Chapter 11
OR
How the hell did I get this to four pages?
"Deutsch-Irische-Pakt"
Ireland and the World, 1860-1900
1890
Parnell's government was continuing to encourage industrial growth throughout Ireland and its territories while at the same time drawing up plans for military expansion. The economy recovered at such a rapid pace that the Irish government was able to loan to Canada a large amount of Irish Pounds (rapidly becoming known as the Punt) so that they could expand Canada's reach to the north.
At the same time one very important and one important event happened to the British Empire. The important event was the invasion of Afghanistan so that British interests in the Indian sub-continent would grow and that the princes of India would realise their little little Kingdoms time were running out. The Very important event was the Japanese being elevated to Dominion of the British Empire after Queen Victoria was pronounced Empress of Japan. Emperor Meiji was given the title of Shogun of Japan to compensate for the loss of his throne. However Japan never applied to the Commonwealth of Dominions for membership and so while relations between Japan and Ireland improved they were never classed as friendly.
Then on August 24th 1890 a Sokoto raiding party was reported to have caused huge damage to the British settlements bordering the Sokoto lands. The outraged British public cried for blood and Britain declared war on Sokoto. Unfortunately most of the British military was tied up with the conquest of Afghanistan and this left very few British troops capable of taking part. Westminster then decided that if Parnell was enjoying expanding his army so much that maybe the Irish should be used to handle this situation.
The first Irish troops left from Dublin on September 16th and arrived in the Irish colony of Akassa on the 10th of October. There first objective was to push the Sokoto out of the British territories they were trying to occupy and then to follow them into their home land and "Punish them with the most extreme impunity". There were no objections from Parnell's government being used like this as he viewed it as the perfect opportunity to get some experience into the Irish army.
Place your bets folks place your bets.
By Christmas 1890 the Sokoto people had been pushed out of British territory and the Irish had crossed the border and were beginning to occupy Sokoto lands. While the conflict would drag into Winter 1891 the Irish government had its plans for what it would ask for in return for doing this. The Westminster government had ruled out Ireland from gaining any of these newly acquired Sokoto lands instead Parnell demanded that Ireland be entitled to the land called Rhodesia and that Britain would not attempt to colonise it. When asked why Parnell replied that Rhodesia had plentiful Iron sources and would be ideal for tobacco growing. Two resources Ireland was lacking and could use. Considering that Britain already had plentiful access to these two resources the Westminster government accepted these demands.
It was while he was in London for negotiations that Parnell snubbed an audience request with an Irishman living in London. This man felt he had designed a new type of naval attack vessel after being snubbed by the Royal Admiralty he had been hoping he would be able to get the former Naval Captain turned Prime Minister to accept his idea. After Parnell snubbed him the first time he kept persisting until Parnell fed up with his letters unloaded the man on a minor Naval officer who after interviewing the man gave the advice that the mans Idea should be humoured and given funding to build a prototype. So during the month of May 1891 John Philip Holland built, modified and launched his first submarine the
Holland 1.
Upon completion Parnell and a group of other Naval Procurement Board personnel as well as the Canadian, British and German Naval Attachés travelled to Achill Island Co. Mayo where Holland was to demonstrate his new design. Pages from Parnell's personnel journal show how the Prim Minister felt about such an event.
"May 26th 1891. I'm being dragged off to Achill Island in Mayo to observe a design of some madman. The man in question feels he has something that would be of great use to the Irish Navy. Bah. What our Navy needs is more Battleships not strange toys. I swear if I ever find the Gremlin in the Naval office responsible for dragging me out here I'll have his hide.
The "Holland-1" sailed out from dock under the observation of the small crowd of important people and local islanders. After clearing the Harbour the the boat did a number of manoeuvring routines being submerging under the water. It re-emerged a fair distance away where the crowd had to start using telescopes to observe it. The boat then came about, submerged again and when it next surfaced it was within range of the Commerce Raider that had been relegated to exist as a target. A spew of white water shot out from the boat and as the submarine began to submerge again an explosion detonated against the port side of the Raider ship which then began to quickly sink while the
Holland disappeared only to re-appear outside the little fishing harbour and come back to tie up. John Phillip Holland and his crew then climbed out of the
Holland-1 to much cheer and applause. The Canadian and German observers took note of the event while the British attaché viewed it is unimportant Parnell appeared unchanged but as he remarked later that day
"May 27th 1891. Mister Holland's submersible ship is quite an interesting device. Much more efficient then other submersibles that we have and well within out Industrial capacity to build. While i don't believe they would be of any use on the open sea for Coastal defence they could be quite useful.
A photograph of the man himself taken as he climbed out of the boat at Achill Island. Shortly after this demonstration four of his designs were ordered.
The conflict in Sokoto was finally resolved on November 1 1891. The conflict had ended much faster following the introduction of British troops to the conflict in July 1891. Britain gained control of all the Sokoto lands except for two areas that were granted to the Irish for exemplary service. The two areas in question where just lands suitable for Cattle grazing and of no strategic value. With the conflict concluded the Irish soldiers sailed for home after leaving a good ten thousand of their number dead in Africa. Less then a thousand had been combat losses, the others had been killed from trying to fight in Africa at the height of Summer and the effect of Malaria and other tropical diseases.
It would turn out that the Military practice the Irish military received during those years would be of great use sooner then anyone could have believed.
While it had been the policy of the early Irish governments to improve relations with France the Parnell Government had taken one look at the map of Europe and reached the decision that France was not the way to go. It's Industry was lagging and its government was inept. The country was being constantly racked with Revolutions and had not been successful in any conflict since the Crimean War in Europe. In contrast there was Germany. A young country ruled by a dynamic and much loved leadership whose Industry was rapidly outstripping even Britain's. A country that since it's creation had not lost a single war which was an impressive feat when you considered it's neighbours. Even though there was some Friction between Anglo-German relations the opinions in both countries were cordial to point of Friendliness and the average man in London would be much more willing to greet a German then a Frenchman. So Parnell's government began courting the German people and Government. The German Ambasador was offered much more luxurious premises then what had been offered under the previous government and the Irish Ambassador in Germany began a publicity campaign similar to the ones that saw Parnell come to power to woo the Hearts and minds of the German people.
The efforts paid off. German-Irish relations sky-rocketed and the two nations signed numerous trade treaties. In Africa German and Irish Colonial companies regularly worked to help each other in establishing territories and in the future Rhodesia would be the sight of the Irish-German border. However the biggest moment in both Anglo and Irish-German relations came in 1892 when the French government in an attempt to stave off another revolution declared war on Germany. While the German military was competent it could handle the French on the continent it's oversea's holdings were at risk so Germany approached Ireland with a request of Alliance against France. Such an Alliance was not to be taken lightly and after consulting Westminster on british support Ireland and Britain entered into Alliance against France.
German troops were quick to subdue French troops in mainland Europe wile the British and Irish drew up their battle-plans. It was decided that the British would attack France's colonial interests while Irish Colonial troops would also attack French claims in Africa while the Majority of Irish troops would be used to establish a beachhead landing in Brittany. The Irish navy was quickly sent to control the seas around Brittany to the West while Britain secured the Channel. The Irish navy ran into French opposition and it was here that Parnell's military reforms would begin to pay off.
The French fleet was made up mostly of Commerce Raiders with one Monitor class ship while the Irish fleet in the area consisted of two Pre-Dreadnoughts and four Protected Cruisers as well as two British Commerce Raiders that had been in the area. The HMIS Ross sunk two Commerce Raiders and the French monitor while the HMIS Stuyv, whose naming was still under investigation before the battle and following the name became so well loved the investigation was dropped, was responsible for sinking three Commerce Raiders with the other ships being sunk by the Cruisers. The French quickly came to realise they weren't dealing with equals but superiors. Also at this time the Irish Naval ships discovered that Brittany appeared to be completely devoid of French troops as it seemed they had all been called East to Fight the Germans.
The Irish navy in action. No subs I'm afraid.
The Irish Army was ready to disembark on the Beaches of Brest and begin it's mission with a massive British and Canadian force poised to pour in after the landing had been made. However then the war stopped. Before a single shot was fired from the British or Irish armies the French had surrendered to Germany [2]. German demands were light and France lost control of Strasbourg and had to pay reparations to Germany. Britain and Ireland gained nothing from the war except for some Naval experience and both countries received the news with shock. Just as quickly as the war had arrived it was over and British, Irish and Canadian troops returned home the same as they had left. While in Germany the war became known as the "Strasbourg" war in Britain and the Commonwealth countries it became known as the "Great Wait" as all the soldiers had done was wait.
While many heads were left being scratched some good news came out of Ulster with the creation of the nations first Oil Refinery being built in Larne[3] the facility began taking crude oil produced in Irish Abu Dhabi and refining it into Diesel fuel which came into demand quite quickly with navies and owners of private Motor-vehicles. While there were few of them in Ireland at the time the international market for the fuel was large enough that the refinery quickly began to turn a profit. It was another sign of the growing industrialism of Ireland as more and more people left their parents farms and travelled to Dublin, Galway, Sligo, Cork, Belfast or Derry in the hopes of earning a new life for themselves in the Factories. However conditions in the Factories were harsh and Trade Unions were still banned by the government. with little to no Industrial standards in play. In the Factories of Ireland a muttering began, it was quiet and few men were involved but it was there and growing.
However bar the addition of Western Kalahari and the Midway island chain to Ireland's growing territory, nothing of any real import happened to Ireland until 1st January 1896.
However a special note should be made to the faith of the nation of Hawaii. The nation of Hawaii found itself dissolving to outside influence and was forced to concede it's independence to another nation. So Hawaii quickly became part of the Territory of the Dominion of Japan in 1893 after the American's Socialist government refused to take control of a foreign country while it's own was in need of so much work.
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Comments, questions, pineapples?
[1] I had planned on a German irish alliance but not like that.
[2] So many Surrendering Frenchmen jokes, so little time.
[3] Larne is a part of Ireland I hold a special place in my heart to loathe at. It seems fitting that I would site the Oil Refinery there.