Chapter 182: The War Reaches a Stalemate
Why is it that after World War II, autocratic states largely vanished across the globe, and the majority of monarchies transitioned to constitutional monarchies?
It's a question worth contemplating. Perhaps it's because the foundation of monarchy—namely the divine right of kings—was no longer solid, and people were no longer as ignorant as they had been in ancient times.
It may also be due to the fact that after the two world wars, most countries in Europe and America had adopted democratic republics. With their powerful cultural influence and ideological exports, many post-war colonies followed suit after gaining independence, implementing democratic systems. During this period, republics sprouted like bamboo shoots after the rain.
But we also can't deny another reason: the deep-seated resentment of the people toward the oppression of the old aristocracy. The Russian Empire, for example, experienced a revolution during the war, overthrew its monarchy, and even executed its ruler. It became the classic symbol of aristocratic oppression.
Tsar Nicholas II, ignoring the sentiments of the Russian people, insisted on participating in a world war. The early defeats in that war caused immense losses for the Russian Empire, pushing an already unstable country into further chaos.
The monarch and the landowning class he represented—namely the nobility—oppressed the lower classes, and this became a key reason for the decline and disappearance of monarchies after the war.
On top of that, the rise of a new capitalist class effectively shifted the hatred that workers and peasants held toward capitalist exploitation onto the monarchy. As a result, the emerging working class developed deep hostility toward monarchs and monarchies. This too was a major reason behind the system's decline.
But this wasn't commonly seen in Australia. Despite its authoritarian monarchy—shared now with the Australia and New Zealand Federation—the royal family didn't oppress the people. On the contrary, it introduced a wide range of welfare policies.
Across the entire federation, workers earned above the national average income. Would these workers still harbor hatred for the monarchy?
At least in Australia, the people who were most grateful to Arthur were the impoverished and the working class, both of whom had benefited directly from royal aid.
The royal family gave the poor hope for survival and the working class hope for a better life.
These people might not understand grand political theories, but they could recognize simple truths. They could see who treated them well and who didn't.
This was Arthur's way of winning the people's hearts and stabilizing his rule. As long as the benefits provided by the royal family exceeded those offered by others in the country, the people would recognize that the monarchy was not their oppressor.
Without resentment or feelings of exploitation, the emerging classes no longer had a reason to oppose the monarchy—and so the Australian monarchy remained stable.
That's one advantage of a newly formed nation. Unlike the Russian Empire, which faced both the distrust of the rising classes and the resistance of the aristocracy it represented, Australia had no entrenched elite to oppose reform.
Even if the Tsar wanted to reform and resolve Russia's internal conflicts, would the aristocrats—pampered for centuries—ever agree?
They would never surrender their privileges for the sake of the "commoners." Over centuries of accumulation, the aristocracy had grown into a massive interest group capable of influencing the Tsar himself.
This was why so many historical reforms failed—they couldn't dismantle the massive and entrenched interests already in place, and thus the reforms were merely superficial.
While various reforms and policy measures flourished within the Australia and New Zealand Federation, far away to the north, in the Far East, the war was heating up.
The Russian Empire acted quickly—at least in terms of accountability.
Within a month of the war's outbreak, the Russian Empire dismissed General Starck, who had proven himself useless during the surprise attack, and replaced him with Russia's last remaining capable admiral: Makarov.
Why did the replacement take a month? Because it took at least that long for Vice Admiral Makarov to travel to the Far East.
Makarov's full name was Stepan Osipovich Makarov, a renowned Russian naval commander, military theorist, and scientist.
His previous post had been commander of the naval base at Kronstadt, near St. Petersburg.
On the eve of the war, Makarov had written to the Russian Navy Department, warning that war with the island nation was imminent. He advised that the Pacific Fleet anchored outside Port Arthur should be consolidated and placed on high alert for a possible surprise attack.
However, Makarov's blunt personality had offended many officials in the navy.
As a result, the Navy Department ignored his warning and reportedly tossed his letter into the trash.
To their surprise, the very next day, the Russian Pacific Fleet was attacked, with two battleships severely damaged.
Before the attack, the Pacific Fleet had a slight edge over the island navy. Afterward, the advantage shifted decisively to the island nation's combined fleet.
The Russian government was furious and immediately ordered Vice Admiral Makarov in St. Petersburg to assume command of the Pacific Fleet and replace Admiral Starck.
By the time Makarov arrived in the Far East, it was March 7, 1904—exactly one month later.
Upon taking command, Makarov swiftly implemented a series of measures to prevent a second surprise attack and mobilized the fleet extensively. He ordered large minefields laid along the Liaodong coastline to prevent an amphibious landing or rear assault on the Port Arthur fortress.
To further prepare for battle, he strengthened the port's defenses, expedited repairs to damaged ships, and enhanced naval training.
Under his orders, the Vladivostok fleet conducted several missions to disrupt the island nation's sea lanes and logistics, partially relieving pressure on Port Arthur.
These strategies proved highly effective, boosting the morale of Russian naval personnel. Makarov often led missions personally, earning widespread respect from his men.
But this new commander caused serious headaches for the island nation. After much deliberation, they finally devised a particularly insidious solution.
Why had the Pacific Fleet suddenly become so difficult to deal with? Because of Makarov.
If they couldn't neutralize the fleet directly, why not remove the man who led it? Eliminating Makarov would be as good as eliminating the fleet.
With this in mind, the island nation secretly dispatched warships to lay extensive minefields near Port Arthur, hoping to lure the Russian fleet into combat and use those mines to take out the highly capable Admiral Makarov.
(End of Chapter)
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