Chapter 196: Australia's Entry into the Game
If the nationwide general strike in Russia was the factor that forced Russia to acknowledge its defeat, then the series of revolutions triggered by the bloody incident became the reason why Russia had to request more support from the international community.
This so-called revolution was actually a long-term social upheaval. After the Russo-Japanese War, terrorist attacks, strikes, peasant protests, riots, and uprisings emerged continuously across the Russian Empire, leading to internal strife that compounded the external threats, creating a crisis that nearly led to the downfall of the empire.
This revolution had no organization, no specific goals, and no single cause. If one must point to a cause, it was mainly due to decades of national unrest and the Russian people's dissatisfaction with the Romanov dynasty.
Of course, the ineffective reforms of Russia decades ago and the demands for independence by some minority ethnic groups were also contributing factors.
This revolution intensified after Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War. Although not as large as in history, it could still be considered a crisis for the empire's survival.
After the resumption of German-Russian negotiations, the progress was remarkably fast. Germany, seizing on Russia's recent defeat and internal turmoil, promised a large amount of loans to help Russia stabilize its domestic situation and restore its production.
Germany also expressed its willingness to support Russia's future expansion in the Far East, offering to provide Russia with a batch of German-made equipment at cost price, and also agreeing to waive the clause about reminding France to uphold the Franco-Russian alliance.
On the other hand, France was only willing to provide Russia a small loan to help stabilize production in Europe. As for matters in the Far East, France made no mention, clearly no longer supporting Russia's actions in the region.
This obvious disparity did not cause Russia to abandon its alliance with France, however.
But a shift in the situation was imminent.
In the original history, due to Russia's crushing defeat in the war, the competition between Britain and Russia in the Far East, the Near East, and Central Asia had essentially ended.
However, the situation was different now. Although Russia had suffered defeat, it seemed more a result of domestic crises than a complete loss of power. If given a few years to recover, Russia would still be the dominant power in the Far East.
As for the Near East and Central Asia, Russia's strength in those regions had not diminished, and the competition with Britain was still ongoing.
Because this competition still existed, the Russo-British reconciliation that had occurred in history did not take place. In fact, it became even more strained due to the previous fishing crisis.
Although ultimately, due to French mediation, Russia and Britain reached a reconciliation over the fishing incident, the crisis in the Far East and Near East remained unresolved.
Simply put, the defeated Russia in history was no longer Britain's main rival in the struggle for global dominance, but now, despite its defeat, Russia still posed the greatest challenge to Britain in Central Asia, the Far East, and especially in India and the Middle East.
How important is India to the British Empire's status? The British Empire is an empire because of the title and resources of the Indian Empire. If Britain lost India, it would only be a small United Kingdom.
Because Russia still posed a threat to India, Britain maintained a cautious and hostile attitude towards Russia, despite the signing of the Entente Cordiale. The conflict between Britain and Russia became one of France's biggest headaches.
After the Entente, both Britain and Russia became theoretical allies of France, strengthening France's position against Germany. However, the problem was that there were still significant contradictions between Britain and Russia that could not be resolved in the short term.
More importantly, Russia had already begun to engage with Germany and Austria-Hungary, and its ambitions in the Far East were well known.
France did not want Russia to continue focusing on the Far East; the French wanted Russia to fulfill its alliance duties and restrain Germany's forces in the east.
If France continued to support Russia heavily, it would not align with French national interests and would also anger Britain, as Russia's focus on the regions Britain valued created a fierce competition between the two powers.
France would not allow Russia to gain power in those regions, especially given their rivalry in the Far East, the Near East, and Central Asia.
The contradictions between Russia and Britain, along with France's reluctance to support Russia's Far Eastern actions, caused Russia to lose confidence in its alliance with France, and it became wary of the Entente.
Amidst this backdrop, the German push to gain Russia's favor and support Russia's ambitions in the Far East brought a glimmer of hope to the Russian Empire.
At the end of May 1905, Kaiser Wilhelm II and Tsar Nicholas II met near Björkö Island in the Gulf of Finland to discuss a potential German-Russian alliance.
In contrast to the French, Kaiser Wilhelm II appeared far more generous. In the first round of negotiations, Wilhelm II promised Tsar Nicholas II one hundred million marks in free aid and five hundred million marks in civilian loans.
Since Kaiser Wilhelm II was also involved in Germany's automobile industry, the one hundred million marks in free aid was something he could easily provide.
For Germany, gaining Russia's neutrality in the event of conflict with France was crucial. If Russia could stay neutral, Germany could concentrate all its military forces on the Western Front and deal with France swiftly, similar to how they had handled the Franco-Prussian War.
The negotiations went smoothly, but many Russian ministers believed that if Russia sided with Germany in future conflicts and bore corresponding obligations, it would break the Russo-French alliance.
Moreover, Russia's diplomacy should be based on the Russo-French alliance, and since Russia had become heavily dependent on French capital, it needed a significant amount of French loans.
Russia thus split into two factions. One faction supported maintaining the Russo-French alliance, maintaining good relations with France, and seeking reconciliation with Britain to establish a stronger Entente among Britain, France, and Russia.
The other faction believed that France clearly prioritized its alliance with Britain and was focusing its support on Europe. Russia's Far Eastern policy, however, remained a critical issue, and Russia needed to maintain its dominance in the Far East and secure the ice-free port it had so laboriously obtained.
But pursuing its Far Eastern policy would lead to greater competition with Britain and displeasure from France.
Rather than allowing a larger conflict with Britain to arise and forcing France to choose between Russia and Britain, the latter faction argued it would be better to weaken or even abandon cooperation with France to gain Germany's support.
Tsar Nicholas II was unsure what to decide, but a suggestion from one of his officials brought a new idea to light.
Didn't Germany offer loans, weapons, and large amounts of support for Russia's Far Eastern needs, in exchange for Russia's support in future conflicts?
Why not ask Australia's opinion?
With Australia's growing arms industry during the Russo-Japanese War, Australia held a special position in the Far East.
Australia's industry had already developed to a certain scale, especially in the arms industry, which was highly advanced due to its integration of British and German weapon systems.
Additionally, with its abundant mineral resources and a large workforce, and being much closer to the Far East than other major powers, Australia was capable of sending supplies to the region within a week.
During the Russo-Japanese War, Russia relied heavily on weapons from Australia to balance its defense against Japan.
Although Russia knew that Australia was also supplying weapons to Japan, the lack of any diplomatic relations made it a normal part of international business.
Upon receiving Tsar Nicholas II's request, Kaiser Wilhelm II raised an eyebrow but quickly agreed to the Tsar's proposal.
(End of Chapter)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997