Clash of Titans: Germany, Britain, and the Coming of the Great Wars

[dublish]

Originally Posted by lifeless

nice update! hmm maybe it is time for peace?

Peace? PEACE?!? We're just getting to the good parts! Give Europe a few decades to finish carving up Africa, then they'll be at each others throats again.

[Jape]

Interesting update CSL. The destination of the Paris Commune caught me by suprise, hardly a foot note

However, butterflys....

[CSL_GG]

Bismarckian Europe

Uniting Germany under Prussian leadership through three wars, Otto von Bismarck was now at his very height of power. Across Europe every statesman viewed his abilities as mythical in nature, and none could remember a force similar to his since the days of Klemens von Metternich. In Germany, the new Kaiser, Wilhelm I, raised Bismarck to the rank of Fürst, also granting him the Chancellorship of the new Empire. Returning to Germany, he would also be given a large estate near Hamburg, the seventeen thousand acre Friedrichsruh. Often, Bismarck would spend his days at the estate roaming the grounds, most of the time with a gun, hunting the large stocks of wildlife that resided on the grounds. His wife, Johanna, complained of the lackluster conditions often, for while the estate was large, the manor lacked increasingly wanted amenities such as electricity, and even the future Chancellor - Bernhard von Bülow – would comment on this feature: ”Simplicity . . . complete lack of adornment . . . not a single fine picture . . . not a trace of a library . . . The whole house seemed to reiterate the warning: 'Wealth alone can destroy Sparta.” While not hunting or walking around his estate, Bismarck was often found indulging in his other sins. Rarely could the Chancellor be found without a cigar in his mouth, smoking over a dozen a day, and drinking in equal quantities. Quickly he became gripped with insomnia, often staying awake until well after the sun had came up again, and then sleeping restlessly until the late afternoon. Already he had begun to suffer the ill-effects of this lifestyle, and by 1872 he was suffering from migraines, gout, hemorrhoids, neuralgia, rheumatism, gallstones, varicose veins, and constipation, and was in near constant pain. This situation remained for the next decade, and by 1884 the Chancellor was well over 240 pounds, and many feared that he would not last much longer. Friedrich von Holstein, who was often in contact with the Chancellor wrote of his condition graphically, ”The Chancellor has aged considerably over the last few months, his capacity for work is less, his energy has diminished, even his anger, though easily kindled, fades more quickly than in his prime.” Johanna, while remaining silent throughout most of the last two decades, now spoke up, inviting the young physician, Ernst Schweninger, to treat the Chancellor. Bismarck, who disliked doctors and wished to be left alone snapped at Schweninger, ”I don't like questions.” Unimpressed, Schweninger shot right back, ”Then get a veterinarian, he doesn't question his patients.” Within weeks, Bismarck lost most of his excess weight, and drastically cut down on his drinking, regaining much of his lost vigor in the process.

Kaiser Wilhelm I and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck

While Bismarck was content to occasionally relax at Friedrichsruh, the business of government still rested upon him. But with Germany united and her potential rivals either cowed or friendly, Bismarck complained, ”I am bored, the great things are done.” The Chancellor, who was never fond of political bickering and would rather simply issue orders, was not the sort of man to thrive in a domestic situation. The state of the new German Empire could not have eased his nerves. Unlike many other states in Europe, Germany was a federal state, technically comprised of twenty-five states, each with its own separate government and monarch. Independent minded politicians in the Bundesrat would often play up this aspect, one of which was to declare, ”The Emperor is not my monarch, he is only the commanding officer of my federation. My monarch is in Stuttgart.” This state of federalism, while taking many methods from the American model was nevertheless much different. Unlike the American model in which each state was given equal representation in the senate, the German equivalent was completely dominated by Prussia, which was given seventeen of the fifty-eight members in the Bundesrat. Bavaria, as the next leading state, was given a mere six delegates. This kind of hodgepodge of ideas extended to the Reichstag, the sole democratic branch of the new German government, whose members were elected within a system more democratic than that of Great Britain, universal male suffrage and the secret ballot. Yet, while the Reichstag was democratically elected, it held almost no power, being unable to begin legislation or affect the conduct of the Chancellor or Imperial Ministers, moreover the Kaiser could simply dismiss the Reichstag whenever it suited him. Rounding out the peculiar shape of German government, was the nearly autocratic position of the monarch. Wilhelm I held vast sway in several areas, especially within the military where he had personal control and could promote officers of the army and navy at will. Likewise, the Kaiser could dismiss or appoint any of his ministers at will, free from any outside interference. Thus, with the government thoroughly mixed between democratic, federalist, and autocratic elements, it was no wonder why Bismarck attempted to keep clear of domestic issues, instead focusing on foreign matters.

”We are satiated,” said Bismarck only weeks after the end of the Franco-Prussian War. Having achieved his goals, the Chancellor had no intention of betting his winnings on another uncertain war effort. In less than ten years Prussian and German forces had humbled Denmark, Austria, and France, while losing hardly a single battle. While valuing the contributions of Helmuth von Moltke in the grand scheme of things, Bismarck had no wish to let him loose again, fearing his sway over Wilhelm would lead to a repeat of the Austro-Prussian peace treaty. ”You know where a war begins but you never known where it ends, he said. Therefore, with his plate filled and seeing nothing left to receive, the gruff and militaristic Otto von Bismarck became a man of peace, seeking to preserve the supremacy he had given the new German state. In order to achieve this goal, Bismarck was to begin a campaign of sustained diplomacy, cutting out many of the niceties to achieve whatever goals he saw fit. Key among his own continental system was the isolation of Austria-Hungary, attempting, and largely succeeding in making it a pariah during the rest of the decade. Bismarck, wishing to keep Russia friendly towards Germany would need to offer little asides from diplomatic support for their ventures in the Balkans. Having a long association, and personal ties between the Hohenzollern's and Romanov's this goal was not hard to achieve. Austria, as a result attempted to reach out towards Republican France, now under the guidance of Adolphe Thiers, but having received no support in the Franco-Prussian War, the French were unwilling to negotiate any sort of agreement, siding instead with the German government late in the decade after the temporary sting of defeat wore off. The Chancellor himself wished to see Austria humiliated as long as possible, knowing that he could successfully keep Franz Joseph and his Empire off balance and lacking friends as long as he wished. By 1875 he put this practice into writing, creating the Zweikaiserbund, an agreement between Germany and Russia, an agreement in which each promised to go to the others aid if they were attacked by Austria. Six years later the Zweikaiserbund was expanded to include Italy, becoming the Dreikaiserbund, with the Italians being offered the valuable prize of Trentino should any war be fought. The establishment of these new defensive alliances allowed Bismarck to silence Moltke, who had begun to call for a punitive attack against Austria, before it could once again offer a credible threat against Germany.

Count Julius Andrássy

Close relations with Russia allowed Germany to hold particular sway on the continent. When war erupted between Russia and the Ottoman Empire in 1877, both Austria and England demanded that the Russians pull out of Thrace or face the threat of war. The Austrian Foreign Minister, Count Julius Andrássy, proposed to deal with the issue at an international conference the Russians balked at the idea of holding it in either Vienna or London, but Prince Alexander Gorchakov quickly was to state, ”we have no objections to Berlin.” With no desire to see war once again grip the continent, Bismarck formally offered to host the conference in Berlin, and despite grumblings, the Austrian delegation eventually arrived. Calling himself an ”Honest Broker”, the German Chancellor nonetheless held a deep seated Russian bias, and Tsar Alexander II often spoke well of their talks during the conference. Bismarck, which had formerly looked at Pan-Slavism suspiciously, now began to see it as a way to strike at the Hapsburg's without open aggression. While both Great Britain and Austria began to lobby for a significantly reduced Bulgaria, the Germans lobbied hard for only small adjustments. The Russians, thankful for German support were still disappointed by the eventual end of the Congress in which Bulgaria still was given full independence from the Ottoman Empire, but lost control over its massive gains in Serbia, Macedonia, Thrace, and Romania. Russia however, was content to remain strong friends with Germany, now confident that its trust had not been misplaced with Bismarck, and further alienating it from both Great Britain and Austria. Bismarck himself had profited from the Treaty of Berlin, not only strengthening his cards with Russia, but now appearing to be the friend of pan-Slavism, while Austria equally declined in stature with the new Bulgarian state, and much of the Balkans. Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Novi Pazar, which were now under Austria occupation, quickly were to become thorns in the side of the Hapsburg monarchy as a result.

Following the Treaty of Berlin, German-Russian relations reached a new height, soon after reaffirming their defensive alliance against Austria and adding a third member several months later. Bismarck, while viewing the Russians as an inherently unstable ally, was egged on by Wilhelm to draw even closer to the Russian government in St. Petersburg. Bismarck, who wanted an ally who could be easily dominated, did not find this possible with Russia, but nevertheless found his goals almost perfectly in tune with his Russian allies. Both viewed Austria with distrust, and the Austrians returned these feelings. With German support the Russians could press their Balkan and Polish claims more strenuously. while the Austrians, without a formal ally, could do little besides grumble. Let Bismarck still wanted an ally he could dominate, and found it with the entrance of Italy into the Dreikaiserbund. Using the desire of Victor Emmanuel II to unite Italy, Bismarck offered the rest of the Austrian territory within Trentino and Venetia, to bring the Italians to his side. While a militarily weak ally, it further forced Austria into isolation. Also able to overpower the Italians diplomatically, Bismarck was to force them to not only sign a defensive alliance against Austria, but also France. Adding insurance in case the French aligned themselves with Austria, making them divide their forces to prevent an Italian breakthrough towards Marseilles. Moreover, Russia was an unstable ally, possessing vast amounts of minor ethnic groups that were already beginning to grow their own nationalistic goals. Most visible of this instability were the assassination attempts upon Tsar Alexander II. Italy, without any suffering minorities, and only recently united under the House of Savoy, was viewed by Bismarck to be a far more reliable ally, which while weak, would serve its purpose well, forcing Austria to divide its forces to both the north and south. This key provision was to increasingly bind both Germany and Italy together for the next fourty years.

Victor Emmanuel II

The final piece of the Bismarckian puzzle were two secret treaties put together during 1881. Bismarck, still confident that Russia was ultimately a shaky ally, approached both Italy and France with an offer of a secret defensive alliance against Russia. Representatives from all three countries met in Turin late in the year, hammering out the agreement which was purely voluntary should Germany attack Russia without provocation. To entice the French into agreement, Bismarck offered several of the colonies which Germany had gotten at the end of the Franco-Prussian War, including both the Upper Volta and northern Vietnam, but only should French aid arrive during a Russian attack. The Italians were easier to persuade, already firmly attached to Germany, the new Italian monarch, Umberto I, agreed soon after Bismarck offered to give Italy control over Montenegro and Serbia should war erupt. Both the French and Italians, now given what little they needed to side with Germany, now signed what was to become the “Insurance Treaty”. With the final piece in place, the Bismarckian system was now installed, yet one wild card remained – Great Britain.

[CSL_GG]

Originally Posted by Lord E

Well the Prussians sure did destroy at lot of Paris there, I would think that this will make the French grow even more radical and get an even stronger hatred of the Germans. Shall be interesting to see what kind of peace deal Bismarck shall make up to end this war. Looking forward to it.

Monuments can be rebuilt, but no lost provinces = rapproachment.

Originally Posted by Singleton Mosby

Forgot to say I feel sorry for NappyIII he had to go. I always liked him.

French Republicanism is never entirely stable, and maybe, just maybe, the Napoleon's will be returned to power.

Originally Posted by Lord E

Well that was a surprising peace I must say. One would have thought that the war hawks would have pressed to get much land in France, but from what I can understand this is a much smarter deal. It would almost seem like the Germans and the French won’t hate each other, but instead work together. Maybe we shall see the French and the Germans against the British later on… Shall be interesting to see, looking forward to it

War hawks got Austria, but not France. Didn't really think you could possibly beat Bismarck twice in a row. We may see France and Germany together more often, but unless it really suits both parties it won't happen.

[Lord E]

Interesting to see that Bismarck first allies with the Russians and Italians against Austria, and then understanding the dangers from the Russians decides to move west instead bringing the Italians with him and then move into alliance with France. Well this is one interesting European world, one could even think that the Russians and the Austrians might ally against the Germans, possibly brining the British in with them. As you say there is one wildcard left and that is the British Empire. Looking forward to more

[lifeless]

ooo allies with russia...interesting...aww austria is all alone...

[Burke]

Great work on the last two updates. Extremely interesting.

[Singleton Mosby]

Originally Posted by CSL_GG

French Republicanism is never entirely stable, and maybe, just maybe, the Napoleon's will be returned to power.

Nah, he was practically dead when he reached England.

[CSL_GG]

Originally Posted by Singleton Mosby

Nah, he was practically dead when he reached England.

Napoleon IV.

[Sir Humphrey]

Things are certainly becoming very interesting.

[Jape]

Very interesting CSL, I wonder how the bitter Austria will shape up in the coming decades...

[CSL_GG]

Britannia And Suez

Over the years in which Chancellor Otto von Bismarck was overturning the established continental balance in Europe, arguably the strongest nation in the world, Great Britain, had remained nearly silent. The three wars of German Unification had resulted in few diplomatic inquests or demands by British diplomats whose main roles during the period were to act as the perennial 'honest broker' between warring powers on the continent. Since the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, the nation had only intervened decisively on the continent once, during the Crimean War. British conduct during the conflict did little to inspire the patriotic fervor that had so gripped the nation following the victories at Trafalgar or Waterloo, instead the British intervention was to be best remembered for its most spectacular blunder – the Charge of the Light Brigade, so famously remembered in the Alfred Tennyson poem. Despite these gaffes, Great Britain was still considered one of the European Great Powers, along with Russia, Austria, Germany, and France. What the nation lacked for in terms of population or military strength was more than made up for with an increasingly large industrial might and the resources of a vast overseas Empire on which 'the sun never set'. Moreover, as an island nation, Great Britain was allowed to comfortably abstain from most continental events, only intervening when one European power came close to absolute domination on the continent, or one power threatened British supremacy on the seas. Thus, when Bismarck began his Continental System in the wake of the Franco-Prussian War, he paid little heed to Great Britain for the nation did not interfere in his plan. Unlike Napoleon, Bismarck had not intention of dominating the continent through an iron fist, instead he merely wished to reshuffle the deck, and in the process make Germany ”first among equals”. To this, Great Britain had no qualms.

Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli

Bismarck, while satisfied to have Great Britain remain outside of his new Continental System, nevertheless offered an alliance to Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli in 1878, just months after the Treaty of Berlin was signed. Already beginning to distrust and fear Russia, Bismarck offered an alliance to his English counterpart. Great Britain, having gone to war with Russia only two decades before, and still fearing their encroachments into Afghanistan and India, would reply positively. Disraeli, who had remarked positively upon his experiences in Berlin during the Conference was immediately taken aback, but responded favorably to the offer, asking time to consider the offer. Several days later, Disraeli and Bismarck met once again, this time joined briefly by Kaiser Wilhelm who expressed his supreme friendship with the British people. At the start of the meeting, Bismarck quickly fleshed out the details of his proposed alliance. It would only be a defensive alliance against Russia, and to sweeten the pot, Bismarck promised that Germany would remain neutral in case Great Britain and Russia came to arms in Central Asia, promising to intervene only should the conflict spread to Europe. Disraeli, who liked the idea and wished to look into it further once again stated that he was inclined to accept the proposal, but would need to return to England and consult both public opinion and that of Parliament. Returning to London by late 1878, Disraeli conferred with his Foreign Secretary, Lord Salisbury, on whether or not to accept the proposal. Salisbury, who was also inclined to accept the proposal, nevertheless expressed reservations on the grounds that Bismarck would probably side with Russia if any Central Asian conflict spread to Europe. Later that month, Disraeli met with the German ambassador, Count Münster, to discuss diplomatic matters and while Disraeli did not yet agree to an alliance, Münster was able to write Bismarck, stating, ”I am convinced that he is sincere.” For the next year the issue quickly wavered, as the Disraeli ministry began to crumble, finally succumbing to a liberal onslaught during the general election of 1880.

Bismarck, who had found himself working well with Disraeli, was aghast at the election of William Ewart Gladstone. The Chancellor, detesting the new Prime Minister, promptly withdrew his alliance offer, believing that Gladstone, who always took public opinion into account before making decisions, was both weak and profoundly misguided. Privately, Bismarck was to refer to the new Prime Minister as ”that big Utopian Babbler” and expressed dismay at his method of ruling, explaining that Gladstone would ”rather slit his wrists than go against public opinion. He is not statesman that I can work with, for he is little more than a walking voting booth.” Gladstone, who did indeed base a large portion of his decisions on public opinion, could seemingly not decide whether to hate Russia or Turkey, and thus in the mind of Bismarck, Gladstone became the very personification of enfeeblement and bumbling. Disraeli, whose Second Ministry had been firmly pro-Turk, was now overshadowed by the new Prime Minister who resolutely detested his supposed allies, declaring famously in the 1880 campaign, ”Let the Turks now carry away their abuses, in the only possible manner, namely, by carrying off themselves . . . they are that inhuman exception to the human race.” Bismarck, needing to keep his Continental System, could not afford to deal with a man who seemingly wavered as if the wind were constantly whirling about him, and instead contented to remain silent until a level-headed conservative, such as Disraeli or even Salisbury, returned to the Prime Ministership. While Great Britain was still resolutely detached from the political situation in Europe, this was not true in most other regions of the world. Gladstone, who had only recently been elected, had to deal with not only the aftermath of the Anglo-Zulu War, but also the continuing issues revolving around Egypt.

Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone

For Great Britain, Egypt had been an increasingly important region since as early as 1854 when Ferdinand de Lesseps began to obtain concessions from the Egyptian viceroy, Sa'id Pasha, for the building of a canal between the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea. Within two years, French engineers, spearheaded by Louis Maurice Adolphe Linant de Bellefonds, had set into place the final plan which would connect the two waterways. The British, under Lord Palmerston, initially felt threatened by the plan, fearing that the canal would be restricted to only French vessels, and therefore cutting into British trade. More to Lesseps and Bellefonds were the numerous issues which other engineers brought to their attentions – that construction at Port Said would be impossible, and that the canal would be filled with sand were put forward, among others. Lesseps had however, the support of Emperor Napoleon III, who along with his wife, were able to help raise over one hundred million francs to jump start the venture. Along with an eighty million grant by the Egyptian government, construction on the Suez Canal was able to begin late in 1859. Conditions during the construction were by and large, heinous, taking the lives of over 100,000 Egyptian workers, so horrid was the workers treatment that the British government under Prime Minister Gladstone was to lodge a formal condemnation of the project. Despite the issues, the canal opened slightly over ten years after the first work began, but Lesseps was to spend more than double his estimated costs. Ownership of the canal was at this time, entirely divided between the French run company, and the government of Egypt, with Great Britain holding no sway whatsoever. This all changed in 1875, when Isma'il Pasha was forced to sell his shares of the Suez Canal to the British government following his governments ill-advised campaigns into the Darfur and Ethiopia.

With shares of the Suez Canal now divided between French and British interests, the British government had a vested interest in having a stable Egyptian government. Lesseps, as the head of the Universal Suez Ship Canal Company, quickly placed three British representatives onto the board of directors, followed a decade latter by a further seven, solidified the interests of the British. Having been given spots on the board of directors, the Disraeli government sent Stephen Cave to Egypt in order to ascertain the state of Isma'il Pasha's finances. The report, which came a year later outlined stunning amounts of extravagance and waste which were sure to quickly reduce the Khedive to a state bankruptcy, where due to desperation the Egyptians might auction off stake in the area to the French. Prime Minister Disraeli, wishing to cement British interests in the area, and fully realizing the importance of the Suez Canal, was not ready to sit by and watch the Khedive fold to the French. Using the Khedive's personal ties to Great Britain, including a visit to London years earlier, Disraeli and British diplomats, in limited cooperation with the French, forced Isma'il to reform his finances. Two years later, in 1878, Major Evelyn Baring managed to convince Isma'il to become a constitutional monarch, reducing his power and simultaneously placing Charles Rivers Wilson into the new Egyptian government as the Minister of Finance. Both Great Britain and France benefited from this new relation immensely, controlling the now weak willed and feeble Pasha. To the Egyptian population this situation was intolerable, so much so, that by 1879 the military, under the strong willed and galvanizing Ahmed Urabi began to revolt against French and British influence.

Isma'il Pasha

Isma'il, hoping to preserve his position on the throne, took the path of least resistance, siding with Urabi, allowing him to remove the French and British led government. Rapidly, Egyptian forces under the command of Urabi took over control of most of the country with small British and French garrisons only keeping watch over the Suez Canal. Faced with a now hostile Egyptian government and with Isma'il fleeing to Naples early in 1880, both the British and French governments under Prime Minister Gladstone and President Jules Grévy were forced to demand that the previous government, including European ministers be reinstated. Urabi, with no intention of acceding to these demands, placed Tewfik Pasha, Isma'il's son, upon the Egyptian throne. Both the British and French governments now feared the worst, that Urabi would default on Egyptian loans and try to takeover the Suez Canal. Soon after the placement of Tewfik upon the Egyptian throne, Urabi initiated a full blown rebellion against European interests, both attacking the small British and French outposts at either end of the Canal and foreigners throughout the country. In Alexandria, Greek, Italian, and other non-native businesses were set ablaze, and several dozen foreigners including more than twenty French citizens were killed. The governments in both London and Paris had by now had enough, and dispatched a joint Anglo-Franco fleet under the command of Admiral Beauchamp Seymour to protect European interests along the coast, specifically at the city of Alexandria. With Urabi unwilling to back down, conflict was inevitable.

[yourworstnightm]

Hmm, an egyptian conflict on the way, might draw Brittain and Frnace closer to eachother, or then not. Will be interresting. And with a crisis in Egypt, waht will the Sick man of Europe do? Egypt is still Ottoman territory, at least on paper.

[Jape]

Interesting, will Britain and Germany join forces in the near future?

Also be interesting to see if the French get more direct influence in Egypt

[lifeless]

ooo interesting...and what shall the italians do?

[CSL_GG]

Originally Posted by Vincent Julien

At a guess... send two divisions, which are then promptly massacred by a force of four Egyptain riflemen on mounted camels outside Alexandria. The Egyptians then make an unopposed landing in Calabria whilst the Italian fleet winters in Jamaica. most of the country south of Naples is occupied, and Italy eventually sues for peace, with Egypt recieving Sicily.

Damn, how did you know!

[Sir Humphrey]

Hey VJ, scatching remarks.

[CSL_GG]

Originally Posted by Lord E

Interesting to see that Bismarck first allies with the Russians and Italians against Austria, and then understanding the dangers from the Russians decides to move west instead bringing the Italians with him and then move into alliance with France. Well this is one interesting European world, one could even think that the Russians and the Austrians might ally against the Germans, possibly brining the British in with them. As you say there is one wildcard left and that is the British Empire. Looking forward to more

Bismarck needed to keep Germany as solid as he could, and all of these secret alliances manage to do that in a way. I can't see Russia and Austria getting together with the current situations, but perhaps in the future they might settle their disputes in the Balkans.

Originally Posted by lifeless

ooo allies with russia...interesting...aww austria is all alone...

Originally Posted by Vincent Julian

Austria is in a bit of an awful pickle at the moment.

Had to pick on one Great Power, and well, it would be too predictable to make it the French.

Originally Posted by Burke

Great work on the last two updates. Extremely interesting.

Why thank you sir, I aim to put out some more of that soon.

Originally Posted by Sir Humphrey

Things are certainly becoming very interesting.

Just you wait until my next update.

Originally Posted by Jape

Very interesting CSL, I wonder how the bitter Austria will shape up in the coming decades...

As bitter as the French were, I assure you. Although this may be less pronounced with such a ethnically diverse nation such as Austria-Hungary.

Originally Posted by yourworstnightmare

Hmm, an egyptian conflict on the way, might draw Brittain and Frnace closer to eachother, or then not. Will be interresting. And with a crisis in Egypt, waht will the Sick man of Europe do? Egypt is still Ottoman territory, at least on paper.

The first part of your question is a secret until the end of my next update. Secondly, the Ottomans will do nothing. They technically own Egypt, but then again, they don't. Moreover they can't object to Great Britain and France or else face the prospect of losing western aid in any future conflict with Russia.

Originally Posted by Jape

Interesting, will Britain and Germany join forces in the near future?

Also be interesting to see if the French get more direct influence in Egypt

Bismarck can choose sides whenever he wants, but I believe he'd rather side with France.

Originally Posted by Vincent Julian

Fire in Cairo, eh? I wonder what this French interest in Egypt will promise for diplomatic relations between Britain and France. Somehow I sense that there will be disagreement over the spoils of war.

You're getting close...

[CSL_GG]

Flames at Alexandria

John Arbuthnot Fisher was born on the 25th of January, 1841 in Rambodde, Ceylon to a family which was to eventually give him ten siblings. His father, William Fisher, was the aide-de-camp to the Governor of Ceylon, holding the rank of Captain within the 78th Highlanders. Having received a son, William Fisher resigned from the army, taking up farming on the island. All attempts at growing coffee on the island proved fruitless however, and by only a few years later he had moved to another job, Inspector General of Police. With little money to spare, and ever more mouths to feed, the William sent his son to England at only the age of six, never to see his father again. With no personal contact with either of his parents, Fisher grew detached, expressing apprehension when his mother signaled her intent to meet with him, ”I heard from my mother. She contemplates coming to see me . . . I hate the very thought of it and, really, I don't want to see her. I don't see why I should as I haven't the slightest recollection of her.” Without the guidance and love of his parents, Fisher threw himself into the two things which would dominate the rest of his life, his wife Frances Katherine Broughton, and the Royal Navy. ”I entered the navy penniless, friendless, and forlorn”, Fisher would say later in life, but this was not true. In a surprising turn of fate, Fisher was to be nominated by Sir William Parker, the last of Nelson's captains, and at that time serving as the Commander-in-Chief at Plymouth, at the behest of Fisher's godmother. Only seven years after arriving in England, Fisher entered the navy, marching aboard H.M.S. Victory for his entrance examination. As Fisher noted, the procedure was simple, ”I wrote out the Lord's Prayer and the doctor made me jump over a chair naked and I was given a glass of sherry.”, that done, Fisher was a member of the Royal Navy.

Jacky Fisher

The Calcutta was to be Fisher's first assignment, but before he was to join the ship's company, he dined with Sir William Parker, who, ”. . .told me all about Lord Nelson whom he had served under a great many years.” The next day, such tales of glory were soon washed away as Fisher viewed ”eight men flogged”, in addition, he was to prove prone to seasickness and like every sailor of that day, hated the food. ”Whenever you took a bit of biscuit to eat, you always tapped it edgeways on the table to let the 'grown-ups' get away . . . The water was nearly as bad as the biscuit. It was turgid, it was smelly, it was animally.” Fisher's time on the Calcutta was short, only wandering into the Baltic for a short time during the Crimean War, becoming a hassle more than anything else. In 1856 he was to be transferred for a short time to the Agamemnon, but left quickly after being promoted to midshipman. Soon after Fisher was once again given to another captain, Charles Shadwell, on the H.M.S. Highflyer and both were sent to the China Station. Shadwell, a Fellow of the Royal Society , took an interest in Fisher immediately, and as a result Fisher spoke of him and the ship highly, ”He always had the Midshipmen to breakfast with him, and when we were seasick he gave us champagne and gingerbread nuts. . . . His sole desire for fame was to do good, and he requested that when he died he should be buried under an apple tree so that people might say, 'God bless old Shadwell!” But China only offered only thing for Jacky Fisher – action. During the spring of 1858 he was to partake in a particularly brutal attack against several Chinese forts along the Pei-ho River. With a landing party, Fisher and several hundred British sailors advanced up a wide and muddy flat, taking heavy fire all the time. ”They had horrid fire-balls firing at us. I saw one poor fellow with his eye and part of his face burnt right out. If a piece struck you, it stuck to you and burnt you away till it was all gone . . . I never smelt such a horrid smell in my life as bringing the wounded out to the ships. Abaft the mainmast it was nothing but blood and men rolling about with arms and legs off . . . Those men that he had left behind suffered a horrible fate, hauled out of the mud by the Chinese, who cut off their heads, and struck them on the walls.” While Fisher was uninjured, Shadwell was not, requiring several surgeries, the last of which was preformed without any painkillers. Shadwell in his characteristic way, apologized to Fisher soon after, ”Well, Fisher! I am afraid I made a great deal of noise this morning.” Fisher's next boat and captain were less amiable, ”He was satanic, for like Satan, he could disguise himself as an angel.” Promoted to Lieutenant, Fisher was thereafter moved to the Excellent where he was to learn the art of gunnery first hand, but this stay, like the rest of his early career, was short, and Fisher went to H.M.S. Warrior soon after it was launched. Here, Fisher was promoted to gunnery lieutenant, and became increasingly popular, ”I never went ashore so all of the other lieutenants liked me because I took the duty for them. One of them was like Nelson's signal – he expected ever man to do his duty.” Soon after his stint on the Warrior, Fisher returned to the Excellent, spending a further five years at the gunnery school and becoming a leading expert on torpedoes as a result. It was due to this recognition that Fisher was able to make two large trips to the continent. The first, in 1869 allowed him to meet several of the most important men in Germany, including King Wilhelm I, Otto von Bismarck, and Helmuth von Moltke. The occasion for the trip was the opening of a new port upon the Jade River, it was here that the North German Confederation was to have its principle naval base, Wilhelmshaven. Both Bismarck and King Wilhelm took a liking to the young lieutenant, all three speaking for over an hour in English before departing. The next year, when the Franco-Prussian War had ended and both sides were looking for an agreeable mediator to settle the naval concessions, Bismarck suggested, ”that young lieutenant Fisher be sent to help settle this issue, for he will be valuable in getting us the best guns.” Fisher, in this role preformed well, deflating many of the grossly exaggerated French costs, and personally helping to enlarge the German navy in the process. Following the end of the treaty negotiations, Bismarck singled Fisher out again, ”. . . men like Fisher are the ones that will ensure our two great nations will never go to war.” Following his highly publicized dealings in France, Fisher was once again promoted in 1870 to be second-in-command of the battleship Ocean, the flagship of the China Station. The sight of Ocean did not inspire confidence in Fisher, ”. . . we always had many fountains playing in the bottom of the ship.”, enduring slightly over two years on the Ocean, he was once again returned to the Excellent where he was to remain until 1876 and thereafter he held command over five ships in a mere six years. On each ship he enforced his harsh discipline, crafting each into the very model of a fighting ship, tossing away the paint cans most captains preferred and instead instilling a deep fighting pride. Despite the hardness of his conduct, the men ”were very proud of their captain.” Having achieved such results, the Admiralty decided to give Fisher the most powerful ship in the Royal Navy – the battleship Inflexible.

The decision to give Fisher command of the Inflexible shocked many within the Royal Navy. At only fourty years old, Fisher was still relatively inexperienced, but had made up that fault with grim determination, having made five previously dire ships into shining examples of the British Navy. Charles Shadwell, now an Admiral, had much to do with the choice of Fisher, having described Fisher to other Admirals as, ”the best boy I ever had.” Inflexible, while the most powerful vessel in the Royal Navy, was also the last one to have sails as well as a steam engine. Yet this fact did not dampen the spirits of Fisher, “A wonder, with the thickest armor, the biggest guns, the largest of everything, beyond any ship in the world.” This outline by Fisher was indeed correct, at 11,880 tons, it was one of the largest vessels in the world at the time, designed for the sole purpose of outmatching two Italian battleships, the Duilo and Dandolo. To achieve this, the Inflexible was given two massive 16-inch guns, each weighing over eighty tons, but to the Admiralty this was not enough, another twelve smaller guns and four torpedo launchers were added. To give these beast motion, were two masts, two smokestacks, two propellers, and twelve steam boilers, all-in-all she was able to reach just under fifteen knots. An impressive ship on the outside, many who served aboard her noted her failings, including Fisher. ”The guns took so long to load that they could be fired only once in five minutes, and for a long time after they had been fired the whole ship would be enveloped in a yellow fog while the projectile could be seen soaring away in the distance like a huge bird.” In addition to these gunnery problems, many found themselves unable to find their way around the ship, ”many knew not what deck they were on or what compartment they were in, or whether they were walking forward or aft.” Trouble and all, Fisher took the Inflexible into the Mediterranean shortly after taking over, acting as the guard for Queen Victoria upon her visit to the Riveria. There, he dined with the Queen and Prince Henry of Prussia. Only a few months later, Fisher, along with twelve other vessels of the Mediterranean Fleet were sent to Alexandria to help suppress the Urabi Revolt, there, Fisher would face his first test under fire since China.

President Jules Grevy

When Ahmed Urabi took control of Egypt and began to attack Europeans in the country, both the British and French sent large fleets to help remove Urabi from power. The French, under the orders of President Jules Grévy, were to send their entire Mediterranean fleet under Admiral Abel Nicolas Bergasse Dupetit-Thouars. Among the ships Dupetit-Thouars was to command was the powerful battleship, Redoubtable, which held over a dozen large caliber guns and had the distinction of the first steel warship when it was launched in 1876. Along with the Redoubtable were several other battleships, including the recently completed Amiral Duperre and the now aging Savoie, Flandre, and Solferino. While the contributions by the French were significant, the move was made cautiously with Grévy becoming increasingly preoccupied by public rioting in Paris. The British on the other hand, were given no such ill-luck, sending thirteen ships, including the Inflexible, Penelope, and Monarch under Admiral Beauchamp Seymour, called ”the swell of the ocean” by his men. By late in the month, both fleets lay off Alexandria, safely out of range of the Egyptian guns when word reached both fleets that rioting in the city, undoubtedly begun by the Urabi government, had begun to target Europeans. At once, Seymour ordered his fleet towards the shore, intent on taking aboard any Europeans that required assistance. The French, with orders from Grévy to merely stand off the city and retreat if fired upon, initially wavered. Dupetit-Thouars did not wish to disobey orders, but could not bear to turn away from the several hundred Frenchmen who still remained within the city, and within an hour followed Admiral Seymour towards the city.

Within hours of arriving at the city, both fleets had taken aboard hundreds of terrified Europeans. In the city, heavy rioting had left over two dozen dead, and Khedive Tewfik had also been forced to hide in his Imperial Palace. On the H.M.S. Monarch, little room could be found, with well over five hundred civilians taking shelter on the deck, happy to have been rescued from the angry mobs that continued to hunt throughout the city in search of foreigners. Among the two fleets lay another three small ships, auxiliary vessels sent by Germany to provide aid for any Europeans that happened to be in need. Having seen the powerful French and British ships enter the harbor, forces under Urabi began to man the forts which protected the city, all under the eye of both Dupetit-Thouars and Seymour. Immediately the Egyptians moved their guns to point towards the recently arrived vessels, but did not fire. Seymour, not wishing to jump to armed conflict, asked the Gladstone government what to do, and after several hours they returned a curt reply, “demand they lower their guns”. But time had elapsed, and Dupetit-Thouars, already having disobeyed one order, decided to continue, opening fire on the Egyptian forts only minutes after Seymour sent out his request. Only hours before, all European civilians had been transferred to civilian vessels, and now, with them out of sight, the first flashes of gunfight erupted. More so than the British, the French fleet had been randomly thrown together, having among it a two-decker ironclad, and the first steel battleship. Muzzle and breech loading guns were seen in equal abundance, while sailors on many vessels continued to put up rigging. Yet, among every vessel one thing was uniform, the gunnery was abhorrent. Admiral Seymour, who had shelved plans to wait for a government response, opened fire soon after the French, but in several hours incredibly few Egyptian emplacements had been hit. The bombardment was in itself less than uniform, almost every vessel was free to either take anchor or slowly steam around its target. The guns themselves were a hodgepodge, the British having ninety heavy guns, ranging from six-inch all the way up to the two massive sixteen-inch guns on the Inflexible. Throughout the day, every ship, including the Inflexible was enshrouded within a cloak of dust, smoke, and gunpowder. In front of them, the fourty-four modern guns in the Egyptian forts fired back just as quickly as their foes, but somehow managed to miss almost every shot, their best tally coming late in the day when a single shell hit the Inflexible, killing five and wounding fourty-four. Adding insult to this injury was the lack of French discipline, having not hit a target throughout the day, the captain of the Flandre had moved his ship closer to the enemy forts, but through the thick smoke had been unable to spot the Penelope, which, upon the next French broadside, was hit by several large caliber shells, killing over seventy British sailors.

Admiral Dupetit-Thouars

Despite the problems, both fleets continued to bombard the forts, forcing them into silence by the late evening. While a furious Admiral Seymour visited his French equal aboard the Redoubtable, Urabi began to remove his men from Alexandria, having suffered almost two hundred dead in the forts, and several hundred more injured. Following him was Khedive Tewfik, and thousands of civilians, fearful that landing Europeans would be quick to strike back against those who had so recently attacked the foreigners openly on the streets. Among the first landing to secure the forts, was Captain Fisher of the Inflexible, along with almost five hundred marines and six hundred French sailors, who took up positions around the Khedive's palace. Furious battles soon erupted between the landed forces and the remaining Egyptian forces. Fisher, having led a cavalry column along a rail line, were set upon by a large enemy contingent, but Fisher was able to force them back, placing three Gatling guns and a naval cannon on a nearby locomotive. Yet while Fisher began to feel the first effects of the dysentery which would soon place his life in danger, both the French and British governments were talking of war against the other.

[Jape]

A relatively cack-handed misson to Alexandria it would seem. Very interesting backstory about Fisher however, I'm guessing he'll be important in coming updates?

Shame about the crew on board Penelope- but the Royal Navy couldn't have expected any less when sitting alongisde the French fleet