Days of Imperial Glories: The Wakes of Empires

Pre Great War 1900-1914

Bolded Word: Most Important Event of the Year or section of the year

Underlined Words: Significant Events

Bolded, Underlined and Italic Words: Important Declarations of War

Italic and Underlined: End of a Important War

1900: The United Kingdom and the United States sign a treaty with Nicaragua to build a canal through them from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Tonga is declared a Protectorate of the United Kingdom. The Reichstag blocks the Second Naval Law, requiring a revision to size down the number of ships to not cause the United Kingdom to believe that the German Empire was going to threaten their naval dominance, the revision would reduce the number of planned battleships from 38 down to 12, large cruisers down to 10 and small cruisers down to 20. The Boxers are defeated at the Battle of the Taku Forts. The first Zepplin flight is carried out over Lake Constance. The German Empire resends its support for the Boers. SS Deutschland takes the Blue Riband from the SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse. King Umberto I is assassinated. The Boxers are defeated at Peking and liberate the European hostages. Transvaal is annexed into the British Empire. William McKinley is elected as the 25th president of the United States of America.

1901: Joeseph Chamberlain softens relations between the German Empire and the United Kingdom, with the UK pledging to stay neutral during a Franco-German war. The Commonwealth of Australia is formed. Queen Victoria dies at the age of 81, Prince Albert Edward would become King Edward VII, and the funeral of Queen Victoria would be attended by nearly all European monarchs. The Hay-Pauncefote Treaty would be signed, which has the UK cede the Panama Canal's future control to the United States. The SS City of Rio de Janeiro sinks off the coast of San Francisco. The UK and the German Empire agree on the border between German East Africa (Deutsches Ostafrika) and Nyasaland. The Boxer Rebellion leaders are executed at Peking. The UK, German Empire and Empire of Japan protest the Sino-Russian agreement in Manchuria. Cuba becomes a US protectorate. RMS Lucania becomes the first Cunard ship to receive a wireless set.  William McKinley is assassinated. The Boxer Rebellion is officially ended. Theodore Roosevelt becomes the 26th President of the United States of America. The first submarine of the United Kingdom, HMS Holland 1, is launched. 

1902: The Mount Hakkoda Disaster occurs, with 199 Japanese soldiers dying on the expedition. The Anglo-Japanese Alliance is signed, solidifying the friendship between the nations. The White Star Liner, SS Ionic is launched by Harland and Wolff. The Second Boer War ends officially, with the Treaty of Vereeniging. The Philippine-American War ends. Edward VII is coronated as the monarch of the United Kingdom, her Dominions and British India. A Trip to the Moon is premiered. Leopold II survives an attempted assassination. The Venezuelan crisis causes the United Kingdom, the German Empire and the Kingdom of Italy to blockade Venezuela, causing the development of the Roosevelt Corollary.

1903: After arbitration in Washington, the UK, Germany and Italy reach a settlement with Venezuela, ending the blockade. Cuba leases Guantanamo Bay to the United States "in perpetuity". The Ottoman Empire's attempts to get an agreement with Germany to build the Berlin-Baghdad railway fails, souring relations between the two empires. The Hay-Herran Treaty is signed, allowing the USA to build the Panama Canal. The Sokoto Caliphate is taken over by the United Kingdom. Panama separates from Colombia. The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty is signed, granting the United States full control of the future Panama Canal. The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party is split into two, the Bolsheviks and Menshiviks. The Wright Brothers fly the first manned and powered heavier air aircraft. 

1904: The distress signal CQD is established. The Herero Wars start in German South West Africa. The Battle of Port Arthur starts the Russo-Japanese War. The USA gains control of the Panama Canal Zone for 10 Million dollars. Russian troops withdraw from Korea, followed by 100,000 Japanese troops. The Entente Cordial fails to improve the relations between the United Kingdom and the French Republic. The United States started the construction of the Panama Canal. The Japanese battleships, IJN Hatsue and IJN Yashima are sunk by Russian naval mines just outside Port Arthur. The Russian ships of the Second Pacific Squadron(Baltic Fleet) fire upon several British trawlers, sinking 3 of them and souring relations between the Russian Empire and the United Kingdom, this is now known as the Dogger Bank Incident. Theodore Roosevelt is reelected as president of the United States. The first celebration of New Year's Eve in New York is held.