Chapter Summaries

Australasia negotiated the terms of joining the Allied Powers, securing British support for its army and promises that Britain and France would transfer Pacific islands after war broke out. Arthur agreed to attend the 1913 Allied Powers Conference, where he planned to strengthen Australasia’s ties with Britain, France, and Russia.

• Minister Grey agreed that Britain would pay half of Australasian soldiers’ salaries and cover their combat expenses, in exchange for Australasia maintaining at least 200,000 troops in Europe.
• Arthur accepted Britain’s demand for a large Australasian force and sought Pacific territories as compensation for joining the war.
• Minister Grey proposed transferring Britain’s Pacific islands to Australasia and lobbying France to transfer its Oceanian possessions, while German New Guinea would become Australasian spoils of war.
• On March 19th, Minister Grey received confirmation that Britain and France agreed to transfer the islands in exchange for Australasia joining the Allies when war began.
• The French invited Australasia to the 1913 Allied Powers Conference, and Arthur agreed to attend and planned visits to Britain, France, and Russia.

After signing the Anglo-Australasian Treaty, Arthur secured French submarine technology and a large loan while planning a major naval expansion. Britain began sending equipment, documents, and experts to Australasia, strengthening the new alliance.

• On March 27, 1913, Minister Grey and Prime Minister Kent signed the Anglo-Australasian Treaty under Arthur's witness, formally joining Australasia to the Allied Powers.
• Arthur told William II that Australasia's decision reflected its population's wishes and promised it would not use prohibited weapons in the war.
• Arthur directed the government to seek French submarine technology and low-interest or interest-free loans, and France agreed to both requests.
• Australasia signed a ten-year loan agreement for five hundred million francs, with funds scheduled to arrive in installments.
• Arthur planned a 1914–1918 naval program to build an experimental aircraft carrier, at least seven super-Dreadnoughts, four battlecruisers, and numerous other ships.
• Britain dispatched the first shipment of industrial equipment, documents, and experts with their families to Australasia.

Arthur oversaw Australasia’s study of French submarine technology and approved two Goubet-Zédé-class submarines for construction as Q03 and Q04. He planned for Australasia to combine French and German designs into its own submarines while relying on its secure position and Allied protection to develop its forces.

• British and Australasian experts mastered French submarine technology, and the Royal Shipyard planned experimental submarines.
• Arthur compared French and German submarine designs and judged the French models, especially the long-range classes, to offer valuable technology despite France’s inconsistent development choices.
• The Royal Shipyard proposed building two Goubet-Zédé-class submarines, and Arthur approved them as Q03 and Q04.
• Arthur treated foreign submarine designs as a foundation for independent Australasian development and considered assigning experts to create a new submarine series.
• Arthur assessed Australasia as secure from invasion during World War I because Britain and the other Allied Powers would protect its strategic waters and homeland.

Arthur reflected on horse racing and zoos as popular pastimes in Australasia, then decided to expand the royal zoos by importing rare plants and animals from abroad. He left Butler Kent to organize the acquisitions while Australasia's strict security continued to protect him.

• Arthur's stud farms raised over 500,000 horses, and the Kent Stud Farm in Victoria hosted Australasia's largest annual horse race with limits on commoners' bets.
• Arthur had established major zoos in the Capital Territory, Victoria, and New Zealand, with the Sydney Royal Zoo drawing over 5,000 visitors daily.
• After Queen Dowager Marie and the children visited the zoo, Arthur decided to import rare plants and animals from around the world for breeding and display.
• Arthur gave Butler Kent a list of species to acquire through the Royal Consortium.
• Australasia restricted civilian access to advanced weapons, and more than a thousand security personnel accompanied Arthur on simple outings.

Arthur took William and Anna on a hunt in New South Wales, where he captured a rare white stag alive. He left the stag in the care of a doctor and continued exploring the forest with the children.

• Arthur traveled into the New South Wales forest with William, Anna, Butler Kent, and hundreds of guards for his annual hunt.
• Arthur and the hunting party rode to his forest villa, then set out to find unusual prey with the children.
• Arthur spotted a white deer and, after Butler Kent identified it as a likely white hart, ordered his men to capture it alive.
• Arthur shot the stag in its front leg, and the doctor bandaged its wound while Arthur ordered him to care for it.
• Arthur sent guards and the doctor to escort the stag back to the villa, then continued hunting with Butler Kent, William, and Anna.

After Arthur returned from his hunting trip with the rare white fallow deer, Little White was exhibited at the Sydney Royal Zoo, drawing huge crowds and strengthening Arthur’s popularity. Meanwhile, Butler Kent began arranging to bring endangered species to Australasia for a planned Endangered Animal Museum.

• Arthur promised William that he could hunt on his own after learning to shoot, then ended the hunting trip and returned to Sydney on April 28, 1913.
• Palace guards announced that Arthur would exhibit the white fallow deer at the Sydney Royal Zoo and offer discounted tickets to Australasian citizens.
• After three days of treatment, Anna’s Little White was released into the zoo, where the first day’s tickets sold out almost immediately.
• Butler Kent began negotiating to purchase endangered animals and plants from East Asia and Europe for Arthur’s planned Endangered Animal Museum.

Little White’s exhibition boosted Sydney’s tourism as Bulgaria’s war with the Balkan coalition drew the Great Powers to the brink of a wider conflict. After Germany restrained Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria’s defeat became clear, a new dispute between Chile and Argentina brought South America into the world’s attention.

• Little White’s exhibition drew crowds to Sydney, prompting the Royal Zoo to limit advance ticket sales as tourism and ticket revenues surged.
• Bulgaria signed a protection treaty with Austria-Hungary, then attacked Greece and Serbia on May 19, 1913; Romania, Montenegro, and the Ottoman Empire subsequently declared war on Bulgaria.
• Britain and France asked Arthur to state Australasia’s position, and Arthur pledged support for the Allied Powers.
• William II ordered Austria-Hungary to halt military action, leaving Bulgaria without reinforcements as it suffered defeats and shifted to defending its homeland.
• A conflict between Chile and Argentina drew international attention over their longstanding dispute about the Beagle Channel islands.
• The chapter traced the dispute to a British arbitration in 1902 that awarded Picton, Lennox Island, and Nueva Island to Chile, intensifying Argentine resentment.

A border clash between Argentina and Chile escalated amid their rivalry and growing military tensions. Eduardo Montalva’s patrol fought off a larger Argentine force, but both sides remained pinned down as reinforcements approached.

• A June 1913 clash killed and wounded soldiers from both Argentina and Chile, intensifying hostility along their border.
• Both countries reinforced the border, increasing patrols and the likelihood of further encounters.
• Eduardo Montalva’s patrol encountered dozens of Argentine troops, and the squad leader was shot dead before he could finish warning them.
• Eduardo Montalva called for a signal flare and used his Lee-Enfield Rifle to suppress the Argentine advance from the hilltop.
• Both sides exchanged heavy fire for more than ten minutes but suffered few casualties, and the Argentine commander weighed how to escape the Chilean patrol’s resistance.

After Argentine troops withdrew from a clash with a Chilean patrol, Eduardo Montalva was appointed acting squad leader by Lucas Fuente, who recognized Eduardo’s late father as an old comrade. Seeing the retreating Argentines as a chance to advance his career, Lucas led his company into the woods to pursue them, but discovered he had underestimated their force.

• The Argentine army withdrew into the woods after a brief clash, and Eduardo Montalva’s patrol suffered two deaths and two wounded, including Squad Leader Edri.
• Eduardo reported the battle to reinforcements, and Lucas Fuente learned that Eduardo was the son of his former comrade Pablo Montalva.
• Lucas appointed Eduardo acting squad leader and ordered him to reorganize the patrol and resume duty.
• Lucas led his company west to pursue the Argentines, hoping to destroy them and earn a promotion.
• Lucas followed the blood and tracks into the woods, then realized he had underestimated the Argentine force.

Chile and Argentina went to war after border clashes, drawing military aid from Britain and the United States. As the conflict escalated, Arthur considered Britain's proposal for Australasia to join an expeditionary force, seeing the planned buffer zone as a chance to gain control of valuable Argentine farmland.

• Lucas Fuente found an Argentine soldier's corpse and recovered its M1903 Springfield Rifle, leading Chilean officials to suspect American involvement.
• Britain supplied Chile with weapons, while Chile and Argentina traded ultimatums and declared war on July 3, 1913.
• Chile and Argentina mobilized their forces, and Britain and the United States sent military aid to their respective partners as fighting spread along the border.
• Argentina gained early battlefield advantages, but the war caused more than ten thousand casualties within two weeks.
• On July 17, 1913, the British Government asked Arthur whether Australasia would join an expeditionary force to end the war in exchange for a jointly administered buffer zone.
• Arthur welcomed the proposal because Australasia could potentially control part of Argentina's Pampas and develop it into a major granary.

Argentina and Chile’s war became a costly stalemate until Argentina broke through Chilean defenses, prompting the Allied Powers to intervene. Australasia sent its Fourth Regular Division to Chile first, leaving the expeditionary force underway as the wider powers watched the conflict.

• Argentina and Chile’s large-scale war began on July 23, 1913, and their foreign supporters supplied weapons and provisions as the fighting settled into a costly stalemate.
• Argentina committed more troops and equipment to its third offensive on July 29, but a negligent Chilean commander lost key positions and forced Chile’s army to retreat more than ten kilometers.
• After the Four Great Powers agreed to intervene, Britain, France, Russia, and Australasia announced on August 2 that they would send an expeditionary force to defend Chile.
• Arthur selected Australasia’s Fourth Regular Division as the country’s 16,000-man contribution, and the Allies agreed that Australasia would deploy first because it was closest.
• The Fourth Regular Division boarded transport ships on August 5 under escort from an Australasian fleet led by a dreadnought and a battlecruiser.

Arthur oversaw the launch of the Leonora Industrial Base’s third construction phase and approved a decade-long Central Railway plan to connect Australia’s regions and support industrial growth. The railway would begin with the Western Australian section serving Leonora, while the expeditionary force headed toward the Chile-Argentina border.

• Arthur encouraged the Fourth Division before its departure and entrusted its commander, Scott Malone, with minimizing Australasian casualties while defeating Argentina.
• On August 9, 1913, the government announced the third phase of the Leonora Industrial Base, planned to add capacity for hundreds of factories and hundreds of thousands of workers.
• On August 15, Arthur attended the groundbreaking ceremony as construction began on the industrial base’s third phase.
• The Ministry of Transport proposed the Central Railway in three sections, connecting Western Australia, Australia’s interior, and the eastern states and territories.
• Arthur approved the Central Railway plan and ordered construction to begin with the Western Australian section serving the Leonora Industrial Base.

Australasia began taking over the British Solomon Islands Protectorate and established the Solomon Islands Colony under Governor Mark MacOsland. Arthur also tightened control over the colonial garrisons and trained native Colonial Divisions while Australasia expanded its arms production and stockpiles for the coming war.

• After delivering a diplomatic note to Britain, Australasia began the transfer of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate on September 1, 1913.
• Arthur accepted Prime Minister Kent's recommendation to establish the Solomon Islands Colony as a separate administrative unit.
• On September 2, Mark MacOsland arrived in the Solomon Islands with a 1,000-man garrison to become its first Colonial Governor.
• Arthur reorganized colonial garrisons under the Ministry of Defense and continued training native soldiers with incentives, surveillance rules, and limited equipment.
• Australasia's armies consumed large quantities of ammunition in training as the Royal Munitions Factory expanded production and built up weapons stockpiles for World War I.

After consolidating Australasia’s control of the Solomon Islands, Arthur learned that European powers were rapidly ordering Benz trucks to strengthen their military logistics. A Russian delegation inspected the Benz factory and prepared to negotiate a large purchase, leaving the price and size of Russia’s order unresolved.

• Governor Mark MacOsland granted citizenship to Solomon Islands residents, offered severance payments to Europeans who wished to leave, and promoted colonial welfare policies.
• Arthur learned that European powers were buying Benz trucks in large quantities, including Germany’s order for three thousand trucks, and alerted Britain and France.
• Britain and France ordered four thousand and three thousand trucks respectively, while Russia sought loans and sent a delegation to Australasia to negotiate its own purchase.
• The Russian delegation visited the Benz Automobile Factory, where Benz explained the truck-production process and said the plant could produce seventy-five small B1 trucks or forty-five large B2 trucks per day.

Benz and the Russian delegation negotiated a truck purchase after touring Australasia’s advanced factories. They signed an initial order for 5,000 trucks, with an option to double it if Russia’s government approved more.

• Benz showed the Russian representatives the automobile and Diesel engine factories, impressing them with Australasia’s industrial system and assembly-line production.
• The Russian military representative praised Benz’s production capabilities and pressed for lower prices, citing Russia’s strained finances and potential order of at least 10,000 trucks.
• Benz offered final prices of 500 Australian dollars for a B1 truck and 690 for a B2 truck, and the Russian representative accepted.
• Benz assured the Russians that 10,000 trucks could be delivered within six months, while the Russian representative said he would seek government approval to increase the order.
• Benz and the Russian officer signed an initial order for 5,000 trucks: 1,000 B1s and 4,000 B2s, with both quantities to double if the order rose to 10,000.

The Russian delegation took delivery of the battleships Empress Maria and Catherine the Great in Sydney, while the Gangut and Sevastopol began sea trials. The truck boom spread among the great powers, and Arthur ordered 2,000 trucks for Australasia as the chapter ended with the Benz Automobile Factory facing a large production schedule.

• Benz and Russia agreed to build at least three Russian repair plants to support the 5,000-truck order.
• Russian Navy officers took possession of Empress Maria and Catherine the Great, and the ships raised the Tsardom of Russia’s flag before sailing for the Baltic Sea.
• The Russian delegation attended the launching tests for Gangut and Sevastopol before departing aboard the new battleships.
• Britain and France funded Russia’s truck purchase, while the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy ordered trucks from Germany and the United States ordered 3,000 trucks from an American factory.
• Arthur and Defense Minister Raul finalized an order for 500 B1 trucks and 1,500 B2 trucks, with delivery scheduled before the end of 1914.

After the Second Balkan War ended in Bulgaria’s defeat, Arthur inspected Australasia’s fourth-generation military aircraft and approved large orders to prepare for the coming world war. The chapter ended with the Phantom-4 bomber’s new capabilities described, though it could carry only one type of bomb per mission.

• The Second Balkan War ended with Bulgaria losing territory and paying reparations, while Serbia’s increased strength deepened tensions between Austria-Hungary and Serbia.
• Arthur visited the aviation laboratory after signing a truck purchase order and inspected its latest fourth-generation aircraft, powered by Diesel’s improved engines.
• Arthur ordered 500 Eagle-4 reconnaissance aircraft, whose speed and range surpassed contemporary British and French planes.
• Arthur ordered 100 Wildcat-4 fighters, which paired twin machine guns and stronger armor with reduced range.
• Arthur reviewed the Phantom-4 bomber’s higher speed, larger payload, and four bomb variants, but learned it could carry only one bomb type at a time.

Arthur ordered a major expansion of Australasia’s air force and announced a five-year naval expansion plan as the European arms race intensified. The plan won public and Allied support, while Australasia prepared to rebuild its naval strength and assist Britain in future conflict.

• Arthur ordered 500 Ghost-4 bombers, bringing his total aircraft orders to 1,100 and Australasia’s military aircraft strength to more than 1,700.
• Arthur assessed the rapid naval buildup among Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, and Austria-Hungary, and realized Australasia had fallen behind the other Great Powers.
• In October 1913, Australasia announced a Naval Expansion Act providing for at least two super-Dreadnoughts and one battlecruiser to be built each year for five years, starting in 1914.
• Australasians cheered the naval plan, while French citizens urged their government to lend money to Australasia and Russia rather than Italy.
• Britain, France, and Russia supported Australasia’s naval expansion, which could ease British pressure in the Indian Ocean and free forces for operations against the Central Powers.

After Argentina requested a ceasefire, representatives of six nations met in Sydney to negotiate peace, but they failed to agree on reparations and territorial terms. Chile and the Allied expeditionary forces resumed their offensive against Argentina.

• On October 30, 1913, Argentina formally requested a ceasefire and ordered its frontline troops not to fire first.
• On November 7, representatives of Britain, France, Russia, Australasia, Chile, and Argentina began peace talks in Sydney.
• Chile demanded £10 million in reparations, disputed territories, Tierra del Fuego, and limits on Argentina’s armed forces, while Australasia demanded a jointly administered zone in Argentina’s black-soil region.
• Argentina offered about £1 million in reparations and concessions over disputed territories but rejected the proposed military limits, territorial cessions, and jointly administered zone.
• After four days without agreement, Chile announced the resumption of hostilities on November 11, and the Allied expeditionary force prepared to attack.
• That evening, fighting resumed across the South American battlefield.

Argentina agreed to reparations, territorial concessions, and a forty-five-year Allied lease of land in the Pampas before signing the Sydney Contract. The United States then expanded its navy and formed a preliminary alliance with Japan to counter the Allied Powers.

• After Allied bombardments, Argentina requested a ceasefire, and negotiations set its reparations at 11.83 million pounds.
• On November 20, 1913, Chile and Argentina accepted a British-backed compromise over disputed territory.
• Argentina agreed to a forty-five-year joint Allied administration of land near Bahía Blanca, with Australasia gaining the right to station troops there.
• On November 27, 1913, representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Australasia, Chile, and Argentina signed the Sydney Contract.
• The United States offered Argentina aid and loans, then announced a major naval expansion plan for 1914 through 1916.
• On December 7, 1913, the United States and Japan agreed to jointly build dreadnoughts and signed a reciprocal trade agreement, beginning their alliance.