New Powers and Alliances to Ensure Peace
The Third Confederate-American War had been the main show around. Many of the worlds nations sent officers to both sides of the conflict to observe the war. Germany sent the most observers with 625 sent, Britain was second with 605, then Russia 565, Italy 500, France 324, Austria-Hungary 200, Japan 100, the Ottoman Empire 62, Sweden 44, Bulgaria 20, Serbia 20, Greece 12, Belgium 6, the Netherlands 2, Brazil 2, Argentina 2, Peru 1, Bolivia 1, North Mexico 1, South Mexico 1, and Yucatan 1. Lessons learned during the war would spread across the globe as the world's militaries began working to change their doctrines to try and adapt to this new warfare.
Alliances were either formed or grew during this time as well. Germany and Austria-Hungary had been allied since 1880 and in 1886 the Balkan military behemoth Bulgaria joined them creating the Triple Alliance. The creation of the Triple Alliance caused two old enemies to put aside their differences for the greater good of self preservation and the Franco-Russian Alliance was formed and the next year they were joined by Italy forming the Triple Entente. Smaller alliances were also being made as well. France and Greece aligned in 1885, Serbia and Russia in 1887, and Greece and Serbia in 1889. Britain had reasons to join either side or neither side. They hated France, but they feared the powerhouse Germany had became. For the 1880's it was any mans guess where the British Empire would throw its weight around.
In July 1896 a second major war would open up in the world as Japan and Qing China went to war over who would be the dominant regional power among other grievances. Despite the drastic modernization Japan had gone through most of the world believed that the war would end in Japanese defeat. Japan however, would shock the world and after eight months of near total Japanese land and sea domination the war came to a humiliating end for China. With the Treaty of Hiroshima China recognized the full independence of Korea from their sphere and Japan's subsequent sphering and puppetizing of the peninsula, China cedes the Pescadores islands, Formosa, the city of Hangchow and its immediate surroundings, 290 square miles of the eastern end of the Shandong Peninsula and including the port city of Weihaiwei, China grants Japan most favored nation status, and agreed to pay Japan 200,000,000 Kuping taels of silver. The war had catapulted Japan into becoming a major regional power deserving now of the European powers respect. Proving their strength and vitally needing an ally in the region in the event of another major war France began courting Japan and in 1899 the Franco-Japanese Alliance was formed. This would tip the scales enough for Britain and in 1900 after Kaiser Heinrich, who became crown prince after the death of his older brother in 1865 and Kaiser after his fathers death in 1891, made a state visit to London the Anglo-German Alliance was formed.
The Third Confederate-American War had been the main show around. Many of the worlds nations sent officers to both sides of the conflict to observe the war. Germany sent the most observers with 625 sent, Britain was second with 605, then Russia 565, Italy 500, France 324, Austria-Hungary 200, Japan 100, the Ottoman Empire 62, Sweden 44, Bulgaria 20, Serbia 20, Greece 12, Belgium 6, the Netherlands 2, Brazil 2, Argentina 2, Peru 1, Bolivia 1, North Mexico 1, South Mexico 1, and Yucatan 1. Lessons learned during the war would spread across the globe as the world's militaries began working to change their doctrines to try and adapt to this new warfare.
Alliances were either formed or grew during this time as well. Germany and Austria-Hungary had been allied since 1880 and in 1886 the Balkan military behemoth Bulgaria joined them creating the Triple Alliance. The creation of the Triple Alliance caused two old enemies to put aside their differences for the greater good of self preservation and the Franco-Russian Alliance was formed and the next year they were joined by Italy forming the Triple Entente. Smaller alliances were also being made as well. France and Greece aligned in 1885, Serbia and Russia in 1887, and Greece and Serbia in 1889. Britain had reasons to join either side or neither side. They hated France, but they feared the powerhouse Germany had became. For the 1880's it was any mans guess where the British Empire would throw its weight around.
In July 1896 a second major war would open up in the world as Japan and Qing China went to war over who would be the dominant regional power among other grievances. Despite the drastic modernization Japan had gone through most of the world believed that the war would end in Japanese defeat. Japan however, would shock the world and after eight months of near total Japanese land and sea domination the war came to a humiliating end for China. With the Treaty of Hiroshima China recognized the full independence of Korea from their sphere and Japan's subsequent sphering and puppetizing of the peninsula, China cedes the Pescadores islands, Formosa, the city of Hangchow and its immediate surroundings, 290 square miles of the eastern end of the Shandong Peninsula and including the port city of Weihaiwei, China grants Japan most favored nation status, and agreed to pay Japan 200,000,000 Kuping taels of silver. The war had catapulted Japan into becoming a major regional power deserving now of the European powers respect. Proving their strength and vitally needing an ally in the region in the event of another major war France began courting Japan and in 1899 the Franco-Japanese Alliance was formed. This would tip the scales enough for Britain and in 1900 after Kaiser Heinrich, who became crown prince after the death of his older brother in 1865 and Kaiser after his fathers death in 1891, made a state visit to London the Anglo-German Alliance was formed.