The end of 1939
As the Bengalis prepare to announce independence, a huge Russian air raid descends on the city of Dacca. Comprising the latest heavy bombers from the vastly-improved Russian factories**, the air raid smashes much of the centre of the city. A few of the delegates are killed, but enough survive in the air raid shelters to emerge later and formalise their declaration amidst the burning ruins of what had been earmarked to be the national assembly building
Immediately upon the announcement, both Berlin and Tokyo announce that they recognise the Bengali authority as the legitimate authority for Bengal, but refrain from actually recognising their independence. Both empires announce that they will be sending Ambassador Plenipotentiaries to Dacca, and at the same time call upon the other 'Interested Powers' to agree to an international conference at a neutral location to settle once and for all the question of India
Whilst this latter receives a cautious welcome in London and Washington, both Russia and Nehru's government reject it as unnecessary meddling in the internal affairs of the Confederation
By year's end, Nehru is having some serious problems of his own. It seems that he kills one bugbear only to be faced with a hoarde of new ones. With Lahore 'solved' and the Bengali question being addressed, he might have hoped for some peace, but the Russian assault on Bengal is causing dangerous splits inside the Indian National Congress
On the one hand, Jinnah's accession to the Congress is now in danger of breaking up again. He has accepted that unless India is formed as a confederal but single entity then the Muslim lands will for the mostpart fall under the sway of foreign powers, as with Germany and its protectorate in Baluchistan/Kalat. To this end, he supported the suppression of the separatist campaign in Lahore, and also in Bengal. But the Russian onslaught on Bengal is splitting his movement, and is causing him great heartache in his own self.
For the moment, he remains committed to Nehru's policy, but warns him that there needs to be a speedy conclusion to the Bengali war or his own movement will either split apart or will be made irrelevant by a groundswell of popular protest against what is being done to their Muslim brothers, and being done largely by Russians at that
If this is not enough for Nehru's problems, Gandhi is causing great problems within the Hindu main body of the INC asking whether Nehru has dictatorial tendencies, and just where the agreement with Russia is supposed to be going
As 1939 ends, the Republic of Australia files an official protest with the Neutral Commissioner over Britain's non-payment of compensation. Lengthy legal challenges have brought the process to a halt, and Sydney tries to make it clear to the rest of the world that Edward VIII and his government have no intention of paying, treaty obligation or not
From Washington, President Vandenberg issues a formal invitation to the Australian Foreign Minister to visit in the Spring
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** I have postulated that Russian aviation is enjoying something of a boom. Freed from the cloying alliance with Germany, the Russian air force is able to use home-made designs rather than German rip-offs and second-generation designs. Honed in battle over the Afghan and Lahore campaigns, the designers have come into their own and Russian factories are now producing state-of-the-art aircraft in a number of types. The exception is with jet propulsion of which they have no experience, and which so far only Germany is beginning to adopt and that on a very small scale. However, the encounter with such aircraft over Herat will have spurred Russian minds to begin to think in that direction
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
