1900
In Great Britain in 1900...
January
- 3 January – Royal yacht Victoria and Albert almost capsizes while being floated out of dry-dock at Pembroke Dock on completion of her construction.
- 7 – 14 January – British reinforcements arrive in Durban, Natal Colony.
- 9 January – Influenza outbreak in London.
- 14 – 23 January – The Royal Canadian Infantry Regiment arrives in Cape Town.
- 21 – 25 January – Australian volunteers begin to arrive in Durban.
- 24 – 30 January – New Zealander volunteers begin arriving in Durban.
- 27 January – British forces under the command of Sir Redvers Buller begin their overland march towards Pietermaritzburg.
- 31 January – The Gramophone Company copyrights the “His Master's Voice” illustration.
-- Buller's Corps reaches Pietermaritzburg.
- 4 February - Buller's Corps begins its' slow & cautious march towards Ladysmith.
- 5 February – Canadian troops begin to move with British troops under the command of General French for the relief of Kimberley.
- 6 February – The House of Commons vote of censure over the government's handling of the Second Boer War is defeated by a majority of 213.
- 7 February – Mr. George Labram completes the gun "Big Barney" during the Siege of Kimberley.
- 9 February – Australian & New Zealander troops begin to follow Buller's Corps inland for the Relief of Ladysmith.
- 12 February – Meeting held at Mile End to protest against the Boer War ends in uproar.
- 13 February - Battle at Mooi River, Natal Colony. A minor British victory.
- 24 - 25 February - Battle at Boesmansrivier, Natal Colony. British victory; first action for the Australians & New Zealanders.
- 27 February - Creation of the Labour Party; Ramsey MacDonald is appointed its first secretary.
March
- 3 – 5 March - The First Battle of Bloukransrivier, Natal Colony (Frere). British victory.
- 5 March (On the Western Front {W.F.} ) Lord Methuen's Corps reaches & crosses the Orange River.
- 9 March (W.F.) Lord Methuen's Corps approaches the confluence of the Modder & Riet rivers where the Boers had destroyed the railroad bridge spanning over the Rietrivier back in November.
- 10 – 13 March Battle of Colenso, Natal Colony (Tugela River). Boer victory.
- 11 March – (W.F.) Boer artillery fires into the British lines on the opposite side of the Riet/Modder River(s) intermittently throughout the day. Lord Methuen orders his troops to hold their positions despite the pounding from the Boer guns.
- 12 – 14 March Battle of Winterton, Natal Colony; British Cavalry will attempt to circumvent and then wheel around to approach Ladysmith from the S-SW. The small battle ends up as a draw; the Boers retreat during the evening of the 14th. General Buller's indecisiveness allows the Boers not only to retreat but to entrench themselves at another position... Spion Kop.
- 16 - 22 March General Buller wastes his opportunity to follow the Boers from Winterton and to march to nearby Ladysmith where, he could have possibly come up on the Boers from the rear during their siege of the town. Instead, Buller waits for a supply convoy (that never arrives due to raids made upon it by the Boers) before making his move towards Ladysmith.
- 19 – 26 March (W.F.) Unable to cross the Rietrivier near the wrecked railway bridge, the British send several of their regiments down river in order to effect a crossing at another ford. At each ford or drift, the Boers are awaiting them and successfully prevent any British soldier to cross over to the other side (North bank) of the river. During the week, the British will suffer an additional 348 killed and over 707 wounded. At the same time, the Boers lose 31 killed & 85 wounded. One of the wounded is the Boer commander, Piet Cronjé, (on March 23rd ); he will be replaced by General Koos de la Rey.
- 23 March General Buller, frustrated at not having his supply wagons reach him at Winterton, decides, at long last, to begin making his way towards Ladysmith.
- 25 – 26 March – Battle of Spion Kop, Natal Colony. A major Boer victory. Buller's force is severely mauled by a combination of Boer artillery & accurate rifle fire. Buller would order one of his generals, General Hart, to try to storm the hill (Spion Kop) but General Hart's men would only make it part way up the craggy hill before being stopped by the enemy. Buller would order several more assaults on the Boer positions, each one, including a nighttime assault, would fail with heavy losses by the British.
- 28 – 31 March – General Buller begins a slow & somewhat disorderly retreat away from Spion Kop and towards his supply base at the small riverside town of Frere. Failure of Buller's relief column to make it to Ladysmith is seen as the reason for the surrender of the town on April 3rd.
- “Bleak Week” begins on Sunday, April 1st, as the Siege of Mafeking ends with the British forces within the town surrendering to the Boers. Shortages of food, and above all, potable water are the prime reasons for the capitulation of the town.
- 1 – 5 April (W.F.) Lord Methuen orders his cavalry to head west along the Rietrivier in order to locate an area where troops can cross and where there are no enemy laying in ambush. The mounted reconnaissance group returns in the early evening of the 5th to inform Methuen that they were unable to find any fording that was not already occupied by Boer riflemen.
- 1 April – The Irish Guards are formed by order of Queen Victoria.
- 2 April – Boer artillery begins another bombardment of the town of Ladysmith, Natal, beginning around noontime and lasted for three hours before ending. Later, just before sundown, the Boer guns came to life once again and bombarded the town until 9:00 PM.
- 3 April - “Bleak Week” continues as the Siege of Ladysmith come to an end with the garrison surrendering to the Boer forces. Over 300 civilians (mostly Africans) had been killed during the latest bombardments including 95 women & children.
- 4 April – An anarchist shoots at the Prince of Wales during his visit to Belgium for the birthday celebrations of the King of Belgium.
- 4 April – Queen Victoria and Prince Albert arrive in Dublin on a rare visit.
- 5 April – In the Western Cape, the Siege of Kimberley ends as the garrison surrenders to the Boers. Out of supply, dwindling food & water are the key reasons for the surrender.
- 6 April – (W.F.) Word reaches Lord Methuen of the fall of Kimberley. With the news of his failure to relieve the town & complete his mission, Lord Methuen sends mounted messengers back to the nearest functioning telegraph station (at Fraserburg 287 mi/462km to the south) to alert the authorities in Cape Town of the fall of Kimberley before they hear of it from the foreign (German & French) presses.
- 7 April – (W.F.) British forces under the command of the newly promoted general, Robert Baden-Powell, arrive at the riverside settlement of Upington located on the banks of the Orange River. General Baden-Powell's intent is to march overland through the eastern areas of the Kalahari Desert in order to reach the small town of Kuruman; then to make for Vryburg & then Mafeking. In doing so, the British are taking a huge risk since a small portion of the the area where Baden-Powell's Corps is to pass through is disputed territory claimed by both the Z.A.R. and Germany. Baden-Powell is also unaware of the fall of Mafeking, Kimberley, as well as Ladysmith.
- 11 – 13 April – Second Battle of Bloukransrivier (Frere). General Buller's Corps is defeated and captured by the Boers. War correspondent, Winston Churchill, is one of the thousands captured. Mercenary general, Leon Gambetta sees his first major action on the evening of the 12th when his squadron of 143 mounted infantry block the main avenue of retreat for the British (prior to this, Gambetta had only participated in a few raids [in Natal] and in tearing up railroad tracks). Gambetta's actions, in a supporting rather than primary role, are key in completing the encirclement of General Redvers Buller's corps. During the battle, Gambetta will lose six men killed and fourteen wounded.
- 11 April – (W.F.) Baden-Powell's Corps reaches Kuruman without incident.
- 14 April – (W.F.) Baden-Powell's Corps begins its march to Vryburg some 86mi/139km to the northeast. On the following evening, a messenger arrives at Baden-Powell's overnight bivouac along the Manyeding River (15 miles northeast of Kuruman) and informs him of the fall of Kimberley but the messenger had not been provided with the more critical information regarding the fall of Mafeking. Without any orders to the contrary, Baden-Powell would continue his drive in the morning towards Vryburg and then, to relieve Mafeking.
- 18 April – News of the defeat at Bloukransrivier and the capture of Buller's Corps casts a dark pallor over Britain.
- 20 April – (W.F.) Baden-Powell's Corps reaches the outskirts of Vryburg in mid-morning and at once sees that the Boers have prepared defenses in a semi-circle around the town. Soon after, a messenger arrives at Baden-Powell's HQ informing him of the fall of Mafeking. As Baden-Powell & his staff are finishing their lunch, Boer artillery begins to fire upon their positions; the Battle of Vryburg begins.
- 21 – 28 April : (W.F.) The Battle of Vryburg: The week long battle between the British & Boers begins with an early morning assault by Baden-Powell's cavalry on the unsuspecting & still sleeping Boers. Although the Boer defenses are captured, they are not kept. The British captured five Boer artillery pieces along with sixteen Boer gunners. General Baden-Powell skillfully & shrewdly makes several feints at dusk every night from the 23rd -27th of April luring the Boers to fire at his horseman's moves. In doing so, Baden-Powell had a rough estimate of where the Boer sentry posts, trench-lines, and artillery firing points were and gambled (correctly) that the local Boer commander (78 year old Hermanus Koontz, a veteran of Bloedrivier in 1838) would not move his valuable artillery from their excellent fixed positions. As a result, Baden-Powell ordered his shorter ranged artillery to move forward some 450 yards (which put them in lethal counter-battery range) and just before sunrise on the 28th he ordered the attack on Vryburg. Baden-Powell's tactic proved a masterstroke. His gunners were able to silence the powerful Boer guns while his infantry raced towards Boer positions in front of the town. By 8:30 AM it was over. Despite heavy losses, Baden-Powell was able to defeat the Boers and secure Vryburg. In capturing the town, the British also captured four Krupp made howitzers (the Boers had successfully “spiked” the remaining others) as well as hundreds of mealie (corn meal) bags and sixty unopened crates of Mauser rounds. British losses were (for the entire week) 179 killed (113 Canadian), 336 wounded (197 Canadian), and four missing (all British); for the Boers, the entire Vryburg Kommando was captured. The Boers lost 59 killed and 91 wounded (most of those killed were on the last day) and the remaining 368 taken prisoner. After five months of nothing but blunder, defeat, and humiliation, Great Britain finally had a big victory and... a new hero.
- 22 April – Arthur Balfour (C) resigns as PM due to continuing failures in South Africa.
- 23 April – Joseph Chamberlain (C) becomes Prime Minister.
- 23 April–12 May – The Automobile Club of Great Britain stages a Thousand Mile Trial, a reliability motor rally over a circular route from London to Edinburgh and return.
- 24 April – The Daily Express newspaper published for the first time.
- 3 May – (W.F.) Aware of the capture of Mafeking, General Baden-Powell begins an orderly retreat away from Vryburg. With 368 POW's his responsibility, Baden-Powell has his Corps march at a slow pace back to Kuruman and then to Upington where they will arrive on May 16th .
- 8 May – Jubilant crowds pour into the streets of London upon hearing word in both the press as well as on the wireless of the stunning victory of General Baden-Powell at Vryburg over the Boers. Prime Minister Chamberlain (who, privately, did not want Baden-Powell to attack Vryburg yet had no way of communicating with him; but instead, wanted him to retreat back to the Orange River and hold the lines, less there be yet another disaster) speaks before Parliament in describing the latest good news before the seated members. As a result of the good news coming from Cape Town, Chamberlain's popularity (temporarily) soars.
- 14 May – 28 October: Great Britain & Ireland compete at the Olympic Games in Paris and win 15 gold, 6 silver and 9 bronze medals.
- 18 May – The UK proclaims a protectorate over Tonga.
- 23 May – Frederick Roberts arrives at Cape Town to replace Redvers H. Buller as commander-in-chief of the British forces in South Africa, accompanied by Herbert Kitchener as his chief-of-staff.
- 2 June – Secret negotiations between H.M.'s Government & the Oranje Republiek (through mutually trusted third party [Portugal]) come to an inconclusive end. For the British, their goal was to buy (bribe) the Orange Republic's neutrality and even, perhaps, get the Boer's of the Orange Republic to join Britain in declaring war on the Z.A.R. or, possibly, allow British forces to enter the Orange Republic to pass through and invade the Z.A.R. through the Orange Republic's territory. As outlandish as the plan sounded, the Boers seemed to lend an open ear on the subject for two-and-a-half months of negotiations. It seemed that the only thing prohibiting this to take place was simply the amount of cash that the Orange Republic was demanding from Britain.
- 4 June - 23 July – General Baden-Powell begins sending out his long-range mounted reconnaissance patrols in search of any sign of the Boers as well in distracting the enemy long enough for both supplies & additional British/Imperial troops to arrive in the area.
- 7 June – Lord Roberts begins to march his Corps out of the Cape Town area and in the direction of the Northern Cape Province which is either uncontested or, in Boer hands. Roberts is commanding a force totaling some 26,683 officers & men. Along with his soldiers, there are also some 11,600 African laborers, teamsters, cooks, and other support personnel. Lord Roberts' plan is to make his way to Kimberley, retake the city and then, continue northwards towards the Z.A.R. itself.
- 13 June – General White continues to send probing reconnaissance through the rugged terrain of Natal to find out where the enemy have gone to. After the capture of Buller's Corps back in April, many military men in Natal and elsewhere were bracing for a Boer attack upon Durban... which never materialized. It was creating a mass of confusion for the British and as a consequence, thousands of troops were being sent to specific areas of the Natal Colony in order to act as both pickets and first lines of defense in the case of an attack by the Boers. Making matters worse, the large numbers of troops were spread rather thinly and unevenly throughout Natal, additionally, keeping so many garrisons supplied was revealing the shortcomings of the Quartermaster Corp with many of the far-flung garrisons in desperate need of supplies.
- 30 June – Lord Roberts Corps reach the Riet/Modder River(s).
- 3 – 20 July – The Second Battle of Modder River begins. The first eight days of the battle are limited to mainly artillery barrages by the British and counter-battery fire by the Boers with neither side gaining nor losing any ground. For the British, they have to find a way to cross over the small river in order to continue with their mission of recapturing Kimberley and then driving onto the Z.A.R. itself. For the Boers, all that they have to do is hold their ground and let the British run themselves into an unmovable meat-grinder which, is what the British keep on doing. During the last nine days of the battle, the British attempt several maneuvering screens further & further down river (the West) in order to find a place where the Boers have not yet established themselves in force. No matter how far that the British go, the Boers are always there along with several pieces of field artillery. The Second Battle of Modder River ended when Lord Roberts decides to cease his “probes” of the Boer defenses on the other side of the Riet River and retreats his forces several miles to the rear and away from long-range Boer artillery.
- 4 July – War correspondent, Winston Churchill successfully escapes from a Boer P.O.W. camp outside of Boer-held Dundee, Natal Colony. The young Mr. Churchill will elude mounted Boer patrols and slowly make his way back towards British lines. Having been a correspondent rather than a soldier, the Boers had kept individuals such as Mr. Churchill under less strict guardianship thus simplifying Churchill's escape.
- 6 July – Boer & Australian cavalry (1st Australian Light Cavalry), clash in an inconclusive battle at a place called Johnson's Farm along the Tugela River in Natal Colony. Johnson's farm is actually an abandoned farm, the Johnson Family having left for Australia some six years earlier. The skirmish begins just around 7:30 AM when the Boer horsemen stumbled into an ambush set up by the Australians. The Australian troopers had spotted the Boers heading in their general direction and quickly took up defensive positions along the overgrown stonewall on the abandoned farm. The Boers did not see the Australians until it was too late when their commander, Henrik de Bakker, was shot out of his saddle by an Australian marksman. The short battle ended just before 9:00 AM when the surviving Boers retreated from the area. The Boers lost 11 of their 83 men killed while the Aussies suffered no casualties.
- 25 July – Mounted infantry from Gen. Baden-Powell's Corps turn the tables on the Boers outside of the Grikastad (Griqua Stadt) when they ambush the over-confident Boers. The British, who are on patrol, pretend to be surprised by the Boers and after a brief skirmish, begin a hasty retreat. The Boers, fall for the lure and give chase. Within fifteen minutes the Boers have galloped into a trap where the British troopers get them into a nasty cross-fire. The Boers suffer 38 killed, 22 wounded and 10 captured, the British suffer 6 killed & 14 wounded.
- 27 July – Louise, Princess Royal, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, marries Alexander Duff, Earl of Fife, in the private chapel of Buckingham Palace, London; 2 days later he is created Duke of Fife, the last Dukedom created in Britain for a person who is not a son, grandson or consort of the Sovereign.
- 30 July – The Duke of Albany becomes Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as Carl Eduard following the death of his uncle, Duke Alfred, son of Queen Victoria who is the third of the reigning monarch's children to die.
- 31 July – Winston Churchill safely arrives in Durban and is greeted as a hero by the beleaguered citizenry. A parade (to boost the sagging morale of the city) was held in honor of Mr. Churchill's escape (on August 9th). At the end of the parade, a small ceremony will be held and Churchill will receive a small medal for his accomplishment. Churchill will, at once, begin to write his accounts of both his escape as well as the condition of the war from his point of view. His articles in The Morning Post will raise morale in Great Britain in what is becoming a most very unpopular war.
- 8 August – Great Britain loses to the United States in the first Davis Cup tennis competition.
- 6 September – Winston Churchill leaves for Britain; he will arrive in London on the 23rd.
- 3 October – Edward Elgar's choral work The Dream of Gerontius receives its first performance, in Birmingham Town Hall.
November
- 22–14 November 1903 – strike of Welsh slate workers at Penrhyn Quarry.
December
- 3 December – the Liberal Party under Henry Campbell-Bannerman wins the general election defeating Joseph Chamberlain and the Conservatives. Recently returned from South Africa, Winston Churchill, is elected Member of Parliament for Oldham; and two Labour candidates are successful: Keir Hardie in Merthyr Tydfil and Richard Bell in Derby.
- 28 December – the Liverpool barque Primrose Hill is wrecked on South Stack off Holyhead, with the loss of 33 lives.
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In Australia in 1900...
- 3 January — Electric lighting is installed on Adelaide streets for the first time.
- 8 January – Delegates from the Australian Republic Party (A.R.P.) convene in Melbourne to choose their party's leadership.
- 16 January – The Australian Conservative Party (C.P.A.) is founded in Melbourne with Mr. Quinton W. Mallet elected as party leader.
- 18 January – Cecil Rhodes is elected as leader of the A.R.P.
- 21 – 25 January – Australian volunteers (Australian Volunteer Infantry) begin to arrive in Durban, Natal Colony, in order to serve in the Boer War.
- 25 January — State Labour politicians meet in Sydney to formally found the Federal Labour Party (F.L.P.); Horace B. Thompson is elected as leader of the new party (on January 27th).
- 24 - 25 February - Battle at Boesmansrivier: The first action for the Australian Volunteers. Eleven are killed & thirty-seven are wounded.
- 3 – 5 March - Battle of Bloukransrivier (Frere). Australian troops take part in the two-and-a-half day battle against the Boers outside of the small town of Frere. The A.V.I. will enjoy their second victory against the Boers in less than ten days.
- 10 – 13 March - Battle of Colenso (Tugela River). At Colenso, the Australian Volunteers (Australian Volunteer Infantry [A.V.I.] ) are employed as a screening defense against any potential Boer thrust over the Tugela River. Despite the battle being lost to the Boers, the A.V. I. hold their ground with distinction even under blistering artillery fire from Boer gunners.
- 25 – 26 March – The “ Brutal Battle of Spion Kop”. In twenty-two hours, over three hundred Australians are killed during the battle at Spion Kop (Spy Hill). Poor, ineffective British planning, not enough ammo nor water for the troops, a well entrenched enemy with plenty of artillery are major contributing factors for the loss.
- 31 March – British-New Zealand-and Australian troops arrive back in Frere demoralized from the loss at Spion Kop and critically low on ammunition.
- 11 – 13 April Second Battle of Bloukransrivier (Frere). Imperial as well as A.V.I. troops are surrounded by the Boers at the small riverside hamlet of Frere. It was at Frere where General Buller had his supply depot located. Rather than trying to breakout, Buller decided to dig in and await the relief & supply column that he expected would arrive in a few days. During the night of the 12th, the Boers broke through the British lines in several places. Buller tried to rally his defenses but to no avail. A last, and too late, attempt at a breakout just around 2:00 PM on the 13th was thwarted when the British ran into the dismounted infantry commanded by Gen. Leon Gambetta located to the S-SE of Frere. Unable to breakthrough, the dejected survivors returned back to Frere. General Buller surrendered himself, his command along with all of his troops (over 11,300 men [868 Australians] including all of his wounded, civilians, Indian stretcher-bearers, and African bearers) just before sundown on the 13th.
- 20 April – As word of the devastating loss at Frere reaches Australia, tens of thousands of people make their ways to churches to pray for the captured men of the A.V.I. Over the next few weeks, numerous politicians come out to soothe the public's concerns and make promises to do all that is necessary to get the prisoners released as soon as possible. They also do their part to keep morale up and make arrangements to provide and raise up another regiment of volunteers.
- 21 June – Some 692 volunteers depart Australia for the Natal Colony. They are known as the: “2nd Australian Volunteer Infantry Brigade: The Melbourne Rifles”. Of the 692 who depart on June 21st, only 244 will return home.
- 8 July — The 2nd A.V.I. Brigade. arrives in Durban. They will remain in the area around Durban for several months providing defense in the event of any Boer attack upon the city.
- 27 July – Initial steps for the preparation of both Australian independence as well as its' first elections are begun.
- 1 October – The first electoral campaign season in Australia begins. The ten week election season will become the norm in Australian politics in the 20th Century beginning on the first Monday of October and ending on the first Friday in December.
- 17 October — Natural gas is found at Roma in Queensland.
- 7 December – All political campaigning comes to a close in Australia on Friday, December 7th , 1900. Australia's first Presidential Election is set for December 26th. In the coming years, this will become the tradition, that, Election Day is the day after Christmas, unless Christmas falls on a Saturday, in those instances, Election Day in Australia will fall on the 27th of December. Results of the elections will be made public on December 30th.
- 30 December – The first & last Governor-General of Australia, Cecil Rhodes, is elected to the office of the Presidency of the Republic of Australia, effective, January 1st, 1901.
- 31 December – In a solemn ceremony that begins at 9:00 PM, the representatives of Her Majesty's Government begin the official transfer of power to the newly elected members of the Australian Government. Leading the ceremony is the Governor-General, Cecil Rhodes, who, in three hours will take office as the President of Australia. At 11:59 PM, the Union Jack descends down the flag-pole and at the same time, the flag of Australia, the Southern Cross, begins its' ascent up an adjacent pole. With the signatures of Mr. Rhodes, Australia's colonial status ends and, with his oath of office taking place as the flag of the republic reaches the top, Australia becomes an independent republic and Cecil Rhodes becomes its' first president.
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In Canada in 1900...
- 14 – 23 January – The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry arrives in Cape Town.
- 13 – February – The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry leaves Cape Town attached to Lord Methuen's Corps towards the Orange River en route to Kimberley & Mafeking.
- 25 – February – The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry reach the hamlet of Britstown. To their dismay, they find that nearly all of the White men of military age (roughly 30 men) are still residing in the area and they have made no discernible effort to either form a rebel commando unit or put up any sort of resistance to British rule. British authorities also note that there are only a dozen or so Cape-Coloureds residing in one section of the small village and that none of them appear to be younger than fifty years of age.
- 13 March – After two days of sporadic bombardment from the Boers, Lord Methuen finally brings up his own artillery (that only arrived in the wee hours of the 13th ) to answer the Boers. Around noontime, Methuen orders troops to attempt a crossing of the Riet. In less than 30 minutes, the British are sent reeling back from concentrated Boer rifle fire. Just before dusk, Methuen will order another attempt at crossing the river only to be driven back with more casualties. British & Canadian losses number 89 killed (49 British & 40 Canadian) & 177 wounded (84 British & 93 Canadian). Boer losses were some 6 killed & 23 wounded.
- 16 – March – Lord Methuen orders a three hour long artillery bombardment beginning at 7:30 AM. As his big guns go silent, his infantry begin an all out assault by crossing the river and heading towards Boer positions on the far bank of the river. However, before either the British or Canadians can get mid-way through the river, they are cut down by concentrated Mauser fire coming from the enemy side. By the time retreat is sounded, the British have suffered nearly 200 casualties with over half of their casualties dead or dying.
- 26 – April – Two-thirds of Hull, Quebec, is destroyed in a fire.
- 6 – May – Strathcona's Horse depart for South Africa.
- 18 – May – With enthusiasm high, an additional 6300 Canadian volunteers sign up to go and fight alongside of the British in southern Africa.
- 7 – July 7,293 officers & men board ships in Halifax, Nova Scotia bound for Cape Town.
- 4 – August Nearly 7,300 Canadian troops arrive in Cape Town, British Cape Colony.
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In Germany in 1900...
- January – December -- Germany provides covert aid to the Z.A.R. (and by extension, the Oranje Republiek) by using vessels of the HSF to ferry supplies to Deutsch-Südwestafrika.
- January 4 - Riots break out as miners go on strike.
- January 16 - The German steamer Herzog was seized by the British warship HMS Thetis outside of Delagoa Bay in East Africa, on suspicions that it was carrying supplies to Boer troops. The Portuguese colonial Governor of Zambesia was among the passengers. After none were found, the ship and its crew were released on January 22.
- 1 March - The German flag was formally hoisted at Apia, the capital of Samoa, and Wilhelm Solf became the colony's first governor. Chief Mata'afa, who had fought against the Germans, and Chief Tamasese, who had been the puppet ruler during German occupation, reconciled. Mata'afa was named as the Paramount Chief of the Western Samoa colony, although Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II was designated as the Paramount King.
- 1 April – The 6th Royal Bavarian Division is raised as a new addition to the German Imperial Army.
- 16 April – The Tsingtau Zoologischer Garten opens to the public for the first time. The zoo is the first of its' kind in China and the first zoo to open in a colonial possession. The 268 acre zoo is rather unique for its time in that the animals are able to roam free in their large pens which are all in small man-made depressions with water filled moats and 25 ft/8m walls from which the viewing public can gaze down onto the animals. The large African herbivores (elephants, several species of gazelles, zebras, and giraffes) are kept in the large 121 acre central enclosure which appears to be a replica of the plains of (Italian) East Africa complete with trees, bushes, grasses, six underground, pipe-fed “watering holes” and a small stream. The monkeys and apes are kept in indoor/outdoor enclosures surrounded with steel bars in the appropriately named “Monkey House”. The large predators (lions, tigers, bears, & wolves) are also enclosed but their enclosures are surrounded by thick steel bars. The construction of the zoo (August 1896- March 1900), is just another symbol of Germany's intention to make their Schangtung Kolonie along with the impressive colonial capital of Tsingtau, a permanent & perpetual overseas area of Germany.
- 14 June – The Reichstag approves a second law that allows the expansion of the Imperial German Navy.
- 17 October - Bernhard von Bülow became the fourth Chancellor of the German Empire, appointed by Kaiser Wilhelm II. The former Foreign Secretary succeeded Prince Chlodwig Hohenlohe, who resigned because of his age (81) and health.
- 16 November - During a parade in Breslau, a woman threw a hatchet at the open carriage of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Selma Schnapke, later ruled to be insane, threw well enough that the "hand chopper" struck the imperial carriage, and was arrested.
- 1 December - A census of the German Empire was taken. Provisional figures showed a population of 64,868,774 (56,345,014 OTL).
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In the United States in 1900...
January
- January 1 – On the Isthmus of Panama, US Volunteers, aka “The Rough-Riders”, along with members of the “Mississippi Militia” continue the first battle against Colombian forces from the night before. Militia leader, Commander Henry McSorley throws some of his riflemen against a force of Colombian infantry in the mid-morning of the first day of the New Year. The Mississippi Militiamen surprise and take a small hillock that gave the American mercenaries an excellent field of vision. However, a bold counter-attack by the Colombians, commanded by General Octavio Nuñez de la Vega, around 1:30 PM, forced the Americans to retreat back whence they came. The Militiamen retreated just around 2:30 PM when it was clear that they could not hold back the Colombians' assault. As for the Rough-Riders, they were not adjacent to the scene of the contact and were held in reserve by their acting commander, General Joseph “Fightin' Joe” Wheeler. Overall commander, Lt. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt was still some 60 miles away on the Pacific Coast when the first skirmish took place near the coastal town of Colón.
- January 2 The first electric bus becomes operational in New York City.
- January 3 – The United States Census estimates the country's population was 79 million (70,000,000 OTL).
- January 5 – Near the small, tree-lined Rio Abajo, Province de Panama/Kingdom of Panama, the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry, the “Rough-Riders”, under the command of Lt. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, have their first engagement against enemy forces (Colonel Roosevelt's contingent had departed from the Port of Los Angeles, California, and steamed down to the Pacific Coast of the Isthmus [as opposed to General Wheeler's contingent[s] who departed from both New Orleans and Tampa, bound for the Atlantic Coast of the Isthmus.]). A small force (approx. 60 men) of Colombians were spotted by the Americans but before the Rough-Riders could overtake them, the Colombians took up defensive positions just outside on the far bank of the narrow, tree-lined river. The small battle lasted less than one hour but, due to the Americans having one piece of field artillery, they were able to shell the Colombians' position for some twenty-five minutes before Lt. Colonel Roosevelt ordered a mounted charge across the shallow river against the enemy force. After a brief fire-fight that lasted less than ten minutes, the Colombians came out of their entrenchments and surrendered to the Americans. The Colombians lost 25 of their men and the remainder were all captured. The Rough-Riders would suffer 8 wounded and none killed.
- January 5 – Dr. Henry A. Rowland of Johns Hopkins discovers the cause of the Earth's magnetism.
- January 7 – A combined force of Rough-Riders under the command of Gen. Joseph Wheeler and Mississippi Militia commanders; McSorley, Cleghorn, Hogg, Crawford, Hall, & Jones follow in pursuit of Colombian troops who have retreated away from the port city of Colón.
- January 8 – President William Jennings Bryan places Alaska under military rule.
- January 9 – 15 – The Rough-Riders, under the command of Lt. Colonel Roosevelt, commence their steady advance inland along the proposed route of where the future canal is expected to be constructed. The goal of Roosevelt's contingent is to march overland and link up with General Wheeler's Corps and any and all members of the Mississippi Militiamen to join forces and combat any enemy forces that may come their way. It takes six days for the Rough-Riders to march some 24 tortuous miles before they reach the Chagres River. The Rough-Riders will arrive at the river in question having had no encounters of any enemy force.
- January 12th - 22nd – The ten-day, Battle of Santa Rita Arriba takes place when 3,679 Colombian soldiers dig in the heavily wooded area less than 8 miles from Colon. The Mississippi Militiamen and the Rough-Riders, approach from the N-NW direction and begin the battle on the afternoon of the 12th when they begin a two-hour long artillery barrage against Colombian positions. The first surprise of the battle takes place on the 13th when, during a frontal assault (Crawford's Command) is shocked when the Colombians fire with their artillery blasting huge holes in the militia's advancing lines. The Americans, for the most part find themselves advancing up steep, wooded ground which proves a boon to the defenders. Unknown to the Americans up to this point was that the Colombians in fact had six pieces of modern (Krupp manufactured) field artillery. "Crawford's Command", consisting mostly of men from northern Alabama, lose nearly half of their 469 men, including their very charismatic commander, Colonel Sydney “Sid” Crawford (227 killed, 108 wounded, & 17 missing). Owing to the heavy wooded terrain and very low levels of ammo, the Colombians were not able to use their artillery to its' fullest extent. Over the next seven days, the Americans will launch nine separate attacks on Colombian positions, taking a few but failing to dislodge the enemy nor able to silence their artillery. It was on the 22nd of January when the second surprise occurred during the battle when, from the Colombians' rear, another force attacked them. That force was the Rough-Riders under the command of Lt. Colonel Roosevelt. It had taken six days for Roosevelt's contingent to depart from the Chagres River and advance through the rough terrain. Lt. Colonel Roosevelt had neither encountered friendly nor enemy forces during his march from Panama City to Santa Rita Arriba. Just after 12:00 PM on the 22nd, and after another brief fight with the Mississippi Militia had just ended, Roosevelt ordered a charge against the weary Colombians. Taken completely by surprise, and with no time to turn their big guns around, the Colombians began to wilt after a brief volley of rifle-fire from Roosevelt's Rough-Riders. In less than twenty-minutes, the Rough-Riders had overrun the Colombian lines and wildly waved the American flag to signal their presence to their fellow Americans and... “Panamanian” allies. The Colombians were forced to surrender yet a small group numbering 127 men were able to escape up into the steep terrain and jungle where they would elude the Americans. The result of the battle would see the Colombians lose 964 killed, 1,049 wounded, 47 missing, and 1,897 captured. For the Americans, the Mississippi Militia would lose 792 killed, 669 wounded, and 59 missing; the Rough-Riders would lose: [Wheeler's Contingent] 116 killed, 94 wounded, & 22 missing; [Roosevelt's Contingent] 37 killed, 62 wounded, & none missing.
- January 14 – The United States Senate accepts the Anglo-German treaty of 1899, in which the United Kingdom renounces its claims to the Samoan islands.
- January 17 – Brigham H. Roberts is refused a seat in the United States House of Representatives because of his polygamy.
- January 27 – The government of Colombia is overthrown in a coup d'etat by General Ignacio Bermudez.
- January 29 – The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs is organized in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with 8 founding teams.
- January 30 – The Rough-Riders, now united under the command of Lt. Colonel Roosevelt, begin their march back towards Panama City and the Pacific coast of the isthmus. Along with the Rough-Riders, several “commands” of the Mississippi Militia, numbering over 7,000 men will accompany them as they march in the direction of the Pacific coast and in anticipation of meeting any armed Colombian forces that may have arrived on the isthmus.
- February 6 – The Rough-Riders & Mississippi Militia reach Panama City.
- February 9 – Dwight F. Davis creates the Davis Cup tennis tournament.
- February 16 – News reaches Panama City of a large Colombian military force that has marched overland from the Atlantic coast with the intent of re-capturing Panama City. The American mercenaries make preparations to go out and meet the enemy on the battlefield.
- February 21 – The “Battle of Pacora” (February 21 - 24, 1900), takes place when the American mercenaries come into contact with Colombian regulars under the command of General Agusto H. Carbrera. The Colombians number just under 6,800 men along with several pieces of field artillery. The Americans number some 11,600 combined men plus forty-seven pieces of field artillery. American artillery plays the pivotal role in the battle with Carbrera's infantry assaults broken up each time by American artillery barrages. On the 23rd, two costly furious counter-attacks, one by Busby's Command (Mississippi Militia), and Wallace's Command (Mississippi Militia), will force Carbrera to contract his lines despite the heavy losses taken by the Americans in their ill-advised full frontal infantry attacks. On the last day of the battle, Lt. Colonel Roosevelt's Rough-Riders will coordinate a thrust against the enemy lines forcing Carbrera to retreat rather than face encirclement and defeat.
- February 27 – The American mercenaries begin their pursuit of General Carbrera's brigade in order to either defeat him or cause him to surrender.
- February 29 – March 9 The “Battle of Rio Chepo”. In what will prove to be the biggest, most pivotal, and final battle of the war, the Americans will overcome & defeat the Colombian force pitted against them. The battle will sway each way over the first three days with Carbrera stopping senseless American (Mississippi Militia) attacks with his artillery and incurring heavy losses on the Americans each time. On the third and fourth of March, the Rough-Riders will break through the Colombian defenses only to be driven back by heavy rifle fire and sustaining moderate losses. On March 5th & 6th , it will be Carbrera's turn(s) to make mistakes when he orders 968 of his men into a breach in the American lines. After overrunning several enemy trenches that had been held by Mississippi Militia, Carbrera makes the mistake of trying to press the attack over open ground. As his regiment advances, American artillery begins firing on his exposed troops who have nowhere to run or find shelter. The result is a slaughter of his infantry; only 159 men make it back to the safety of Colombian lines. On March 7th, Lt. Colonel Roosevelt ordered General Wheeler to take 2/3 of the Rough-Riders and with some of the Mississippi Militia, advance towards the Colombian lines. At the same time, Roosevelt took the remaining Rough-Riders and went on a circuitous ride with the cavalry which took them to the north on Carbrera's exposed right-flank. Roosevelt led his men through the wooded areas and crossed over the Chepo River and came up upon Carbrera's right, rear flank. Taken by surprise, Carbrera responded quickly with his remaining artillery and sent three companies of riflemen to face this new attack made by the Americans. At first, it appeared that Carbrera's last minute move had successfully stymied the American advance, but it was not to be. Roosevelt, who had the only horse, all of the others had been left tied under the trees along the Chepo River with about three dozen Rough-Riders to hold the reins, realized that Carbrera's counter-move could not just succeed, but, could break the will of his men and turn the tide of the battle. With that in mind, Roosevelt decided to lead his men from the front and he galloped ahead of them towards the Colombians. The Rough-Riders took heart from Roosevelt's example, rallied, and threw themselves at the Colombians. The Colombian line stood fast for a moment and then, just before 4:00 PM, they began to break. The “break” was not the sight of Roosevelt and his Rough-Riders charging at them, rather, it was renewed cannon fire from the other front of the battlefield where the Mississippi Militia as well as the Rough-Riders under General Wheeler's command had also made a timely breakthrough. With both of his lines broken, General Carbrera had no choice but to order a retreat. Carbrera tried to make it an orderly, fighting retreat but, in truth, there was nowhere for he and his men to retreat to. They had expended nearly all of their ammunition, half of their provisions, and almost all of their artillery shells. Some rifle fire lasted until sundown when both sides agreed to a temporary truce until morning. On the following morning both sides sent out scouts to see what the other side was doing. Both sides were badly battered and a large number of men were still lying on the ground. Most of the day was spent by both sides in collecting both the wounded and dead. On March 9th, the Americans opened up with an artillery barrage just before 11:00 AM. They ceased firing just around 11:30 AM. At that point, the Americans begin to make another charge towards the Colombian positions. The Colombians fired back for just a few minutes before their rifles went silent. The Mississippi Militiamen reached the breast-works first and were greeted by the cold steel of Colombian bayonets. Further up the breast-works, Colonel Roosevelt's Rough-Riders reached the line and fierce hand-to-hand combat took place for only a few minutes before it ended. The Colombian front lines fell to the Americans sometime after 12:00 noon. At 1:30 PM, General Carbrera, seeing his hopeless situation and with no prospect of relief or re-supply, chose to surrender. The last big battle of the conflict ended with an American victory. For their efforts, the Americans lost 3,797 killed & 2,972 wounded (976 killed/1,447 wounded/none missing, for the Rough-Riders). The remainder of the conflict was an anti-climax. The Colombians had no way to send anymore troops to the Isthmus and, most tellingly, the Government of Colombia was tottering on the brink of being overthrown (even before the battle). The U.S. Navy made a blockade of the isthmus' Atlantic coast, nullifying any plan by the Colombians to consider any further attempt at landing troops.
- March 6 – A coal mine explosion in West Virginia kills 50 miners.
- March 12 – After the battle of Chepo River, the remaining Colombians, including General Carbrera, are marched back to Panama City where they will be interned until the end of the war.
- March 15 – The Gold Standard Act is ratified, placing United States currency on the gold standard.
- March 16 - General Bermudez' junta is overthrown and he is put in prison.
- March 18 – April 10 – The Rough-Riders under Colonel Roosevelt participate in a sweep & patrol of the areas to the north and east of Panama City in search of any remaining resistance. After finding no resistance, Colonel Roosevelt orders the Rough-Riders to return to their temporary barracks in Panama City.
- March 24 – New York City Mayor Robert Anderson Van Wyck breaks ground for a new underground "Rapid Transit Railroad" that will link Manhattan and Brooklyn.
- May 1 – Scofield Mine disaster: An explosion of blasting powder at a coal mine in Scofield, Utah kills at least 200.
- May 8 – Colonel Roosevelt and his Rough-Riders depart from the port of Colón, "Kingdom of Panama", & return to the United States.
- May 23 – Sergeant William Harvey Carney is awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Second Battle of Fort Wagner (July 18, 1863). While he is the 21st African American recipient of the medal, the action for which he is honored predates all other African American recipients.
- May 25 – The Rough-Riders disembark at Montauk Point, Long Island, New York. Due to the War Department's fear of spreading yellow fever, Roosevelt and his men were briefly quarantined at a specially designed camp to prevent any possible spread of Yellow Fever.
- May 28 – The Republican Party declares that due to the successful return of the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry (“Roosevelt's Rough-Riders”), the party's national convention will be postponed until later in the summer. The decision is due to the planning for the parades and celebrations in Philadelphia (the site of the Republican Convention). In Philadelphia, the Exposition Auditorium was then hastily prepared to house the Rough-Rider's as well as their horses, equipment and weapons.
June
- June 1-14 – Preparations are made in several cities including: New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Chicago, & St. Louis for parades honoring the returning heroes from Panama.
- June 5 – President William Jennings Bryan announces that he will neither seek nor accept re-nomination as President of the United States.
- June 21 – The first of several parades honoring the Rough-Riders takes place in St. Louis. Colonel Roosevelt leads the Rough-Riders during the entire event.
- June 25 – The “Rough-Rider” parade takes place in Chicago.
- June 29 - Washington D.C. holds its' “Rough-Riders” parade with Colonel Roosevelt leading his horse down Pennsylvania Avenue.
- June 30 – Hoboken Docks Fire: A wharf fire at the docks in Hoboken, New Jersey owned by the North German Lloyd Steamship line spreads to German passenger ships Saale, Main, and Bremen. The fire engulfs the adjacent piers and nearby ships, killing 326 people.
July
- July 1 – Philadelphia's “Rough-Rider” parade takes place.
- July 4 – The biggest parade for the Rough-Riders takes place in New York City. Former mayor, Theodore Roosevelt is the undeniable star of the entire parade and the afterwards ceremonies.
- July 4 – 6 At the Democratic National Convention in Kansas City, Vice President Benjamin R. Tillman Jr. wins the nomination of his party as candidate for president.
- July 23 - 30 – The Robert Charles Riots occur in New Orleans, Louisiana. 79 are killed and over 100 are injured, most of those killed and injured are Black.
- July 26 – 28 – At the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, Henry Cabot-Lodge is nominated and chosen to be the Republican candidate for President of the United States. National hero, celebrity, and former Mayor of New York City, Theodore Roosevelt, is nominated as Vice-President.
- August 2 – 10 Race riots sweep through several cities including Kansas City, St. Louis, Memphis, Nashville, and Shreveport, Louisiana. Combined, over a thousand people (mostly Black) are killed in the race riots and millions of dollars worth of damage is done by the (mostly White) mobs.
- September 8 – The Galveston Hurricane makes landfall at Galveston Texas, eventually killing 6,000–12,000 in the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. History.
November
- November 3 – The first automobile show in the United States opens at New York City's Madison Square Garden.
- November 6 – U.S. Presidential election, 1900: Republican Henry Cabot-Lodge is elected president by defeating the Democrat candidate, Vice-President Benjamin R. Tillman Jr.
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In Mexico in 1900...
On a Tuesday morning January 16th, the World's most audacious gambler & opportunist, Antonius I of Mexico, declares war on his neighbors to the south, El Salvador and Honduras. With his powerful neighbor to the north somewhat obliquely involved in the events taking place on the Isthmus of Panama & most of the World's attention on the conflict in southern Africa, Antonius decided that the time was perfect for him to extend the borders of his “empire” once again. Antonius had begun the preparations of his armies the previous September when he saw the escalation of the American mercenary groups within the United States. Antonius' plan was for himself to both launch and lead the invasion into neighboring El Salvador while his heir apparent, Prince Imperial Carlo, would command the invasion of Honduras. For the twenty-year-old Prince Carlo, he would prove to be everything that his father was not in terms of military command, control, and execution. Carlo took and followed the advice given him by his staff officers, something that his father was loathe to do. As a consequence, Carlo's legions pressed through the rugged terrain of Honduras defeating the small, feeble resistance that the local Honduran militia's put up against him in the first few months of the war. By late Spring, the Prince Imperials' legions had reached Tegucigalpa and had placed it under siege. Tegucigalpa finally fell on July 31st after a competently led three day assault on the city's defenses. The government of Honduras surrendered to Mexico on August 6th and the country was annexed into the Mexican Empire. Meanwhile, the Emperor's legions were bogged down in the coastal areas of El Salvador and only by bludgeoning the enemy (at a great cost of his own troops lives; approx. 22,000 of Antonius' men would fall due to his costly, full frontal attacks), would Antonius be able to march inland and destroy the remnants of Salvadoran resistance (by late October). The Emperor was aided by his heir, Crown Prince Carlo, who, marched his army (approx. 12,000 men) to the border of El Salvador from Tegucigalpa in late September in order to assist his father in conquering the small nation. The Prince Imperial invaded El Salvador on October 2nd & after meeting and defeating a small force of some 800 enemy (on October 11th - 12th ), was able to link up with the bulk of the Imperial Army on October 22nd. The Mexicans would reach the capital, San Salvador, on October 27th. After a brief, week long siege, the Emperor would order an all out assault on San Salvador starting on November 3rd. Fierce fighting would ensue for three days before the Salvadorans began to break. The Presidential Palace was taken on the 7th and the remnants of the Salvadoran government fled the city. The few remaining representatives of the Salvadoran government surrendered to Antonius I on November 23rd. After a brief ceremony, El Salvador was officially annexed by the Mexican Empire on November 30th . On December 7th, Antonius would appoint the Prince Imperial as the governor of the new territory of Honduras. Sporadic, small-scale resistance would occur in both territories over the next two years until finally being extinguished in the summer of 1902.
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In Colombia in 1900
- January 1 – In Province de Panama, troops under the command of General Octavio Nuñez de la Vega continue with the first battle against the American mercenaries forces from the night before. General de la Vega boldly counter-attacked the invaders position driving them back from their earlier position(s).
- January 3 – General de la Vega , owing to diminishing ammunition supplies, decides to break off the engagement with the invading Americans and conducts an orderly retreat away from Colón.
- January 5 – Near the small, tree-lined Rio Abajo, in Province de Panama, a two platoons of infantry are attacked by American mercenary forces commanded by adventurer Theodore Roosevelt. The small skirmish lasts just over an hour with the American invaders using a small howitzer to decimate the defending lines along the Abajo River before the Americans overran the defenders positions.
- January 12th - 22nd – The ten-day, Battle of Santa Rita Arriba takes place when 3,679 soldiers dug in the heavily wooded area less than 8 miles from Colón. The enemy approached from the N-NW direction and begin the battle on the afternoon of the 12th when they started a two-hour long artillery barrage against friendly positions. On the 13th , as the Americans began attacking up hill, General de la Vega stopped them by blasting huge holes in their advancing lines with his artillery. Over the next week, the Americans launched nine separate attacks on Colombian positions, failing to take friendly lines.
- January – 22 Just after noontime, the Americans launched a surprise attack on Colombian lines. The American adventurer, Theodore Roosevelt, launched a quick attack on General de la Vega's rear lines. Despite a heroic stand, the Colombians were forced to surrender to the Yankee invaders.
- January 27 – The government of Colombia is overthrown in a coup d'etat by General Ignacio Bermudez.
- February 21 – The “Battle of Pacora” (February 21 - 24, 1900), takes place when the American mercenaries come into contact with Colombian regulars under the command of General Agusto H. Carbrera try to defend themselves along the banks of the Pacora River. The three day battle will see the Americans take heavy losses but, once again, due to their flanks becoming exposed (to the Americans), will be forced to retreat in order to prevent an encirclement.
- February 29 – March 9 The “Battle of Rio Chepo”. The ten day battle will see the North American invaders defeat the Colombian forces arrayed against them. Despite heavy casualties once again, the Americans will ignore their losses and eventually persevere over the Colombians. During the last portion of the battle, on March 9th, the Colombians will defend themselves only with their bayonets during the last charge of the Americans. General Carbrera, seeing his forces out of supply, and not wanting to witness a massacre of his men, decided to surrender to the Americans.
- March 16 – The government of General Bermudez in Colombia is overthrown in a counter coup d'etat.
- March 25 – The interim government of Colombia begins to make gestures of a cease-fire with the Americans. The U.S. Government, quickly responds that it has nothing to do with the mercenaries on the isthmus... but, offers to be a third-party in any negotiations between Colombia and the Panamanians.
- April 2 – 11 Riots take place in several towns and cities in Colombia over the course that the war has taken and, above all, the news that the new government is willing to conduct peace talks with the Americans as potential third-party arbitrators.
- April 6 – General Ignacio Bermudez is liberated from prison by loyal soldiers.
- April 13 – The latest ruling clique in Colombia is overthrown by troops loyal to General Ignacio Bermudez.
- April 17, 1900 – July 31, 1901: Colombian Civil War takes place. The forces of General Ignacio Bermudez will overcome the armed and scattered opposition to his rule over Colombia. The Colombian Civil War will be small by comparison to other civil wars throughout history; only a handful of battles will occur but in every engagement, Bermudez' forces will achieve victory after victory. After isolating the generals opposed to him (by July of 1901), Bermudez will take over Colombia and rule it with an iron fist for the next thirty-two years.
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In Brazil in 1900...
Encouraged by Brazil's Premier, Fernando da Silva, European immigrants begin arriving in small numbers in 1900. Eager to rebuild his nation, da Silva both encourages and subsidizes immigrants to his country. The first small numbers of European immigrants begin arriving in early September primarily from Italy, Germany, and to a much lesser extent, Portugal. The Germans will settle mainly in the southern provinces of Rio Grande du Sol as well as in Santa Catarina. The Italians will be encouraged to head inland & west, in order to work on the coffee plantations to revive the coffee export and produce industries. The small number of Portuguese settlers will be given preferential treatment but, they will for the most part settle in the rugged southern portions of Minas Gerais where many of them will become subsistence farmers much to the disappointing disquiet & frustration of Premier Da Silva. On October 27th, the first settlers from Japan will arrive at the port of Santos. By December, the Japanese will number a total of 789 settlers which includes 64 children, 138 women, with the remaining 587 all adult males. Brazil's Japanese population will grow (due to mass immigration [by the summer of 1914]) to 323,847 people (not counting the 127,000+ Japanese children born in Brazil by the Summer of 1915). Like the Italian immigrants before them, the Japanese immigrants will be encouraged to go work on the old coffee plantations that have been lying in near ruins since the end of the Civil War in order to help in revitalizing Brazil's coffee-export industry.
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In Paraguay in 1900...
Paraguay's temperamental leader, Bernardino Caballero, unleashes his cavalry upon the unsuspecting peasantry in the hilly southeastern portions of his country. Caballero sees the small farmers in this area as being too independent minded for his tastes and, in particular, their slowly growing prosperity attracts his greedy attention. Caballerro's cavalry sweep through several small hamlets in late January confiscating livestock, grain, kidnapping hundreds of young women (to be sold to the highest bidders), and leaving devastation in their wake. The first resistance to the Army begins in mid March when farmers band together in order to defend themselves, their families and property. By mid June, the Army defeats the last of these first resistance groups. Throughout the summer, Caballero's mounted warriors will face sporadic & uncoordinated resistance to their predations. Due to overwhelming firepower, horsepower, and numbers, the Paraguayan Army subdues all of the scattered resistance. By late November when Caballero finally reins in his “cossacks”, roughly 7,000 civilians have either died or been killed by his forces. Purposely ignored during these reigns of terror, the steadily growing German immigrant communities (88,000+ strong by the end of 1900) witness with their own eyes and hear with their own ears the devastation that is being wrought on their (mostly) Guarani and (occasionally) Spanish speaking neighbors. With this brutal experience in mind, many of the German immigrants begin to take steps to both arm and protect themselves.
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In France in 1900...
1900 will begin as a good year for Imperial France. Despite the World-wide economic malaise, the coffers of the Imperial Treasury are at a comfortable level thus protecting the rather weak French economy and keeping the state buoyant in an otherwise rough economic sea. The country eagerly awaits the opening of both the Paris Exposition as well as the Olympic Games which would open in mid May. Politically, the ruling “Union Nationale” (U.N.), is able to enjoy the start of the new century; its' leadership basking in the warm afterglow of twenty years of rule totally unaware that they were not in the “Springtime” of political power, but, rather they were sitting in the last and final days of “Autumn”... with a very harsh and long political “Winter” about to engulf them. That uncompromisingly harsh winter brought about by the decisions and policies made over the last eighteen years by the leader of the party & prime minister of the French Empire, Felix P. Meline.
On Friday, May 4th, M. Gaston Hercule Bourchard becomes the first Frenchman to achieve controlled, powered, and sustained flight when his aircraft: “cygne blanc” (White Swan) is launched via a steam catapult just outside of Paris. M. Bourchard will reach an altitude of 217 feet and travel a distance of 762 feet before he safely landed his aircraft. The flight will be witnessed by several hundred people including H.I.H., along with all of his children; the P.M. will be a last minute invitee (at the behest of Napoleon IV). Unknown to nearly all in the French Empire was the fact that it was His Imperial Highness who had been the (silent) principal financial backer of M. Bourchard. The twenty-seven year-old Bourchard will make eleven more safe flights and landings before the year ends; including four separate flights during the Olympic Games. For his accomplishments, M. Bourchard will receive awards & medals from both the Emperor as well as the Prime Minister along with a comfortable cash prize equivalent to £7200. On a personal level for Prime Minister Meline, on May 12th he will walk his daughter, Bernadette, down the aisle prior to her marriage to Captain Pierre J. Charbonneau. The Second Modern Olympiad opens on May 14th in Paris, the games will close on October 28th. The Games were held as apart of the 1900 Worlds Fair; the Paris Exposition (l' exposition universelle).
In France's West African possessions, there will be a series of small successes against the rebels forces during the first half of the year in both Nigerie-français as well as in le Côte d'Ivoire. On both the Niger & Benue Rivers, Imperial French forces, along with native colonial troops, will achieve several victories against both the Sokoto and Sudanese forces. The small victories will mask the truth however. The battles are actually little more than large skirmishes where both the Sudanese and Sokoto forces retreat in order thus being able to continue the conflict against the French deeper inland and away from the rivers. It will be once when the French venture inland, away from their secure supply depots located on each respective river, that the African forces will launch vicious, well executed and planned offensives that will almost create a disaster for the French. In le Côte d'Ivoire, General Gillette's operations in the central portions of the colony will be successful and inflict heavy damage on the remaining resistance in the southern areas of le Côte d'Ivoire. It will be however, in the northwestern regions of the colony where warlord, Samorí Touré will continue to confound, defy, and defeat the French forces sent against him. Over the course of the year, the French will send three different expeditions into the highlands and strongholds under the control of Touré. Each expedition will return bruised and bloodied, defeated by the Wasulu every time portending an unforeseen grim future for French intentions in certain areas of West Africa.
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