Chapter Summaries

After the Anglo-Indian Army collapsed in a decisive battle, German forces advanced on Delhi and captured the city. The Viceroy and Indian political leaders were left facing the loss of British control and their hopes for independence.

• Lord Nicholson fled as German forces pursued the routed Anglo-Indian troops and captured large numbers of British and Indian soldiers.
• General Ludendorff ordered the 8th Army Corps to take prisoners and advance directly toward Delhi.
• Baron Charles Hardinge learned that the Anglo-Indian Army had been defeated and that the Germans were approaching Delhi.
• Tilak, Nehru, and Gandhi realized that the defeat had ruined their political hopes and feared German occupation.
• On April 14, the German 8th Army Corps reached Delhi and attacked the city.
• On the afternoon of April 16, German forces captured Delhi.

As Germany's conquest of India advanced, Indian political parties and princely rulers sought to secure their futures. Emperor Qin Tian rejected negotiations over Indian independence and learned that Mir Osman Ali Khan, the ruler of Hyderabad State, wanted to secretly visit Germany.

• The British Cabinet ordered its Indian authorities to delay Germany's advance after Indian forces suffered repeated defeats and cooperation with Indian parties weakened.
• The Indian National Congress and the Green Party Alliance sent representatives to Germany to seek an outcome favorable to them, while princely rulers began preparing for the collapse of British rule.
• Field Marshal Falkenhayn reported that German forces had destroyed more than half the Anglo-Indian and British forces in India and expected to conquer the country within about three months.
• Qin Tian praised the 4th Army Corps and 8th Army Corps, noting that the 8th Army Corps had captured Delhi.
• Wachth told Qin Tian that representatives of the Indian National Congress and the Green Party Alliance wanted talks, but Qin Tian refused to consider Indian independence.
• Wachth revealed that Mir Osman Ali Khan wanted to make a secret visit to Germany, prompting Qin Tian to consider the ruler's intentions.

Germany agreed to preserve India’s princely states and their rulers’ interests in exchange for their acceptance of German rule and opposition to independence. After Mir Osman Ali Khan secured that promise in Berlin, Wachth considered dividing India to make resistance to German rule harder.

• Wachth explained that India’s princely rulers held substantial power, and Oscar’s ministers agreed to accept their allegiance and preserve their authority.
• Mir Osman Ali Khan secretly traveled from Hyderabad to Germany aboard a German Navy cruiser and was welcomed by Wachth at Wilhelmshaven.
• On the train to Berlin, Mir Osman Ali Khan blamed Britain for the war and said India’s princely rulers welcomed German rule if the existing order remained intact.
• Wachth promised to protect the princely states’ interests but warned that Germany would not permit independence, and Mir Osman Ali Khan pledged the rulers opposed it.
• Wachth concluded that India could be divided to strengthen German control and prevent independence.

Oscar proposed transferring the lands in India under direct German rule to the Indian Princely Rulers in exchange for their accumulated wealth, allowing Germany to withdraw from governing India. His ministers supported the plan, hoping the proceeds would strengthen the Empire’s finances and military.

• Wachth reported that Mir Osman Ali Khan and the Princely Rulers he represented would submit to the Empire if their interests were protected and would not seek Indian independence.
• Oscar argued that ruling distant India risked rebellion and proposed giving the remaining Indian territories to the Princely Rulers in exchange for wealth.
• Bülow objected that the lands were fertile and valuable, and Oscar replied that the rulers would have to pay for them.
• Oscar and Bülow estimated that the nearly six hundred Princely Rulers could provide the Empire with hundreds of billions of Mark.
• Falkenhayn, Scheer, and the other ministers backed selling the territories to fund Germany’s strength and reduce its obligations in India.

Oscar outlined a plan to divide India’s lands and local governing authority among the Princely Rulers while keeping India under German control, stationing troops there, and collecting annual taxes. Wachth shared the proposal with Mir Osman Ali Khan, who was stunned by the prospect of gaining territory and wealth.

• Wachth warned Oscar that expanding the Princely States could make them strong enough to threaten German rule, but Oscar argued they would remain weak and dependent on Germany.
• Oscar proposed giving Princely Rulers authority over parts of India while Germany retained control of foreign policy and stationed its own and loyal Indian troops there.
• The Imperial Prime Minister proposed that the Princely States also pay Germany annual taxes, and Oscar agreed that the revenue would supplement the Empire’s finances.
• Oscar instructed Wachth to sound out Mir Osman Ali Khan about the plan.
• Wachth visited Mir Osman Ali Khan at his hotel and described part of Germany’s proposal, leaving Osman Ali Khan astonished by the opportunity.

Mir Osman Ali Khan traveled to Germany to secure the future of Hyderabad State and was promised expanded territory in return for loyalty to the German Empire. Wachth left the specific allocations undecided and tied the quality of each grant to how much the princely states contributed toward Germany’s military expenses.

• Mir Osman Ali Khan asked Wachth whether Germany truly intended to divide Indian territories among the Princely Rulers.
• Wachth said Emperor intended to protect the rulers and praised them as India’s real elite.
• Mir Osman Ali Khan pledged Hyderabad State’s lasting loyalty to the German Empire and expected the other princely states to follow.
• Wachth promised to double each princely state’s territory, with the specific divisions to be discussed after Germany occupied India.
• Wachth said the allocation plan would depend partly on how much each princely state paid toward Germany’s military costs.

Mir Osman Ali Khan offered Germany five billion marks and proposed that Oscar take the title of Emperor of India in hopes of securing the Ganges Plain and a powerful role in the country. Wachth hinted that Mir Osman Ali Khan might be chosen to govern India’s princely states, but left the decision to the Emperor.

• Mir Osman Ali Khan offered Wachth five billion marks in military funding for Germany.
• Wachth declined to settle Hyderabad’s offer before the other Princely Rulers arrived in Berlin.
• Mir Osman Ali Khan decided he might have to give up his entire fortune to secure the fertile lands of the Ganges Plain and Germany’s favor.
• Mir Osman Ali Khan proposed that Oscar become Emperor of India, and Wachth agreed to report the idea to the Emperor.
• Wachth told Mir Osman Ali Khan that India would still be governed by its Princely Rulers and suggested he might be suited to lead them, pending the Emperor’s decision.

After Germany captured Calcutta and pacified most of India, Oscar and Prime Minister Bülow secured the loyalty of India’s Princely Rulers and announced that Germany would distribute Indian lands among the princely states. The rulers welcomed the plan and prepared to donate military funds to compete for the most fertile territory.

• In mid-June 1916, the German 8th Army Corps captured Calcutta while the 4th Army Corps swept through southern India, and Germany arranged to transport the Princely Rulers to Germany.
• Oscar hosted the Princely Rulers at a palace banquet on July 12, where they pledged loyalty to the German Empire.
• The Princely Rulers attended a meeting at the Imperial Parliament Building, chaired by Prime Minister Bülow and joined by the Empire’s Military and Political Ministers.
• Bülow announced that Germany would distribute India’s lands among the princely states rather than govern India directly.
• The Princely Rulers cheered the decision and prepared to donate as much military funding as possible to secure fertile lands.

Bülow laid out Germany’s plans for dividing India among the princely states while extracting military donations and ongoing tax revenue. The rulers learned that donation amounts would determine the order in which they could choose land, forcing them to compete without knowing one another’s bids.

• Bülow told the Princely Rulers that Germany expected them to contribute military funds, and Mir Osman Ali Khan and the other rulers agreed to provide assistance.
• Bülow declared that Germany would retain direct control of Delhi, Mumbai, and Calcutta, build naval ports in India, and station troops there.
• Bülow announced that Germany would begin collecting two billion Mark in annual taxes from India the following year, with each state’s share based on its land area, population, and resources.
• Mir Osman Ali Khan and other major rulers proposed crowning the German Emperor as Emperor of India, winning the other rulers’ support.
• The Imperial Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that rulers would secretly submit donation amounts and that the largest donor would choose land first, alarming the Princely Rulers.

The Indian Princely Rulers competed to donate money to Germany, hoping to secure favorable positions in the coming division of India's land. Mir Osman Ali Khan won first place and was appointed Viceroy of India, while the rulers learned that land selection would begin in one month.

• Mir Osman Ali Khan decided he had to win the donation contest after learning Germany would appoint a Princely Ruler as Viceroy of India.
• Mir Osman Ali Khan donated 15 billion Marks, and the other Princely Rulers submitted large sums to improve their land-selection rankings.
• Prime Minister Bülow announced that Mir Osman Ali Khan ranked first, followed by Mysore State and Indore State, and revealed that the rulers had donated 172.5 billion Marks altogether.
• The Princely Rulers regretted their donations after Bülow said land selection would follow the rankings and begin in one month.
• Bülow announced that Mir Osman Ali Khan had been appointed Viceroy of India on behalf of the German Empire.

The German Empire rewarded Mir Osman Ali Khan with the Viceroyship of India after he donated the most military funds, then prepared to divide Indian territory among princely states. German officials secured the rulers' loyalty by tying their gains and survival to German rule, opposition to British return and Indian independence, and the creation of German-trained armies.

• Bülow announced that India’s lands would be divided after the Emperor’s coronation, and Mir Osman Ali Khan enjoyed having won the Viceroyship.
• Bülow warned the rulers of the major princely states that Germany could empower them or destroy them, and Mir Osman Ali Khan and the others pledged loyalty to the Empire.
• Wachth warned the rulers that Britain would try to reclaim India and that their new territories would be at risk if Britain returned.
• Mir Osman Ali Khan and the other rulers vowed to fight the British and oppose Indian independence to protect their lands and positions.
• Falkenhayn called on the princely states to raise armies, promising German weapons and instructors; the rulers accepted the plan, binding their military strength to Germany.

After Qin Tian's coronation as Emperor of India, General Ludendorff led German troops to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala to seize its buried treasures. The Germans uncovered more than forty tons of gold and jewels and took them away despite resistance from local Indians.

• On August 8, 1916, Qin Tian was crowned Emperor of India in Berlin, and India's Princely Rulers swore allegiance to him.
• General Ludendorff told his regiment that Qin Tian had ordered them to search the Padmanabhaswamy Temple for gold and then investigate other Indian temples if the intelligence proved true.
• The German troops drove the monks from the temple, threatened the gathered locals with weapons, and, after finding no underground chamber, blew up the temple.
• German engineers uncovered a buried chamber containing gold ingots and chains, then excavated more than forty tons of gold and many jewels.
• The Indian natives gathered to oppose the Germans, but the troops used gunfire to stop them and carried the treasure away.

After Germany halted the destruction of Indian temples and arranged for the Princely Rulers to take over, Qin Tian convened an Imperial Council to assess the Empire’s position. He identified Germany’s small population as its greatest weakness and warned that it threatened the Empire’s ability to remain hegemonic.

• German forces destroyed temples and seized three thousand tons of gold, provoking protests and deadly clashes with Indian natives.
• Mir Osman Ali Khan asked Germany to stop demolishing temples, and the German government ordered its military to halt the operation.
• The Princely Rulers remained in Berlin until the division of Indian territory was complete, then prepared to govern their new lands with German military support.
• Qin Tian convened an Imperial Council on September 2, 1916, to review Germany’s achievements and unresolved problems.
• Qin Tian warned the ministers that Germany’s population of just over fifty million was too small to sustain its global dominance and had to be increased within twenty years.

Oscar ordered Germany to double its population within twenty years, arguing that the Empire needed more people to hold its territories and stand against its rivals. He secured ministers’ support for the Family Planning Policy, which the government issued nationwide a week later.

• Oscar compared the Empire’s population and mobilization potential with those of its enemies and warned that Germany could not afford heavy losses in a future war.
• Oscar set a goal of reaching one hundred million people by 1936 and proposed mandatory childbearing requirements, subsidies for larger families, and penalties for families with fewer than two children.
• Prime Minister Bülow and other ministers raised concerns about public opposition, infertility, and the policy’s cost, while Oscar pledged government guidance and funding from India’s gold, jewels, and colonial revenues.
• Field Marshal Falkenhayn agreed that the Army’s Indian wealth could fund population growth, and the other military branches accepted the plan.
• Oscar ordered the Family Planning Policy to begin on January 1, and the German government issued it nationwide a week later, drawing widespread support and concern from Germany’s enemies.

Germany expanded its population and territorial-integration policies to prepare for a future war and strengthen its industry. In Amiens, factory owner Balk agreed to cooperate with Germany after learning his captured son Bedok was suffering in a prisoner-of-war labor camp.

• Germany introduced a twenty-year Family Planning Policy and began preparing hospitals, kindergartens, and schools for the expected baby boom.
• Oscar relied on Ukrainian loyalty and coercion of French and Belgian families to secure cooperation in the territories Germany had occupied.
• German authorities used captured French soldiers as forced labor and pressured factory owners by holding their relatives in prisoner-of-war camps.
• Balk refused Germany's demand that his Amiens factory produce military boots, but a letter revealed that his son Bedok was enduring hunger, hard labor, and abuse as a prisoner.
• Balk chose to cooperate with Germany to save Bedok.

Balk endured his neighbors’ condemnation for cooperating with Germany, hoping the arrangement would save his son, Bedok, from a Ukrainian POW camp. Colonel Essen then promoted Bedok to overseer after telling him that Balk had joined the Empire’s nationality, and Bedok began learning how to supervise the other prisoners.

• Balk ignored accusations from French neighbors as he walked home, having cooperated with Germany to protect his imprisoned son.
• Balk’s wife prepared a lavish meal made possible by German supplies, and the family worried and prayed for Bedok’s safe return.
• Balk resolved to keep cooperating with Germany and told himself that the family had to begin a new life because the French Republic no longer existed.
• In a Ukrainian POW camp, Bedok was summoned by Colonel Essen and feared he would be killed.
• Essen told Bedok that Balk had joined the Empire’s nationality, promoted him to overseer, and ordered a new uniform for him.
• Bedok changed into the uniform and listened as Essen taught him how to control the other prisoners.

In November 1916, Oscar focused on the approaching death of Emperor Franz Joseph I and the threat that a hostile Austro-Hungarian Empire could pose to Germany. At an Imperial Council, German leaders discussed preparing for war, and Falkenhayn urged a swift attack if the empire joined the United States.

• Germany's forces advanced through the Straits Settlements and landed in western Australia, where Oscar expected the campaigns to continue into the following year.
• Oscar ordered the Intelligence Bureau to monitor Emperor Franz Joseph I, whose death he believed could end Germany's alliance with Austria-Hungary.
• At the November 15 Imperial Council, General Balaimin reported that Franz Joseph I was unlikely to survive past November 20.
• Bülow and Wachth warned that Crown Prince Karl's hostility and American influence could push Austria-Hungary into opposing Germany after the emperor's death.
• Oscar asked what Germany should do if Austria-Hungary left the Allied Powers, and Falkenhayn recommended destroying it if it sided with the United States.

Oscar and his ministers discussed using military force to defeat the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the military leaders promised a swift victory. As Crown Prince Karl waited for Franz Joseph I to die and inherit the throne, the emperor passed away at Schönbrunn Palace.

• Prime Minister Bülow and Foreign Minister Wachth warned Oscar that war with the Austro-Hungarian Empire could provoke another major conflict.
• Oscar rejected peaceful negotiations, and Field Marshal Falkenhayn and Admiral Scheer said Germany could defeat the Austro-Hungarian army and navy.
• Oscar proposed secretly encouraging the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s constituent states to remain neutral or seek independence during a German invasion.
• Crown Prince Karl waited near Franz Joseph I’s bedchamber, feeling excited about inheriting the throne rather than grieving.
• Franz Joseph I passed away at Schönbrunn Palace on November 18.

After Franz Joseph I died, Crown Prince Karl prepared to succeed him while Oscar ordered Germany's armed forces to mobilize for a possible war against the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Karl became Karl I on New Year's Day 1917, increasingly resentful of Germany after it sent only its foreign minister to the funeral.

• Karl learned of Franz Joseph I's death, mourned publicly, and arranged the funeral and his coronation with the senior ministers.
• Oscar chose Foreign Minister Wachth to represent Germany and ordered the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Foreign Ministry to prepare for war against the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
• Franz Joseph I's funeral took place in Vienna on December 18, and Karl resented Germany for sending only Wachth.
• Karl was crowned emperor as Karl I on January 1, 1917.

Karl I decided to break the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s alliance with Germany and align with the United States, despite warnings that the plan could provoke a German attack. After agreeing to Wilson’s terms, Karl remained confident that American aid would let the Empire defeat Germany.

• Baron von Berchtold warned Karl I that Wilson would likely pressure the Empire to choose sides, but Karl argued that Germany was already suppressing it and that American loans could strengthen it.
• Karl dismissed Berchtold’s objections and resolved to risk an alliance with the United States, driven by his ambition to surpass Germany and his jealousy of Oscar.
• On January 2, Karl I met with Woodrow Wilson; Wilson left smiling, while Prime Minister Mario Weber worried about what they had agreed.
• Karl told Weber he had agreed to withdraw from the Allied Powers and dissolve the alliance with Germany in exchange for American support and a one-billion-dollar interest-free loan.
• Karl claimed the Empire could withstand a German attack until more than one million American troops arrived, but Weber doubted they could defeat Germany.