Chapter 315: The Warm-up Before the Olympics
The Ottoman Empire's territories in Europe were rapidly divided among the Balkan countries, and Albania seized the opportunity to declare its independence. Currently, Turkey only controls its capital, Constantinople, and less than twenty miles of land around it.
As for the military achievements, the Serbian army occupied most of Macedonia, northern Albania, and the new Zapal region. The Greek army occupied the southern part of Macedonia up to Thessaloniki, the Bulgarian army took eastern Macedonia and parts of Thrace, and Montenegro expanded eastward.
Overall, the countries involved each had their share of success, meeting their initial strategic objectives. However, this was not the end; the issue of Albania would become a far more explosive problem in this war.
Both the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Kingdom of Italy hoped to establish an independent Albanian state, but Serbia's occupation of northern Albania, securing access to the Adriatic Sea, complicated matters. Serbia's expansion was strongly supported by Russia, but it was met with strong opposition from Italy and Austria-Hungary.
Particularly, after Serbia formally occupied northern Albania and gained access to the Adriatic, Austria-Hungary made its stance clear, demanding that Serbia immediately withdraw from northern Albania or face military mobilization in certain areas to protect its interests in the Balkans.
Germany quickly supported Austria-Hungary's position, while Russia, unprepared for escalation, chose to back down, urging Serbia to make concessions while also bringing the matter to the attention of the great powers' conference.
While the Balkan situation was temporarily calmed by the intervention of the great powers, their interference ultimately deepened the tensions in the region.
At this moment, none of this directly concerned Australasia.
As April 1912 approached, preparations for the Sydney Olympics were entering their final stages.
This global event, orchestrated by Arthur with the full support of Australasia, had already attracted over 25 countries and more than 3,000 athletes. In fact, from late February to early March, many international delegations had already arrived in Australasia, entering a phase of intense and exciting training.
Several major powers with sufficient strength had already initiated their training programs at home and were preparing to travel to Australasia for the grand Olympic event.
The good news was that the Balkan war had not affected the Sydney Olympics, and even though the Balkan nations were embroiled in conflict, many still managed to send teams to participate in the event.
This was actually quite normal. Many of the Balkan countries were backed by the great powers, who were all involved, and it wouldn't be appropriate for the Balkan states to ignore the event.
To boost the global profile of Australasia and the Sydney Olympics, Arthur decided to launch a world circumnavigation, which would also serve to promote Australasia on the world stage.
This was not to be a simple circumnavigation. The first circumnavigation in history had taken place centuries ago, in the mid-15th century. At that time, it was accomplished using large sailing ships, which paved the way for several centuries of the Age of Exploration and the Colonial Era. It was also one of the main reasons that Europe ascended to global dominance.
After completing their circumnavigation, Europeans realized just how small their home was and discovered the vast lands and large populations beyond Europe.
Arthur's planned circumnavigation would use the AU-3 airship, made in Australasia, to make an aerial journey around the globe.
This would be a historic milestone that no one had achieved before. If Arthur could pull off this aerial circumnavigation, it would mark a significant achievement in the history of aviation and provide Australasia with an incredible reputation.
The AU-3 airship had made huge progress in performance compared to previous generations. Notably, its flight speed had greatly improved, giving it the capacity to complete a true circumnavigation.
The aviation laboratory, after receiving Arthur's directive, began arranging the route for the journey, carefully considering the best locations for stops to complete the journey in the shortest time possible.
For a circumnavigation, the first and second expeditions are fundamentally different. As with any race, the champion is always remembered, and the news will focus heavily on the first circumnavigation.
The pioneering journey is always more admirable than following in the footsteps of others. Once the first circumnavigation is completed, subsequent ones should be considered a given.
After detailed studies, the aviation laboratory decided that the circumnavigation would begin on April 10 from Sydney. The first stop would be Hawaii, followed by Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Rome, Delhi, Batavia, and then back to Sydney.
Even considering Sydney as a stop, the airship would only stop at eight locations to complete the planned journey.
In fact, if necessary, the aviation laboratory could reduce the number of stops even further.
However, the goal of this circumnavigation was not simply to achieve a quick round-the-world trip but also to use it as a way to promote Australasia and the Sydney Olympics.
Thus, the choice of stops was made with intent. Hawaii, as a major Pacific stop, was essential for crossing the ocean. Arthur didn't want his carefully planned voyage to end in disaster due to any mistakes in the vast Pacific.
The next stop, Los Angeles, was a major city in the United States and crucial for gaining global recognition.
London in the United Kingdom was also a critical location for similar reasons, and the British public would likely embrace it. The decision to skip Paris and Berlin was simply due to their proximity to London or logistical challenges.
The stop in Batavia was strategically chosen to highlight Australasia's strength and to improve its influence in Southeast Asia. While Arthur had no intention of directly annexing the Dutch East Indies, having influence in the region was still necessary.
The plan for the circumnavigation was quickly finalized, and the media controlled by the royal consortium spread the news with speed.
On April 8, 1912, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Russia sent telegrams to Arthur, congratulating him and asking if there was anything they could assist with.
What surprised Arthur was that the British telegram arrived first, marking a stark contrast from the time of Edward VII, when British royal congratulations usually lagged behind those of Germany and Russia, sometimes even being the last among the great powers.
What further surprised Arthur was that the British government also sent a congratulatory telegram and expressed intentions to explore further cooperation in economic and military matters.
While Arthur didn't fully understand the British government's motivations, it was clear that collaborating with the world's top power would benefit Australasia.
Following Arthur's instructions, the Australasia government sent a response, welcoming the opportunity to explore further strategic cooperation.
Thus, an agreement was reached the day before the circumnavigation, and it was decided that after the Olympics, Australasia would send a diplomatic team to London to formalize the cooperation.
Germany and Russia, in addition to congratulating Arthur, subtly mentioned their interest in importing Australasia's new airship technology, should the circumnavigation succeed.
Arthur, of course, was happy to comply. After all, the cost of an airship was not low, and its selling price was even higher. If the technology was licensed, the profits would be even greater. While Australasia's airship technology was the most advanced, military aircraft had gone through several generations of development, so who cared about the relatively fragile airships?
Arthur's quick agreement improved Germany's mood. Wilhelm II had initially thought Australasia might lean toward Britain, but now it seemed that the intention was more to remain neutral, avoiding war and staying out of the conflict between the two military blocs.
Although Germany might lose a strong ally during the war, Australasia's favorable geographic position meant that maintaining good relations was far more valuable than angering such a powerful nation.
In his conversation with Tsar Nicholas II, both exchanged pleasantries about their children. The miraculous cure of the Tsarevich Alexei's hemophilia by Rasputin had greatly lifted the Tsar's spirits.
However, what Nicholas II did not realize was that Rasputin, once seen as a saint by the Tsarina for curing her child, would be one of the key figures contributing to the eventual collapse of the Russian Empire.
(End of Chapter)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997