History of Tauland: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
Dutch-ODST (talk | contribs) |
Dutch-ODST (talk | contribs) |
||
| (7 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
Line 162:
=== The early Republic ===
''1892-1907''▼
▲====== ''1892-1907'' ======
Transitioning from a Dominion to an independent sovereign Republic went remarkably smooth as many of the institutions were already in place. Tauland already possessed a system of taxation, a legislature, an independent military force, and an independent police force and while limited it possessed foreign relations. While many things went easy, it was not without troubles, Tauland her primary legislatures had always been the Staten der Formosa (now renamed in the Staaten Generaal), yet at the same time, the role of the governor would now need to be replaced. While the position had always been filled by someone on the advice of the Staten der Formosa, it now became clear a directly elected leader was needed. It thus looked to its past and to the Dutch Republic for inspiration with its head of government being the Raadpensionaris, it thus adopted a system of a parliamentary democracy with a strong executive.
The first Raadpensionaris was inaugurated in Nieuwe Haag on the 1st of January 1892 it was the man by the name of Willem van Aertens, a direct descendant of Jacob van Aertens. He, like his NNL counterpart, would hold office 5 years before facing re-election. Van Aertens would set many precedents during his 15-year tenure over the nation. His tenure was filled with many challenges for the young nation ranging from domestic to foreign affairs and crises. These crises ranged from social unrest in the late 1890s, due to economic stagnation, increased smuggling and social dilemmas the young nation was threatened. While at the same time it was dealing with skirmishes over the Ryukyu islands that eventually escalated into a war between Tauland Japan.
During this cultural boom, which coincided with a rise in patriotism, Tauland began estelbishing foreign relations. These followed a traditional path of working via its old contacts from its dominion days. It was able to get several trade treaties signed with Britain for trade in China, respecting Tauland sovreignity and mutual respect in general. The challening issue was the land of the rising sun. Due to the Ryukyu islands having been taken by Tauland in the 1700s, it had always been a sore point. With Japan slowly moderning tho it began to voice its demands that it wanted those islands. With the rhetoric on both sides becoming more and more hostile, with Japan expanding her industrial capacity and creating a capable navy at a rapid pace. With this it became clear that the islands would in the future become a sore point.
Throughout the 1890s both sides started to talk about the sovreignity of the islands. In the end tho both sides did not budge with Tauland, considering the islands theirs as it had spend countless man hours into developing those islands. While Japan demanded full sovereignity over the islands and while no outright declarations of war where made, both nations deployed their navies and tensions rose. As several times it occured that Tauland ships edged closer to Japanese waters and vice versa. All of this was closely followed by the Tauland press which created more anti Japanese sentiment. All of these factors, be it anti Japanese sentiment, legimate fears of looking weak and economic aspects such as fishing rights helped with creating the conditions for the Ryukyu stand off.
During this cultural boom, which coincided with a rise in patriotism, Tauland began establishing foreign relations. These followed a traditional path of working via its old contacts from its dominion days. It was able to get several trade treaties signed with Britain for trade in China, respecting Tauland's sovereignty and mutual respect in general. The challenging issue was the land of the rising sun. Due to the Ryukyu islands having been taken by Tauland in the 1700s, it had always been a sore point. With Japan slowly modernizing tho it began to voice its demands that it wanted those islands. With the rhetoric on both sides becoming more and more hostile, Japan expanded its industrial capacity and created a capable navy at a rapid pace. With this, it became clear that the islands would in the future become a sore point.
Throughout the 1890s both sides started to talk about the sovereignty of the islands. In the end tho both sides did not budge with Tauland, considering the islands theirs as it had spent countless man hours into developing those islands. While Japan demanded full sovereignty over the islands and while no outright declarations of war were made, both nations deployed their navies and tensions rose. As several times it occurred that Tauland ships edged closer to Japanese waters and vice versa. All of this was closely followed by the Tauland press which created more anti-Japanese sentiment. All of these factors, be it anti-Japanese sentiment, legitimate fears of looking weak and economic aspects such as fishing rights helped with creating the conditions for the Ryukyu standoff.
=== Ryukyu stand off ===▼
''November 1899 - 3rd of January 1900''▼
''3-month war''
With the rise of anti-Japanese sentiment in Tauland due to the failed negotiations around the Ryukyu islands. Japan demanded full sovereignty over the island, despite at this point Tauland having had them settled and developed for the past 200 years. This eventually led to the rise of anti-Japanese sentiment within Tauland society, as they were seen as stealing the Taulanders rightful land. With people on the streets demanding that the government do something, Readpensionaris Van Aertens felt confident enough to take preemptive actions, to prevent further Japanese aggression.
Ever since the start of the political dispute between Japan and Tauland, Tauland its admiralty had prepared multiple plans in case of a war. Thus when the Readpensionaris gave the order to prepare for a potential conflict, the admiralty was ready. It thus sends out it's Marines and squadrons to strengthen the islands and deter the Japanese. These reinforcements consisted of 3 heavy cruisers, 15 armoured cruisers and 27 torpedo boats towards the island of Amami.
The naval force arrived in early November 1899 around the island of Amami, it immediately began setting up forward defensive patrols. Similoltaniously army forces on the island of Okinawa began to reinforce the garrison, in preparation for what could be a Japanese invasion. For the first 2 weeks nothing happened in fact the Japanese did not send any forces, to counter the Taulanders. It was only after 16 days that the Japanese response became apparent in the form of 17 cruisers, 20 torpedo boats and 4 frigates. What followed was a tense staredown with the cannons pointed at them. This eventually on the 3rd day of the standdown led to ire being issued and what followed was a naval engagement.
During this engagement Tauland ship fired at the Japanese and vice versa, the battle lasted for 6 hours and when it ended, Tauland stood victorious. Victorious in the sense that the Japanese could not land on the islands, this victory was due to the shore batteries and more up-to-date battleships with newer firing control systems.
=== The aftermath of the 3-month war ===
With the end of the 3-month war, and the smashing of the Japanese squadron, the state of affairs between Japan and Tauland was extremely tense. War was on the horizon and both sides understood it, yet at the same time, both sides were not ready for a war. This led van Aertens his government to push their Japanese counterparts for not necessarily peace, but rather an understanding between the two sides.
This while appearing a Tauland victory actually served both sides, for it now meant that both sides could prepare for the larger conflict they knew would come in the future.
== 20th century ==
=== A
With Tauland her victory in the naval battle the so called “Driemaandse oorlog” (three month war) or the stand off as it is sometimes called came to an end. It eventually led not to the peace that was wanted but a understanding. While it was understood that Tauland controlled the islands, the issue of fishery waters, natural resources and area’s of influence was not decided.
At the end of the conflict Tauland thus in its own eyes stood victorious but Van Aerten knew that it was just the beginning. Tauland had showed that it was a new player in a game that had taken place in one form or another for the past centuries. Knowing that his tenure as Readpensionaris was over he wanted to make sure the nation understood that this small victory was not a given.
Tauland experienced a cultural and economic boom during the 1910s, it being the melting pot of western and eastern cultures it leveraged its position to get access to the high in demand chinese products, all the while expanding its own industrial base and exports. By 1918 Tauland was called “The next power of the east” due to its industrial output, financial sector and maritime power, which allowed it to enforce favourable treaties if needed. Yet all came to an end with the European Economic Crisis.
=== A Decade of Austerity ===
Due to Tauland her reliance on exports it was hit hard by the crisis, as its normal export markets, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Russia the German states, all saw their economies shrink. This led to a loss of some 23% of the gross domestic product of Tauland as many merchants where simply unable to sell their products. This forced the goverment to issue meussures of austerity that where hoped would make sure the key industries; heavy Industries, shipbuilding, aviation and the finance sector would survive. What made matters worse for Tauland was the fact that the region was rapidly destabilising, the fall of the Russian empire its three year long civil war (1925 - 1928) the eventual fall of the South Chinese kingdom and the start of the Corean war.
Tauland tho managed to in general weather the larger storms by focusing on public work projects. It was during this period that the country side was heavily altered with new canals, with farms becoming more mechanised to increase crop yields, while its mountains where in some cases tunneld through, all of this had the goal to have people just work. What made matters worse for the government was that due to the political instability in the region, it was forced to keep its defense spending high, whille later it would show that this mainly throughout the Fleet expansion laws made it possible for moere people to work it was at the time quite an onpopular decision.
=== Participation in the Corean war ===
As the Netherlands entered the conflict on the side of Corea, Tauland found itself in a precarious situation. While it officially remained neutral, it was under prior treaties obliged to allow the Dutch to use Tauland ports, while at the same time, the Netherlands was her primary export partner. What made the situation more complicated was Tauland her relationship with the First Chinese republic, Japan and Corea. All of the warring factions had numerous citizens, or first-generation immigrants living in Tauland, while Taulanders themselves had routes in China.
While there were never fears that some uprising would occur, the fear of potential saboteurs where there. This forced the government under the newly elected Readpensionaris Dennis Liezoon, to enact the so-called and quite controversial “Publiekelijke veiligheids bevel 1829”. This order would see all citizens, thus those immigrants that had not renounced their prior nationality, to be interred. These internment camps were often located in the mountains or on the east coast. These camps were by no means prisons but there were armed guards present.
This order in particular was the first of what the Liezoon cabinet called “Siege preparations” for he understood that even if Tauland was neutral, other powers might see it favouring the Dutch, which it unofficially did, thus its merchant shipping would come under threat and its ports as well by “lone agents”. In 1934 many of its major urban centers, industrial centers and other strategic locations would become some of the most protected places in the world, with an advanced system of anti-air systems, and early warning systems. Tauland would thus throughout the course of the war be turned into nothing more but a fortress.
During this conflict, the Tauland military expanded rapidly, not just in its navy which at the end of it was the preeminent naval force in the region, but also in the other forces. Thus when the conflict ended Tauland was in an opportune position to enforce its interests in the south china sea, the pacific and Tauland straight.
==== Tauland during the great war ====
While never overtly involved in the great war (5 May 1935 – 14 April 1939) Tauland did not sit idle. During the war, it remained largely neutral, yet installed convoys to ensure that its shipping would not be hunted, while also providing a service for other smaller nations and their merchant fleets. This was made possible by the rapid military expansion that occurred in the Corean war. The convoy system was highly reliant upon the large fleet of destroyers and cruisers of Tauland and would see many nations join and help in improving Tauland her image abroad.
During the great war, Tauland saw an economic recovery, for Tauland provided much-needed munitions to the British during the conflict. This would see Tauland receive a great deal of cash, cash it used to expand critical infrastructure and prepare for a post-war world. A world in which Tauland her leadership knew, a new great game would occur and Tauland her region would likely become a battleground and Tauland needed to prepare for it. It was thus in late 1937 when both sides were still on the edge, that Tauland began to prepare for what would become known as “Operatie verzekering”.
==== Operatie Verzekering ====
Operatie Verzekering (insurance) was a military operation launched on the 3rd of February 1938 and lasted until the 1st of January 1939 (332 days). It was launched with a simple goal, to secure Tauland's strategic interests in the pacific, south china sea and other regions. It was the brainchild of Readpensionaris Rudolf Liezoon and Schout bij nacht Pieter Kaapman.
It has its origins in late 1937, seeing as the conflict was raging and it would likely end with British - Russian victory, the leadership understood that in the future Asia would become a battleground. It was likely they reasoned that Tauland, if it did not act itself, would be made or attempted to be made a puppet of one of the powers, thus to secure Tauland her long-term needs it would need to secure vital areas. The vital area’s that were identified were designated by the following names:
* Northern Tauland security zone (Ryukyu islands, Southern Japan)
* Southern Tauland security zone (Paracel islands, South China Sea )
* Eastern Tauland security zone (Buture island, Western Pacific )
* Western Tauland security (Xiamen, eastern china)
The intent of the military operation was a simple one, secure the vital areas and ensure Tauland superiority in the region.
=== Period of stability (1937 - 1954 ) ===
| |||