บท 39: Colonial adventures (April-June, 1873
Russia and Germany in the Pacific]
The Pacific Navy member Ivan Alekseevich Shestakov, after his actions for the Kingdom of Siam, mobilized towards Cape Maclay in Papua New Guinea at the beginning of April. It had been 1 year and 3 months since Nicholas Nicolaevich Miklouho-Maclay went on his second expedition.
Upon entering Cape Maclay, Shestakov and the Russian sailors, hoisting their flag, were initially greeted by a delegation of men from the local tribes, now with Miklouho-Maclay as a kind of leader or protector (something strange to Shestakov).
But it turns out that there were other European gentlemen on the island besides the Russians.
*******
"I'm sure this is wrong." Ivan Shestakov mentioned Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay.
"It seems to me the only solution to avoid the slavery and genocide of the Papuans. Please." Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay insists.
"... I think you are very naive if you think that will not happen under the Germans, but that's fine. I will help you, but you will have to bear the consequences of all this." The sailor exclaims.
"Of course".
The other European knights were members of some of the commercial-colonial associations of the German Empire, more specifically Deutsche Südostasiens (which was the only German colony at the time, incidentally).
According to agreements between Miklouho-Maclay and the Germans, the Germans would get the southeast of Papua New Guinea while the Russians would get the northeast territory.
With this treaty effectively dividing the island of New Guinea between three (the west in de-facto Dutch hands, and the eastern part divided in two, the Russian north and the German south).
The Germans gave the Russians a sum of money for the territory (and the rights to it), seeds and some wood.
Shestakov's ship established a Russian base for the Pacific navy at Cape Maclay (establishing a Russian Protectorate over Papua New Guinea).
While the Germans established one in their part of the island. Interested in the exploitation of possible resources in the area.
English perspective]
The news of the Russian-Germanic colonization of Papua New Guinea only reached the ears of New South Wales at the end of April. The news barely reached Queensland at that time, Sir Arthur Hunter Palmer, Queensland's premier, received a proposal for the annexation of the Russo-Germanic territories to Queensland.
Queensland Treasurer Sir Thomas McIlwraith tried to convince Palmer that this was in the best interests of Queensland's business interests, but for that he had to speak to John Wodehouse, Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Wodehouse and even his successor, Edward Henry Stanley, would agree that the annexation of Papua New Guinea was not in British interests (not at the time): "We are not ready to annex New Guinea in view of its vast size and unknown interior , the certainty of native objections and administrative expense ".
Wodehouse would be more interested in South African minerals and British soft power in the Malay states.
Another reason is that at that time Germany and Russia were not seen as a serious threat to Australia, since they lacked the naval force and logistics for such action.
*******
[German perspective]
"... They did what?" Chancellor Otto von Bismarck exclaims in shock.
"They bought southeast New Guinea from the Russians." The Deutsche Südostasien courier reports again.
"...Now what?". Emperor Wilhelm I asks with genuine curiosity.
"I'm wondering whether to jump out the window or not." Bismarck responds.
The creation of Deutsch-Neuguinea (initially a kind of commercial subsidiary of Deutsche Südostasien) brought new political pressures within the German Empire.
The population understood that there was more and more a need for the establishment of a powerful navy with the aim of defending the new colonies (supported by liberals and conservatives that emerged with the German Empire).
*******
[Russian perspective]
"Well, what's done is done." Tsar Alexander III sentences after reading the reports about the decisions of Nicholas Nicolaevich Miklouho-Maclay (and to a lesser extent Ivan Alekseevich Shestakov).
Alexander Vasilyevich Golovnin and Vice Minister Ivan Davidovich Delyanov were there for the news. "Are you going to do something about Miklouho's decision?"
"No, we probably couldn't maintain the entire region right now. We are going to focus on developing what we already have." Tsar Alexander III sentencing.
Various scientific and topographical texts from the Russian region of Papua New Guinea had reached the government, and were published in Russia as a recognized scientific material that excited intellectuals, educators and nationalists (for the new Russian "colony" as they called it).
The ministry of education used them for literacy projects and promoting Russian research (Nicholas Nicolaevich Miklouho-Maclay at the time was an early supporter of Charles Darwin and that humans all came from the same trunk or evolutionary).
*******
In Russian New Guinea, Nicholas Nicolaevich Miklouho-Maclay was appointed as Governor General (that is, civil administration) while Ivan Alekseevich Shestakov was appointed Military Governor (military administration and with a vote in economic affairs).
This is because Tsar Alexander III considered that despite being well-intentioned, Miklouho-Maclay lacked the experience and good financial-administrative management in the most efficient or good way in the long term.
Shestakov had more common sense and better administrative skills.
But even so, Miklouho-Maclay was an indispensable element, since his relationship with the natives and knowledge of the region were an indispensable element to maintain peace with the natives.
In short, the two sides of the same coin in the Russian colonial policy of New Guinea.
The first months of Russian New Guinea were of basic construction, the navy with some native carpenters and Russian carpenters started a warehouse, sleeping establishments for Russian sailors and a ship repair station.
On the other hand, under the administration of Miklouho-Maclay, the natives of Cape Maclay were encouraged to start the practice of agriculture, in particular, they started the cultivation of oranges and other fruits and vegetables (lemons, corn, pumpkins, watermelons and cucumbers). I also started coffee production in the region thanks to Maclay.
Although it can be said that local agriculture in the early years was purely subsistence for native families and Russians.
Speaking of other developments, the Russian sailors under Shestakov became some of the first Europeans to make maps and descriptions of the regions within the rugged terrain of northeast Papua New Guinea.
Mikouho-Maclay was vital in the positive relations between these sailors and the natives who had remained with their homes in Russian territory.
Some stories say that some of the first tribes that gave their loyalties to the Russians were due to the Russian sailors giving them (or selling) uniforms.
However, there is no current true record of these events, so it is mostly suspected that it was a satire or story invented after the first years of the Russian colony.
During the period 1873-1880 some of the Russians took native wives, there is evidence that Mikouho-Maclay himself had one (through a portrait that Nicholas sent to his sister, and which is currently in the possession of the Mikouho living in Europe ), although it was very temporary (compared to marriages between Russian sailors and native women).
Nicholas "Niels" Mikouho-Maclay finally married Margaret-Emma "Rita" Robertson (daughter of Sir John Robertson of Queensland) in 1884. They met in 1881 after a trip to Australia to discuss local research projects about of the fauna of Papua New Guinea.
The couple had two sons, Alexander "Niels" / Nicolaevich (born November, 1884) and Vladimir "Allen" / Nicolaevich Miklouho-Maclay (born December, 1885).
There was some miscegenation between Russians and Papuans, but this fact is only given greater evidence until the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th.
The truth is that while Mikouho-Maclay treated Russian New Guinea as a protectorate or a nature reserve for the region, the Russians initially treated it as a naval-military possession (ports and bases for the navy).
At that time, no mineral resources had been discovered that motivated Russian migration to that area, although there were always interested in hunting.
The outside world thought of Russian New Guinea as just another colony, similar to Alyáska.
*******
[Sports culture: Quarterfinals]
After the Round of 16, the Russian Soccer League continues without incident in its first year. In this case, the confrontations of:
* Vladivostok vs Arkhangelsk: 1-3.
* Kharkov vs Kiev: 1-0.
* Omsk vs Murmansk: 2-0.
* Smolensk vs Saint Petersburg: 1-0.
Exciting matches without a doubt, there is only one Siberian team (Omsk) left, the football team of the Russian capital was defeated after their victory over Warsaw and the stakes on who will be the first champion of the Russian Soccer League are skyrocketing with teams so diverse in the competition.
No doubt a sportsmanship began to invade Russia for the first time during this time thanks to the sports league.
*******
[International]
Regarding the civil war in France throughout April and June, the armies of Henry V (Legitimist-Orleanist candidate) are divided in two, Henri Eugène Philippe Louis d'Orléans is appointed general of the western army, with the aim of a offensive towards western France in Bonapartist possession.
The other half is placed under the command of General Patrice de MacMahon, with the aim of an offensive to the south, still in Bonapartist possession.
Speaking of the French population, it was certainly polarized for various reasons, the urban population was already fed up with monarchies and wanted more radical solutions but the rural population was mostly monarchical. And both candidates were supported and hated in almost the same amount, Napoleon IV for the disasters of his father and the Franco-Prussian war, and Henry V for the war in which he had put France.
The first Legitimist-Orleanist army encountered stiff resistance from the Bonapartist army corps, in a successful counteroffensive the Bonapartists managed to keep the d'Orleans army at bay. The MacMahon army had much easier mobilization to the south, until they found cities much better prepared, the Austro-Hungarian aid to the Bonapartists from the south also represented an inconvenience for the southern army in its advance.
At the court of Napoleon IV (barely 17 years old) the situation was not very good despite the victories, the death of his father affected the sovereign, and his government was on the ropes (and in essence, in a ruinous state) .
Prime Minister Eugène Rouhe proposed an alliance with the "least republican of the republicans", to better organize the fight against the Orleanist-legitimist forces. Despite opposition from certain members more to the right, the regent began talks with these more moderate Republicans (capable of accepting at least a reform of the imperial power against Henry V).
In May in the Iberian Peninsula, a Carlist revolt occurs in Catalonia, opposed to the first Spanish Republic (democratic and with federalist ambitions). The Carlisyas already occupy Navarra and the Basque Country after their decisive victories over liberal and conservative forces.
However, the Catalan Carlist revolt suffered a setback in its ambush plans against republican forces due to its lack of organization, leading the Carlists to retreat towards the Catalan rural areas pursued by a republican column.
Fortunately in June the Spanish Republic begins to have problems due to its discussions about a constitution, divided between intransigents, centrists and moderates. Indirectly saving the Catalan Carlist revolt, which has time to regroup and attack in July.
In southern Spain (Andalusia and some nearby places), the cantonal and radical movement (which wants the immediate reform of Spain to a Swiss system with extremely autonomous cantons) begins to make problems due to the delay in the confirmation of the constitution and a government.
In Galicia, on the other hand, the voluntary German legion takes a small coastal town proclaiming its loyalty to King Leopold I to try to restore the Germanic prince to the Hispanic throne. At the moment the Germans have this small position almost unopposed (mainly due to their small size and number of forces, the republican forces in the north of the peninsula are more concerned about the Carlists in Navarra-Basque Country).
Chancellor Otto von Bismarck makes a series of proposals to redirect the attention of German church and industrial money in directions that are relatively advantageous to Germany.
With the commercial dominance of companies in the German colonies of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, although Bismarck does not like them, they represent the "defense of German economic interests". With this Bismarck proposes to various companies the construction of the German imperial navy (with little expense by the state apart from technicians and "official support") and to the church (which is separating from the state due to Bismarck's initiative) the Christianization of the natives of the German colonies.
Movements that are successful in avoiding new expenditures for the state in colonial management, the industrialists of Hamburg and the rest of Germany, various investors who have their money in Deutsche Südostasien and Deutsch-Neuguinea, do not want to lose it.
Internal German competition for the development of a superior fleet begins, while Lutheran and Catholic organizations form to compete to bring the word of the Lord to the natives ...
It is not the best solution, but for the moment it has to work.
In the Second Mexican Empire, Minister-President, through a vote of the ministers, obtains extraordinary powers to mobilize various armies under loyal people (José Manuel del Refugio Gonzáles Flores for example) to avoid caudillismo (the personal interests of generals and regions in against the state).
The most prepared and loyal armies are now guarding the roads, fighting gunpowder crime and securing foreign investment (protection of private property important for industrialization).
Emperor Maximilian I is not sure if this is the best solution (use force to fulfill the will of the government) but Diaz is the leader chosen by the people and his powers have proven a constitutional decision that the emperor is willing to follow.
On the 9th of May "Der Gründerkrach" occurs a financial panic in Wiener Börse, the stock exchange of Vienna, Austria-Hungary. This event marks the end of the "Gründerzeit" (the period of marked industrialization).
*******
[Russian Empire: Economy]
"You see, I'm worried about the crash of the Vienna stock market." Tsar Alexander III mentioned his finance minister, Nikolai von Bunge.
"I can understand why the free market, while useful for more developed capitalist powers, is still dangerous for Russia." Minister Bunge points out.
"Any advice on how we can deal with this?" The emperor asks.
The government of Alexander III with Minister Nikolai von Bunge hand in hand was already a protectionist government, but anticipating the panic of 1873 and its effects to come, Russia began to prepare.
Protective tariffs were imposed on Russian agriculture and industry in constant growth, "vital and strategic assets" were nationalized (some railway lines for example) and support was given to support groups in the labor sectors that existed in the Russian Empire.
It was clear that the Russian Empire under Alexander III was more than willing to intervene financially.
*******
[Russian-Mexican-Hawaiian relations]
With the Russian investment in the Baja California peninsula (or simply California in the Second Mexican Empire), the new government measures for foreign protection were assured, and the importance of said region in the Hawaii-Alaska-Russia-Mexico trade (and some other new territories), Russia begins to sell many more products to the Second Mexican Empire.
Old Russian weaponry (after military reform and equipment integration), fertilizers (from the growing Russian chemical industry), old agricultural equipment, and even Russia managed to sell some Blinov tractors to Mexico (the first ones sell to the American continent). Hawaii for its part only received Russian investment in local businesses and commercial relationships.
Russia and Mexico continued to grow closer as Mexican workers began to proliferate some farms in Baja California with Russian help, transporting agricultural products to other parts of Mexico via the growing Mexican railroad in the north.
The Kingdom of Hawaii was still growing slowly led by Lunalilo, but it was growing thanks to the various foreign investments that were now competing in the Hawaiian market (German, Mexican, American, Russian and British).
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