~May-Aug 1893: One night in Bangkok
May 1893: The repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, has caused a rush of people seeking to convert their silver notes to gold. Eventually this causes US gold reserves to fall to their statutory minimum, preventing further silver notes being converted. The result is a panic, followed by a series of bank and railway collapses, triggering another massive depression in the US. Fortunately the prior divestment of their US portfolios by European and British investors limits the international fall out and the depression is largely confined to the US.
May 1893: The Khalifa finally allows Osman Digna, now with 40,000 men to attack Kosheh. However Kitchener is now receiving supplies and the garrison is now 7,0000 strong, supported by the Nile River Flotilla. Digna's attacking forces come under withering rifle and Maxim gun fire, and are unable to break the British defences. When Digna himself is killed, the Mahdists morale breaks and they flee. However with little cavalry at their disposal, the British are unable to effectively pursue the routing troops. Nonetheless, some 8,000 Mahdists are killed or captured.
June 1893: The radical Government of India Act is passed. This act firmly establishes the principle that the administration of India should be handled at the provincial level as far as possible, and that Indian opinion must be well represented. The nine major provincial councils of Assam, Bengal, Bombay, Burma, Central Provinces, Madras, Pashtunistan, Punjab, and United Provinces councils are to consist of thirty elected members, four members appointed to represent the main ethnic and religious groups in the province including two reserved for Anglo-Indians, and finally fourteen members appointed by the provincial governor. The four minor provinces of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Ajmer-Merwar, Baluchistan, and Coorg will be governed by a council of 15 elected members and ten members appointed by the Chief Commissioner. The central legislative council is to consist of eighteen members appointed by the nine major provincial councils, four members appointed by the minor provinces, sixteen members appointed by the eight major Princely States of Baroda, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu and Kashmir, Jodhpur, Mysore, and Travancore, six elected members to represent the Dilat, Parsi and Sikh communities, four members elected by the Anglo-Indian community, and lastly twenty members appointed by the Viceroy. The central council is only to retain power over defence, railways, economic development, famine relief, maintenance of public order, relations with the Imperial government, weights, measures and other standards, and foreign affairs. The governor of each province and viceroy retain the right to veto any legislation, with a further veto held by the Secretary of State for India in London. The act will result in a major increase in Indian support for the moderate Indian National Congress over the more radical Indian National Association.
June 1893: General Roberts engages Abbas army at Tandata. While in a strong defensive position, the Egyptians most serious issue is a lack of artillery, with only 30 pieces, all with only limited ammunition. Against this, the British have 60 pieces amply supplied. The vast majority of the Egyptians are also only equipped with obsolete single shot rifles, while the British are armed with modern Lee-Metford magazine rifles. Nonetheless, the Egyptians offer heavy resistance, but eventually the British advantages begin to tell, with the morale of Abbas irregular troops collapsing under sustained British assault. Abbas is forced to retreat toward Cairo, abandoning much of his artillery. With it clear he can no longer hope to oppose the British advance, Abbas flees to the Ottoman Empire several days latter. Abbas flight destroys what remains of his army's morale and it disintegrates. Robert's quickly occupies Cairo and moves to fully restore British control over Egypt.
July 1893: In April a French Colonial Inspector and seventeen Vietnamese militia were killed by Siamese forces in Laos. In what will become known as the Paknan Incident, the French use this as a pretext for military intervention, sending two warships up the Chao Phraya River toward Bangkok. Still believing they have British support, the Siamese fort at Paknan opens fire on the vessels. The French return fire and force passage to Bangkok, then issuing an ultimatum demanding the Siamese withdraw from all Laotian territory east of the Mekong River, pay and indemnity and punish those responsible for the deaths in Laos. The Siamese appeal to the British for support, however in accordance with their agreement with the French, they advise the Siamese to obtain the best terms they can.
July 1893: Thus far the US and British attempts to halt the South American Naval Arms Race have proved fruitless with the Brazilians now ordering another pair of protected cruisers from British yards.
July 1893: Former British Indian civil servant Allan Hume and founder of the Indian National Congress has managed to establish a thriving textile business, now owning three mills. Seeking to diversify he cooperates with Parsi industrialist Jamsetji Tata to found the Tata and Hume Iron and Steel Company to use the Imperial Development Act to construct an advanced steel mill capable of producing steel equally in quality to the best in the world.
July 1893: Despite fierce opposition US Congress enacts the Howard Act bring the terms of the Gresham-Thompson Treaty into effect. The reduced tariffs on Canadian goods will lead to Canada becoming a major transshipment point for British and Dominion goods entering the US market re-branded as Canadian goods. This will create a great deal of public opposition to the treaty in the US.
August 1893: With Egypt once again firmly under British control, Kitchener's supply line has been restored. The Dominion Brigade and an additional British brigade, supported by cavalry and artillery are dispatched to reinforce his army, replacing the now disbanded Egyptian units. This brings the number of troops at his disposal to 23,000, allowing him to feel confident in resuming the offensive. His initial move is a drive to regain control of Dongola.
August 1893: The Third Congress of the Second International at Zurich is dominated by the disastrous results of the 1892 May Day strikes. The anarchist blame the communist for their lack of support, while the communists condemn the anarchists for the crackdown on socialist movements which followed. The acrimonious argument will eventually lead to the expulsion of the anarchist movement from the Second International, marking the final split between the two socialist revolutionary groups. With the removal of the anarchist elements the Congress will pass a resolution condemning Jewish influence in international capitalism and also calling for the establishment of a 'dictatorship of the proletariat as a precursor to the establishment of a true classless socialist state.
August 1893: Brazilian Prime Minister Afonso Celso successfully gets the Lei dos Direitos Básicos or Law of Basic Rights passed. The law guarantees freedom of the press, speech and religion as well as abolishing the death penalty. While once again not welcomed by the conservatives, the law finds wide support with the lower and middle classes.
August 1893: Admiral George Tryon is appointed as First Sea Lord. He begins a program of reforms based around his TA signalling system. Under this system the previous complex process of issuing orders with multiple signal flags and awaiting acknowledgement is replaced with a few simple orders with no requirement for acknowledgement. Instead, officers are to simply follow the lead ship and exercise their own judgement as required. While highly controversial, it will greatly increase officer initiative and the flexibility of the Royal Navy.