2. Economic Pressure
Given the exponential projections for Chinese industry over the following years, it is likely that we will be able to out-produce and undercut European powers in multiple sectors (textile, cotton, steel, etc). This would almost certainly lead to the global economy turning to us, rather than the Europeans, for several products. Using this newfound economic pressure, we may be able to negotiate a transfer of territory.
3. Referendums
Through propaganda, coupled with our projected higher standard of living in the coming years, it is likely that any referendum held in these territories would lead to a victory for us.
5. Outright Purchase/Barter
Assuming we have enough in the treasury, it is theoretically possible to purchase the concessions by buying the Europeans out of their contracts. That said, we probably don't have enough money on our own, so the incentive of modern medicine would need to be on the table as well.
A mixture of 2, 3, and 5; 5 and 2 can be used like the carrot and the stick, and just these two should be able to pressure the governments of the Great Powers into letting go of the Concessions.
Number 3 is a more interesting one, because propaganda doesn't have to be just aimed at the Chinese civilians and can be even more effective if aimed at the civilian population of the Great Powers. Right now the Joe average person of the Great powers has a rose-tainted view of colonization (White-Man's Burden and other such fiction).
Your job as a propagandist is to tear away the mask of gallant civilization and bare the naked face of greed and callousness , depending on how much or little manpower and money you want to spend on this you could get away with just reporting the truth (with pictures) in as many of the newspapers of the time as you can (is the whole Congo hand cutting thing still going on?)
Don't just focus on the civilians of the great powers but as many of the other neutral nations as possible (U.S. should have enough liberal newspapers at this time?). You have the truth on your side and you should use it to ruthlessly turn as much of the people of the world against the whole concept of colonization as possible, once public opinion is soured on the unwilling colonies , the governments should be happy to let them go.(or at least your parts of them , hopefully)
You know, the whole concept of a properly run multi-media campaign in this day and age is pretty OP for getting people on your side.
They better be planting a seed/sapling for each tree cut.
This is a chance to railway the fuck out of the country. Most countries use severly oudated railways and trains, coz it's difficult and expensive to build them on top of the existing infrastructure. People don't wanna give up the cars either.
This is a chance to railway the fuck out of the country. Most countries use severly oudated railways and trains, coz it's difficult and expensive to build them on top of the existing infrastructure. People don't wanna give up the cars either.
That's pretty much what's happening. Instead of having two lines meet up with one another, advancements in communications technology allow people to build outwards from multiple points until they all meet up at once.
As for cars, well, I don't think the automobile is that widespread outside of richer people, mostly on the coast. Actually, at this point, the National Revolutionary Army probably has like 90% or more of all cars and trucks on the Mainland, while civilian production is mainly focused on pickup trucks to haul cargo and people to and from work sites.
I'm talking about how automobile industry is now. Pretty sure my country had railways built in the time of Austro-Hungary, and 0 rails since. I heard USA has the same problem. Trains are more efficient than cars, if you don't let automobile industry gain momentum.
A mixture of 2, 3, and 5; 5 and 2 can be used like the carrot and the stick, and just these two should be able to pressure the governments of the Great Powers into letting go of the Concessions.
Number 3 is a more interesting one, because propaganda doesn't have to be just aimed at the Chinese civilians and can be even more effective if aimed at the civilian population of the Great Powers. Right now the Joe average person of the Great powers has a rose-tainted view of colonization (White-Man's Burden and other such fiction).
You know, the whole concept of a properly run multi-media campaign in this day and age is pretty OP for getting people on your side.
I'll be honest, I wrote five possible solutions because I didn't want to write too many spoilers, but yes. "We will flood your markets with cheap goods and destroy your textile industry" is definitely on the table, and in a few years, they could actually do it.
Propaganda will have to be done in such a way that it can reach the most people, which likely means that multi-media largely consists of different forms of print at this time.
This could take the form of cheap pamphlets that show all the crap that people did in the concessions, from the opium trade, to that time the Russians drowned a few thousand civilians into the river, to the corvee system. With plenty of pictures.
The "best" part of this is that you don't really need to lie. You can just show what happened.
Rachel was no stranger to violence. She would be a poor sniper if she was.
And a poor MSS agent as well, but that didn't play as much a role these days. Not when China was in its infancy, and she could do her part to set it on the right path.
Sure, they had saved Mao from the Qing, but the Republic was entrenched in its position for the time being, and the CPC hadn't even been formed. Though now that she thought about it, it might not happen in the first place if Li's history was correct.
But she was getting sidetracked. Where was she...
Right. Violence.
Truth be told, it was more of an obligation. One that she was very good at.
Which was how she ended up here, watching another round of executions.
After the assassination of the king, the Wild Tiger Corps were quickly disbanded, with claims that they had killed him. It was bullshit, of course, but when you walk out of a building with the "murder weapon," it's easy enough to frame you.
After that came the arrests, where the leadership of the Wild Tiger Corps were thrown into jail, while the rank and file were interned.
Could they kill all the few thousands of them? Possibly.
Would it be a stupid idea? Absolutely.
Instead, the revolutionaries (with a little counsel from her and Li), decided on executing the leadership and the "perpetrators," coupled with a propaganda campaign helped by MIB.
Officially, it was a "Diplomatic Gesture to Ensure Justice in the Republic of Siam," or some legalese that HQ had come up with. She didn't buy it, of course, but it wasn't for her.
No, it was for the general population of Siam. And as far as they were concerned, the Wild Tiger Corps killed the king for... some reason.
Honestly, she didn't care what lie they used, so long as it worked. Besides, they had dedicated people who spent their time working on propaganda, and they had the decency to design the fliers and print the large pile of pamphlets that were being spread throughout the country.
But as far as she was concerned, there was only one thing that mattered:
It worked.
"Fire!" Colonel Leng shouted, and another volley fired off. Like the rest of them, these Wild Tiger Corps officers fell to the ground.
Rachel looked at Li, who grimaced at the sight. For an agent, he knew what they had to do if they wanted to create a better world.
That didn't mean they had to like it, though, but at least they could keep up appearances when Leng walked up to them.
"I appreciate your presence, Ms. Chu and Mr. Young. It's a terrible necessity."
"Indeed," Li told him, straight-faced as he could be. "Have you and the provisional government looked at the analyses some of our experts have sent?"
"We have," Leng promised. "The debt will be an issue, of course, but at least we won't have to worry about famine."
"Or digging yourselves further into the hole," Li agreed. "I take it the men are adapting to their new tactics?"
"Definitely. The M1 Carbine isn't the modern weapon we had expected-"
"We'll get you those modern weapons when we sort through our own industry," Li promised. "But for now, the Carbine should be a step up for your men. Should get them familiar with semi-auto instead of bolt action. Once the rifles arrive, we'll be able to train them on the new rifles."
"Fair enough," Leng relented. "I think we'll be busy for the next few months, anyways."
"Can you and your men handle it?"
"Of course, Young. Shame that the rest of the claimants wound up dead."
"Terrible shame," Rachel agreed. "But the silver lining is that the Republic won't have to deal with any monarchists in the near future. Perfect time for you and your people to consolidate your hold."
"Of course."
Chicago Coliseum, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, 21 June 1911
"I would like to thank President Taft for his concession," he began. "While he and eye may have our differences in our politics, he was most certainly the man in the arena these last four years."
"But as member of the Republican Party- No, as Americans, it is evident that we change course. Even moreso, now that the world has changed so greatly in such a short period."
"In less than two years, an island from the future has not only traveled to our time, but they laid low not one, not two, but three empires in a matter of months."
"When an Act of God interferes with the sea of time, it is clear that we must change our course if we are to survive. That is not to say that we shall retreat, nor that we should reject what sets our great nation from all other countries."
"My fellow Americans, the world has changed. No longer are we rivaled in the Pacific, for our rivals have beaten their swords into plowshares, and their replacements reach out to us with admiration and cooperation."
"After all, one need only look at this new 'Republic of China' to see the success of our democratic values. Though we are no longer the largest democracy on our planet, it is clear that their victory against the yoke of monarchy is a validation of our republican values. Just as we had done over a century ago."
"No longer is the Pacific a battleground for rivals, but a cradle for democracy. Today, young republics follow in our footsteps, just as younger brothers follow their elders' examples."
"With this responsibility, we Americans cannot be an island in a sea of time. Instead, we must be a great ship, leading the world forward into the future through every ebb and flow."
"From Sea to Shining Sea, the light of democracy shines brighter than ever before. And as President, I will do everything in my power to lead us forward into this bright future."
"So without further ado, I, Theodore Roosevelt Junior, accept the Republican nomination for the 1912 Presidential Election!"
Downtown Seoul, Republic of Korea, 15 August 1912
Ahn Changho had never thought he would be here. Ever since the Japanese had formally annexed Korea, he knew this would be a long, drawn-out fight.
Yet less than two years, almost to the day, he was now standing in a free Korea. One that would seek its own destiny, free of the Japanese yoke.
"I solemnly swear in front of the people," he began, "That I will faithfully serve as president by complying with the Constitution, protecting the state, promoting the peace of my country, promoting the freedom and welfare of the people, and promoting national culture."
And just like that, he was the first President of the Republic of Korea.
"Short and simple," Sun Yat-Sen told him at the reception. "Now comes the hard part."
"Of course." Never had he thought he would be here in the first place, but he had at least hoped that defeating the Japanese would be the hard part. "This is why we chose this line of work, is it not?"
"It is," Ozaki Yukio told him. The Prime Minister of Japan's presence had been a contentious issue, but the fact that the Japanese had also taken up arms against the Katsura regime certainly smoothed things over. "The Emperor sends his regards, of course."
That, and the decision to pin the majority of the blame on the Katsura Administration certainly helped.
"Please forward him my thanks," Ahn said politely. As far as Japanese Prime Ministers went, Ozaki had to be the most agreeable one that Japan could have selected. Then again, most Prime Ministers weren't imprisoned by their predecessors. "And thank you for your presence. I trust the Japanese people are ready to move forward?"
"Indeed," Ozaki promised. "Of course, there are remnants from the Katsura administration who hold a revanchist line. Largely in the Kempeitai, of course... or what is left of them."
Ahn had to do his best not to smile at that news. He had no love for the Kempeitai, and he was fairly certain that Ozaki shared the sentiment. However, saying, "I am happy that those assholes who kept my people down and held you without trial are either dead or disbanded," would be very unbecoming of the President of Korea.
Even if it was true.
"I imagine they have been publicly disgraced?"
"Indeed. Shooting their own civilians is a rather poor way of earning public support," Att Hasitawet, the Siamese President added. "On behalf of the Republic of Siam, I would like to offer my congratulations."
"Thank you," Ahn acknowledged. "And I wish you the best of luck with your people's republic."
"Now, with that out of the way," said Sun, "I believe there are some treaties that we need to discuss. Given the circumstances, as well as our shared values and interests against foreign intervention, it would be prudent that our four nations begin cooperating more formally in matters of trade and defense."
"An alliance?" Ozaki raised his eyebrow at that. "I do hope that you do not intend to start another war, Sun."
"Hardly, Ozaki. But given our circumstances, it is in our nations' interests that we cooperate with one another to prevent hostilities from breaking out between ourselves or with other nations."
The Kremlin, Moscow, Moscow Governorate, Russian Empire, 4 September 1912
The Prime Minister looked over the speech written by Denikin.
"Yes, yes, this should address the main issues," he surmised. "Particularly the protests and the riots during the war."
"Of course," Denikin told him. "Particularly the Jewish issue. From what the Okhrana have reported, they had a disproportionate representation among the rioters. Them, the socialists, and the non-Russians, most of all."
"Is it not coincidental?" Wrangel offered, "Jews are known to have a significant presence in leftist circles. "Leon Trotsky, Julius Martov, and Pavel Axelrod are all Jews, for example, but it seems that their opposition to the war was less to do with their ethnicity or religion, and more to do with their ideology. As for the ethnic minorities, is it any surprise that places like Kiev, Warsaw, and Helsinki were the most eager to protest, given their past history of grievances against Saint Petersburg and Moscow?"
"Oh, but they are all related," Denikin countered. "One's ideology and morals are influenced by the cultural values and religion that they are raised in, after all. While there is certainly a marked difference between Judaism and Socialism, it is clear that in Russia, the threat we face is, in part, Judeo-Socialist in nature."
"As for the non-Russian question, it is clear that these ethnic groups pose a second fifth-column element in our society. Their cultural grievances provide the Judeo-Socialism ideology with a fertile breeding ground in which the ideology is able to absorb the causes and grievances into their own movements. Given these facts, it is clear that multi-culturalism, while not necessarily Jewish or Socialist in origin, is in fact Judeo-Socialist in practice."
Denikin, what the fuck are you talking about?
"Given this harsh reality, Wrangel," Denikin continued, "It is important that we address these calls for multi-culturalism as the clear and present danger to Russian society that they are. To prevent such a disaster as the Zheltorossiya Campaign from happening again, a united Russia is necessary in every sense of the word.
"He has a point," Diterikhs agreed, and that was enough to get Wrangel to shut up for the time being. "If we are to rebuilt a stronger Russia, we must be united as one, in every sense of the word. We must be one people, speak one language, follow one leader, and be one Russia."
"Of course, Prime Minister," Wrangel relented. He did have one question, thought?
Who exactly was that "one leader" Diterikhs described.
Was it himself? Or was it the Tsar?
Chinese Volunteer Headquarters, Haikou, Hainan Province, Republic of China, 26 October 1912
"I think I'm going to miss you two the most," Le told Diamond and Cohen in his office. "There truly isn't anything I can say to convince you to stay?"
"Afraid not, sir," Cohen told him. "The MIB is an opportunity I can't pass up. Especially when they need people who aren't, well..."
"White," Le finished for him. "Yeah, I get it. Would be pretty hard to run an intelligence agency made up entirely of Chinese people anywhere that wasn't China."
"Exactly," Cohen told him. "You know, if they were even willing to take in Diamond, I'm sure they could use somebody like you, Le. MIB could use a man who can speak Vietnamese. No offense, Diamond."
"None taken, Morris."
"That's why I'm here for the long haul," Le chuckled. "Somebody has to teach all these new recruits how to fight, and it's not like you guys know how to speak Vietnamese to them, and not just the swear words."
"Fair enough," Diamond relented, before offering a hand that Le readily shook. "Don't be a stranger, Sarge."
"You too, Jake. And do me a favor: Make sure Morris doesn't get too big a head, alright?"
"I'll miss you too, Sarge," the downtimer sighed, and shook his hand as well. "Until next time."
"Yup." And with that, his two soldiers walked out the front door of the headquarters. Le would miss them, but he had a job to do. "So, do you think the men are ready, Cung?"
"Ready as they will ever be," the younger Vietnamese man told him. "How many are there?"
"Not counting the Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodians who are already part of the Foreign Legion," Le recalled, "We have about two thousand who answered Phan's call. That should be enough for two battalions."
"Not much of an army," Cung observed, "But you have to start from somewhere, yes?"
"Exactly. Which is why we're starting today."
This had to be, what, the third army he'd be fighting with at this point? No, this would be the fourth.
America, Rojava, China, and now Indochina.
But out of all of them, this one made him the most nervous, and it wasn't because he was just talking with Ho Chi Minh.
No, it was because this time, he would be fighting for Indochina.
Long story short, a lot of those nationalists who would have otherwise traveled to Japan around this time are going to China, instead.
And while it's probably a political faux pas to openly arm and train revolutionaries, these people aren't revolutionaries. They are volunteers in the Chinese Foreign Legion.
Nope, no Indochinese nationalists here. Just a couple thousand foreigners from the region who are training on modern weaponry here and learning how to operate as a unit over the next 2-3 years.
The Russo-Nazis are starting to form and push for pogroms. At least the Black Baron is in charge and more importantly isn't one of them, though we have to wait and see on whether he goes along with the antisemites.
In speaking of monarchies, I wonder how strong the monarchist support within Korea. After all, both former Korean Emperors are still alive but a quick search on both doesn't paint a pretty picture. According to what I found, Gojong's reign was characterized by strife and slow reforms, especially after the disbandment of the Independence Club. On the other hand, his successor Sujong is a puppet emperor who may viewed as a collaborator by the Korean people. I wonder if despite all that, Korean monarchism is still a strong political force or had it died with the independence of the Korean Empire.
The Russo-Nazis are starting to form and push for pogroms. At least the Black Baron is in charge and more importantly isn't one of them, though we have to wait and see on whether he goes along with the antisemites.
The good news is that Wrangel is a voice of reason. The bad news is that Diterikhs is the one who's PM, and he's about as much of an anti-semite as he was in our timeline.
In speaking of monarchies, I wonder how strong the monarchist support within Korea. After all, both former Korean Emperors are still alive but a quick search on both doesn't paint a pretty picture.
From what I remember, the Qing had some laws against it that were abolished when the RoC took over.
Now, in Second Sunrise, it is likely that New China basically imports Taiwan's legal system for the sake of simplicity, and that includes LGBT protections.
That said, if somebody did try to pass legislation outlawing LGBT in New China, it might not pass.
Not necessarily out of acceptance, but a sentiment that it's a waste of time and resources to debate, let alone enforce.
The reaction would boil down to, "How the fuck is outlawing gay or transgender people supposed to help people not starve to death?! Also, what are transgender people?"
As hyperbolic as it may sound, every dollar spent on this would come out of mechanizing agriculture or building railroads. Every cop or bureaucrat they task with enforcing this would be a cop or bureaucrat who can't crack down on the opium trade.
TBF, I feel it might also partly be that last part too, more than anything. Transgender people have very little representation at this point in history, to the point that most people might not be able to grasp or be aware of the idea of their existence. Are there any symbolic figures in Chinese myth/culture that could stand in? In greek culture there's stories from Ovid's Metamorphoses, but that's about it.
I've been following the story since the 3rd or 4th chapter, and oh well does the 1st Thai President's name screams Paradox's vanilla Victoria 3/Hearts of Iron 4 namelist - no one would pick the previous kings' regnal names and just roll around with it, especially as the first Republic leader.
I know it's quite challenging coming up with appropriate Thai names for random characters and that many of those involved in the 1932 Siamese Revolution are still mostly kids at best - that still leaves us with some 90+ people who participated in the 1912 Palace Revolt inspired by the Young Turks and Tongmenghui OTL to pick from with their details below:
The main 7 key members of the attempted revolt OTLs are:
- Capt. Khun Thuayhanpitak (Leng Srichand): leader of the group mostly from his charisma and the ability to mediate any issue among the group members, also a doctor with democratic beliefs like a certain Chinese revolutionary here - got pardoned later OTL and started a pharmaceutical company (ผงหอมศรีจันทร์).
- Sub Lieutenant Rhean Srichand, Royal Siamese Army 11th Regiment (Royal Guard), younger brother of Leng Srichand
- Sub Lieutenant Jarun Satamet, Royal Siamese Army 12th Infantry Regiment (Royal Guard), the first co-conspirator with Leng Srichand here
- Sub Lieutenant Nate Punwiwat, Royal Machine Gunner Battalion, acts as secretary of the group as many of the group's meeting was hosted at the unit's HQ and did later participated in the Franco-Thai War (1940-1941) and formed the Nationalist Party that participated in the 1956 election.
- Sub Lieutenant Plang Buranachote, Royal Siamese Army 1st Cavalry Regiment (Royal Guard)
- Sub Lieutenant Mom Rajawongse Khae Ratchanikorn, Royal Siamese Army Cadet School
- Sub Lieutenant Khean Uthaikul, Royal Siamese Army Cadet School
The captain who chickened out of the attempted revolt after getting picked to act as the assassin and later informed the authorities of the event is Luang Sinadyotharak (Yut Khongyu), commander of the Royal Siamese Army's 7th Artillery Regiment in Phitsanulok, a friend of Thuan Thienpitak and was initially prevented from joining the group by Nate Punwiwat, later promoted to "Phraya Kampaengram" by King Vajiravudh for his help in preventing the coup, joined the subsequent royalist Boworadet Rebellion against the Khana Ratsadon (People's Party) and hanged himself in his own cell while awaiting his sentences in 1933.
Other members of the "Khana Patiwat Thai" (lit. 'Thai Revolutionary Party'/'革命; Khana Kekmeng as per Teochew pronunciation' - the group's name found in captured documents):
- Major General Luang Wikkhanetprasitwit(Att Hasitawet), the first western-graduated Siamese military doctor educated in Siam, helped found the National Vaccine Institute later on, a big fan of Sun Yat Sen and Tongmenghui in general (the dude literally have Sun's portrait in his room) -> would've likely sit as the president if they succeed OTL.
- Sub Lieutenant Thuan Thienpitak, Royal Siamese Army Cadet School
- Sub Lieutenant Sorn Wongto
- Sub Lieutenant Plean Chaimangkala
- Sub Lieutenant Buay Bunyaratpan, also known by his pen name "Bor. Karkabard" for various works and "Buay Bullshit" by his friends, known for his photography work of various royal ceremonies of that era
- Sub Lieutenant Siri Khunprapai
- Sub Lieutenant Chan Parnsedum
- Acting Sub Lieutenant Koay Wannakul, also known by his pen name "Sriyatra" for various book translations
- Sub Lieutenant Jhuea Silaart
- Sub Lieutenant Thad Rattanapan
- Sub Lieutenant Chalor (no surname mentioned), military doctor
- Lieutenant Juea Kawakul, the group's General Staffer and the leading planner of the revolt
- Lieutenant Jarun Na Bangchang, the group's vice-leader, a law graduate and was the one who planned the "National Economic Plan" for the group
- Lieutenant Thongdam Klai-opart
- Lieutenant Snid (no surname mentioned), Royal Machine Gunner Battalion
- Lieutenant Jarb (no surname mentioned), Royal Siamese Army 11th Regiment (Royal Guard)
- Uthai Thephatsadin na Ayutthaya, a rare civilian in the group, also the group's main funding source
AFAIK the group's "Republic" wing initially won over the "Limited Monarchy" wing but was later overtaken by the latter just before the ill-fated revolt. With the sudden appearance of Taiwan from the future, the "Republic" wing of the group would likely retain their control (if not gained the supermajority outright), which is luckily how the last few chapters went, so we would only need to retcon few Thai character names - the 1st Thai President name in Ch.38 and Capt. Leng's rank (no, he was sadly not colonel yet)
Khun/Luang/Phraya/Chao Phraya are court title prefixes similar to the Ottoman Pasha/Bey suffixes and would've been abolished with the transition to a constitutional monarchy or republic. As per OTL, many who were conferred such titles later adopted them as their surname (i.e. Luang Phibunsongkhram --> Plaek Phibunsongkhram), so you could argue to have Capt. Leng and Rhean's surnames switched from Srichand to Thuayhanpitak if you want; the same goes for "Att Wikkhanetprasitwit". Similarly, Mom Rajawongsedenotes that person as a great-grandchild of a monarch and would've similarly been abolished.
Hope this helps with the story - with around 65,000 Thai nationals living in Taiwan, what's going to happen in the future is prone to be interesting anyway.
Edit: there's also "Siaohudseng Siboonrueng" (萧佛成: Xiao Focheng), a Bangkok-born Thai-Chinese Newspaper mogul who later sits on the 2nd Central Executive Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, a personal friend of Sun Yat Sen with vast connections to both 1912 and 1932 Siamese plotters, a bit sad his name hasn't appeared yet.
I've been following the story since the 3rd or 4th chapter, and oh well does the 1st Thai President name screams Paradox's vanilla Victoria 3/Hearts of Iron 4 namelist - no one would just pick the previous king regnal names and just rolled around with it, especially as the first Republic leader.
Hope this helps with the story - with around 65,000 Thai nationals living in Taiwan, what's going to happen in the future is proned to be interesting anyway
Yeah, I was wondering why the names didn't come up on Google.
This is actually just what I needed. Thanks!
No, seriously, I was hard-pressed to find a good name to use, and the guys on the HOI4 Discord I'm on literally said "Boot up Hearts of Iron IV and pick one of the leaders' names."
English sources on the subject are hard to come by, so your help is really appreciated. Because now I have a name for the first president.
Chinese Volunteer Headquarters, Haikou, Hainan Province, Republic of China, 12 December 1912
As far as trainees went, these men (and a few women) seemed to be doing better than most units he'd trained since he got here. Though in fairness, that was more to do with the fact that this time, Le didn't have to rush their training.
They weren't in the best shape once they'd gotten here, either. Sure, corvee labor meant a lot of them had the endurance, but these things took practice.
Still, they were fast learners, but this was the easy part. The hard part was the fact that about forty percent of the recruits were illiterate in some form or another.
All things considered, it came with the territory when a good chunk of your recruits were people who just moved here from Indochina for work and ended up joining the Foreign Legion for a better life.
Sure, most (if not all of them) were receptive to Phan Boi Chau's ideology, but a lot of them primarily came here for the promise of a good-paying job and an education.
Which they received, of course. The Foreign Legion actually paid pretty well. Sure, he was a Master Sergeant, but he was pretty sure that even a private got better pay than whatever the French were paying, back in Indochina.
Though I guess healthcare, education, food, and actually getting paid are definitely a step up from what's going on down there.
Wow, that's a low bar.
The anti-colonialist, pan-Asianist ideology was free, though, and it wasn't as if there weren't about two hundred thousand Vietnamese people who got sent back in time. With a class size of about thirty, there had to be at least thirty people who could teach and speak the language.
The hardest part was finding people who could speak Khmer and Laotian, and they'd even found people who could do that, too.
One way or another, Phan Boi Chau's plan to educate the next generation of Indochinese revolutionaries would work.
Ishigaki Island, Taiwan Province, Republic of China, 25 December 1912
"...You do know what Christmas is, right?"
It was a dumb question, now that he asked her. How long has it been? Almost two years?
In that time, Ishigaki had grown quite a bit. From the military base to the utilities to actually having a bank so that Aki didn't have to keep getting mailed envelopes full of money that she kept hidden under her mattress.
No, he wasn't going to forget that, and no, he wasn't going to stop bringing it up.
"Michael, we celebrated this last year," his partner told him. "Yes, I know what Christmas is. I just didn't celebrate it until last year."
"Right. But you get what I'm saying, right? When you're a kid, the last thing you want for Christmas is clothes. Once you grow up, it's the first thing on your wish list."
"Huh. That makes sense. Wait, is that why you got me so many clothes for Christmas?"
"That?" He motioned to the large number of packages currently inside his house. "No, that's because it takes forever to ship anything to this island, even after they set up the post office."
"You'd think that would be one of the first things they would set up." Aki just shrugged at that. "Better to look at the… what was the phrase?"
"Silver lining?"
"Yes, the silver lining in this."
"What's that?"
"I don't have to keep borrowing your clothes."
"Good. Wait, these fit you, right?"
"...Yes?"
"Good."
Tsu Residence, Manila, Insular Government of the Philippines, 7 January 1912
Emmanuel Tsu looked at his wife, who was as laser-focused as he was on their opponent. This was her home, just as much as it was his home, and she wasn't about to lose.
"Ready, Laura?"
"Always, Manny," she promised, with a tired smile on her face. "Let's do this."
He nodded at his wife and began.
"Pen pen de sarapen, de kutsilyo de almasen. Haw, haw de carabao batutin. Sayang pula tatlong pera, Sayang puti tatlong salapi Sipit namimilipit ginto't pilak. Namumulaklak sa tabi ng dagat."
"You're out, Tita Laura!" one of his great-aunts shouted with childish glee. "You're next, Tito Manny!"
"We'll see about that, anak," Manny told the little girl, before turning to his great-grandfather. "Want to join us, Lolo?"
"I'm fine, Manny," his great-grandfather told him. The slightly-younger man was busy smiling off in the corner. "Actually, could I talk with you for a minute?"
"Ninong," Manny's great-aunt complained, "Tito Manny's about to lose!"
"You win this round, Cora," Manny promised, much to the girl's delight. So he walked off with his ancestor. "So, what's up? Did something happen with the stores?"
"Nothing," Lolo Vicente told him. "Actually, it's good news. Tool sales are a bit low, but they keep buying all the clothes. I talked with one of my cousins down in Mindanao, and they were asking me how quickly we could get the next shipment!"
"That fast? Didn't know cheap clothes would sell for that much, Lolo."
"Cheap or not, it's good quality and affordable for the average Filipino, Manny."
When his Lolo put it like that, it did make a lot of sense.
Most clothes back in 2020 were made in places like Taiwan because it was so cheap. Factor in a large cotton crop, a literal century head start on manufacturing, along with the largest population on the planet, and it was no surprise that China could make clothes faster and cheaper than their American counterparts.
And once those clothes were made, they needed somebody to sell it. Who better than his large family of merchants with dozens of cousins all over the damn place?
Sure, it was probably some form of nepotism, but the Tsu family's sheer size meant that there were members all over the Philippines, and they were more than happy to sell clothes as well as tools.
Actually, clothes were probably easier to sell, now that he thought about it. Everyone needs to wear clothes. Power tools? Not so much.
"Makes sense, Lolo. So, we're in the black?" His great-grandfather gave him a weird look. "We're making good money?"
"Basically," Lolo told him. "Even after the Chinese get their cut, we've been able to make a good amount of money."
Well, that's a lie.
Not that Lolo or anyone else was stealing it, or skimming off the top. No, they had made so much money selling clothes that they literally did not know what to do with it.
"I guess we could expand to the US?" Manny offered, before Lolo shook his head. "We're doing that already, aren't we?"
"Yes."
"I guess we could use it to help people here. Our family should be set for the near future, but I'd like to spend the rest of it investing in the Philippines."
Honestly, he didn't know if Lolo would be on board with it, but the younger man just smiled and ruffled his great-grandson's hair.
"Then we'll do that," Lolo told him. "You're a man after my own heart, Manny."
"I'm your great-grandson, Lolo."
"And that's why I'm proud of you, anak… Wow, it still sounds weird to say that."
"I mean, I am older than you, Lolo…"
Blue House, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 26 January 1913
Park Jae-Hyun wasn't much of an economist, but he still had to sit through meetings with Ahn these days. Being in charge of the Korean Army meant he had to do things like that.
It was a shock at first, but he had been the best man for the job. Even if he didn't believe it at first.
Truth be told, it was Chen who had convinced him to take the job, despite his doubts.
"Jae, you're one of the best damn soldiers I've ever trained," Chen had told him, "It'll be tough at first, but I know you can do this… Plus, you can delegate a lot of the boring crap to subordinates, so that's nice."
Which was how he ended up here, reporting the modernization of the Korean Army to Ahn.
All things considered, it was awfully boring. Always the same, "The men are learning how to use their rifles as fast as the Chinese can provide them," and, "We should sign the STANAG Agreement as soon as possible to ensure that logistics is as simplified as possible."
Truth be told, he kind of wished he could delegate this part of his job away, as well, but that sure wasn't happening anytime soon.
"In the short term," Rhee proposed, "The agricultural and mining sectors will be of the utmost importance. However, I believe it is possible for us to finish our steel mills by 1915 with the help of our Chinese advisors. By 1918, we should have the first few drydocks in place so that we may enter the shipbuilding industry."
While it wasn't his specialty, Jae could understand at least that part. With how much product and material coming out of China, Korea could not hope to compete with them outside of domestic sales.
Which was why they had to work smarter, not necessarily harder, when it came to competing with their allies.
Tokyo Harbor, Tokyo, Empire of Japan, 2 February 1913
"We could always use somebody like you," Admiral Yaguchi told his former subordinate. "I never thought you would be interested in civilian life, Fukuyama."
"It's a new world, Yaguchi," he told his former commander. "Between you and Admiral Togo, I know that the Navy will be in good hands."
"Indeed. Shame about Sakurai, though. I know you two had your differences…"
"He will be missed." Much as he didn't get along with the man, Jun was saddened by his passing. "I doubt he would be happy about things, though."
"True," the admiral admitted. "I take it your business partners have set you up with your own ship?"
"Actually, yes. The Kobayashi is one of those futuristic ships, but it's actually bigger than the Aki itself."
"Slower as well, I imagine, with all those metal boxes on the deck."
"Apparently that's how people in the future would ship cargo, instead of break-bulk. It's much more efficient."
"I see… If you don't mind me asking, what will be the first thing you'll be shipping in those containers?"
"The containers."
"Come again?"
"The first thing the Kobayashi will be shipping will be these shipping containers. Apparently they're in high demand in China."
"It's not as if our harbors can use them," Yaguchi pointed out. Quite literally, in this case, since the Chinese cranes were still assembling things over there. Either way, he offered his hand, and his former XO readily shook one more time. "Best of luck to you, Jun. I know you'll do well."
"I did learn from the best, sir. Thank you."
University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, 15 March 1913
"As mentioned in the joint Manifesto Against Colonialism," Harrison Brewis said to his fellow leftists, "That the role of Empire is not one of civilization, but first and foremost exploitation. While empire may be a means of sharing these civilizing ideas, it is not inherently necessary for the spread of ideals."
"But the results are evident,'' the student's tory opponent countered. "One need only look at the Indian Civil Service to see the civilizing effects of the Empire firsthand. Whether it was intended or not, it is clear that the Empire has brought civilization to these people through our laws and technology."
"Perhaps," the young leftist admitted, "However, my point is not that the Empire is incapable of civilizing people, but that the Empire is not necessary to do so. Moreover, the constant repression of independence efforts in the Lost History provides sufficient proof that between self-preservation and the uplifting of its subjects, the Empire would always pick the former to the latter's detriment until it was no longer tenable."
"While it is good that you are using newer sources, Mr. Brewis, the rules of this debate specifically require that you do not use Lost History examples. However, as this is your first infraction, you will only be given a warning.
After that, this debate seemed to go on, and on, and on. Carlson would give off an air of an intellectual, or at least he would try to. Truth be told, Clem found the man to be a pompous ass more than anything else.
Brewis, for his part, seemed much more down to earth, if a little socially awkward. From what he had heard, the young socialist was a bit of an aficionado for the Lost history that had come with the Taiwanese.
"It's not every day that we have an alumni visit us," Clem's former professor told him. "I take it you watched the entire debate?"
"Yes. Mr. Brewis seems to be out of his element, and I have found his essays to be more engaging."
"And Mr. Carlson?"
"He is… somebody whom I could describe with many words, none of which could be said in good company."
"Very well," his old professor told him. Clem could see a slight smile on the old man's face as he walked away. "If that will be all, Mr. Attlee, I must take my leave."
Not necessarily out of acceptance, but a sentiment that it's a waste of time and resources to debate, let alone enforce.
The reaction would boil down to, "How the fuck is outlawing gay or transgender people supposed to help people not starve to death?! Also, what are transgender people?"
Wait, if Germany doesn't become fascist in this timeline does that mean that Magnus Hirschfield's Institute fur Sexualwissenschaft survives? Magnus being able to continue his work combined with research on LGBT people from the future would likely make the cultural acceptance of them way higher than in our timeline.
I'm confused. I thought the Japanese blew up Yuan's train. You even used the names of the participants from the OTL event that killed Zhang (although there is almost no chance that Daisaku and Fujii would have been at the ranks shown here, given their ranks of colonel and 2nd LT in the OTL). But you have made a couple of comments saying that Zhang was responsible for the train. Did he conspire with the Japanese
Wait, if Germany doesn't become fascist in this timeline does that mean that Magnus Hirschfield's Institute fur Sexualwissenschaft survives? Magnus being able to continue his work combined with research on LGBT people from the future would likely make the cultural acceptance of them way higher than in our timeline.
