The head of the Throne (April-June, 1869).
Yuriev (Tartu, Estonia)]
The Okhrana and Interior Minister Alexander Yegorovich Timashev discovered the intention of Russian citizens of Estonian origin to celebrate the first "Estonian Song Festival", in the Estland or Estonian province (Eestimaa kubermang).
This put Alexander III under a decision. The Baltic provinces of Estonia and Livonia (Latvia) were dominated by the Baltic Germans, generally landowners (there was an agrarian reform and liberation from serfdom decades ago, but it is still a problem that the nobles own much of the land. land, many Latvians have moved to Slavic Russia for this) and political power, coupled with autonomy.
A considerable part of the Russian generals have a Baltic German origin. But on the other hand in Estonia and Livonia the literacy of the native populations was growing, they no longer have an interest in Germanizing themselves in order to ascend socially.
They are forming a kind of middle class, but the big cities are still dominated by Baltic Germans and Jewish communities.
Possibly in fear of not angering the loyal Baltic German nobility and generals, the emperor made the decision to support the local nobility over the native Estonians.
Okhrana and local nobility ruined the festival for Estonians, a total of about 800 individuals were involved. The local Estland / Estonian administration obtained its own Zemstvo, the Baltic nobility dominated it economically against the Estonian population, successfully delaying the development of the native middle class.
Minister Timashev and the Okhrana also played a vital role in clearing up local Estonian movements that could be a threat to the government.
Tsar Alexander III knew that he could not prevent the Estonians from advancing for long, but between favoring the Estonians and angering his generals, Tsar Alexander III preferred to keep his generals and delay the Estonians.
There would be time to redeem himself later.
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[Sakhalin and the Kuril]
There is an island and an archipelago divided between Russia and Japan by the Treaty of Shimoda, signed in February 1855 (when Tsar Alexander III was just 9 years old).
Under this agreement the island of Sakhalin was divided between north (Russia) and south (Japan).
On the other hand the Kuril were divided from Iturup to the south (Japan: Iturup itself, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai islands) and from Urup to the north (Russia: Urup itself, Broutona, Chirpoy, Brat Chirpoyev, Simushir, Ketoy, Ushishir , Rasshua, Matua, Raykoke, Chirinkotan, Shiashkotan, Ekarma, Kharimkotan, Onekotan, Makanrushi, Antisferova, Paramushir, Atlasov and Shumshu).
In these regions not only inhabit the Ainu, but also peoples like the Nivkhs (in the north of Sakhalin).
With Japan in its internal problems, Emperor Alexander III took the opportunity to strengthen the Russian position in the region. From Vladivostok (and with slight help from the Russian-American Company) economic projects were financed to convert Sakhalin from a penal colony, to something minimally lucrative.
Based on hired Russian and Cossack migrants, and natives (Nivkhs and Ainu), it was possible to find resources, and with the resources it was possible to found settlements with a minimally stable job.
In the north Ohe was founded, which later become Okhe (and later Okhe become Okha) from the word "dirty river" of the Nivkhs, oil was found there (and was the reason of the name).
On the Nogly-ngi river (smelly river or similar), or potentially based on the Noglan clan or the Nogl-vo camp of the Nivkhs, Nogliki, another petroleum settlement, was founded.
A military post and a collective farm was positioned where between 1862-1864 eight to four settlers had arrived.
Between the mouth of the Poronay River, Smirnykh was founded with a military post, there the lumber industry soon developed and projects began for a railway that will connect the other northern settlements.
One of the newly founded railroad cities was Tymovskoye on the central banks of the Tym River, where a dairy and bakery industry developed.
The investment from Vladivostok also needs local sources of food, the geographic difficulty of the island implies the need for the local fishing and meat industry to supplant its lower agricultural capacities (compared to the technology and capacities of the time).
However, with investments in this area and the construction of settlements, the railway line and others, the population of the north of the island was growing rapidly.
By the late 1870s the Russian Sakhalin had a little over 11,000 inhabitants, a position that Alexander III was focused on continuing to expand.
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The development of the Kuril Islands was much sparser, but focused more on the military capabilities of naval bases and less on the economy.
A weekly shipping line for resources and military personnel was founded to these bases during the early years of the focus on Kuril development.
Their population grew more slowly but the geography of the islands (if we ignore some earthquakes) was quite useful for the Pacific navy, which now traveled more often to the region (in addition to Alyáska, Vladivostok, Tsushima and Quelpart).
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[Central Asia: The Fall of Khiva]
At the beginning of March the Russians under the general and governor Konstantin Petrovich von Kaufmann moved towards the Khiva campaign, destined to the conquest of the last Khanate of the Central Asian region.
Approaching the beginning of May.
During this period, Commander Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev organized an early expedition that helped the Russian army to collect water by inspecting wells, ensuring a supply to advance towards Khiva.
At the end of May General Nikolai Alexandrovich Verevkin was the first to approach Khiva, with Kaufmann in the distance.
The Turkmen and some natives represented a problem that Verevkin, Commander Skobelev and other Russian detachments had to face until June.
The Khan had left on May 29 to establish relations with Kaufmann, but parts of the city of Khiva such as those in charge of the Shah-Abat gate had no clear news of the negotiations, nor did Verevkin.
Verevkin ordered the gates to be opened for the Russians, the opposition soon fell and Verevkin was the first general to solemnly enter Khiva, Kaufmann was second by declaring the surrender of the Khanate.
The Khan tried to escape quickly to Turkmenistan, but commander Skobelev followed him, between May 30 and June 1 the Turkmen who supported the Khan were defeated.
Skobelev returned to the Khan, who submissively agreed to become, in essence, a vassal of Russia. Skobelev was rewarded for this, and his victories over the Turkmen (a notable warrior people) motivated him for future campaigns in later years.
A total of 15,000 slaves were freed (among which there were Persians kidnapped by Turkmen), Khiva was subjected to pay food and money (2.2 million rubles), it was recognized that the government including the Khan was "the humble servant of the emperor of all Russia "abandoning any diplomatic and military sovereignty.
Economically valuable land came under Russian rule, merchants obtained various advantageous commercial rights.
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In Central Asia there were only two independent states left and the Turkmens, 1 if you don't count Afghanistan as part of Central Asia. The other state was the Sultanate of Ili in northwest Xinjiang, the Qing dynasty (they rebelled in 1864 and remained independent for the time being).
The free ground was the Turkmen, who were nominally vassals of the Khan of Khiva but de-facto they ruled the region of Turkmenistan, did not pay taxes and robbed the sedentary population with impunity.
There were roughly 20,000 warriors in total, with the Turkmen proper numbering 80,000-90,000.
The Turkmen would end up calling Skobelev "goz ganly" or "Bloody Eyes", a name that according to some records was used for the first time during the Khiva campaign, but became popular among Turkmen in the Turkmenistan campaign (the Expedition to Geok Tepe by Skobelev).
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[Dynasty]
June 7, Empress Maria Feodorovna and Emperor Alexander III have a second son, Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov.
From the Grand Duke's first breath, Emperor Alexander III was concerned about his health, placing various doctors to take care of the child.
A care that the emperor did not have when his first-born was born, the origin of the emperor's fears is unknown.
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[International]
The Second Mexican Empire proposes the creation of a 51 federated state, Morelos, however this state is not created.
The Second Mexican Empire has the most effective administrative division among all the Mexican states to date, developed by the polymath Manuel Orozco y Berra. It was proposed that the 50 states each have exactly the same population and natural resources, with a detailed study of their geography and local population (including Native Americans and their cultures).
Thus, each state of the Second Mexican Empire would have vital labor and natural resources for its economic development.
The truth is that Maximilian of Habsburg's dream that all states were equal was one doomed to failure, but his administrative division did turn out to be the best for the country in the long run.
While the Americans finished the First Transcontinental Railroad, the Second Mexican Empire had to focus on agriculture.
Lands were offered for the colonization of the less developed areas of Mexico to various foreigners (who under the Provisional Statute of the Second Mexican Empire, article 53 of sections 2 to 5, can be citizens "Naturalized foreigners according to the laws;" and by "acquire territorial property in the Empire, of any kind, by the mere fact of acquiring it.").
The agricultural lands of areas north of Mexico (and to a lesser extent others) receive mainly Germans (the first wave of Prussian origin mostly) and Spaniards. However, with the consequences of the Second Empire, the wars in Europe and other situations on the American continent, suddenly comes a larger wave of more diverse origins (French, more Germans, Americans of Confederate origin, Poles, etc).
The Second Mexican Empire began to develop agriculturally and industrially at a slow but steady pace, unfortunately its foundations were still weak under the government of Maximilian I of Habsburg.
The Imperial Japanese Navy is defeated by the Republic of Ezo at the Naval Battle of Hakodate, though nothing to get excited about. Ezo is just lengthening his final, his army (at the moment clearly inferior to the Meiji navy) has only obtained a Pyrrhic victory.
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It was only at the end of April when the Paris Commune could finally be defeated, the commune did its utmost to defend the revolution.
Practically humiliating the combined diplomatic and military efforts of Napoleon III's Second French Empire and the Germans (both sides had tried to wipe out the commune since mid-March).
This officially allowed the Armistice of the Franco-Prussian War.
In the Palace of Versailles the Germans proclaimed Wilhelm I of Prussia, Kaiser (a way of saying Caesar, as the Tsar is in Russia).
However with the proclamation of a unified Germany (from Prussia to Bavaria and Baden, etc).
However it was obvious that with the war (shorter than everyone expected, but equally costly) peace had to be resolved, and many issues. The North German Confederation had not had time to implement its constitution.
The planned constitution of the North German Confederation had to be amended.
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Diplomatically some things had to be resolved: Luxembourg would be part of the German Empire, led by the third son (second surviving) of William III of the Netherlands. Willem Alexander Karel Hendrik Frederik.
The southern German states of course insisted on the incorporation of Elsaß-Lothringen (Alsace-Lorraine for the French and others).
Now comes a curious part of diplomacy, the Germans considered occupying Paris and northern France, leaving as they received a huge pay from the French (equivalent to the payments to which the Germans were forced by Napoleon I).
However, the French, led by the emperor, offered on the one hand the abdication of Napoleon III (who would be succeeded by his son Louis Napoleon) and the French colonies in Indochina.
Otto von Bismarck tried to get away from colonial policies, but the southern German states were interested in diminishing French power as much as possible (they would have a vengeful France almost next door, so they hoped they could weaken it). Putting a 13-year-old emperor was a way.
And there was some economic potential and enthusiastic nationalism.
Prussian power had been called into question by the costly war, and the wishes of the southern German states had to be heeded. The Frankfurt Treaty did not convince almost anyone ...
* Napoleon III abdicated his position to his son, who rose to Napoleon IV, with Eugène Rouher as Prime Minister.
* Alsace-Lorraine is transferred to the German Empire.
* Indochina was transferred to the German Empire as Deutsche Südostasiens (at that time it included a protectorate over Cambodia, and what we can identify as Bình Phước, Hồ Chí Minh City, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu, Bình Dương, Bình Phước, Đồng Nai, Tây Ninh, Cần Thơ, An Giang, Bạc Liêu, Bến Tre, Cà Mau, Đồng Tháp, Hậu Giang, Kiên Giang, Long An, Sóc Trăng, Tiền Giang, Trà Vinh and Vĩnh Long).
* The Germans made little or no money and had to leave France almost immediately.