Why the Chinese play cricket (an Imperial Federation timeline)

What role could the African colonies play in the new imperial federation? While if they play their cards right i could see the Empire retaining some colonies as dominions, but it would also be interesting to see multiple Empire-aligned African nations.
 
What role could the African colonies play in the new imperial federation? While if they play their cards right i could see the Empire retaining some colonies as dominions, but it would also be interesting to see multiple Empire-aligned African nations.
Shit haven't even got there. Won't be coming up till at least the 20s
 
That’s perfectly fine, just pondering the question
It's a very interesting question, one I've never addressed in any iteration. It will likely be a make or break issue. The intrinsic racism of the Empire will hard to overcome. It will highly dependent on what happens with the rest of the colonial empires.
 
It's a very interesting question, one I've never addressed in any iteration. It will likely be a make or break issue. The intrinsic racism of the Empire will hard to overcome. It will highly dependent on what happens with the rest of the colonial empires.
Hmm its a hard question shame there are no earlier VC awarded to Indian Troops than 1914 that could be a very useful stick to beat people with.
 
I believe in one of your previous iterations (or it may have been a seperate timeline) Nigeria was brought up as the “civilized black colony”. This was the main reason behind my question, especially if it could mean all African colonies could do so or rather there is a divide between the “civilized” blacks and the “uncivilized”, something like Liberia.
 
Hmm its a hard question shame there are no earlier VC awarded to Indian Troops than 1914 that could be a very useful stick to beat people with.
The Indian army had it's own system of dedcorations. From memory, there was an IA equivelant of the VC
I believe in one of your previous iterations (or it may have been a seperate timeline) Nigeria was brought up as the “civilized black colony”. This was the main reason behind my question, especially if it could mean all African colonies could do so or rather there is a divide between the “civilized” blacks and the “uncivilized”, something like Liberia.
In the first iteration there were six layers of membership of the Commonwealth. Home Nations, Dominions, Commonwealth States, Commonwealth Dependences, Protectorates, and Colonies.

The home Nations and Dominions were essentially identical. Only difference is one of the Dominions didn't need the approval of the Westminster Parliament to alter their constitutions (NZ is the one I think). These all had full autonomy and full representation in Westminster. CW states had full autonomy but limited representation in Westminster. Dependencies had full autonomy and non voting observers in Westminster. Protectorates had some form of autonomy (depended on the particular protectorate) and no representation in Westminster. Finally colonies were directly under the control of Westminster.

In the third iteration, this whole issue had just started raising it's head. Nigeria was being fast tracked for dominion states along with the West Indies and Egypt I think.
 
Yes that sounds familiar, you inferred that dominion status for a majority black colony would have radical effects for how the imperial federation would approach the treatment of non white colonies
 
Yes that sounds familiar, you inferred that dominion status for a majority black colony would have radical effects for how the imperial federation would approach the treatment of non white colonies
The issue and huge elephants in the room will be South Africa with it's massive racism along with things like Australia's White Australia policies.
 
April-June 1901: Learning your lessons
~April-June 1901: Learning your lessons

April 1901: US troops with the assistance of Filipino collaborators capture Emilio Auginaldo, leader of the resistance to the US the Philippines. Shortly after his capture he will swear allegiance to the US and issue a formal surrender of the Filipino rebel government. This will deal a severe blow to the insurgent movement in the Philippines, with the many rebels laying down their weapons over the next few months. However leadership of the resistance will be taken over by Miguel Malvar who will continue the insurgency.

April 1901: The US naval program includes no new major warships, but seven improved Holland type submarines as the Plunger class and eight further Iroquois gunboats. However the major expenditure is for the establishment of major naval bases at San Diego and Seattle of the US Pacific coast along with Guantánamo Bay in Cuba and Subic Bay in the Philippines.

April 1901: The undersea telegraph cable from Fiji to Hawai'i is finally completed, connecting the islands into the All Red Line communication net. Work begins immediately on the links from Hawai'i to California and the Philippines.

April 1901: The Elgin Commission looking into the performance of the British and Imperial forces in the Boer War delivers its report, recommending far reaching changes to training, doctrine and equipment. The report begins by stressing Imperial forces face a wide range of potential threats, from colonial conflicts such as the Mahdists in Sudan, low level tribal conflict such as in Northwest India, conventional war with a lesser power such as the recent Anglo-Ottoman War, through to a conventional war against a Great Power, such as Russia in India or China. Thus the army needs to flexible to face this range of potential threats. It stresses the old rigidly control hierarchical system is outdated, and the importance of individual initiative down to the lowest level and the local knowledge of the 'man on the spot' in reference to junior and field grade officers. It suggests allowing such officers to disregard orders from higher command if they good reason to believe the senior officer is unaware of facts on the ground. It also believes it is necessary to abandon the old reliance on strictly control volley fire in favour of individual marksmanship along with fire and movement. The report particularly recommends radical changes to cavalry doctrine, stating in its opinion at least 90% of all cavalry actions will be fought dismounted. While not going as far as suggesting the cavalry be converted to pure mounted infantry, it does stress the need for cavalry to be equal in marksmanship and dismounted tactics to the infantry. To this end it supports the contention of the 'Indian School' of officers favouring the development of a handier universal rifle for both infantry and cavalry. It also notes the poor performance of the British artillery in the Boer War, recommending the development of new equipment with increase weight and volume of fire. It also notes the importance of suppressing fire both artillery and other troops. In this vein it suggest increasing the allocation of machine guns to infantry and cavalry, along with the formation of a dedicated Machine Gun Corps separate from the artillery.

May 1901: With the Boer War consuming ever more troops, the British begin withdrawing their forces from China, even though no final settlement has yet been reached. The majority of the troops withdrawn are redeployed to South Africa, including several Indian Battalions. These will be the first Indian units deployed to the theatre. In order to maintain some strength in China, the Hong Kong Artillery and Rifle Volunteer Corps, recruited from Hong Kong Chinese volunteers is split into the Hong Kong Artillery Volunteer Corps and Hong Kong Rifle Regiment. The Hong Kong Rifle Regiment will become a regular single battalion regiment, supplementing the Indian recruited Hong Kong Regiment and the Chinese recruited Weihaiwei Regiment already serving in China.

May 1901: With the situation now having stabilised, the Guangxu Emperor recalls his wife Empress Keshun from Kunming. While she is anxious to return to assist her husband, she delays her departure several weeks to complete certain political manoeuvrings she has been engaged in since the Guangxu Emperor formed his government in Nanjing. As a result of her activities, support for the Southern Qing has increased significantly in Guizhou and Yunnan Provinces.

May 1901: In an effort to counter his growing unpopularity due to his pro Austro-Hungarian policies and recent marriage, King Alexander of Serbia introduces a new liberal constitution. While this will reconcile the political establishment of Serbia to his rule, the army continues to oppose him, deeply concerned at the influence of Queen Draga on him and the need for an heir.

May 1901: Deeply disappointed by the performance of their Krag-Jørgensen rifles during the Spanish-American War and equally impressed by the Spanish Mauser rifles, the US adopt a new service rifle. The Springfield M1901 is a modified Mauser design with a full length 77cm barrel firing a 0.30” (7.62x63mm) cartridge from an internal five round magazine. The rifle will be followed a shorter M1902 Carbine with a 55cm barrel in the next year. While the US navy is satisfied with the performance of the 6mm Lee rifles, they will agree to adopt the new Springfield in the interests of commonality.

June 1901: With the capture of Emilio Auginaldo and subsequent surrender of many rebels, the US has been withdrawing troops for the Philippines in the expectation of the end of the insurgency. Believe the conflict is largely over, the para-military Philippines Constabulary is formed to take over the bulk of the fighting against the remaining rebels alongside the Philippines Scouts. Equipped largely with obsolete single shot Springfield M1884 rifles and lacking training or discipline, the Constabulary will prove only of limited effectiveness. It will also be hampered by infiltration into its ranks by rebel sympathisers.

June 1901: Though the Russians have been attempting to pressure the Guangxu Emperor into accepting a permanent Russian occupation of Manchuria, he has been successful in manoeuvring the other Great Powers into opposing such an occupation. Thus the Russians are forced to agree to withdraw their forces from the region by the end of April 1903.

June 1901: Since Sultan Abdul Hamid II's move to end constitutional government in 1878, opposition to his regime has been slowly growing among Ottoman liberals and reformers. While the Sultan had seen a brief surge in support after the victory over Greece in 1897, the defeat in the Anglo-Ottoman war and the humiliating terms of the Treaty of Beirut, particularly the heavy indemnity imposed, have undone all such gains. Opposition has solidified around a group of revolutionaries and nationalist army officers taking the name Young Turks after the Young Ottoman's who created the constitution originally. The Young Turks attempt to remove the Sultan in an assassination plot. However the plot is foiled and the Sultan launches a harsh crackdown. While many of the movement are arrested and even executed, its leaders escape overseas or simply are not discovered in the purge.

June 1901: After having toured the Concentration Camps in South Africa and being shocked at the conditions there, social reformer Emily Hobhouse returns to Britain and reports her finding in the liberal press. While she is scathingly criticised by the government and conservative press, she finds support with many in the Liberal Party. Eventually, despite defending the camps in the house, Colonial Secretary Lord Rosebery reluctantly establishes a commission of prominent women headed by Millicent Fawcett to investigate the conditions in the camps. The Fawcett Commission will confirm Hobhouse's findings, leading to a major scandal and significant improvements in conditions in the camps.

June 1901: With over 22,000 troops deployed to China, forming the largest single component of the Eight Nations Alliance army, the Japanese follow the British example and begin withdrawing their forces. These withdrawals greatly encourage the Northern Qing, who begin planing a military campaign to defeat the Southern Qing and regain control of China.

June 1901: With the belief the Philippines insurgency is coming to end with the capture of its main leader, the US begins withdrawing troops from the archipelago. With the Cuban Rebellion still ongoing, the vast majority of these troops are redeployed to Cuba with the hope of bring that conflict to an end. However the remaining volunteer units raised during the Spanish-American War are returned to the US and discharged from service, leaving only a few volunteers still serving in Cuba.
 
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Elgin report sounds promising, if followed up.
After the 2nd Boer War, OTL there was a major reform process undertaken by the British Army it affected basically the overall command organisation with the establishment of the Imperial General Staff, officer training, NCO Training and lead to the establishment of the Territorial Army to replace the mix Yeomanry, Militia and Volunteer rifles. As well as major reforms to the Infantry and Cavalry arms of the British Army and to a lesser extent to the Arty and machine gun corps.
 
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The issue and huge elephants in the room will be South Africa with it's massive racism along with things like Australia's White Australia policies.
And the most interesting thing is that not only would government policy possibly have to change in the face of this, but even the psyche of the people there. This could easily become a divide between Westminster and her dominions if not addressed properly.
 
Interesting developments all around.

Can't wait to see the effects those diagnosis will have on the british armies.

Elgin report sounds promising, if followed up.

After the 2nd Boer War, OTL there was a major reform process undertaken by the British Army it affected basically the overall command organisation with the establishment of the Imperial General Staff, officer training, NCO Training and lead to the establishment of the Territorial Army to replace the mix Yeomanry, Militia and Volunteer rifles. As well as major reforms to the Infantry and Cavalry arms of the British Army and to a lesser extent to the Arty and machine gun corps.

On the Boer War: there were experiments by both sides with radio telegraphy. A couple of decent pieces:

WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY DURING THE ANGLO-BOER WAR OF 1899-1902


Wireless in the Boer War


Somewhere or other (possibly in Hezlet's The Electron and Sea Power) I've read that there was at least one instance of naval gunfire support being directed by a coastal Marconi set.

The entire British military, or at this point ITTL CW military, is going to undergo a major change. Already the various dominion forces are far more integrated and this will get more pronounced. Plus there'll be a second set of reforms following on, not to mention changes to the RN. The major change will be a far more integrated force and likely a move to a modern MoD style system much earlier.
 
And the most interesting thing is that not only would government policy possibly have to change in the face of this, but even the psyche of the people there. This could easily become a divide between Westminster and her dominions if not addressed properly.
The issue of racism in the Dominions has already surfaced once and nearly derailed the who imperial fed movement (it was only the emergence of external threats which saved it). The both the imperial and dominion governments are very sensitive about this. Expect a long hard fight with Westminster unwilling to push hard until they have no choice. Funnily enough it's about to raise it's ugly head.
 
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July-Sept 1901: White Australia
~July-Sept 1901: The conundrum of a white Australia

July 1901: Acutely aware how the Dreyfus Affair has weakened France and seeking to capitalise on the increase in hostility toward German in Britain due to the Second Naval Law, French Emperor Napoleon IV suggests a conference aimed at reducing colonial tensions between Britain and France. Lord Salisbury, himself aware of the shortcomings in Imperial defence revealed by the recent wars, eagerly agrees. The conference is scheduled for mid December in London.

July 1901: The Melbourne Imperial Conference is the first with Indian representation, the delegation consisting of Arthur Havelock and Maharajah Ganga Singh of Bikaner, along with Indian National Congress politicians Surendranath Banerjee and Allan Hume. The Conference is naturally dominated by the Boer War in South Africa, along with the Anglo-Ottoman War and the situation in China. A great deal of concern is expressed over the difficulty in finding troops to cover all three threats simultaneously, with many wondering if the Empire's has sufficient to face a major war and meet its existing commitments. In an effort to resolve this situation it is agreed the British and Dominion armies should be increased by 15% from their pre war strength. Also in order to be able to react any crisis, an Imperial Army Corps based in Egypt will be created. The new corps incorporate the existing Dominion troops forming part of the Egyptian garrison and is to be capable of being rapidly deployed anywhere in the Empire. Meanwhile the Dominions express disquiet at their being no Dominion representation of the Elgin Commission investigating potential reforms. In order to quiet this concern the British agree to form a second Commission to look at the wide questions of Imperial security. Regarding China, considerable concern is expressed over the split of the Qing into two competing groups and it is resolved to support the new reformist government of the Guangxu Emperor.

July 1901: With security matters dealt with is also considerable discussion at the Melbourne Imperial Conference regarding economic integration, with the Indian delegation particularly keen on including India in the new Imperial common market. While the Dominions are still reluctant to see India included, they do accept that tariffs on Indian goods should be lower than 'foreign' imports. Finally the matter of Australia's new 'White Australia' immigration policy is raised. Australian Premier Barton argues the policy is purely internal Australian matter and as such falls under the Sydney Doctrine of no Imperial interference with local affairs. The Indian and British delegations argue that it goes against the principle of free movement of labour within the Empire, and therefore the Sydney Doctrine does not apply. The debate becomes particularly heated and eventual Dominion Secretary Jan Hofmeyr proposes a compromise. He suggests the while each Dominion should be able to determine the ethnic make up of their permanent population, the free movement of labour within the Empire should no be interfered with and as such temporary residence should be granted to Imperial migrants. This will become known as the Melbourne Doctrine. Finally it agreed the next conference should be held in 1903 in Edinburgh.

August 1901: The National Defence Act is passed by the New Zealand Parliament. The act introduces compulsory military training for all men between 17 and 24, making it the first form of conscription in the British Empire. Under the act, all men will receive three months military training before returning to civilian life. Those who elect to join the volunteers will receive an additional two weeks training every year. While there is no compulsion in Volunteer service, many do, creating a pool of trained recruits for mobilisation in the event of war.

August 1901: Over the past decade naval artillery has been steadily increasing in range. This, along with the increasing effectiveness of modern armour has led many to question the value of the standard rapid firing 6" secondary armament of most battleships, with many nations now turning to a secondary battery of larger intermediate calibre weapons. In line with this trend the three King Edward VII battleships ordered include a secondary battery of four 9.2” guns in addition to the standard four 12” main battery guns and ten 6” guns as a tertiary battery. Also as the navy has been greatly impressed with the Canadian St Lawrence class destroyers, the new program abandons the previous ' 30 knotter' type in favour of a larger class patterned after the Canadian ships. The River class will prove to be far more effective than earlier destroyers. Finally the 1901/02 program includes one 2nd class cruiser, the Ceylon, to be constructed at the new Triconmalee Naval Dockyard in Ceylon in order to give the yard experience, with plans for additional orders in future years.

August 1901: With the Great Powers slowly withdrawing their troops from China, the Northern Qing launch an attack into Hubei Province under Dong Fuxiang. The offensive involves the use of a considerable number of European trained Chinese units from Gansu. While the Southern Qing's forces under Liu Kunyi move to oppose the attack they are outnumbered an initially unable to halt the attack. However the Guangxu Emperor orders reinforcements moved from neighbouring provinces, stabilising the situation. This attack will mark the beginning of the Chinese Civil War.

August 1901: In keeping with the agreement at the Melbourne Imperial Conference, the British Conservative government establish a second commission to investigate if reforms is required to wider aspects of Imperial defence in light of the recent wars in China, the Middle East and South Africa. The new commission will be headed by Liberal politician Lord Esher and include representatives from Canada, South Africa and the Pacific Dominions.

September 1901: With the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War, both sides have realised they will need to expand their forces, but both adopt very different approaches. While acknowledging the value of the well trained pre war New Armies, the Northern Qing elect to attempt to raise large numbers of new units as quickly as possible, with training limited to six to nine months and troops issued with whatever equipment is at hand. Recruitment is handled by simply issuing quotas to local officials, who are left to obtain the necessary numbers by whatever means they feel appropriate. This will result in a wide variety of personnel quality, with some officials simply resorting to press ganging, though a large number of highly motivated former Boxer will join initially, giving an almost fanatic quality to many early Northern Qing units. The Southern Qing's policy on the other hand is strongly influenced by the Emperor's experiences in the British Army. They choose to attempt to maintain or even improve the quality of the existing New Army, opting to rely on voluntary recruitment with recruits receiving between a year and fifteen months training. The Southern Qing will also attempt to ensure standardisation of equipment at least within units, though shortages often result in non-standard and even obsolete equipment being issued. This last problem will plague both sides, with European nations extremely reluctant to supply modern military equipment after the Boxer War.

September 1901: US President McKinley is shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo. Despite appearing to recover, McKinley dies eight days later with Vice President Roosevelt succeeding him. McKinley will be the third US President after Lincoln and Garfield to be assassinated. His assassination will lead to a major crackdown on anarchist groups throughout the US, with many leading anarchist arrested and Congress passing legislation charging the US Marshals Office with the protection of the President and other senior US officials.

September 1901: Despite the ongoing civil war in Hubei Province, the Eight Nation Alliance force the Guangxu Emperor to sign the Boxer Protocol to bring the occupation of China to an end. The Emperor however has been able to skilfully play the Great Powers off against each other, reducing the indemnity from 450 million taels of silver {£68,589,191} over 40 years to 350 million taels of silver {£53,806,608} over 60 years and avoid any military restrictions on the Chinese forces. He does however agree to punish and execute many leading supporters of the Boxers, most of whom have fled with Dowager Empress Cixi and are now supporting her Northern Qing, express his regrets and apologise to the Great Powers for the actions of the Boxers. While he has been successful in reducing the Alliance demands, these last conditions will significantly undermine his support in much of China. With the signing of the Protocol, the Great Powers will begin withdrawing their troops from China and the Southern Qing are allowed to return to Beijing. Though the Emperor had little choice in accepting the terms demanded by the Eight Nation Alliance and has successfully moderated them to a significant degree, his acceptance of the Protocol will result in the loss of much support in China.
 
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