章節 103: Russian Society (July-September, 1887)
Manchurian project]
The Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich and part of his teams were conducting a survey of the area for the Transmanchurian railway, the aim was to unify Port Arthur, Mukden and other cities of Inner Manchuria with the North Korean railways (essentially under Russia) and the line of Rusi Far Eastern railways (the Trans-Siberian and more).
But before that, the commission appointed by the Tsesarevich and Sergei Witte had to carry out various works, examine the land, collect data on the premises, land holdings, etc.
With the Sino-Japanese War and the Russian invasion of ancient Chinese Manchuria, many of the small landowners (those with peasants under their command but not massive tracts of land) had left the region, but there were still noble houses living in the region. that they did not leave or refused to leave the region.
There was also obviously a large crowd of civilians, Han, Manchu, Chinese Muslims, etc. Mostly impoverished farmers or workers who previously belonged to the Qing dynasty.
At the border, on the other hand, there was a very patient and excited wave of Russians, small Russians, companies and other people from Russia more than willing to move to the region for farms, work and a certain potential for wealth to exploit.
Very convenient for the Russian government and the integration of the region, but Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich insisted that in addition to allowing migration to Inner Manchuria for the project, the state should also hire its new Manchurian citizens to start integrating them.
After all, then the natives would see that Russia offered something that the Qing did not offer, work, stability, massive economic growth in comparison, and even greater cultural freedoms (Russian citizens for example would not have to wear Qing braids).
*******
"We already have the main lines planned. Should we plan some secondary lines or alternatives?" Tsesarevich Nicholas asks Witte.
"It would be a good idea, but don't try too hard, we are still in a very early phase of the project, we don't know how future migrations and economic developments could affect our planning." Witte responds, which the Tsesarevich accepts as a good point.
Not long after the plan was sent to St. Petersburg, the Bobrinsky Ministry of Railways accepted it, but with it came a message from Tsar Alexander III.
On the one hand Sergei Witte (though not the entire commission) would return to Saint Petersburg to resume other important ministry works, and on the other hand Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich would become administrator of the "Oblast of Inner Manchuria" (not yet a governorate or part of an official government, due to its status as a developing territory and pseudo-military administration).
This meant that now Nicholas Alexandrovich would have to deal with the construction of the Transmanchurian with the assets left behind and his own experience gained from working with Witte, but also deal with the administration, local citizens, cooperating with other Russian authorities, etc.
It was all part of a great test of Tsar Alexander III for the preparation of his heir, if Nicholas Alexandrovich could rule a region like Inner Manchuria, he was on his way to rule Russia. If Nicholas Alexandrovich failed, he at least he would gain some experience or learn a lesson.
If not ... God help him.
*******
* Perspective of Nicholas.
The Tsesarevich walked through the Manchurian countryside near Port Arthur accompanied by his escort, there he observed the Cossacks and peasants doing their daily work, or simply wasting time, it all depends on the individual.
"Yes, I think it's a good idea to start here. At the moment Port Arthur's trade is still mainly maritime." Nicholas exclaims calmly.
At his orders, with the approval of the St. Petersburg government, the administration of Nicholas Alexandrovich began the recruitment of Russian workers (natives of Manchuria and other parts of Russia) for the construction of railways, railway stations and homes for related workers. to the project.
There was money, coming mainly from Port Arthur and a fund given to the Transmanchurian Railroad commission.
It was enough for the moment, because the Nicholas Alexandrovich administration was just the beginning, after the Transmanchurian there was a lot more work to do.
The Tsesarevich planned a series of meetings with some Far Eastern businessmen, Manchurian nobles, and the rest of the possible professors who would remain in Inner Manchuria after the fall of Qing (although professors from other regions of Russia would also be needed).
*******
[Russian Tsushima and Quelpart/Jeju]
Trivolny and Chedzhu, the main cities of the first Russian extensions in the Korean Straits, experienced unparalleled growth for years after Russian rule.
The same in general with other cities and lands of the islands of Tsushima and Quelpart / Jeju respectively, now that Russia controlled the Russian Far East with the huge Vladivostok, Alyáska, it had notable ties with the Japanese economy, it extended its power to the Pacific, dominated Korea and had obtained Port Arthur-Inland Manchuria, there was simply a gigantic commercial network through which products from different parts of the world passed to the islands.
A prosperity unprecedented in the history of Tsushima and Quelpart, commercial, manufacturing and service industries were developing (traditionally the islands had been mainly of the primary sectors of the economy, agriculture, fishing, resource extraction, etc).
But we can say that by this time they were already their own separate entities to the Korean peninsula (Jeju Korean was understood as a separate dialect that gave the island a unique identity, and Korea had essentially abandoned Quelpart for years) and the Japanese archipelago (product of generations of Tsushima natives trained in Russian academies).
The perpetuation of regional identities, and the economic growth caused by a multicultural presence, undoubtedly gave certain particular airs to both islands.
On the one hand, Tsushima was one of the few areas of Russia where sumo and some other Japanese traditions were practiced officially and professionally (Japanese migrants in the Far East were developing their own peculiarities because of their situation), but there was a European influence in various aspects, especially in maritime (effect of Russians and Finns), educational activities , military and others.
In Quelpart, on the other hand, a tourist industry grew, with hot springs, visiting beaches, collecting pearls, etc.
It was a small Korea within Russia, before Korean migrants began to arrive and integrate into the Russian Far East, that gave it a particular historical appeal. In addition, the fact that Korean businesses in the Far East will start to be successful also helped the popularity of some businesses within Quelpart.
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[Novaya Gvineya]
There is not much to say about Novaya Gvineya, Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay and Ivan Shestakov are getting old, due to health and old age reasons, both have had to leave their positions as administrators of Novaya Gvineya to a new generation.
During the rule of more than a decade of both under Tsar Alexander III, Novaya Gvineya was transformed into a series of ports and fortresses in good condition, with a subsistence agriculture and growing export, mines, and some developed or developing industries. developing.
There was the integration of various tribes (some more than others), the quality of life, education increased, and Russian expanded (in its pure or Creole form), among many other changes.
The civil and military administration is left to a new generation of administrators, who among their first successes achieved the expansion of the colony through treaties and trade towards new islands, which they call Novo White Russia (Новая Белая Русь, Novaya Belaya Rus) .
(OOC: The island of New Britain, New Ireland and other islands, I already put them on the Russosphere XD map).
The Miklouho-Maclay family is officially given the title of "Count Miklouho-Maclay", and Nicholas's children will remain in Novaya Gvineya as one of the first families of local Russian-White nobility. Although there are obviously native local nobility still, and they are the majority.
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[Diplomatic relations: France and Russia]
While the Tsesarevich was away in Manchuria from January to March and beyond, Tsar Alexander III met with a French delegation earlier in the year, on August 8 Generalissimo George Boulanger of France would visit Russia to discuss matters of state.
This had mixed views in various parts of Europe.
On the one hand the English were not sure how to react, there were those who saw the opportunity to confront Russia with Germany to use Russia as cannon fodder, weaken it and focus European policies against it after defeating Germany.
Others saw Boulanger as a possible traitor to English friendship, attempting to befriend Russia, a traditional British enemy.
Or that Russia was the lesser evil so that was positive to go against Germany.
The English problem in dealing with Russia is that they have not had a unified policy for a long time, and their attempts thus far have failed considerably.
In Germany the reaction was mainly and purely negative, especially within the German high command, because some feared that Boulanger would sabotage Germany's attempts to lure Russia into a neutral or friendly camp. That would be disastrous for Germany in many ways.
Austria-Hungary in a sense saw something positive from a Russo-French rapprochement, because it would suppose that a huge flank of Austria-Hungary (otherwise surrounded by enemy powers) was relieved.
But only if Boulanger was successful in some way.
Within France itself there were mixed opinions, but Boulanger was the supreme authority on various matters, including foreign policy, which was inalienably against Germany, not against Russia.
*******
* Alexandrian-boulanger perspective.
"Without a doubt a wonderful sight, Napoleon III did a good job in Paris, sadly now he is quite damaged." Boulanger exclaims, there were some Parisian-influenced neighborhoods in Russia now, especially among the French upper class who lived in Russia.
Russia was wide, so wide that verticality was not necessary, you can always build more, but planning was still a vital point of Russian urban development.
"Thank you, I have heard good comments about the French economy in recent times, but I am sure you are not here just to discuss the Russian environment." Alexander III mentions.
"Yes, you will see Tsar Alexander, I think it is in their mutual interest that France and Russia expand their diplomatic and economic cooperation, you already saw how fruitful intervention in the conflict between Japanese and Chinese was for both of us." Boulanger starts. "Besides, you are not worried about Germany? German nationalism presents a problem for Central, Western and Eastern Europe."
The improvement of the ties between France and Russia was less a long-term project, and rather a necessity for the "equidistant policy" of the Alexandrian government. It was better to have bridges with all the great powers (to some extent, Russia and the United Kingdom in the 1880s would never be friends) than to stick to the European alliance system.
Russia and France were no doubt in better diplomatic terms now than before, and trade increased slightly, but it was not very important in 1887.
*******
* Boulanger's perspective only.
Generalissimo George Boulanger in Saint Petersburg met with Prince Napoleon Louis Josef Jérôme Bonaparte and the French David Émile Durkheim, who in his last years was conducting studies in Germany and Russia, which could be of use to Boulanger.
"Very well, what have you learned from your stay in Russia?" Boulanger questions.
"... If I may start, Généralissime. I have a theory, the Russian Empire and more importantly, the Russian state, is a master in the application of social cohesion." Durkheim starts.
*******
Sociological theory was an early part of interest for educational institutions under the Boulangist regime, the idea of a group of individuals belonging to or a common situation, was vital for the control of the regime over society and the influence of the government in it. .
Russian Tsarism, which drew on the eastern Roman autocracy, would also be a considerable influence, Boulanger wanted to imitate authoritarian regimes of yesteryear.
France had everything to evolve towards something similar, the centralization programs since the French Revolution, a common enemy (Germany), the civilizing mission, the growing influence of the army and the Boulangist as a potentially unifying ideology, etc.
In short, the French people needed a state that integrated a common goal, a common language, a common worldview and religion. A common state that will govern to keep the people together (regardless of being bourgeois, workers or nobles) and with a single ideology, etc.
Only in this way could French authoritarianism continue and therefore bring stability and prosperity to France after the Franco-Prussian wars and the civil war.
And luckily Boulanger had things on his side, not just a successful campaign in China that had brought in a new colony (similar to Napoleon III's early colonial expeditions, according to Boulanger's rhetoric of course) but the economy was also growing (strongly controlled by the state and private capital allied of course).
Boulangism only needed to continue to evolve towards its vision of the ideal French state.
*******
[Germany-Russia]
The German and Russian high hands, despite the meeting between Boulanger and Tsar Alexander III, continued to argue. Although an official treaty was not signed, Tsar Alexander III and Otto von Bismarck confirmed that it was not in the interest of either of the two great powers a conflict.
Forming a "neutrality without contract", for the moment.
Of course if Bismarck left and Alexander III died, that no-contract neutrality would go down the drain.
*******
[International]
In early July, James Blyth operates Scotland's first successful wind turbine.
July 6 King Kalākaua of Hawai'i creates a new constitution, which while maintaining monarchical powers, also gives rights to all native Hawaiians, some Asians, and the lower classes of Hawai'i.
With the neutrality and sovereignty of the kingdom assured, an educated class has grown up (Hawaiians with European education, some in the UK and some in Russia) that is preoccupied with the affairs of the Hawaiian classes, such as deadly alcoholism within the natives. , etc.
In its government due to multilateral foreign trade relations, Hawai'i has experienced processes of architectural reconstruction, tourism and good diplomatic relations.
The economic growth of the island, a new educated class that wishes to solve the problems of its population, and a successful benevolent government have also given rise to certain nationalisms. Not exactly "expelling foreigners" or similar, but there are Hawaiians who have the idea that Hawai'i with its success, could be the leader of a Polynesian confederation, federation or empire, where representatives of various kingdoms, ethnic groups or tribes could join under a congress present in Honolulu, Hawai'i (head of said project).
Lazar Markovic Zamenhof or also called Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof, Polish of Russian origin, present "Unua Libro" (Dr. Esperanto's International Language), Zamenhof is a speaker and / or student of Yiddish, Russian, Belarusian, Polish, German, French, Hebrew, Latin, Greek and Aramaic, among others.
Zamenhof grew up at a time in the Russian Empire where there were severe conflicts between Germans, Belarusians and Orthodox Russians, and Polish Catholics. And despite the successes of Alexander III, for Zamenhof there are still problems, which in his opinion lie in the difficulty of communication, the lack of a common language.
So he decided to create Esperanto since 1873, a common language that would be a neutral tool for communication regardless of ethnic or linguistic origin.
On September 5, Theater Royal, Exeter, England, suffers from a fire that kills more than 100 people (186 in total).
Qing's bad luck does not end and is far from over, on September 28 the Yellow River is flooded, but this is a disastrous and deadly flood that causes the death of 2,000,000 people.
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