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1903:

-Oil reserves are discovered in Ottoman Libya, much to the excitement of the their leadership. Drilling is planned to begin soon. The Ottoman Empire's leaders are very pleased as they will now have a major boost to their economy.

-Construction begins on the Baghdad railway, intended to connect Anatolia with the Persian Gulf. The Ottoman Empire and Germany are both putting effort into the project, the latter because they want to establish friendlier relations with the Ottomans and need an alternate route to their East African colonies than the Suez canal.

-Colombia rejects the US proposal to lease land for the Panama Canal. This later leads to a US-sponsored uprising and the independence of Panama.

-The very first aircraft is flown by the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in the USA.

-The leaders of Imperial Japan and the Empire of Korea sign the Eulsa Treaty, making Korea a protectorate of Japan. However, it is opposed by much of the Korean leadership.


1904:

-Drilling operations begin in Italian Libya.

-Russia completes the Trans-Siberian railway, linking its European territory with its Far Eastern ports and cities.

-The Russo-Japanese war begins. Tensions boiling over territory in the Far East lead to large naval and ground clashes around Korea and Machuria.

-The Entente Cordiale is signed by France and Great Britain, putting an official stamp on the peace that had existed between the two states since the ouster of Napoleon.

-The French discover large oil reserves in Algeria and West Africa (around modern day Niger OTL). Drilling efforts begin immediately.

-The Ottomans begin to divert their oil profits to the construction of the Baghdad railway. Refineries are constructed along the Libyan coast.


1905:

-Japan emerges as the victor of their war with Russia, gaining much territory and pride.

-HMS Dreadnought is laid down, sparking a large naval arms race between Europe's larger powers (as well as Russia, Japan, and the US).

-Oil drilling in Africa gives a boost to the economies of France and the Ottomans. The ports in Tripoli and Algiers are expanding rapidly as they are forced to be able to handle the large amounts of oil now leaving Africa for new refineries in France and Anatolia.

-The Ottomans begin plans for a railway to Libya. However, this may be an issue, due to the obstacle of Egypt (militarily controlled by the British). Thus, alternatives are searched for. In the mean time, however, it is the Ottomans goal to improve diplomatic relations to hopefully gain approval to build a railway.

-Other colonial powers, primarily Britain, Germany, Portugal, and Spain, begin searching through their African colonies for similar oil reserves, in the hopes that they can discover a lucrative source of oil. No luck is had between them so far, as no reserves are found.

-Italy, having claims to Libya, begins to look on with jealousy as the land below them is gaining much wealth for its owners.




A set of oil derricks in Libya built shortly after oil was discovered there.




HMS Dreadnought, soon after being launched.
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