia by July and rapidly advancing. Greece, however, not wanting a long conflict, decides to attempt to negotiate peace terms with Turkey, the terms being that the 2 countries will end hostilities and avoid future conflict; Greece, however, gets to keep some territory within Turkey. The Turkish leadership accepts, on the condition that Greece only get a small strip of territory on the Black Sea. Greece agrees to the terms and the 2 nations see peace. Yugoslavia has been made rich by this conflict, having sold lots of oil to Greece and, later, Turkey. It improves and builds a modern infrastructure system, thus enhancing its economy even more. Ethnic tensions, present before, disappear in the face of widespread prosperity. Yugoslavia becomes a major European power; nationalism is abound within its borders. Yugoslavia also begins buying Greek-made arms, which helps dig the Greeks out of there economic hole created by the war. Turkey, economically, is in ruins; the war has put it into debt and it is lacking the means to make up for the debt. The newly formed Soviet Union, seeking territory, sends 2 Gangut-class battleships and several other warships to the GPU. A Russian invasion of the nation is quickly enacted; the GPU forces put up a valiant fight, but are quickly overrun by the Soviets. The Soviets establish a naval base on the coast of their new colony. Germany, despite the mounting war debts and internal strife it is experiencing, decides to attempt to convert an old battleship into an aircraft carrier for testing; it chooses the old battlecruiser SMS Moltke. Conversion is expected to be slow due to the economic situation. France completes the aircraft carrier MN Bearn (which was delayed by the war); however, the French soon find themselves heading towards an economic predicament similar to that of Germany. India continues to emerge as an economic powerhouse.
1924-Germany's economic situation begins to turn around, thanks largely in part to the production output and merchant ports of German East Africa. Germany begins to lift itself out of its hole. France, however, continues to fall into this same hole. The Soviets establish a large naval port for the Black Seas fleet in Russian Palestine; to expand their naval presence, the battlecruiser Izmail (the only one left of its class, as the others were scrapped when the Reds took power) is being converted into the Soviet's first aircraft carrier. Yugoslavia and Greece, feeling threatened by Soviet expansionism, form the Balkan Pact (a defense bloc) to counter the growing threat of the Soviets in the Mediterranean. Austria, faced with an influx of former German aircraft designers of the Great War, congregates its aircraft-designing capabilities into the Austrian Aircraft Corporation (AAC), and begins churning out fighter planes based on improved late-war German designs. A volcano erupts in Iceland, causing seismic tension to rupture the sea floor by Norway. Norwegian and other ships passing by the Norwegian coast soon notice puddles of crude oil floating in the ocean. After further investigation by Norway, oil reserves are confirmed to be in the sea, and the Norwegians start drilling. Some French immigrants, looking to escape the economic crisis in their own country, decide to move to Norway where wealth is quickly becoming abundant due to the new oil reserves. Over the past years, Norway had found its neutrality policy towards other nations steer more and more towards an isolationist policy. Thus, Norway was eager to end foreign dependence for its military. It began constructing shipyards near Oslo, eager to soon build up its brown-water capability. A naval program was laid out for the next 11 years; in the first 3 years, 11 destroyers were to be built; in the next 4 years, 5 cruisers; and in the last 4 years, 2 heavy cruisers and a battlecruiser were to be built. A small aircraft carrier was also planned to either be purchased or converted from a purchased ship during the first 2 years. The Norwegian governmen also wanted procurement of an independent Norwegian aircraft industry; and interest was growing in armored vehicles (although more was growing in ways to stop them, due to the tight, winding roads and lack of accessible areas for such vehicles. The Norwegian government begins offering incentives for aircraft designers. Several are found from the pool of Norwegian immigrants and they form the NAC (Norwegian Aircraft Conglomerate), and immediately begin producing licensed versions of British aircraft while progressing on their own designs. Turkey begins to feel threatened by the Soviets, as the Soviets are building up their military presence in their Palestinian colony and bully Iraq and Iran to let them build a railroad to the colony. The Soviets soon threaten Turkey to let them build another rail line there. Turkey has no choice but to accept. The Soviet's aggression catches the attention of many powerful nations, but none attempt to speak up about the issue. Turkey, knowing that the Soviets could, and likely would, eventually try to overtake all of Anatolia, decides to do what it previously thought was unthinkable. It turns to the Balkan Pact and asks to join. Though Greece is taken aback by this request, it eagerly accepts. Trade of weapons and oil flourishes throughout the pact. Turkey puts down an order for 7 destroyers to rebuild its navy, destroyed in the previous war; Greece accepts and begins construction (which is expected to take 5 years). India, now a regional and emerging world power, produces its first fighter aircraft, the INAC AAC-1. The aircraft is comparable to its contemporaries of the time and is viewed with interest by Iraq, neighboring countries Siam and Iran, and also the emerging Kuomintang regime based in Southern China. Iran immediately sets an order for 22, while Siam orders 79 of them. Ironically, the Dutch purchase 18 as well to supplement their colonial air forces in the East Indies. India also decides to use its growing influence to direct politics in East Asia. The Indian Government sends aid, equipment, and some manpower to aid the Nationalist Kuomintang govt. of China in taking power from the warlords currently ruling China. The Indian Navy begins an expedition around the world, visiting German East Africa, Egypt, Gibraltar, the UK, the US, Brazil, Hawaii, Japan, China, Hong Kong, French Indo-China, Australia, and the Dutch East Indies (in that exact order). This is done to show India's growing power. India also begins building 5 destroyers and 2 heavy cruisers in its own shipyards, making them the first indigenously-built Indian Navy ships to exist. Tensions in S. America are at an all-time high due to Brazilian military build-up (for unknown reasons).
Note: This section of the timeline is now finished as of March 10, 2012. Further edits will be noted.