~April-June 1909: What is it good for
April 1909: With his appointment of an entirely new cabinet, President Taft has replaced Roosevelt's Secretary of the Navy Victor Metcalf with George Meyer. While Metcalf had supported the navy's calls for a balanced building program, Meyer adopts a policy of further limiting naval expenditure, with only two dreadnoughts and six destroyers authorised in the 1909 program. However the Wyoming class introduce turbine propulsion giving a speed of 21 knots and are armed with eight 14” guns in twin turrets, designed by Vickers in Britain due to the unavailability of a suitable domestic design. Additionally in a further cost cutting measure, he begin ordering the disposal of many obsolete warships, with the old battleship Texas, an armoured and two protected cruisers, the armoured ram Katahdin and six torpedo boats to be expended as target ships.
April 1909: The Bosnian Crisis deteriorates significantly when Austria-Hungary begins a partial mobilisation for an invasion of Serbia. Despite Russia yet to fully recovered from the Russo-Japanese War and 1905 Revolution, they commence their own preparations for mobilisation. This in turn sparks both France and Germany beginning planning for mobilisation, leading to the widespread belief war us now inevitable.
April 1909: The biannual Dano-Norwegian security meeting in Copenhagen is naturally dominated by ongoing Bosnian Crisis. While it is recognised neither nation can hope to repel a Great Power invasion even with the other's assistance, further steps must be taken to strengthen their defences, both as a deterrence to invasion and to allow sufficient time for the other Great Powers to intervene. With it clear any invasion of either country would have to be seaborne it is decided to order further coastal defence ships, with two built to a common design for each navy. On the political front, the meeting resolves to begin diplomatic efforts to bring Sweden into the common security framework.
May 1909: In preparation for the upcoming Brisbane Imperial Conference, the Dicey Report into the Imperial Constitution is released. The report accepts the existing unwritten Westminster Constitution as the basis of the evolving constitution, then goes on to identify three new sources. These being: doctrines, constitutional decisions made at Imperial Conferences; protocols, similar decisions made by the Imperial Council; and extensions, principles derived from existing doctrines or protocols. The report finds that the British Parliament in Westminster is broadly responsible for implementing Imperial policy in consultation with the Dominions at the Imperial conferences. Regarding avoiding the recent constitutional deadlock, it states while the Ottawa Doctrine requires decision making by consensus, the Durban Doctrine also commits the Dominions to collective action on developing and implementing policy, thus this consensus only needs to represent a clear majority. This will enter the Imperial Constitution as the Dicey Extension to the Ottawa Doctrine.
May 1909: The Zheng naval program announced late last year has created considerable comment throughout the world, though its impact has been strongest in Xianfa China, with many government and military deeply concerned at the potential of losing naval dominance gave them and the ability to strike at the Zheng rear, a factor considered vital in the Xianfa's survival during the first years of the Chinese Civil War. While there are calls for the Xianfa to order their own dreadnoughts to counter the Zheng ships, the Xianfa Grand Council rejects this on the advice of Emperor Zaitian. Instead Navy Commander in Chief Admiral Liu Gungxiong consults with the head of the British naval mission, Admiral Charles Ottley in order to counter the potential threat. While the specifications of the Zheng ships have not been made public, Ottley rightly surmises their limited size will seriously restrict their performance. He dismisses the dreadnoughts as marginal warships, while existing four Xianfa cruisers and an effective counter for the small Zheng cruisers. However he acknowledges the existing Xianfa destroyers are obsolete and outclassed by the Zheng ships, suggesting they be replaced as finances allow. Regarding the Zheng submarines, he insists these are experimental boats suitable only for harbour defence. In light of these discussions, the Xianfa response is confined to ordering two 750 ton destroyers from Britain with another pair to be constructed in the Fuzhou naval yard with British assistance.
May 1909: With war now seeming inevitable, the Stockholm Conference on the Bosnian Crisis begins, with both the Entente and Triple Alliance initially appearing utterly intransigent. However British Foreign Secretary skilfully uses potential British backing in any war to manoeuvre both toward compromise, greatly helped by an obvious Italian unwillingness to support their allies, along with the US delegation simply following the British line due to disinterest by the new administration. As neither side are willing to risk war with the prospect of the British backing the other side, a compromise is eventually reached allowing Austria-Hungary to annex Bosnia, while Serbia gains Novi Pazar as compensation. However Russian demands for access to the Turkish Straits are rejected due British refusal to allow any modification to the 1841 Straits Convention, leading to a massive deterioration of Anglo-Russian relations. While the conference does defuse the Bosnian Crisis, it leaves a lasting legacy of hostility between the European Great Powers and makes it clear any possibility of the British joining either bloc is a thing of the past.
May 1909: Since the granting of responsible government to the two Boer Dominions in 1907, the Southern African Dominions have been working toward some form of federation, similar to Canada and Australia. While this has broad support in principle, it has also proved difficult to find an acceptable constitutional structure, with a significant minority of British South Africans fearful any such union would lead to further erosion of the rights of non whites. Eventually a solution is found. As the creation of the proposed union would require an act of the British Parliament. Thus any South African government would be forced to request the British Parliament alter the act if it wished to change or remove these rights. With this compromise in place it is hoped the Union of South Africa will be created in 1910.
June 1909: Despite being ordered over a year ago, construction Russian battlecruiser Kiev at Canadian Vickers has been delayed by the need to wait for her sister Moskva to be launched as the yard has only one slipway large enough to accommodate them. With company having high hopes of winning further international contracts, a second larger slip is already under construction, with the company already aggressively bidding for the recently announced Argentine dreadnoughts.
June 1909: Since the Young Turk Revolution in July last year, Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid Ii has been looking for an opportunity to return to absolute rule. Since the reinstatement of the 1876 Constitution, various ethnic and religious minorities throughout the Empire, particularly the Armenian Christians, have begun organising politically in an effort to achieve greater autonomy. This has in turn led to a surge in agitation by Islamic fundamentalists, calling for the imposition of Sharia Law and strict regulation of Christian and other religious minorities. As a result of this agitation a number of Muslim units in Constantinople mutiny, demanding a return to strict Islamic rule. The Sultan seizes the opportunity, aligning himself with the mutineers and proclaiming the constitution once again suspended, restoring his absolute rule. The initial constitutionalist response is deficient and the Sultan quickly takes control of Constantinople. However the Young Turk movement retains considerable support in the provinces. A 35,000 strong force under Mahmud Shevket Pasha is dispatched to retake the capital. Initially Shevket Pasha attempts to resolve the situation through negotiation, but after several days of fruitless talks, he orders his troops into the city. Shevket Pasha's men face limited opposition, though in a number of areas, mutineers do put up a fierce resistance, leading to some bloody fighting. Nevertheless, the city is soon retaken and the coup suppressed. In the aftermath, Abdul Hamid will be deposed and sent into exile and his brother elevated to the throne as Mehmed V. Despite the coup's failure it will result in Islamic extremists launching a wave of violence against Armenian, Greek and Syrian Christians which will come to be known as the Adana massacre and leave 25,000 Christians dead.
June 1909: Since the end of the Chinese Civil War, the flow of goods and people between Zheng and Xianfa controlled territory has severely limited, causing major economic disruption throughout China. As part of his new foreign policy program of 'dollar diplomacy' US President Taft, supported by Japanese Prime Minister Saionji Kinmochi, arranges talks between Xianfa Internal Affairs Minister Kang Youwei and senior Zheng Grand Council member Wu Zhihui, with the aim of reopening the border. With both sides well aware the current situation is seriously hampering their recovery, the talks progress well, resulting in an agreement to allow movement across the border to resume, albeit under strict controls and restrictions. The Honolulu Agreement will mark the beginning of trade between the two Chinas.
