An Alternate History based off of a real event, at a location named Fashoda in the Sudan, France and Britain almost found themselves at war with one another. How radically different would world history have been if a world war started then and there with Britain and France as enemies not allies.
Timeline of Events
1898
July 10th, 1898- British and French troops arrive in the Sudanese town of Fashoda where a standoff begins due to the colonial goals of the two nations.
July 15th, 1898- British reinforcements begin to arrive from neighboring areas bringing their total strength to 1,500 troops.
July 18th, 1898- Jean-Baptise Marchand, head of the French Expedition orders an attack after a misfire incident which wounded a French soldier. They storm into the British encampment killing about two dozen men before they are forced to retreat.
July 19th, 1898- The British riverboats begin to fire upon the French position in retaliation for yesterdays attack. The British hold off two more attacks which slaughter over 200 French troops.
July 20th, 1898- The French forces surrender to the British.
July 28th, 1898- French and British publics are outraged by the incident and right-wing nationalists call for war in defense of national honor. The British attempt to smooth over the incident with the French but to no avail.
August 1st, 1898- France declares war on Great Britain in order to avenge their national honor and to gain control of the Fashoda region. The Fashoda war or the Great War begins.
August 4th, 1898- The French fleet attempts to make a quick strike at the British forces before they can assemble. They attack Malta and the Channel Islands simultaneously. The British with their superior navy defeat the French in Malta, sinking half of the French fleet in the battle. At the Channel Islands the French landed 1,000 troops before their ships were destroyed. France was left with only two pre-dreadnoughts left in service. The French fleet retreats to their harbors where they would hide for much of the war. The 1,000 troops in the Channel Islands are killed or captured.
August 6th, 1898- The British colonial forces quickly capture Saint Pierre and Miquelon in Canada.
August 7th, 1898- French India falls to Indian and British troops. Djibouti is captured as well.
August 9th, 1898- Ghandi is killed after he and several other British forces are ambushed by Boers in South Africa. This incident nearly sparks war with the Boers, but the British are able to secure peace for the time, they will get their revenge later.
August 18th, 1898- A small French naval force sails down the Gambia river and besieges Banjul. The force is quickly defeated by a superior British naval force in the region. Britain begins the invasion of Senegal.
August 29th, 1898- A small French cruiser bombards the British town of Dover.
August 30th, 1898- In retaliation for the French attack on Dover, a large British fleet bombards Calais, Dunkerque, and other coastal towns, killing over 3,000.
September 1st, 1898- British forces land in the French Caribbean.
September 2nd, 1898- British forces land in French Guiana and the French Pacific Islands.
September 5th, 1898- French Caribbean falls.
September 10th, 1898 The Last French pacific Island falls.
September 25th, 1898- French Guiana falls to the British.
October 2nd, 1898- In the first major operation of the war, the British with forces from India and Singapore land in Saigon and capture the city.
October 10th, 1898- Senegal is captured by the British.
October 15th, 1898- The British begin advancing up the Mekong river in French Indochina capturing several forts.
October 30th, 1898- Siam joins the war on the British side in return for Laos.
November 9th, 1898- Cambodia and Laos are conquered by the British.
November 17th, 1898- French Indochina falls.
November 30th, 1898- The French are beginning to feel the strain of the British blockade.
December 1st, 1898- The French in west Africa counterattack the British in Senegal and they attack Ghana.
December 19th, 1898- The British force the French out of Ghana and attack French Equatorial Africa, and Benin from Nigeria.
December 25th, 1898- British troops defeat the French in Senegal and begin to advance into French west Africa.
1899
January 1st, 1899- French Equatorial Africa and Benin fall.
January 10th, 1899- British land in Madagascar and the French Indian Ocean Islands.
January 20th, 1899- All French resistance in the Indian Ocean is defeated.
January 21st, 1899- Russia, an ally of France since 1894, and an enemy of the British due to the Great Game and the question over Afghanistan, attacks an Afghan Oasis claiming it for themselves. The Afghans counterattack and are massacred.
January 22nd, 1899- The Russian Empire declares war on Afghanistan. Britain responds with an ultimatum to Russia to leave Afghanistan.
January 29th, 1899- The ultimatum expires, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland declares war on the Russian Empire.
February 2nd- Russia’s entry into the war has sparked a war fever in Europe. Germany, under Wilhelm II sees this as a chance to align itself with Britain and knock out both Russia and France in a war. Germany begins to mobilize, prompting the French to move troops to Lorraine.
February 5th- Secret meetings between the British, Germans, Austrians, Italy, and Romania begin.
February 7th- The Members of the meeting agree to declare war on Russia and France.
February 10th- Russia reaches Kabul in Afghanistan. Defeating a joint Afghan-British force of about 7,000
February 20th- Germany declares war on France and Russia.
February 21st- Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Romania declare war on France and Russia. Germany begins its invasion of France and attacks through Lorraine with far greater numbers than the French, who are forced on the retreat.
February 28th- Realizing that they cannot fight Britain, Germany, and Italy at the same time in an offensive war, the French begin a defensive war, establishing defensive lines around the Meuse river.
March 1st- The German advance is halted by the stiff French resistance. Despite French assistance, Russia’s military is highly outdated and slow to mobilize. This allows the Austrians and Romanians time to mobilize their outdated militaries as well.
March 10th- The Germans begin the first battle of Verdun
March 18th- The Italians attempt to cross the Alps but are defeated by the French. Stalemate breaks out on the Alpine Front.
March 25th- The Eastern Front erupts into war as Russia finally strikes at Romania, Germany, and Austria-Hungary
March 30thth- The Germans fail to take Verdun and are forced to return to their previous positions.
April 1st- The Russians Advance into East Prussia, taking Memel.
April 2nd- Lviv is taken from the Austrians.
April 5th- Stalemate breaks out on the Western front as trenches are dug.
April 15th- Prezsmyl is taken by the Russians. With tens of thousands of dead.
April 24th- The Russian army is able to achieve a great victory at the Masurian Lakes. Casualties are overwhelming.
April 30th- Konigsberg is besieged.
May 4th- Von Moltke orders a retreat to the Vistula where defensive lines are formed.
May 9th- The Carpathian Front is stabilized with the Austrians being able to hold it against Russian advances.
May 20th- Konigsberg surrenders after 30,000 civilians are killed.
May 30th- Russia launches an attack across the Prut river which decimates Romanian defensives and cuts Romania in halt.
June 3rd- Russians reach the Bulgarian border which ignites a powder keg as Slavic nationalists rise up in the Balkans.
June 8th- An uprising in Austrian Bosnia and Ottoman Serbia causes Serbia to declare war on the Ottoman Empire.
June 11th- Austria declares war on Serbia.
June 17th- Bulgaria declares war on Austria and the Ottomans.
June 19th- Revolts occur in Greece as the people want to join the war. These revolts are soon put down and the Greeks remain neutral.
June 22nd- Serbia invades Bosnia. Bulgaria begins their attack on the Ottomans in Thrace and Macedonia.
July 8th- Throughout the past few months, German soldiers have been massing in Posen and launch an offensive with the Austro-Hungarians which cripples the Russian southern flank in Poland.
July 14th- The British and Afghans are able to defeat a Russian force heading towards the British Raj. Both sides suffer heavy casualties, causing a stalemate to occur.
July 20th- British troops begin their invasion of French West Africa.
July 30th- The Germans cross the Vistula and take Warsaw, annihilating the Russian forces there. The Russians besieging Danzig are forced to retreat due to the threat of being encircled.
August 6th- The Russians are completely expelled from Prussia.
August 9th- French Ivory Coast Falls to the English.
August 13th- French Upper Volta falls to the English.
August 19th- The British sign a treaty with the Japanese, promising them Korea and to push them out from Russia’s sphere of influence.
August 28th- Japanese troops land in Incheon and Busan and Bombard Port Arthur. Before declaring war.
September 5th- Japanese forces cross into Manchuria.
September 19th- Bucharest falls to the Russians.
September 24th- Serbia falls to the Austrians.
September 31st- Bulgaria reaches the Aegean Sea after destroying a large Ottoman Army.
October 1st- The Boxer Rebellion in China begins.
October 3rd- Empress Cixi declares support for the Boxers and China declares war on all foreign powers.
October 5th-Russia is able to convince Cixi not to fight them, and the two form an alliance.
October 8th- The Chinese attack foreign leased cites resulting in large losses as they were unprepared for war and most of the Chinese don’t even have firearms.
October 10th- The Ottomans declare war on Russia.
October 15th- Russia begins to advance in the Caucasians.
November 10th- The Russians are defeated in the Caucasians causing the front there to stagnate.
November 20th- After months of Stalemate, the Germans begin the second battle of Verdun.
November 30th- The Russians are able to assist Bulgaria from and Ottoman attack on Sofie.
December 4th- French Mauritania and French Guinea fall in West Africa.
December 20th- The second battle of Verdun ends in German defeat once more with nearly one million casualties on all sides.
December 21st- The Italian navy scores its first victory against French ships attempting to raid Sardinia.
December 25th- The Japanese capture Sakhalin and most of Manchuria from the Russians and Chinese after several assaults.
December 29th- British forces take Canton.
1900
January 10th- British troops take French Niger and French Sudan.
January 15th- The British land in Shanghai and take Hainan
January 18th- The Japanese make multiple landings on the Chinese Coast.
February 12th- The Russians make advances on the Caucasian front.
February 14th- The Italians and British land in Tunisia.
February 16th- The French attempt to relieve Tunisia by sending their remaining fleet to attack the British and Italian fleets. It is soundly defeated off the coast of Tunis. The French fleet ceases to exist as a fighting force.
February 18th- A German Fleet defeats the Russian Baltic Fleet.
February 20th- The French Protectorate of Tunis collapses and is occupied by the Italians and British with Algeria being the last remaining French Colony.
February 22nd- French troops accidentally begin an assault that shocks the Germans. The French take some land for minimal casualties. This minor battle boasts French moral.
March 1st- The Venezuelan president, Cipriano Castro, orders an invasion of British Guyana to take over the Disputed Esequibo region.
March 3rd- Britain declares war on Venezuela and defeats their invasion attempt.
March 5th- Britain begins to invade Venezuela.
March 10th- President William McKinley, seeing this as a violation of the Monroe Doctrine, asks congress for a declaration of war.
March 14th- The United States declares war on Britain.
March 17th- British and American ships clash in the Pacific with the British defeating the Americans.
March 19th- The German and Austrian Spring offensive against the Russians begins.
March 25th- British ships defeat an American force of 20 ships in the Battle of Bermuda. Sinking 6 American Ships. The American military, being small, is desperately trying to gather forces to invade Canada.
April 3rd- The Russians are defeated in the Second Battle of Kabul. They begin to retreat.
April 8th- The Germans and the Austrio-Hungarians reach the river Dvina. Poland, Lithuania, and parts of Belarus and Ukraine are captured.
April 21st the German and Austrian Spring Offensive ends.
April 24th- The Russians are expelled from Afghanistan.
April 30th- The Afghanis become a British protectorate.
May 1st- The Ottomans, in an attempt to relieve the pressure on the Caucasian front, invade Persia without declaration of War. The Persian Shah, in order to keep his country from entering the war, allows this. The Russians do the same the next day.
May 5th- The Russians and Ottomans begin a massive battle at Tabriz.
May 10th- After five long days the Ottomans, with much British support, take Tabriz and also halt a Russian attack in the Caucasians.
May 11th- The Bulgarians once more attempt to attack the Ottomans.
May 15th- The Bulgarian advance is halted and the offensive dies.
June 1st- The American army invades Quebec and New Brunswick.
June 3rd- The American army fails to reach the Saint Lawrence river or to isolate Nova Scotia. The American forces are too small, and their weapons and tactics are outdated. In a large naval battle off of the coast of North Carolina, the British destroy the American Atlantic Fleet.
June 15th- Sweden declares war on Russia in hopes of taking Finland.
June 17th- The Swedish Norwegian Union dissolves and Norwegian troops attack Swedish troops.
June 20th- Hawaii is bombarded after the British defeat the American pacific fleet.
June 30th- The Norwegian government fully breaks with the Swedish government and the fighting ceases.
July 4th- Japanese, Australian, British, Siamese, and Indian troops land in the Philippines, they are supported by rebels in the area.
July 19th- The Ottomans begin an offensive into Bulgaria.
July 22th- After seeing the American Fleet be destroyed, the Spanish declare war on America in hopes of regaining some of their lost colonies.
July 26th- Sofie is Captured and Bulgaria surrenders.
July 30th- With the collapse of Bulgaria, the Russians are forced to retreat to the Danube, holding a huge salient on the Wallachian plains. The Romanians begin to retake lost lands.
August 5th- Bucharest is retaken by the Romanians.
August 7th- The Carpathians are crossed by the Austrians and are now fully in their control.
August 10th-Japanese forces take Vladivostok.
August 15th- British and Japanese vessels sail up the Yellow river and bombard Chinese cities.
August 23rd- British Forces begin their full invasion of Venezuela.
September 1st- Algeria is Invaded. Venezuela surrenders.
September 20th- Algeria is taken from the French.
September 25th- British Troops invade southern china from Vietnam.
September 30th- The Philippines are taken from the Americas.
October 1st- The Americans begin to advance in the Pacific Northwest.
October 6th- British and Spanish Troops land in Cuba.
October 26th- American Forces in Cuba surrender
October 27th- American Forces take Calgary Alberta.
October 30th- Italian forces land in Corsica the French defenders retreat into the mountains and fight a guerilla war.
November 16th- American troops take Southern Ontario.
November 22nd- Canadian troops take Alaska.
December 4th- Stalemate occurs around the world as all sides try to piece together their forces.
1901
January 20th- Germany and Britain send an ultimatum to Belgium to let them cross their lands.
January 30th- The Ultimatum ends. Germany invades through the west while British troops land in Ostende.
February 11th- The Russian Salient is cut off and surrenders. Hundreds of Thousands are captured.
February 25th- Belgium falls.
February 27th- The British begin their Invasion of Hawaii.
March 1st- Bessarabia is taken by the Romanians and Austrians.
March 8th- The Swedish begin their offensive into Finland.
March 9th- Hawaii surrenders.
March 12th- British and Canadian forces counterattack the Americans and force them out of Canada within a month.
March 18th- Britain hands over Panama to Colombia but retains the Canal.
March 19th- Spanish troops take Puerto Rico.
March 23rd- The Swedish take Lapland and begin landings in southern Finland with support from the German Navy.
March 24th- The British bombard Baltimore, killing over 3,000
April 8th- The Japanese and British forces begin an offensive to take Nanking.
April 17th- Mass munities in Russia allow the Ottomans to take back the Caucasian front.
April 30th- The Germans and British begin their offensive at the city of Lille and Charleroi.
May 2nd- The Italians launch a major offensive in the Alps to defeat the French.
May 30th- The French retreat to the Somme and Marne.
May 31st- The Italian offensive fails.
June 19th- The Battle of the Somme begins.
June 30th- The British and Canadians invade Maine.
July 2nd- Japanese and British warships bombard the West Coast of the United States.
July 5th- Nanking is taken after a two-month battle.
July 20th- The French counterattack in a splendid manner that defeats the Germans and British forcing them to dig in and reinforce their position, delaying their advance.
July 30th- Britain halts its advance into America, hoping to not incite the people against them.
August 5th- The Russians attempt to attack the Austrian lines in a massive summer offensive involving one million men.
August 30th- China surrenders after a coup overthrows and kills empress Cixi.
September 1st- The Russian Summer offensive is able to retake Bessarabia and even force the Austrians back to the Carpathians, but it is halted when German reinforcements arrive.
September 8th- Swedish troops have control over Finland’s Baltic Coast.
September 20th- Theodore Roosevelt is killed by an artillery strike while leading a futile cavalry charge against Canadian lines.
October 10th- German and British troops attack the Marne and Somme once more, defeating the French and laying siege to Paris.
November 30th- Paris falls with 60 percent of the city in ruins. The French government retreats to Bordeaux.
December 10th- William McKinley is assassinated. There is chaos in the United States
December 23rd- The United States surrenders.
December 30th- The Italians finally break through the Alpine front.
1902
January 3rd- The Boer war begins in Africa after the British invaded their land. This time though the troops have far more experience and the war would end by 1904.
January 8th- The German and British forces cross the Loire.
January 14th- Italian forces cross the Rhone.
January 19th- The French surrender.
March 9th- The Ottomans invade across the Caucasus Mountains.
March 20th- The German navy lands Swedish troops on the Estonian Islands.
March 30th- Russia halts the Ottoman advance.
April 7th- The Allied forces prepare for their final offensive against Russia.
April 25th- The allies with an army of 2.5 million crosses into Russia from all sides.
April 30th- Japan lands in Kamchatka and crosses the Amur river.
May 20th- British and Ottoman forces land in the Crimea and besiege Sevastopol.
May 30th- Estonia and Belarus completely fall to the Austrians and Germans.
June 8th- Kiev is taken by the Austrians.
June 23rd- The Swedish take all of Finland and begin to besiege St. Petersburg.
July 1st- The Tsar moves the capitol to Moscow.
July 5th- British troops flood out of Afghanistan and begin conquering central Asia.
July 14th- Sevastopol is take, the Ottomans take the Black sea coast of Russia.
July 25th- Protests in Moscow erupt into revolt.
July 28th- The Tsar is overthrown and executed; his family is allowed safe passage to the Netherlands.
July 29th- The Russian Federal Republic is proclaimed in Moscow.
August 9th- The Frontlines halt as the allies rest and wait for the Russians decision.
August 15th- The Russians surrender. Ending the Fashoda or the First Great War.
The Treaty of Luxembourg
Concerning France
Russia and France are to pay war reparations.
Germany annexes Briey-Longwy, Eastern Lorraine and Eastern Belgium.
Luxembourg is annexed by the Germans.
Italy annexes Corsica, Tunisia, and Italian lands given to France in 1860.
Siam annexes Laos
Germany Annexes Cambodia.
Northern France will be Occupied for five years.
The French Empire will be divided except for Algeria, with Germany gaining parts of the Upper Volta, Benin, Gabon, Congo, Belgian Congo, Parts of Central Africa and Chad along with Madagascar. French Polynesia will go to Germany as well.
The British Empire would annex the remaining French colonies around the world, with the exception of Djibouti which goes to Italy.
Treaty of Ottawa
Concerning America and Venezuela
Alaska is to annex by Canada.
The America government is to pay for all war damages, along with 1 million dollars for each Canadian killed during the war.
Cuba is to be independent without American occupation.
Puerto Rico and most of Luzon are Annexed by Spain
Guantanamo Bay is to be an English/Spanish naval base under lease for fifty years.
Hawaii is to become a British colony.
Guam is to be returned to Spain.
Liberia is to be given to Spain.
The remainder of the Philippines is to be annexed by Japan.
The Americans are no longer allowed a navy.
Venezuela is to be under British influence with its border lands being annexed by British Guyana
Treaty of Kiev
Concerning Russia, Serbia, and Bulgaria.
Serbia is to be under Austrian influence.
Bulgaria is to be under Ottoman influence.
Austria is to annex border regions.
Romania is to annex Bessarabia.
Poland is to gain independence under German influence.
Germany is to annex Lithuania and Courland.
Russia is to pay war reparations
The Ottomans will gain some Caucasian lands.
Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan are to gain independence under Ottoman influence.
Ukraine is to gain independence under Austrian Influence.
Livonia and Estonia are to gain independence under German influence.
Russia is not allowed a navy.
Sweden is to annex the Aland Islands and the Estonian Islands along with parts of Lapland.
Finland is to gain independence under Swedish influence.
Japan is to gain Amur and Sakhalin.
Central Asia and Afghanistan are to be under British protectorate status.
Treaty of Nanking
Concerning China
China’s Monarchy is disestablished a republic is to be established (it would soon fall into civil war).
Korea, South Manchuria, Port Arthur and Qingdao are annexed by Japan
Hainan, areas around Qingdao are annexed by Britain and Hong Kong is to be expanded to 5 times its original size.
The Fashoda War/First Great War dead (civilian included)
1898-1902
Country
Dead or Missing
French Empire
1,700,000
German Empire
1,300,000
Russian Empire
2,300,000
United Kingdom
740,000
Spanish Empire
137,000
Italian Kingdom
400,000
Ottoman Empire
575,000
Kingdom of Serbia
180,000
Kingdom of Romania
290,000
Austria-Hungarian Empire
1,000,000
Kingdom of Bulgaria
100,000
Kingdom of Sweden
87,500
Kingdom of Norway
2,000
Kingdom of Belgium
150,000
Empire of Japan
97,400
Kingdom of Siam
2,100
Qing China
700,000
Australia
50,000
South Africa
20,000
New Zealand
12,000
United States of America
400,000
Venezuela
10,000
Cuba
9,000
Canada
100,000
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