Turning Point - Sekigahara: Toyotomi's Global Expansion and its Consequences

Phase 24 - Great War (1)

On June 28, 1914, in a corner of the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, an event known as the Sarajevo Incident occurred, and Europe was plunged into unprecedented turmoil through a chain of accidents and inevitabilities.

Regardless of the specific trigger for the war, the development into a world war was greatly influenced by the military systems of the time. Without going into detail here, the great powers, fearing rapid mobilization of their hypothetical enemies, became suspicious of each other. What was supposed to be a localized Balkan conflict quickly escalated into a large-scale war involving the survival of nations, just one month after the incident.

Of course, there were various factors leading up to this point. Britain's loss of its overwhelming advantage in Europe due to the naval arms race with Germany is said to be one part of the cause. The multi-ethnic nature of Austria and the Balkan region was undoubtedly another factor. Furthermore, the failure of royal diplomacy, which had been functioning until a few years ago, and the absence of a situation where multiple countries would attack a single country, as in the Japanese War, played a role. The formation of a direct confrontation between countries like Britain, Germany, Russia, and France also rapidly took shape. Hitting Japan, which was a different player in this game, marked a stage in the division of the world, and the expansion of imperialism likely reached its limit. European countries may have let their guard down psychologically after successfully dealing with Japan, which had been a thorn in their side for years.

However, the details of how it all happened are no longer relevant at this point.

. . .

When news spread that Russia had initiated the mobilization of its troops on July 28, the rigid mobilization systems of each country, which had to respond in turn, set into motion, significantly contributing to the unfolding tragedy.

Just one week after Austria's declaration of war on Serbia on July 28, Britain, Germany, France, and Russia all entered into a state of war, one after the other. Among them, the German military, aware of its strategic disadvantage, acted swiftly. On August 3, they invaded Belgium, which was then a perpetually neutral country, thus involving Belgium in the war.

However, at this point, everyone predicted that the war would last no longer than three months. As a result, countries outside of the warring parties declared neutrality while also making tentative inquiries into the various camps. This prediction began to seem somewhat strange by the end of August when the rapidly advancing Russian army suffered a devastating blow. The real strangeness became apparent after the failure of the German advance on Paris.

In early September, the German advance was halted by the counterattacks of the French and British forces, and the war suddenly took on the appearance of a prolonged conflict. On the Western Front, each side began digging deep trenches and sat facing each other along the extensive front lines.

And at this point, the war spilled over across the world.

By mid-September, both alliances began seeking the involvement of countries outside of Europe, or conversely, they strongly demanded neutrality. The countries targeted included Japan and China in East Asia, and the Yamato Republic, the United States and the Confederacy in North America.

Primarily, it was Britain that sought neutrality from all countries. Britain knew it was deeply resented by the Japanese, so they tried to use diplomacy to shower them with favors and convince Japan not to become their enemy. Because even if Japan was weakened, they wouldn't want to be attacked from behind.

Britain's actions were swift, and by mid-August, they were already negotiating with Japan. Britain promised to return Oceania's rights and independence to Japan after the war if Japan maintained neutrality. They also mentioned the possibility of returning Northern Borneo if Japan joined their side in the war. Additionally, they conveyed that, in exchange for cooperation in the war, former Japanese territories across Oceania might either gain independence or return to Japan's sphere of influence.