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1912 - [A Collaborative Timeline]

CountZingo

Active member
1912 - A Collaborative Timeline

Welcome to 1912! This is a collaborative timeline that goes year-by-year, starting in 1912.

I've looked through the forums, and it seems like although there haven't been much collaborative timelines, there are no established rules against them. If this isn't well-received, or is somehow against the rules of the forum, then I'm fine with letting it die, but I'd figure I'd at least try it. I apologize in advance if this offends anyone, breaks the spirit of the forums, or breaks any rules - this isn't my intent.

Rules

1. Everyone is welcome to participate in the timeline. All one must do to contribute is claim a turn, wait for their turn to come, and then post their specified turn.
1a. When it gets to be your turn, you have three days (72 hours) to complete the turn. If not, you will be skipped.
1b. To claim another turn, you must wait until you have completed the turn to claim another turn, and you cannot claim two turns in a row. For instance, if you claim 1916, you must wait until you have completed 1916 to claim another turn, and you cannot claim 1917.
1c. When you claim a turn, you get the next year. For instance, the first person to claim will get 1913, the second person to claim will get 1914, ect.


2. The format of turns will be similar to map games over on AH.com - you list the various continents, then list the date of the event and the event itself. Use the upcoming 1912 turn as an example.
2b. Maps are not needed. If you want to make a map, that's fine, but don't feel like you have to make one.

3. Please try to keep your turns somewhat neat - try to use correct spelling and grammar as much as possible. It's okay if you make several mistakes, but try to make sure that everyone can read it.

4. The minimum amount of events in a post is five. While there is no upper limit, try to avoid blocks of text.

5. Keep your posts at least somewhat realistic, and maintain the flow of history. (no ASB, wanks, ect.) As long as you do that, you can go wild. Keep in mind that events might be more realistic if you lead up to them.
5b. If one believes that a post is unrealistic in someway, they can object before the next post is posted. (i.e. if someone has an objection to the 1914 post, it must be voiced before the 1915 post is posted). If there is a reasonable cause for their concern (if I approve it), the game is halted for a day (24 hours) and a poll will be held to see if the community agrees. If a simple majority agrees that the post is unrealistic, it will be rewritten by myself. If a simple majority thinks that the post is realistic, then nothing shall happen. In the event of a tie, I'll break it. Nonetheless, after the poll is over, the game continues as normal.

6. Obviously, obey the rules of the forum.

7. Both historical and fictional characters are allowed to be used.

8. New rules may be added if necessary.

Claims

1912 - CountZingo
1913 - Charles EP M.
1914 - TimeEnough
1915 - CountZingo
1916 - Charles EP M.
1917 - CountZingo
1918 - None
1919 - None
1920 - None
1921 - None
1922 - None​
 
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1912

Europe:

January 21 - Raymond Poincare becomes the Prime Minister of France.
May 5 - The Stockholm Olympic Games open. They are uneventful.
October 8 - Montenegro declares war on the Ottoman Empire. Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia will join it.
November 28 - Albania declares independence from the Ottoman Empire.
December 3 - The Balkan League (Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia) sign an armistice with the Ottoman Empire, and peace talks begin.



Asia:

January 1 - The Republic of China is established.
July 30 - Emperor Meiji dies, and is succeeded by his son, who becomes Emperor Taisho.
August 25 - The Kuomintang is founded.

North America:
January 6 - New Mexico becomes the 47th state in the Union.
February 14 - Arizona becomes the 48th state in the Union, making all of the contiguous US states.
April 17 - The Titanic arrives in New York after an uneventful voyage.
April 30 - Carl Laemmle founds Universal Studios.
June 22 - In the Republican National Convention, former president Theodore Roosevelt narrowly wins the nomination. He nominates Idaho senator William Borah as his running mate.
August 4 - The US occupation of Nicaragua begins.
November 8 - Theodore Roosevelt defeats Woodrow Wilson in the election of 1912.

South America:

Africa:

March 6 - Italy becomes the first to aerially bomb enemy positions at Janzur.
March 30 - The French protectorate in Morocco is established.

Oceania:
No significant events occur.

Other:

January 17 - Robert Scott becomes the second man to reach the North Pole.

 
The 1912 turn is complete. It is @Charles EP M.'s turn.

I did leave some details out (such as whether Lenin and the Boshelviks split from the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party, whether Scott's expedition survives, or whether Puyi abdicates), for others to resolve. If no-one else mentions it, then assume that it goes the same way as OTL. Anyone else is welcome to do this with events in their year.
 
1912

Europe:

May 9-10 - Russian arbitration between Bulgaria and Romania fails; Romania tries to seize Silistra, land that's meant to be theirs under the post-Balkan Wars Treaty of London, by force. Bulgaria reaffirms all its agreements with Serbia over their gains for aid.
May 18 - Greece declares war as an ally of Romania, hoping to make territorial gains.
May 23-29 - Russia, France, Austro-Hungary, and Germany are all ready to mobilise, or have, out of panic the others will intervene in the Silistra War and upend the balance of power. Foreign Secretary Grey is running from capital to capital, while Britain is in war-fear panics of its own - especially as an industrial strike is going on in Black Country (the government swiftly agrees to force a payrise onto employers and the unions agree that they won't get the full 23 shillings).
May 28 - Unknown to the other powers, this is when President Roosevelt promises in secret that if Britain is "forced" into war, America will help. (Whether Roosevelt and Asquith both think that means the same thing is unclear)
May 30 - The Great Powers agree to stay out of the Silistra War, which is ravaging all four countries concerned.
July 1 - Romania offers an armistice: the cost of men, money, and materiel isn't worth the gains. Bulgaria and Serbia can now make a joint focus on the semi-successful Greek forces in their rear.
September 12 - Greece surrenders: in treaties, it begrudgingly accepts part of its north is now Serbian and Bulgarian. King Constantine I's popularity is shattered, while a (admittedly weaker) Bulgaria is now seen as the big boy of the Balkans.




Asia:

March 20 - Attempted assassination of Kuomintang leader Song Jiaoren.
March 29 - Another assassination attempt on Song. The Kuomintang suspect President Yuan is trying to stop them from restricting his potential powers.
April 8 - The National Assembly sits for the first time and prepares to flex its muscle.
May 10 - A series of shadowy actions, suspicious crimes, and legal flexing in China ends as America starts to both overtly and covertly back the National Assembly over the provisional President, having been convinced the former is the best bet for the 'Open Door Policy'
October 6 - Elections for the President of China. Yuan does not run, going into agreed exile


North America:
March 24 - The US Congress passes the Universal Suffrage Act, giving women the vote; the Fair Work Act, giving an eight hour workday and a minimum wage for woman.
March 27 - In the aftermath of the Great Dayton Flood, Roosevelt agrees to back Governor Cox's counter-flood measures and promises to make sure no similar flood happens again; a national effort of flood prevention is announced.
April 2 - US Congress passes the Federal Health Act, combining government health agencies into a single form, but the National Insurance Act for social insurance is stopped.
September 25 - Baltimore's attempts to segregatre fails again, in the current political climate.
October 1 - Roosevelt fails again to get a revised National Insurance Act through Congress, and openly talks about trying again.



South America:
March 5
- Mexican President Huerta's government is recognised by Roosevelt.
May 15 - In exchange for American loans, Huerta agrees to 'fair elections'.
July 6 - Huerta is re-elected in what is clearly not that legit an election, but America has chosen which horse to back.


Africa:

January 10 - Menelik II dies in his sleep. Abyssinia's regency council initially cover this up.
June 10 - It is officially admitted that Iyasu V is monarch of Abyssinia. The council and Iyasu are starting to clash.
 
1914

Europe

January 21st-23rd:King Constantine I is injured during an attempt on his life. The culprit is at first thought to be a Republican leading to Anti-Republican riots occurring across Greece.Riots end as the culprit is found to be a Greek Nationalist, causing tensions between the Republican and Royalist factions. Due to his injuries King Constantine I is declared unfit to rule and his son George is declared King instead.
March 16th: Emperor Franz Joseph of the Austro-Hungarian Empire dies suddenly of heart failure. Archduke Franz Ferdinand becomes Emperor of the increasing turmoil ridden Austro-Hungarian Empire.
July 15th: Miners in Derbyshire go on strike due to a dispute about work hours. The strike is crushed by heavily armed police leading to the death of one striker. As counter strikes and riots are quickly put down the Labour Party turns inwards and evicts there leader Ramsay MacDonald for his lack of support for the strike. He's quickly replaced by Arthur Henderson although rumours of George Lansbury or J.R. Clynes preparing for a leadership election start to circulate.
September 29th-31st: After a gruelling two years the Home Rule Bill for Ireland is passed with all of Ireland beginning the process of leaving the UK. Almost immediately afterwards violence starts to occur, at an event celebrating home rule Arthur Griffiths is shot by a Unionist militiaman whilst at a similar event organised by the Irish Trade Union Congress, a bomb goes off killing Jim Larkin, wounding James Connolly and causing at least Fifteen other casualties.
November 19th: During a Naval exercise Greek Forces accidentally sail into Turkish waters leading to a small battle between Greek and Ottoman vessels leading to the sinking of one Greek Vessel. King George not wanting to look weak demands apologies and compensation from the Ottomans, the Ottomans refuse leading to heightened tensions between the two nations as they start preparing for war.
December 22nd: As Christmas nears a number of targets across Belfast are taken over by Unionist forces who demand an end to home rule. With support from Mutinying British Soldiers it looks like there claims could be met. In response a number of militiamen from the IRB take up arms against the Unionists and street fighting occurs in Belfast.

Asia

March 4th: As the National Assembly prepares to start running China an Army coup attempt occurs. It fails rather poorly as the people cause the Soldiers to leave there officers to dry. In response the Assembly organises a crackdown and the ranks of Beiyang army scrubbed clean of corrupt elements.
June 16th-19th: In Korea a number of demonstrations occur against Japanese occupiers. In response the Japanese Army brutally crackdowns on the demonstrations leading to the "Bloody Three Days" in which over 800 demonstrators across Korea are killed whilst many more are horribly injured by the event. A number of people join Korean Resistance groups which are based in Manchuria.
October 12th: During an attempt to flush out Korean Resistance fighters on the Chinese-Korean border, Japanese Soldiers engage in a fire fight with Chinese Police officers. The situation almost spirals out of control until America declares it support for China in any conflict with Japan. Not wanting to fight two large nations, Japan backs down. However Song Jioren sees this as being the doorway to a possible Chinese-American relationship and starts sending out feelers to President Roosevelt.

North America

April 20th: In Colorado the Ludlow Massacre occurs leading to the UMWA as well as a Commission being formed to investigate the massacre. During this period the Governor of Colorado Elias Ammon resigns leading to an election which the Progressive Republicans win.
May 1st: Upton Sinclair organises Protests against J.D Rockefeller for his involvement in the Ludlow massacre and organises a fund for one of the survivors of the strike John R Lawson to defend himself in court. The Socialist Party of America and Eugene Debs uses the protests as a way to gain national attention and push several candidates including Upton Sinclair for the upcoming Midterms.
November 3rd: At the representative elections the Republicans stay strong however the Socialist Party of America manages to gain 8 seats (including Upton Sinclair winning a seat in New York) due to Progressives turning against the Republicans due to there handling of Ludlow Massacre. Roosevelt decides to push through more Progressive aims much to the annoyance of Conservatives of both parties.

South America
March 1st
: A series of bombings and assassinations occur against the Hureta government with bandits in the countryside becoming more aggressive.
March 16th: Hureta increases cooperation between America and Mexico and asks for help dealing with there bandit problem with American advisors and weapons being sent to help out Hureta.

Africa:
June 10th: About one year into his reign King Iyasu V organises a series of purges against his council and replaces them with Modern Reforms. Iyasu decrees he will create a nation strong enough to stand up to the European powers.
 
1915
Europe:

January 2 - British Prime Minister H. H. Asquith remains steadfast on Irish Home Rule, and additional British troops are sent in to enforce the law.
April 17 - In attempt to gain itself some international prestige as well as solve the "Balkan Question", Russia invites representatives from all Balkan countries (except for Austria-Hungary) to Sevestapol to resolve any disputes in the Balkans.
April 29 - After twelve days, the conference of Sevestapol falls apart due to many problems, most notably Bulgarian swaggering during the conference. All participating nations except for Russia and Bulgaria walk out in a concerted effort. The Sevestapol Conference only increases tensions in the region, and many fear that a Third Balkan War may occur soon.
June 12 - A misunderstanding between local Dubliners and the British garrison stationed in Dublin leads to a brawl between the two, with six British casualties (two killed, four severely wounded) and twenty Dubliner casualties (one killed, nineteen severely wounded). The so-called "Dublin Massacre" is used as fodder for extremists from both sides - those for Irish independence and those for a repealed Home Rule - to make their points. Asquith remains firm on the current position, but he is getting less and less support from Parliament.
October 5 - A socialist revolutionary attempts to assassinate the Tsar. Although the attempt fails, Nicholas II is severely wounded, and it will takes weeks for him to recover.
November 18 - Tsar Nicholas II, in his first public appearance since the assassination attempt, officially dissolves the Russian Duma. Many notice that he looks weak in his conditions.
November 20 - Protests break out in Moscow that support the restoration of the Duma. They are led by Julius Martov, who is the leader of the RSDLP (Russian Social Democratic Labor Party).
November 22 - Russian troops fire upon protesters on the second day of protests. 2 protesters are killed, and 6 more are wounded.
November 25 - Martov is found and arrested by Russian authority. He is convicted the next day and is set to be excecuted.
December 6 - On the day of Martov's scheduled execution, an armed band of Martov's supporters forcefully break him out of prison. This is compared to the events of the Bastille by many contemporary accounts. Martov himself flees to London, where he is received warmly for his efforts to protect democracy.


Asia:

February 26 - A cave-in on the Chinese border with Japan is revealed to have destroyed a Korean resistance cell. Many are suspicious that this was the work of Japan, but it cannot be proven.
March 7 - In the aftermath of the US vote to not ally with China, Britain confirms to Japan that in case of another Sino-Japanese conflict, Britain would support Japan.
October 15 - President Theodore Roosevelt offers to host a conference between China and Japan, but this is rejected by both sides.

North America:

January 25 - The first coast-to-coast phone call is made by Alexander Graham Bell in New York City and his former assistant Thomas Watson in San Francisco.
March 6 - Congress rejects a potential alliance with China due to their desires for "isolationism" and anti-Chinese sentiment.
June 15 - The American Socialist Party officially endorses the FPRN.

South America:

May 5 - On the anniversary of Cinco de Mayo, the various Mexican revolutionary groups meet, and begin talks to form a united faction against the Huerta government.
May 28 - After almost a month of discussions, the Mexican revolutionaries finally agree to coalesce into the Frente Popular Revolucionario Nacional (FPRN for short - means National Revolutionary Popular Front).
November 1 - Forces of the FPRN are decisively defeated by forces of the Mexican government at the

Africa:

September 28 - Iyasu V secretly accepts German aid to help develop Ethiopia. The German government hopes that this will allow Ethiopia to drift into the German sphere of influence and serve as a vital ally in case of any African conflict.

 
Are you sure about that? Feelings in Britain towards the Duma was at best mixed, and the principle supporters did so largely because of the stabilising factor in favour of the Tsar. Supporting moves towards democracy in Russia was at best a second-order factor.

Even so, the Duma was the closest thing to a Parliament that Russia had, and considering what happened in England when the monarch dissolved Parliament, I'd say that Martov would have at least some support.
 
Stolypin's neckties diminished trust by Britain in the Duma. It's worth remembering what democracy in Britain meant at the time, with no women and around 30% of men being entitled to vote.

George Buchanan, British Ambassador to Russia from 1910, was quite clear about his opinion in letters back to England. He viewed the Duma as essentially a mechanism to satisfy the unruly populace and provide stability to enable the Tsar to be the de facto head. Buchanan described Martov as "dangerous", and recorded that he had been in discussions with Lt-Col Samuel Hoare about "options". Hoare was the head of the British Secret Intelligence Service in Petrograd, and we can only speculate what these "options" were, but from the tone, it wouldn't have been to Martov's advantage. Granted that these discussions took place when the war had started, but it doesn't suggest the British Establishment are going to welcome someone they perceive as a disturbing influence.

When I wrote that, I tried to convey that he was received warmly by the general British public, not the government. I agree that the British government would not have been so inclined towards Martov, but I reasoned that in the minds of the British public, he was a hero, and an uninformed spectator might equate the Duma with the British Parliament.
 
I'm not convinced that the British public would have cared that much one way or the other. 85% of British adults had no vote, and none of the pre-War memoirs really mention anything foreign, except a bit about Germany and France.

A Political Analysis of Victorian Music Hall Songs (Laurence Selenik) is, apart from being about as niche as it is possible to be, first breaks down the political issues that the songs covered. Russia gets precisely two mentions; one when a Big Borzoi (introduced by Saki, and post-dating the Victorian period) is referenced (and I should not that Big Borzoi was an indelicate East End term referring to male virility), and one with regard to the works of Tchaikovsky.

The non-voting British public only cared about Russia with reference to India, but other than that, it was just a strange place far away about which they knew little and cared less. Why should they? They had enough trouble surviving.

The voting British public, property-owning males, were seriously against anyone supporting someone involved in things like the Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working Classes. The British Labour Party, a growing force, was predominantly concerned with the situation of the British Working Class; that's where any support would have come from, and that would have been pretty much solely in terms of what he could do for them.

I'm struggling to see why the British public would care about him one way or the other.

People like a celeb. If an important foreign politician turns up in london, I can believe he'll be recieved warmly by various chattering types just for the novelty. Wanna be politicians will want to chat with him ect.

'Recieved warmly' is a vague enough term that I can buy it. Various african princes were 'Recieved warmly' in london during the slave trade just for the novelty of it.
 
1916

Europe:

February 12-14 - Sporadic clashes and crackdowns in Russia result in the "Valentine Day Riots" (as the English language press will call it) in St Petersburg. The army is initially repulsed and reinforcements resort to indiscriminate fire to restore order.
February 17 - Troops are now occupying every Russian city to prevent unrest. This is because the Tsar has died and the military is panicked the news will lead to further unrest.
March 1-5 - The Battle of Belfast: a concerted effort by Protestant militias to seize the docks, with many British soldiers refusing to fight; sectarian, riots break out in Scotland and Liverpool. On the 3rd, Asquith reluctantly authorises the army loyalists to work with the Irish Volunteers who are already de facto defending their areas. Victory is assured.
March 9 - Asquith is forced to resign - David Lloyd George, taking office, needs to do anything to keep the Liberals in power.
March 19 - April 29 - A series of performative public clashes with the Irish parliamentarians, the promise of a Ulster Home Rule parliament (whether the Ulstermen say they want it or not), and a promise of votes for some women and an expanded franchise for some working men are the Welsh Wizard's various tricks to try and prepare for an election he plans to call in late May.
April 10 - With Russia bleeding its money on the army and paralysed & the UK focused so much on itself, France is worried it lacks allies against Germany. Cautiously, it reaches out to both Germany for detente and China - seen as a increasingly stable country - for friends in Asia.
May 29-30 - The Liberals lose dozens of seats and the Irish Parliamentary Party loses some as well, leaving them no longer a majority - but the Tories don't have enough either. Labour has gained seats as well, thanks to the new voters, and Arthur Henderson plays kingmaker by agreeing to a few deals with Lloyd George.
June 2 - After fierce back-and-forth, Germany and France agree to a non-aggression pact "at home and in Africa".
June 30 - The Tsar is officially dead. Tsar Alexei 'approves' high command as his regents. Some, but not all, of the army can stand down.
September 27-29 - The House of Commons approves a universal franchise for voting: 'Uncle Arthur's' price for support. The Lords pass it by a whisker after a lot of cajoling, bribes, blackmail, and fear of what Labour might tell the masses if they don't.
November 15 - The Russian army starts to notice its pay is taking longer to show up.


Asia:
April 27 -
The Treaty of Shanghai is signed between the French Empire and the Republic of China, agreeing open trade and mutual defence. Japan sends stern letters to Paris.
June 12 - Peking declares "the War against our Internal Foes": the various warlords, bandits, and corrupt local areas are going to bow the knee or else.
September 9 - Germany is being wooed by both Peking and Tokyo, and officially decides on a policy of 'neutrality but see what we might get' as it tries to work out where to stand.
September 19-21 - A Chinese platoon attempted to strike a warlord-held village and was ambushed. After a three-day siege, everyone but a messenger sent out on the 19th is killed. This is not the only setback Peking has faced, the war is a slog, but there's suspicion that this particular group were so well armed, Japan may be sticking its oar in.


Middle East:
April 5
- The Ottoman Empire hands a large chunk of Palestine over to the zionists as a Jewish Homeland; it believes the Jews will use their Control Of International Capital to help the Empire stay upright and it's not like they care about Palestine.
August 6 - Arabs Jews start to move to the new Protectorate of Israel and clashes imnmediately start between them & the European Jews.


North America:
February 11
- Emma Goldman is arrested for lecturing about birth control. This becomes a matter of some political argument, and questions will be asked about whether the Comstock Law should cover such topics.
September 12 - Roosevelt gets the National Insurance Act through Congress
November 7 - Thomas Marshall defeats Roosevelt in the election, but the Democratic Party only have minority control of Congress. The Republicans remain the largest opposition party, the Socialists making gains for third place.


South America:

January 12 -19 - Anarchists and labour activists launch a general strike in Brazil: the success of Mexico's Huerta looks a little too close to the government crushing the Contestado's, and they want to send a message. It fails.
May 5 - What remains of the FPRN tries to kill Huerta and his government in a single desperate strike. Over a thousand people die that day but none are Huerta.
May 17 - June 1 - In Brazil, the Contestado's have regrouped and the labour activists hold another general strike to coincide; a united front may just force change! In the end, the urban activists and rural settlers get some change but not as much as they both wanted, as the government offers them seperate deals and they're only so united a front.
June 16 - Dominican President Jiminez is able to form a coalition government with some of the opposition, making a possible end to the country's conflict be in sight: everyone in question was worried a US under Roosevelt might invade if things carried on.

Africa:
January 4 - February 12 -
The Abyssinian Civil War. Iyasu's court rebels but the king can get military aid from Germany. While the rebels have the advantage at first, German guns and reinforcements win the day. German biplanes are used as 'spotters'.
March 2 - Abyssinia starts to woo African-American intellectuals, scientists, engineers, and officers into moving over to help its reforms. The hundreds that do will find the country isn't the unconquered paradise they hoped and that they face a lot of prejudice, but Iyasu's German loans can salve that.
October 10 - Abyssinia now has an Imperial Air Corp, thanks to Germany and the American diaspora. Few of the pilots and engineers are Abyssinian, but they're being trained fast.


Oceania:
May 18
- Australia passes the Commonwealth Electoral Act
 
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In my post I got rid of Ramsay and replaced him with Arthur Henderson. I can forgive it if there's another Labour election that brings Ramsay MacDonald back as leader.
 
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