Part 91: Victoria: Chapter 25 - Age of Nations: 1900 - 1905

1900 - 1905: Age of Nations

The Nationalliberale win an overwhelming victory in the Reichstag, despite a strong showing from the newest permitted faction, the moderate socialists.



Under the liberals' pro-business policies, a large influx of private investment into railroads follows, and soon new steel railways stretch across all of Germany.


Supporters of the old regime from the Union of Rome begin to flee to India, seeking refuge from persecution and revenge. Soon, a sizeable greek minority has established itself in and around Bombay.


The question of how to set about acquiring the remaining German lands from Lithuania is discussed in the Reichstag. While a few hard-liners call for war with Germany's ally, Frederick II is staunchly opposed to such an idea, and negotiations are instead begun to purchase the land from the Lithuanians, who have proclaimed their interest in acquiring colonies. In April, a deal is struck for the cities Allenstein and Gumbinnen in exchange for German technology, a large sum of money, and sizeable tracts of land in South Congo.



With state treasury reserves low, taxes are raised to make up for the shortfall in tariffs caused by the Nationalliberale's free trade policies.


That year, two simulataneous construction projects finish, as Mazula completes construction of the Panama Channel in Central America, and the Union of Rome finishes building the Suez Canal in Egypt.



Technology investment is given emphasis on the military so that Germany may enjoy technological, if not numerical superiority to its communist foes.








The famous explorer Georg Huth requests state funding for an expedition to the North Pole, so that a German may be the first to explore it and claim the reward offered by the Royal Geographic Society in Britain. The Nationalliberale, always eager for national glory, agree to fund the venture.


Unfortunately, the attempt to reach the pole meets with disaster, as Georg Huth's whole expedition fails to return to the base camp, and are never heard from again. A new expedition is mounted, led by the young explorer Wilhelm Filchner.


In August an unusual offer appears before Frederick. The Japanese, who have made little progress industrializing in recent years, have offered to open up their borders to German industries and the signing of a German-Japanese friendship pact in exchange for technological assistance. The offer is mutually beneficial, and Germany is in need of friends, so the offer is agreed to.


News reach Frankfurt that Filchner's expedition has successfully reached the North Pole and planted a German flag there. Lavish celebrations are thrown in honor of the young explorer and a world fair arranged to boast his accomplishments. The expenses incurred by the expeditions have thrown Germany deeply into debt, for dubious gain, but nonetheless the celebrations offer a moment of national pride and celebration for the divided German population.



The social conflicts in Germany has only grown worse with the introduction of liberal ideas into mainstream politics by the Nationaliberale. Political consciousness among even the lowest classes in Germany is high, and the demands for a constitution and representation ring louder than ever.



As the year ends, another piece of German Lithuania is purchased, at the expense of more colonial land and technological understanding. A few weeks later, Bromberg, the last bit of land the Lithuanians are willing to part with is gained at the expense of more land in Africa.



The Lithuanians still hold the majority-german province of Torun, but are unwilling to part with it, and not even the most hawkish Nationalliberale are willing to attack an ally over a single province. Germany can afford to wait.


The Union of Rome launches a successful invasion of the Maghreb Empire at the beginning of 1901, taking nearly all their land in the ensuing peace.


A major expansion of the army begins in spring, with a total of 100 new divisions being recruited, a doubling of the home army.


The Balkans, divided unevenly between the Empires of Austria, Greece and Lithuania, has long been the sorrowchild of Europe, an unproductive and rebellious region rife with territorial disputes. The Union of Rome, eager to solve its own problem of gaining land access to its Italian parts, invites Austria and Lithuania to a conference to discuss a possible redrawing of the borders.



Austria and Lithuania agree to show, and after some negotiation, a proposal emerges: Austria is to be recognized as sole ruler of Hungary, Lithuania as sole ruler of Romania, while the Union gains the sparsely populated slavish regions of Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia.


Lithuania gains valuable farming land, the Union gains a large increase in territory and a land connection to Italy, while Austria, while taking a net loss in territory, no longer has to adminstrate and defend unproductive land and gains several major Hungarian cities that gives it a net gain in population.


Germany's diplomatic closening to Iberia pays off in June as a major deal is struck between the two nations, redrawing the borders in Africa. Germany gains Iberia's claims to the last uncolonized piece of Africa and several border provinces, while Iberia gains a large tract of land separated from Congo by the newly Lithuanian colonies.




The politics of the Nationalliberale have fostered a business culture that emphasis investment and stock companies, resulting in greater profits for businessowners but also an inherent weakness to stock crashes and slumps.



The Union invades Arabia in 1902, succeeding where the Byzantine Empire failed and subjugating the Arabs beneath Greek rule once again.


The first experimental designs for armored vehicles nicknamed 'Barrels' find their way to the German general staff in March, though the nation yet lacks the capability to produce such fearsome engines of war.


The alliance with Lithuania is renewed, as a full alliance rather than a defense pact.


Construction of an aeroplane factory in München and an Automobile factory in Frankfurt completes in late 1903. Such machines are still a rarity on the world market and the factories quickly make their owners and investors into very wealthy men, prompting investment into another aeroplane factory shortly thereafter.



In September of 1904, the Khans of Chagatai and Kazakh meet to discuss a Kazakh plan to unify all the Turkish steppe people under one nation. The Kazakh Khan is an intelligent man who realizes that the little Kingdoms, the Khanates, Emirates and Beydoms of the world are dying out, one by one, replaced by nation-states. Russia, Georgia and Imperial India are all looking greedily at the Turkish lands, and for the Turks to survive, they must move with the times..


The negotiations are a success, and the nation of Turkestan is born in November. A radical modernization programme is begun by its ruling council to bring the nation into the civilized world.


As 1904 ends, the Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth, confident in its modern army, its German rifles and German artillery, as well as its German allies, declares war on Russia to win back the territories lost in the wake of the Russian Revolution. The Nationalliberale, as hungry for glory and war as ever, vote overwhelmingly to join the war on their allies' side.


And so Germany goes to war with its former ally Russia, for national pride and for national glory, in this new Age of Nations.