Starfish over Star-fire details an alternate universe in which Australia, of all places, becomes nuclear capable, fascist governed, and a truly independent superpower. Let us begin.
Starfish Over Star-fire: An Australian Timeline
Spring/Summer 1915-
The Gallipoli Campaign is widely seen as the worst military blunder by the British Empire in World War One. It began with massive success, yet ended in total failure. The Allies initiated the campaign in order to capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople, as well as distract Germany and Austria-Hungary from other offensives in the East and West. A major success would, possibly, draw in Greece or Bulgaria on the Allied side and sever the Ottomans from the Germans. British forces began clearing the Dardanelles of mines using soldier-run minesweepers, following serious questions of the integrity of civilian-run ships clearing mines [1]. This allowed an Allied fleet to run the gauntlet of the Dardanelles and enter the Sea of Marmara. In the subsequent Battle of the Sea of Marmara on March 15th, the Allied fleet was decisively beaten through a combination of shore battery fire, the timely arrival of virtually all of the remaining Ottoman fleet, as well as many mines the minesweepers missed [2]. Thus, the landings at Gallipoli began much sooner than anyone could anticipate, in order for the shore batteries to be disabled in preparation for another attack on Constantinople. As the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force was still incomplete, more pressure was on the men of the ANZAC.
Without a large naval force active in the Aegean after Marmara, the ANZAC troops were thus relying on surprise to carry the day. In the First Battle of ANZAC Cove on April 12th, the ANZAC force was gutted and forced to withdraw from the beaches after Ottoman defenses were just too strong to overcome without sufficient preluding bombardment. British commanders received much criticism for this battle, as they refused to sacrifice the more veteran British divisions in support of the Australian and New Zealand ones when withdrawal began. The Second Battle of ANZAC Cove began on April 30th, following a 6-hour naval bombardment. However, thanks to the support of recently arrived German engineers, virtually all of the Ottoman defenses managed to remain in somewhat good condition. As the New Zealand troops had been withdrawn from the ANZAC awaiting reinforcements, Australian troops were the ones tasked with claiming the beach once again. By the time the Australian troops were rescued from the beaches by veteran French forces, the Australians could barely muster a half strength brigade. The horrific casualties the Australian forces had suffered caused the Australian government to order the return of whoever remained, if anyone at all. However, the British government, instead of consenting, appropriated the Australian soldiers and ships at Gallipoli into the British military and petitioned the Australians to send seven more divisions of soldiers to the West. Combined with residual German resistance in Oceania as well as the prospect of seeing seven divisions worth of Australians sacrificed in vain, the Australian people petitioned the government to get out of World War One.
The German government, happy to see at least one enemy fall, gave Australia, via the neutral United States, a very lucrative peace offer. In exchange for a cession of hostilities, Australia would receive all German colonies in the Pacific, comprised of territory on New Guinea as well as the Bismarck Archipelago, German Samoa, the Marshall Islands, the Marianas, the Carolines, the Palau Islands and Nauru. The Germans even promised not to send U-Boats to the Indian or Pacific Oceans. When the British government intercepted the message, they completely overreacted by immediately denouncing the offer, expelling Australia from the British Commonwealth, and enacting an embargo on Australia. This then led to a souring of US-British relations, as it was revealed that Britain was spying on the transatlantic cables from Germany to the US. Asquith’s government soon fell over backlash for those actions, to be replaced by David Lloyd George. George soon offered Australia to rejoin the Commonwealth and quickly ended the embargo, but the damage had been done [3]. Prime Minister Fisher declared the Federal Republic of Australia, replacing the Commonwealth of Australia, and he became its first Premier. Japan was secretly very annoyed with the turn of events, having seen territory they conquered nearly without bloodshed turned over to the Australians, without so much as a second thought.
[1]- This is the Point of Divergence. Apparently, civilians actually ran the minesweepers in reality.
[2]- Most Allied losses are due to mines. The minesweepers were some of the first ships targeted.
[3]- Britain is seen after this as a much more overtly imperial power, leading some to question their real motives...
Starfish Over Star-fire: An Australian Timeline
Spring/Summer 1915-
The Gallipoli Campaign is widely seen as the worst military blunder by the British Empire in World War One. It began with massive success, yet ended in total failure. The Allies initiated the campaign in order to capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople, as well as distract Germany and Austria-Hungary from other offensives in the East and West. A major success would, possibly, draw in Greece or Bulgaria on the Allied side and sever the Ottomans from the Germans. British forces began clearing the Dardanelles of mines using soldier-run minesweepers, following serious questions of the integrity of civilian-run ships clearing mines [1]. This allowed an Allied fleet to run the gauntlet of the Dardanelles and enter the Sea of Marmara. In the subsequent Battle of the Sea of Marmara on March 15th, the Allied fleet was decisively beaten through a combination of shore battery fire, the timely arrival of virtually all of the remaining Ottoman fleet, as well as many mines the minesweepers missed [2]. Thus, the landings at Gallipoli began much sooner than anyone could anticipate, in order for the shore batteries to be disabled in preparation for another attack on Constantinople. As the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force was still incomplete, more pressure was on the men of the ANZAC.
Without a large naval force active in the Aegean after Marmara, the ANZAC troops were thus relying on surprise to carry the day. In the First Battle of ANZAC Cove on April 12th, the ANZAC force was gutted and forced to withdraw from the beaches after Ottoman defenses were just too strong to overcome without sufficient preluding bombardment. British commanders received much criticism for this battle, as they refused to sacrifice the more veteran British divisions in support of the Australian and New Zealand ones when withdrawal began. The Second Battle of ANZAC Cove began on April 30th, following a 6-hour naval bombardment. However, thanks to the support of recently arrived German engineers, virtually all of the Ottoman defenses managed to remain in somewhat good condition. As the New Zealand troops had been withdrawn from the ANZAC awaiting reinforcements, Australian troops were the ones tasked with claiming the beach once again. By the time the Australian troops were rescued from the beaches by veteran French forces, the Australians could barely muster a half strength brigade. The horrific casualties the Australian forces had suffered caused the Australian government to order the return of whoever remained, if anyone at all. However, the British government, instead of consenting, appropriated the Australian soldiers and ships at Gallipoli into the British military and petitioned the Australians to send seven more divisions of soldiers to the West. Combined with residual German resistance in Oceania as well as the prospect of seeing seven divisions worth of Australians sacrificed in vain, the Australian people petitioned the government to get out of World War One.
The German government, happy to see at least one enemy fall, gave Australia, via the neutral United States, a very lucrative peace offer. In exchange for a cession of hostilities, Australia would receive all German colonies in the Pacific, comprised of territory on New Guinea as well as the Bismarck Archipelago, German Samoa, the Marshall Islands, the Marianas, the Carolines, the Palau Islands and Nauru. The Germans even promised not to send U-Boats to the Indian or Pacific Oceans. When the British government intercepted the message, they completely overreacted by immediately denouncing the offer, expelling Australia from the British Commonwealth, and enacting an embargo on Australia. This then led to a souring of US-British relations, as it was revealed that Britain was spying on the transatlantic cables from Germany to the US. Asquith’s government soon fell over backlash for those actions, to be replaced by David Lloyd George. George soon offered Australia to rejoin the Commonwealth and quickly ended the embargo, but the damage had been done [3]. Prime Minister Fisher declared the Federal Republic of Australia, replacing the Commonwealth of Australia, and he became its first Premier. Japan was secretly very annoyed with the turn of events, having seen territory they conquered nearly without bloodshed turned over to the Australians, without so much as a second thought.
[1]- This is the Point of Divergence. Apparently, civilians actually ran the minesweepers in reality.
[2]- Most Allied losses are due to mines. The minesweepers were some of the first ships targeted.
[3]- Britain is seen after this as a much more overtly imperial power, leading some to question their real motives...
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