Novgorod AU

PART I: Novgorod prior 1917

1. Introduction, history and naval development in Novgorod
2. Ships in service prior 1917 Revolution
3. Ships under construction

1. Introduction, history and naval development in Novgorod

1.1 Novgorod introduction

Novgorod or Novgorod Soviet Sosialist Republic (Novgorodian: Новгородская
Советская Социалистическая Республика) is a country in Northern Eurasia. Expanding from the Baltic Sea into Pacific Ocean it is at 17 516 219 sq km the largest country in the world. It covers 10 timezones and borders Finland and Poland in the west, Russia in the south and Mongolia, China and North Korea in the east. With 144 million people, it's the tenth most populous country in the world.

Novgorods history begun with the eastern slavic people emergin into eastern europe between 3rd and
8th century BC. After the disintegration of the medieval Kievan Rus, Merchant Republic of Novgorod emerged as dominant slavic state into the northern east europe, area that was not under the Mongol rule. After the mongol yoke started to weaken, Novgorod and Principality of Muscovy begun to rival over the control of the former Kievan Rus lands. Eventually the northern parts and the upper reaches of Volga were included into Novgorod realm and the southern and south-western areas were incorporated into Muscovy wich later became Russia. Novgorod expanded into east and west and eventually reached the shores of Pacific Ocean and became an empire under the rule of Petr Velikiy in the start of the 18th century.

After the October revolution in 1917, Novgorod became the worlds first sosialistic state and together with the Soviet Union, emergin from the Russian empire became the nucleous of Socialistic world trough the better part of the 20th century. Novgorod played a major part in the allied victory in World War II and eventually took place as the leading socialistic state after the stagnation and eventual dissolution of Soviet Union.

Novgorod is the sole major pure socialistic economy in the world today. The current economical policy orginates mainly from the reformations made during the 1970's with the gradual withdrawal from purely centralized planned economy into the so-called ”market-socialism”. Novgorod posses massive energy and mineral resources and is one of the the leading natural gas and oil producers of the world. The country is one of the recognized nuclear weapon powers and generally recognized today as the seccond most powerfull military powers in the world after United States. Novgorod holds permanent seat in the UN's security council.

1.2 Etymology:
The name Novgorod comes from the city of Novgorod, the centre of the merchant republic from which the current state orginated. It literaly means New city. The land of the old republic and later princedom were usually refered as a Novgorodskaja Zemlya.

1.3 History
[In this AU scenario, the history of Novgorod is mostly unaltered and same as in our timeline (OTL) up until 1240's when the ”magic hand” first sweeps in. From there after it follows the main events of the history from the perspective that Novgorod is acting the part of Russia in the norther hemishprere. However there are some occasions where the history takes another a different course. I will post the main events that are either different from the OTL or that are othervice signifigant to explain the very fundamentals of Novgorods history. I also try to include some bits of the evolution of Russia in this AU as it is bit different to the OTL. For those not that familiar with the history of Russia/Northern Europe, I urge you to study it as it is rather facinating and will help you to understand some of the events that are not descriped in this history section.]

1.3.1 Alexander Nevsky and consolidation of the powers of Prince of Novgorod:
Ever since 1136, the city of Novgorod had invited and sometimes dismissed Princes from neighboring slavic princedoms to serve as Prince of Novgorod. However the title was not heritable and the powers of the prince were somewhat limited while the true political power lied in the hands of the powerfull boyars and merchantmens trough the Veche, a public asembly in which all the important issues were ruled. In 1240, a young Knyaz Alexander from the Principalty of Vladimir was holding the seat of Prince of Novgorod when Swedish forces attacked east. In the following battle of Neva, Novgorodians led by Alexander defeated the swedish incursion and Alexander is given the title Nevsky. After the victory Alexander Nevsky enjoyed a huge popularity among the novgorodians and this led some of the powerfull boyars fear that he might grown too powerfull wich led to an uprising against him. The uprising failed however due a lack of support from the majority of the boyars and Alexander uses this event as a means to strenghten the position of the Prince.

With another triuph in against foreign incursors in the Lake Peipus where Alexander Nevsky led the Novgrodians into victory against the Livonian Order in 1242, the status of Alexander is now firmly established as the savior of Novgorodian people. As a skillful politican and with his ties towards the Mongol rules, Alexander manages to keep good relations to the Horde and keep Novgorod as a independent from the mongol rule.

During the reign of Alexander Nevsky, the political system of Novgorod was changed so that the Prince now promoted and appointed military leaders and boyars and the nobles were now forced to cede troops to the standing army of the republic. With the annexation of land and estates from those boyars that had took part of the rebel in 1240, Alexander used those lands to grant them for service gentry to a able leaders and servicemens.

Alexander reigns as a Prince of Novgorod until his death in 1263. Despite the tittle not beign heritable, his son Vasili succees the tittle with the backing of the boyars. During Vasilis reign the power of the Prince is further consolitated and a new law is issued that the elected prince must come from the noble families inside the Novgorod realm. Troughout the 14th and 15th century, Novgorod emerged from merchant republic into into de facto monarcial state.

1.3.2 Rise of Muscovy and the separation of the two eastern slavic realms:

With improved military strenght Novgorod managed to emphasis its influence among the eastern slavic principalities. With the weakening of the Vladimir-Suzdal in to various smaller princedoms after the Mongol invasion, Novgorod seized the control of Pereslav in 1302 and Ustug in 1328. Meanwhile a new princedom of Muscovy emerged as rivaling slavic power to cede the remains of the former Kievan Rus and with Mongols backing them up, Muscovy annexed the remains of the Vladimir-Suzdal in 1320's.

By the mid 14th century, Novgorod and Muscovy are the two dominating and rivaling Slavic states with complicated vassal-alliance system with the Golden Horde mixing the situation. With the weakening of the Horde troughout the end of the century, Muskovy's power increases in the south. First major war between the two were fought over Nizhi-Novgorod 1392 which ended up in Novgorods victory and set the borders between the two principalities which have remained somewhat the same ever since.

Altough Novgorod emerged in the initial part of the rivaly between the two slavic princedoms as winner, it was not able to gain control of Muscovy and the lands agin to it first due the Horde's backing up their nominal vassal and later on with Muscovy grewing too powerfull themselves as the Horde declined. A war between Novgorod and Muscovy was fought in 1471 ultimately over control of Tver and that war also ended into Novgorodian victory. Treaty of Yazhelbitsy wich followed the fight not only did set the fate of Tver, but it also made Muscovy to renounce all ther claims to the prince title of Novgorod. Tver was annexed by Novgorod in 1485.

1.3.3 Expansion into the east:
With the downfall of the Golden Horde, several smaller mongol Khanates emerged to the east for which eventually were annexed by Novgorod and Muscovy. With the partitioning of Kazan
Khanate in 1552, the route to the Southern Ural mountains were now open. There had been exlporers into the vast eastern lands from Novgorod in the past and the northern parts of the Urals were already under the Novgorod rule. With the colonisation of these lands brought Novgorod into the proximity of Sibir Khanate. With the lead of Yermak Timofeyevich, Novgorodians started an invasion into the Sibir Khanate lands in 1581. During his voyages, Yermak and his troops mapped out the waterways of the Western Siperia. Altough Yermak was killed in 1584 and the initial incursion rebeled by the Sibir Khanate, Novgorod managed to defeat the Sibir Khanate by the end of the 16th century.

During the 17th century, more and more explores entered into the vast east, now known as Siperia. Cossack explorers such as Poyarkov and Khabarov reached all the way into the Amur River and shores of Pacific Ocean. Novgorodians set up series of forts along the newly searched areas and many of these forts eventually expanded into cities as more and more settlers started to move into Siperia. The new land lured landless people from the western parts of Novgorod as well as hunters, fur-traders and such. Also a notable portion of the new settlers came from Russian (former Muscovy) lands expspecially during the times of trouples.

After the defeat of the Sibir Khanate, Novgorodians faced little resitance from the native people living in the area. These were mostly sparsely lived nomands which were unable to the resist the often rather brutal Novgorodian explorers. However once Novgorodians reached the shores of River Amur, tension rose with the Empire of Ming in China. [In this AU TL, there is no Qing dynasty nor Manchu rule in China.] After several skirhmishes, Novgorodians gained decisive victory over the Ming troops in 1689 in the battle of Achansk and in the following treaty of Nerchinsk the border between Ming and Novgorod was settled. The whole Amur river basin with its fertile land and all land above it were now part of Novgorod.

1.3.4 Time of Troubles:

Novgorodian southern neighbour Muscovy had centralized into Tsardom of Russia during the reign of Ivan IV in 1547. However with the decline of the Russian dynasty orginating from the Rurik dynasty of Kievan Rus days in 1600-5 the country fell into chaotical civil war called times of troubles which involved its neighbouring countries including Novgorod. One of the roots to the time of troubles was withspreading famine in northern europe during 1601-03.

As the Rurikovich dynasty was without a legimate follower after the death of Tsar Feodor, many of the Novgorodian noble families started to rival over the throne of Moscow as well which led neighbouring Poland and Sweden deeply worried of possible unification of the two slavic realms. Both countries also had their own pretenders to support to the throne of the Tsar and Poland attacked into Russia ceding Smolensk and reaching eventually into Moscow in 1610. Novgorod fought against the poles but lost the war. Sweden exploited the weakness of the war weary Novgorod and attacked in the same year which started the Ingrian wars raging until 1617. The war was devastating to Novgorod as it lose the shores of Baltic sea and free and easy access to the sea.

After the peace with Sweden, little comfort for Novgorod came from conquest of Smolensk in 1618 from Poles, which had occupied it from Russia few years before. Russia was still weak despite a new Tsar emerging from the Romanov family in 1617 and Novgorod used the temporare weakness of war-weary Poland in order to cede the town over which Novgorod and Muscovy had rivaled in the previous centuries. It was also ment that Poland had more difficoult to attack Russia and Novgorod thus wanted to prevent Moscow to fall into the hands of the poles.

1.3.5 Petr Veliky and Novgorod Empire:
In 1696 Peter I was elected as a new Grand Prince of Novgorod. Peter was determined of restoring the Novgorodian access into the Baltic sea and transforming Novgorod into martime power.

Peter made his move against Sweden in 1700 when he attacked together with Russia, Denmark and Polish-Lithuania commonwealth. Thus begun the Great Northern War. Initially Sweden was victorious and defeated Peter's troops at the battle of Narva in 1702. Sweden however instead of invading Novgorod focused on fighting against the Polish-Lithuania and this gave Peter the opportunity to cede Ingria and access to the Batic Sea. Sweden continued fighting in Poland and after Polish defeat focused again against Novgorod in 1708. However the strong Novgorodian resistance in the Baltic area made Sweden concentrate their forces against Russia and trying to recapture the Ukrainian provinces. This allowed Peter to attack Swedish army from the behind and decicive battle was fought in Poltava ending complete disaster to the Swedish army.

After Poltava Novgorod continued to occupy Swedish territory as it refused to yield. Novgorod advanced into Finland in 1713 and crushed the swedish fleet in the battle of Gangut in 1714. Eventualy a peace was signed in 1721 with Novgorod gaining Ingria and part of Karelia as well as Estonia and Latvia. Peter I had emerged as victorious and the success in the war paved the route for Peters reforms which had definite effects on Novgorod.

Peter I was a stern leader and consolidated his power over the Veche and the Orthodox church. Together his dream of reclaming the access to the sea, he also had a plan to build a new capital to the shores of the Baltic sea. He chosed the spot at the head of the Neva River in the end of the Gulf of Finland. Building of the new city started as early as 1703, at time when the area was altough occupied by Novgorodians still Swedish sovreign territory.

After the Great northern War Peter I claimed himself as the Emperor of Novgorod to the great dissters of the Veche. Peter used the Veche's refusal to move from the city of Novgorod into the new capital Saint Petersburg as an excuse to abolish it in 1723, ending formaly the remains of the Novgorodian merchat republic. After Peters death in 1725, the Veche was reformed but its powers greatly reduced. Peter I was posthumously tittled as Petr Velikiy or Peter the Great.

1.3.6 Dekambrist revolution and Constitutional Monarchy:

At the end of the 18th century Novgorod had succesfully expanded into west to Belarus and remains of the eastern Baltic shores after partitionings of Poland together with Russia, Prussia and Austria. In 1809 Novgorod gained Finland from Sweden while rest of the Europe was in turmoil over the Napoleonic wars. In 1812 Napoleon launched his attack on Russia while Novgorod remained neutral at the begining. Altough French troops reached into Moscow, Russia didn't capitulate and the over-extented french army was forced to retreat. Novgorod under Emperor Aleksander I, joined the coalition against Napoleon and started to chase the retreating French army all the way to Europe. In the aftermath, Novgorod gained remains of Poland core lands.

When Aleksander I died in 1825, his successor was to be his brother Konstantine but initially his younger brother Nikolai claimed the throne as Konstantine refused the throne. This sparked a rebelion among the enlightened group of young officers and nobles which were empraised the ideas of the French revolution. The group was called Dekambrists after the rebel which took place in December 1825. Nikolas was inprisoned and forced to lay of the crown. The group persuaded Konstantine, known for his liberal stands to assume the throne as a constitutional monarch.

New constitution was written and made official in 1827 and the Veche was reformed as a bicameral parliament. Emperor still held significant executive powers.

1.3.7 Industrialization and the ”Eastern Call”:

After the Dekambrist revolution, the industrialisation begun in full steam in Novgorod. Not only did the factories started to grown in the older cities in the west, but also around the new areas in the Ural mountains and beyond were the vast resources of minerals and ore laid. As the old means of trasportation became inadequate, a network of new railways were build starting from 1837. These railways originally were merely seperate connections between cities but a plan for railroad network from Saint Petersburg to the shores of the Pacific was started.

During 19th century the imigration into Siperia grew rapidly. This was augumented by the population growth thanks to the industrial revolution which made the living standards and conditions better. The vast lands of the Siperia lured new settlers as the old cities grew too tight and crowded. Settlement of the east was engouraged by the Government and the expanding railroad network allowed people to move to the remote areas faster than before.

Siperia lured people not only from Novgorod but from other parts of Europe as well and it was the seccond largest imigration destination after American continent. Largest single event that boosted the population stream was the emancipation of Russian serfs in 1861 to wich many moved into the new ”promised land”.

Novgorod had reached the opposite shores of Pacific Ocean in the previous century and established tradeposts as far as in Indonesian ilands and in the chinese coast. By the mid 19th Century Novgorod hold several colonial posts in Alaska, California and Hawajian lands. These colonies were however becun to decline as the competition against United States and British Northern America was increased and the remotenes of these colonies from Novgorod prevented adequate support towards them. Novgorodian expansionism and control over the Northern Pacific Ocean together with its close ties to Russians put it into conflict against Great Britain, another major colonial power in the East which feared that Novgorodians would be entering their sphere's of influences.

This conflict sparked into flames in 1853 when Great Britan and France allied with the Ottomans against Russia and Novgorod and the following Crimean war put halt on the Russian expansion into Balkans. Novgorod fought against the British in Baltic and in the Pacific shores but were unable to help Russians who were forced to peace in 1856. Despite British plans to destroy Novgorodian naval precense in the Pacific failed, the superiority of of the Anglo-French forces forced Novgorod to eventually yield together with Russia. Novgorod was forced to cede its colonial possessions in American continent. However Novgorod sold the lands to United States instead to Great Britan and by this strenghtened the ties between them against British domination. In Indonesia, Novgorod was forced to cede all its tradeports but one to the Dutch East Indian company.

In the continent Novgorod had slowly begun to colonizate Manchuria during the 18th century and in 1860 in the Treaty of Beijing China was forced to recognize Novgorodian rule over whole Manchuria aside the Liaoning Penisula in the south. With the steady expansion of the railroad network in Novgorod ever since the first railroad St.Petersburg-Novgord Velikiy build 1837 plans were to build a trans-siperian railroad wich would connect the fareast areas into the mainlands. Altough the plan of cohesive railway all the way from Yaroslav to Vladivostok emerged from the begining, the building of the railway started as seperate projects connecting the various siperian cities. First conncetion was the Nizhi-Novgorod -Perm build in 1851-58. Eventually the Trans-siperian railway was administrated as a whole and the railroad reached Vladivostok trough Manchuria in 1881.

As the fareast areas begun to developt, Novgorod soon assumed its colonial interss in the Pacific area packed by the latest technolocial achivements such as steam powered ships. In 1855 Novgorod persuaded Japan to open its markets for trade and in 1863 Novgorodian ships visited Californian ports to give support to the United States government in their fight against the Confederates in the American civil war.

Revanche for the humiliation of the Crimean war became in 1877-78 when Russia again backed up by Novgorod attacked against the Ottomans and its allies. Altough the main fighting took place in Europe, Novgorodians with new expanded naval forces fought of the Dutch in Indonesia and landed on Sumatra. With unified Germany supporting Novgorod and Russia, France and Britan were reluctant to involve in the war. The treaty of Pennang gave Sumatra into Novgorod sphere of influence and ilands east of Java into the Netherlands SOI. Novgorod begun to colonize Sumatra but parts of the iland were still refusing Novgorodian rule in the turn of the century.

1.3.8 War against Japan 1904-5:

After 1854 Japan was forced to open its doors to western traders and influences and by the end of the century it had gone trough rapid modernisation and became rivaling power in the Pacific region over the colonial spoils of Korea and China. Meanwhile Novgorod was keen to obtain warm-water port in Pacific to have better naval access and support means to its oversea colony in Sumatra. Korea and the Liaoning Penisula in southern Mancuria were the most obvious targets but Japan had eyed these lands as well.

In 1895 Japan fought the First sino-japanese war against China over the control of Korea to which ended in complete Japanese victory. Japan occupied Korea as well as Liaoning Penisula but was forced to withdraw from the later due pressure from Novgorod, Germany and France. The events of the war caused some worry in Novgorod over the rising power of Japan and Novgorod decided to make their move. As Novgorod wanted to avoid open conflict with Japan at this point, only option for warm-water port was the Liaoning Penisula. Novgorod made a leasing agreement of Port Artur, a natural port in the peninsula with chinese government. In 1897 the Pacific Fleet arrived the port and Novgordians begun inmidatly fortify the area.

In 1900 a so-called Boxer rebelion broke out in China against the foreign incursions and Novgorod as well as Japan took part on quelling it. Novgorod used the rebelion as an excuse to invade the whole Liaoning Penisula and annexed it officially in 1903. This further upsetted Japan which started to see a military conflict against Novgorod inevitable. As Novgorod refused to aknowlidge Japanese claims on Korea, Japan started to plan a pre-emptive war against Novgorod.

Japan was confident under the fact that the Anglo-Japan pact from 1902 would bring Great Britan into the war on Japanese side if any other nation would join Novgorod in case of war. Japan attacked in 8 February 1904 without formal declaration of war. The attack took Novgorod completely by suprise as they were convinced that Japan would not dare to attack.

Japan launched its attack with naval units against the Port Artur and the Novgorodian Pacific fleet. The initial attack caused some damage to Novgorodians but japanese were unable to destroy the fleet into the port. However japanese fleet started to blockade the port and eventually tied the Pacific fleet out of any offensive actions. Meanwhile as the searoute was clear, Japanese troops landed in Korea and after occupation of Korean penisula, they started to move towards Manchuria.

Troughout the 1904 Japanese troops advanced along the coast and eventually encircled the Port Artur. Together with the sea blockade the port was completely cut out and the sieging army with land based artillery started pounding the fortifications and the ships of the Pacific fleet in the harbour. Novgorodians made several attepts to break out from the port but were unsuccesfull. From 7 battleships of the Pacific fleet, 5 were sunk in the harbour mostly from land artillery fire.

Novgorodian attempts to relieve the siege from land also proved unsuccesfull and japanese troops had the intiative. Novgorodians faced cruisal defeat in the Battle of Yalu river in May 1904. This was followed by the battle of Mukden in February 1905 which nearly anhilated the Novgorodian army in Manchuria. The catasthropical events in the war sparked an uprising in Saint Petersburg and other major citites in early 1905 which was crushed in harsh manners.

Ever since it became obvious that the Pacific fleet was unable to break out the siege and blockade of Port Artur, Novgorod decided to send the main bulk of the Baltic fleet into Pacific. The Seccond Pacific squardon as the fleet was now called took of in October 1904 under the command of Admiral Rozhestvensky. Becouse of British refusal of using the Suez canal, it had to cross the Cape of Good Hope and go around Africa to reach the Pacific ocean. Also a large reinforce army was munstered from the western part of the realm and sended via railroads to Manchuria.

The Seccond Pacific squardon entered Sumatra in March 1905 where it remained for overhouling and repairs little over a month after the long and strainfull voyage. While Port Artur still stood stubbornly refusing to surrender, the Pacific fleet was put out of action and only small japanese attachment remained blockading it. Japanese main battlefleet was stationed in Korea as Japan expected the Seccond Pacific squardon to pass trough Tsushima strait to reach Vladivostok instead of going to Port Artur.

Rozhestvensky's plan was however not sail into Vladivostok but to lure out the japanese fleet into action and use the numerical superiority to gain as much damage to japanese fleet. Japan had 4 battleships against 6 of the Novgorodians in the Seccond Pacific squardon. Knowing that japanese war effort relyed mostly on the supplies and troops sended from mainland Japan into Korea, gaining superiority in the seas would made japanese unable to continue the war.

Rozhestvensky sended a decoy fleet of auxiliaries to lure the japanese out from the port. The plan worked when japanese cruiser spotted Novgorodian hospital ship which falsely indicated the japanese thinking them beign another Novgorodian ship and informing that there were other Novgorodian ships near by. This worked as the Japanese main fleet sailed to the sea.

The two fleets engaged each others in afternoon 27 May 1905. Admiral Togo, leading the Japanese Combined Fleet tried to perform the “crossing T” manuvre which had worked well against the Pacific fleet in the Battle of Yellow sea earlier in the war. However Rozhestvensky battlefleet was faster than the older battleships of the Pacific fleet and managed outmanuvre the Togo's trap. Japanese ships were now facing themselves head on against the Novgorodian battleline. With suprisingly concentrated and accurate gunnery, Novgorodian shells spear havoc in the Japanese flagship Mikasa and its forced to fall away from the japanese battleline facing forward the Novgorodians. As the japanese can only awnser with their forward guns agains the full broadside of the Novgorodian line, one by one the japanese battleships are mauled and eventually sunk.

The remaining japanese ships are dispersed and some fleeing back to Masambo port in Korea while some attempts to reach the mainland islands. Novgorodian ships conducts attacks trough out the day and night against the dispersed japanese units.

Without a fleet Japan have no other option than to ask peace terms. Meditaded by US President Theodore Roosevelt, Japan was forced to rather lenienth peace. Japan had to renounce its claims on controling Korea and respect its sovreignity but was not forced to pay indemnities as Britan and US didn't want to cripple Japan too much in favour of Novgorod gaining total control of the Pacific.

In Novgorod the catastrophical war was turned into victory overnight and hindered the apparent weaknesses of the military. As the war was won, the critical analyze of the shortcomings were minimal and this had huge effect on Novgorodian performance in the First world war. The imperial regime saved its face among the nobles in Novgorod and among foreign powers. However the huge strain that the war had put on the population together with the harhs actions to supress the january 1905 uprisings made the monarchy more and more unpopular among the masses.

The battle of Tsushima created overhelming prestige for the navy which consolitaded its power against army inside the empire's military circles. The triumphical navy have ever since been a national symbol of power which have remained apparent into modern days.

1.3.9 World War 1:

Orgins of the First world war were in the unification of Germany and Russian expansion into the Balkans while the Ottoman empire fell. Russia had forced Ottoman Empire to release Romania and Bulgaria as a vassal states in 1878 of which it annexed in 1893 and 1902. As Germany had risen into leading power in Europe, France and Great Britain were no longer able to resist Russian ambitions on Ottoman's behalf. However with Russia entering into the Balkans, it soon was in conflict with Austro-Hungarian empire as their sphere of interes collided. This drove Germany, allied to Austro-Hungary away from Russia and the power-blocks of Central Powers (initially Germany, Austro-Hungary and Italy) and Entente (UK, France, Novgorod and Russia) were formed.
The diplomatic tensions was fueled by extensive armsrace and military build-up and the war was seen unavoidable.

In June 28 1914 serbian nationalist shot the crown-prince of Austria-Hungary in Sarajevo which sparked a diplomatic crisis between the two power-blocks. As Austria-Hungary accused Serbia of the incidence, it provoked a casus belli against Serbia by giving it an ultimatum which was impossible for Serbia to accept. Austria-Hungary decleared war to which Russia awnsered and one by one the eurpean powers were pulled to the war due complicated alliance system.

Novgorod was ill-prepeared for the war. It's military build up was mainly focused on naval rivalry against Germany and Japan and the shorcomings of the Japanese war decade earlier were not fully adressed. These became painfully evident in the first months of the war when after initial success, Novgorodian army was crushed in the battle of Tanneberg. Novgorod managed to halt the german counter offensive to Poland in which the frontline remained until mid 1915 after which Germans drove Novgorod out of Poland and the frontline going trough the Riga-Baranovich line. The frontline stagnated into trenchwarfare as it did in the western front.

In the south, Russia was initially succesfull against Austria-Hungary and managed to invade Galicia in 1914. However the Ottoman Empire joining the war forces Russia to fight on two new fronts, Soutehrn balkans and the Caucasus and is driven out of Bulgaria by 1915. Central powers joint effort drives Russia out of Romania in 1916 but Russian counter-offensive is succesfull in Galicia.

It was however the internal issues in both Novgorod and Russia that ceded the fate of the war. The war had devastating effects on both nations. In Novgorod the ill-prepaired and poor performance of the army soon changed the popular athmosphere from pro-war nationalism into tired anti-war dispear. Germany occupying most of the fertile agricultural areas of western Novgorod soon resulted in food shortages. The Imperial regime, which had transformed more and more autocratian ever since the 1905 uprisings awnsered demostrating people and striking workers with hars and violent supression.

Situation in Russia was not much different and in 10 March 1917 series of revolts and demostrations spread in Moscow and other Russian cities and in just few days the Tsar Nikolai II abdicated the throne and Russian monarchy was ended. The intermediate government of the new Republic of Russia however remained in the war at the side of the Entente.

1917 went on relatively stable but the ever increasing anti-war setiment in Novgorod and the weakening of the morale and fighting spirit made any offensive actions ineffective. Germany begun to exploid the weakening internal situation in autumn 1917 by launching an operation to take over the Estonian archipelago. In the following battle of Moon Sound, German and Novgorodian fleets finaly encountered each others. Altough loosing only 1 battlecruiser and one old battleship, the Baltic fleet was however forced to withdraw and Germany occupied the ilands. It had now open road to attack behind the frontline and St. Petersburg was now facing perill.

1.3.10 Road to the Revolution:

By the end of the 19th century the civil liberties and constitutionalism was comning to an end. Emperor Pavel IV who succeed the throne from Konstantin I in 1849 had far more reactional views towards the ideas of the Dekambrist revolution. During his reign, the power of the Veche was again reduced slowly and by the time of his death in 1902, the Emperor was once again fully autocratic ruler and Veche merely a de jure politcal institution. As stout orthodoxian, the power and influence of the church was also increased druing Pavel IV reign.

Pavel IV was followed by Michael I who had spend his early youth in Manchuria and was deeply devoted to Novgorod's colonial ventures in the Pacific. Soon after his coronation the war broke out against Japan and the war was going badly for the Novgorod. Michael I was inexperienced ruler and the war took him offguard. He had continued the harsh autocratic policies of his father but lacked the cunningness and experience of Pavel IV to keep the various factions of Novgorod society in check. Together with the displeasement for the ongoing war and to the autocratic rule of the Emperor, series of strikes and demostrations spread agross the nation in january 1905. These were crushed ruthlesly and the wave of counter-revolutionary meassures swept the whole country. With the war ending in suprise victory, the situation relieved as the nobles and other upper class was again seeing the young Emperor in favour.

The rapid industrialization of the nation troughout the 19th century had created a whole new society class, the working class. As the population growth brought more and more people into the fast growing citites, more and more dissent to the living and working conditions rose. In the late 19th century radical new ideas spread among the working class and the Marxist Social democratic party was formed in 1898. The sosialistic movement was however working underground as it was imidiately banned after its formation. The party had splitted into two factions in 1903, to Bolsheviks and Mensheviks (majority and minority) formally due dispute of a party member definition but the two factions begun share different obinion of the very princibles of achiving their coals. Bolsheviks who were led by Vladimir Lenin sought a direct revolution of the working class to bring the country into sosialism where as the mensheviks rallied for co-operative bourgerous revolution together with other anti-authoritan parties and factions.

By the time of Russian revolution in February 1917, the political situation in Novgorod begun to detoriate. Large scale demostrations broke out and many major factories were inoperable due strikes among the working class. The initial awnser from the Imperial regime was violent supression, as it had done previously but as Emperor Michael became more and more disillusioned about ruling the country and instead focusing more and and more on rahter annoying scale to the work of the military leaders, the weak government promised universal elections for the Veche to be organised in the summer. This pacified the revolting factions to the extent that at least nominal orders was restored in the realm.

However soon after the Russian revolution, a counsil of workers and soldiers were formed in St. Petersburg, known as the Soviet. It was intended to represent the working class of the city (initially) instead the weak and unfunctional Veche. It's nucleous was formed by the Social Democratic Party but it had representatives from various other parties and factions. It power increased troughout the spring and summer and the Government was de facto froced get legimacy to their decisions from the Soviet as well as from the Veche.

Initially the Soviet was ruled by the Menshevik majority but troughout the summer and autumn Bolsheviks became more and more powerfull inside the Soviet and eventually had the majority and in the end full control of it by the dawn of the October 1917.

1.4 Naval development

1.4.1 1880-1905:

The later part of the 19th century saw Novgorodian empire emerge from continental power into colonial superpower with oversea possessions. This had some dramatical impacts on the naval development. Altough naval power had always been the symbol of Novgorodian imperial prestige ever since the days of Petr Velikiy, the development post-Crimean war and the awake of steam era were more of strenghtening the coastal defence forces in the Baltics and in the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

The aqustion of oversea colony of Sumatra in 1881 was the turning point which started the transition towards more ocean going fleet. All ready after the Crimean war, Novgorod was focusing on building a large cruiser fleet which was to be able to harash enemy commercial shippings in the time of crisis. However the expansion in the Pacific region ment that the navy was now facing a role in which it had to be able to reach far beyond the normal operational areas of the coastal fleet and combat enemy capital units. The obvious conclusion was that larger ocean going capital units were required. It was decided that th Baltic Fleet should field the main force of the new capital units and those units were to be able to be sended into the aid the Pacific Fleet if required.

In 1882 a new naval construction program was accepted which called not fewer than 16 ocean going battleships (later reduced to 10) for the Baltic fleet and 5 ”colonial battleships”, similar in concept to those of Peresvet in Russia and Centurion in Great Britain for the Pacific fleet. To accompany the Pacific colonial battleships, total of 12 amoured cruisers were to be build.
As for the design for the new battleships, a radical suggestion camed from young naval officer V.A Stepanovich which concluded that the future naval engagements would be battleships fighting in line against each others and the importance of the big guns would be paramount. Sofar the current trend in abroad and in Novgordod was to focus the heavy fire in the forward section to support the ramming tactics. Stepanovich suggested in 1884 a battleship armed with all-big guns but the idea was considered too radical for the time. However the adoption of main battery in fore and aft was included in the future battleships as well as the squardon action in line of the battle tactics. First of the new battleships were the Imperator Konstantin I class of which 4 were build in two pairs for the Baltic Fleet in 1889-96

Situation the west changed when Novgorod, Russia and France entered into alliance in 1891 mainly focused against the growing threat of Germany. With the conclusion that the future war against Germany would have to be fought alone and that it would be predominally landwar, the naval focus shifted from Baltic into the Pacific. At the same time China had obtained battleships from Germany and Japan was building up its fleet as well. Of the new naval building program, the next 5 battleships were decided to include into the Pacific Fleet making Novgorod the most powerfull naval force in the region. The Panteleymon class was to form the nucleous of the new 1st Pacific Squardon. The ”colonial battleships” were canceled and instead 2 coastal battleships were build to serve in the East Indies.

To supplement the battleship squardon, 4 armoured cruisers were ordered from France to serve in the Pacific and 4 more similar ships were constructed in St. Petersburg. Naval collobration with the French was also evident in the next series of Battleships, the 3 Ioan Zlatoust class build for the Baltic Fleet in 1895-00 which beared heavy french influence in their design.

When Germany introduced its first Naval construction law in 1898, Novgorod was now facing two growing navies in both Europe and in the Far East. Altough new construction of 3+3 battleships were approved for the Baltics, it was evident that Novgorod was not able to sustain two fleets both in size of their opponent. This led into a dilemma for the Novgorod naval planners of how to counter the thread from both sides of the vast country. In the Baltic lied the capital and major industrial centre of Saint Petersburg but if considerable extent of the fleet is stationed there it could be easily trapped by blocking the Danish straights and prevent reinforcements for the Pacific. Thus a new shift in the fleet composition was made in favour of the Pacific fleet. It was decided that Novgorod should had at least the ammount of battleships equal to China and Japan (The first beign severly reduced after the first sino-japanese war in 1895) in the Pacific region.

To compensate the propable numeriorical superiority of German fleet in the Baltic, a new concept of ”Baltic Mine-artillery position” in the entrance of Gulf of Finland was introduced. This called heavy emphasis on the naval minefields which would block the entrance into the Gulf of Finland and thus prevent enemy units to near Saint Petersburg. Main defenceline would be around the Gogland Island. The existing surface units together with coastal artillery would prevent the enemy from conducting minesweeping operations. This strategy would remaind the ”back-up naval plan” in the Baltic from there onwards to these days even tough the more offensive naval strategies would be prevailing.

The two fleet dilemma came into test the when the tension in the Far East broke out as a war when Japanese attacked Novgorod in 1904. The Pacific fleet was surrounded into Port Artur, recently gained warm-water port in Liaoning Peninsula. Altough initially Novgorod had more battleships in its fleet, the japanese suprise attack and the consequent blockade and Siege of Port Arthur crippled the Pacific fleet from 7 battleships down to 1 operational one. Mines became the most effective weapon for both sides, claiming 1 Novgorodian battleship and 2 Japanese in the course of the war. The latter became the cruisal tilt of balance as Japanese were reduced from 6 battleships to 4 in the eve of the Battle of Tsusima.

With the Pacific Fleet dispabled, Novgorod was forced to send its Baltic Fleet to reinfoce the Far East. This was a great gamble as only 2 old battleships were left behind and the remaining 8 battleships and accompanying cruisers and screens were sended around the globe to face the Japanese in the cruisal battle. To fail in the task could lead the destruction of the whole navy and effectively end the colonial aspirations of Novgorod. It would also leave the Baltic Sea defenceless against Germany in future conflicts.

The gambling prooved out to be worth of the risk when the 2nd Pacific Squardon (as the Baltic Fleet detachment was now called) led by Admiral Rozhestvensky crushed the Japanese combined Fleet in the Tsushima straits. With little damage to the the Novgorodians, the japanese fleet was almoust completely destroyed. This forced japanese to ask peace and the war ended.

1.4.2 Lessons of the war:

Where as the failure and shortcommings of the general war managment and performance of the army were not fully adressed in the light of the sudden victory after Tsusima, in the naval circless the lessons of the war were however studied troughoutly. The early defeats showed some cruisal defects on the Novgorodian ship designs. One major issue was the longitudinal centerline bulkhead which caused in the event of ship taking water assymetrical flooding which easily led into the ships capzising.

As for the tactical performance, the importance of speed became paramount. Had the Pacific fleet had even 1 knot faster speed, they would most likely been able to escape into Vladivostok after the battle of Yellow sea instead of beign forced to return into Port Artur. Also the decicion to detach the two old battlehsips with speed of only 14 knots from the 2nd Pacific Squardon before the Tsushima enabled Rozhestvensky to use the speed of his new faster battleships in his advantage and out-manuvre the japanese fleet.

Another important relevation was the engagement ranges. In the early parts of the war in Battle of Port Artur and in the Battle of Yellow sea as well as in the Battle of Tsushima both Novgorodians and Japanese fleets started fire from distances which were far greater than anticipated in pre-war naval planning. This made the seccondary guns of the battleships essentially useless as they were often too short-ranged to been able to use in the battle.

In terms of armor protection, Novgorodian ships had almoust none of their main belts penetrated even in those ships that were sunked by japanese gun-fire. Instead the heaviest damage game from HE shells with non-delay fuses which frecked the unamoured hull platings and shred splinters widely to cause even further damage. Similar results were withnessed in japanese ships as well. This led to a conclusion in Novgorod that the extesive coverage of the armor was more cruisal than the thickness.

These conclusions and observations from the war were considered in the so-called Birilev Committee, named after Naval minister Birilev held in Autum 1905 which were to set a new design paraments to new shipbuilding program. The biggest emphasis was on the speed, which had effect on all warship types, not only the ships of the Battleline. It was decided that all new capital units to be laid down from 1906 onwards to be fitted with steam turbines, a new method of propulsion which gave considerable edge over the older tripple-expansion steam engines. Another new feature was uniforming the armament in favour of long-range engagements. In effect it ment that battleships and armoured cruisers would feature “all-big gun” armament with deletion of the medium range artillery. To accompany the new armament trend, the armor concept was also changed. To make best compormise of extensive coverage of armor against HE shells and thickness against armor-piercing shells, a multilayered armor was adopted.

Classification of the capital units were also changed. Battleships which were previously called 'Eskadrennyy bronenosets' or squardon armourclads were now reclassified as 'lineynyy korabl' or Ship of the Line. Armored cruiser were reclassified as 'lineynyy kreyser' or Cruiser of the Line (Battlecruiser). It was however the Royal Navy that first introduced the ships of the new type intended by the Birilev committee. HMS Dreadnought became the first “all-big gun” and turbine powered battleship, commissioned in 1906 and HMS Invincible, the first battlecruiser commissioned in 1908.

1.4.4 Naval development before 1917:

With the introduction of HMS Dreadnought and the lessons of the Novgorod-Japanese war started new armsrace when all the old battleships were now considered obsolete. It was tied to the on going international tension between the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy) and Entente powers of Great Britan, France, Russia and Novgorod. The so-called dreadnought naval race was mainly focused between Great Britan, Germany and Novgorod.

The first Novgorodian 'all-big gun' battleship was Vladimir Svyatoslavich introduced in 1909 which was followed 3 somewhat similar ships, Rostislav, Retvizan and Rurik. They were all armed with 10 305mm guns tough Svyatoslavich featured earlier 45 caliber weapons against the 52 caliber of the others. Germany awnsered with Nassau and Helgoland classess and Novgorodian shipbuilding capacity was struggling to keep the pace with Germany and Great Britan. Japan was also rearming with the help of the British in the Far East. To awnser japanese 2 new dreadnought-type ships, 2 battleships of the Slava class were build for the Pacific Fleet.

Studies for the future tactics and strategies of the battleships were conducted together with the building of the new type of ships. Those studies came into conclusion that a smaller number of ships with more guns would be more optimal composition of the battlesquardon than more ships with less ammount of guns. Fewer ships could manuvre more effectively and consentrare their fire against the enemy more accurately. The best combination was toughted to be a 4 ship manuvering brigade with 12 guns each ships. Of those 4 ships, 3 would be in the main operational role and the 4th ship in reserve. To accompany the battleline, there was to be a so called Fast Brigade of battlecruisers moving at the front of the battleline and using its superiorical speed to gain advantage.

In 1908 it was planned that the Baltic fleet should have 2 squardon of battleships with 2 brigade each making total of 16 battleships before 1920. Pacific fleet would feature 1 squardon. All squardons would have one fast brigade of battlecruisers joining the battleships.

For this new construction plan, total of 4 battlecruisers were laid down, 2 Sankt Petersburg class in the Baltics and 2 Boyarin class in the Far East. These were accompanied by 4 Gangut class battleships with 12 305mm guns laid down in St.Petersburg in 1909. The huge building program had however put heavy financial restrains on the economy and planned 2 additional battleships for the Pacific were canceled. However the international situation became more flamable with the conflict in the Balkans escalating after Austro-Hungarian annexation of Bosnia in 1909. This allowed more money for military build up and the naval construction plan was updated in 1911.

With Great Britan moving from 305mm main caliber into 343mm and Germany from 280mm into 305mm, the next series of Capital ships in Novgorod were to have updated weaponry as well. 356mm/52 was adopted as the new caliber altough it was judged that the earlier Novgorodian 305mm/52 guns, with 12 fitted per ship would be more than adequate against the increased calibers abroad. The concept of the battlefleet was also revisited. It was tought that the rather poor armor protection of the first battlecruisers would be inadequate in fighting along the battleline and thus the new planned battlecruisers were to have greatly enchanged protection.

In Baltic the number of battleships commisioned or being build were deemed sufficient and the priority was given to the new battlecruisers. These were the Navarin class which were de facto more of transition between battlecruisers and fast battleships. 2 were laid down in 1912 and they were armed with 12 356mm guns. In the Far East Japan was planning to build new powerfull battleships of the Fuso class and to awnser those, 4 new battleships were ordered to be build in Dalny. These became the Tsusima class with similar armament as in the Navarin class but with slower speed and increased armor. 2 improved Navarin class were ordered just prior the war to supplement the Pacific fleet.

At the eve of the First world war, Novgorod had 8 Dreadnought type battleships in the Baltic fleet and 2 in the Pacific with 4 more building. Each fleet had 2 battlecruisers and 2 more were being build for each. To accompany the capital units, Novgorod had build several new turbine powered cruisers and destroyers and had introduced a submarines for the active operational units of the fleet. The mine-artillery position was for the most part complete. The heavy shipbulding program had put enormous strain on the economy of the state and had consumed vast ammount of money and resources.

1.4.5 Novgorod Navy in the First world war:

When the First World War broke out in 1914 Novgorod hoped that the German navy would be tied to North Sea to be ready to engage the Royal Navy in the decisive battle that was anticipated. This would allow the Baltic Fleet to dominate the Baltic sea and support the offensive of the army. However the initial offensive was stopped by the Germany and after the Battle of Tanneberg, Novgorod was forced into defensive position. The bold naval manuvrerings of the early days in the war were put on rest after the loss of Armored cruiser Poyarkov in october 1914 to a German U-boat. After that the main units of the fleet remained mostly in the defensive positions both in Gulf of Finland and in Gulf of Riga.

In July 1915 Germany tried to push trough Riga where the frontline laid. To support the army's manuvre, the German fleet was sended to break in to the Gulf of Riga and destroy the stationing Novgorodian units. Baltic Fleet had it's reserve squardon stationed in the Gulf of Riga which comprised 4 Pre-dreadnought battleships, veterans of the Tsusima battle decade earlier. Germany sended 4 battleships and 3 battlecruisers to support the minesweeping operation. This was to be the First Battle of Gulf of Riga. Altough against superior units, the old Novgorodian battleships managed to keep the German's away from the entrance to the Gulf and prevented the minesweeping operation to succeed. With the Baltic Fleet's 1st Squardon moving from Gulf Of Finland to the meet the German battleships in the open sea, Germans withdrew and the Gulf of Riga remained in Novgorod dominance.

Troughout the remains of the navigable periods of 1915-1916 Both sides tried to lure the enemy into battle but no major engagements were made. Germans were annoyed by the precense of the Reserve squardon in the Gulf of Riga which gave considerable boost to the Novgorodian defenders.
Meanwhile as the main fleet units were lying idle in the port or in the defensive positions for the most part of the war, dicipline and morale started to detoriate in the Baltic Fleet. The war was not going as planned and the dissent grew among the population and revolutionary ideas spread to the fleet as well. There were several smaller mutinies onboard the ships but these were either crushed or resolved peacefully.

After the Outbreak of the war, the naval construction was halted as the shipyards were overloaded by repairs and maintenance of the existing ships. New construction was prioritised into three groups:

Group 1: Top priority. Ships that were in the most advanced state of construction where in this group, including the Battlecruisers Navarin and Chesma and 4 of the Brilliant class light cruisers. Also some new construction, laid down during the war (mostly light forces) were in this cathegory which was considered urgent for the war demand.

Group 2: Those ships in early state of construction. Work on these ships were reduced and limited which prolonged the building process. The battleships of the Tsusima class and other units building for the Pacific Fleet were in this cathegory as Japan had entered the war on same side as Novgorod.

Group 3: This ships which work had just been started. All work on these ships were suspended and it was planned that work was to resume after the war.

As the Baltic Sea was too dangerous for convoys, the other Etente powers started to send military aid and supplies to Novgorod and Russia via the northern shores to Arkhangelsk and to newly formed town in Murmansk on the Kola Peninsula. In order to protect these convoys from german naval forces, Novgorod established Artic Sea Flotilla, third independent naval organisation in 1916. Its HQ was in Arkhangelsk. It was later transformed into Northern Fleet. Several older ships from the Pacific fleet were transfered to the new flotilla.

In 1917 the ultimate standoff between the Baltic Fleet and the German Hochseeflotte finaly took place. In Autum 1917 Germany launched major offensive in the Eastern Front to exploid the internal confusion and anti-war tendensies of Novgorod and Russia. They launched another attack on the Gulf of Riga in order to gain control of the West Estonian Archipelago which would allow Germans to cut behind the frontline. The offensive was succesfull and German troops took over the Islands of Osel, Dago and Moon effectively trapping the Reserve fleet into the Gulf of Riga.

Novgorod decided to free the trapped fleet and sended the 1st squardon to support the breakout of the reserve squardon. Germany had however anticipated this and had a battleline of 10 battleships ready agains the Baltic fleet. A naval battle broke out in 4th October when the two battlelines engaged each others. Altough both sides took hits, only the ill-fated battlecruiser Sankt-Petersburg was sunk as it outmanuvered itself from the battleline just to be caught by consentrated fire from german battleships. The other battlecruiser Novgorod took some damage as well but was able to break out the battle. The main battleship squardon also disengaged as it was getting into unfavourable position in the battle. However the main bulk of the reserve fleet managed to escape from the Gulf of Riga, only the old battleship Grigoriy Bogoslov was scuttled at the Moon sound to block it.

Even if the anticipated battle with the germans had improved the morale and dicipline in the fleet prior the Battle of Moon Sound, the failure of gaining success shreded the last remains of alliagance for the Emperors wareffort among the sailors. The loss of the Battlecruiser with all its men was tremendeous blow and was used as an propaganda use for the revolutionarist. They argued that the battle-hungry officers wanting to gain their own “Tsusima success” bluntly sacrifised the lives of the sailors for their own glory and prestige. The fleet was suffering its share on the food shortage and in the night of 15th October 1917, a naval rebelion broke out in the Baltic Fleet stationed in Helsinki. The revolutionarist quickly assumed control over the major ships and all reactionary officers were executed or expelled from the ships. A Red flag was hoisted in Battleship Gangut, flagship of the Baltic fleet and the new “Red fleet of workers and peasants” were created including most of the 1st and reseve squardon of the Baltic fleet. The naval rebel launched series of supporting demostrations in Khronstad and in St.Petersburg and eventually spread into full scale revolution in 17th October ending the Imperial Regime in Novgorod.

1.5 Naval Shipyards in Novgorod prior 1917:

The shipbuilding industry had mainly centered around St.Petersburg and Dalny. Ownership of those yards varied, only few were actually owned by the state. Several yards had considerable foreign participation. The overall capacity and productivity was somewhat lower than in other european shipyards due lower state of new techological innovations adopted in Novgorod. This was shown in the construction periods of which at least with larger ships was lacking behind other major shipbuilders. The major shipyards are listed bellow:

1.5.1 Baltic Shipyards:

Admiralty Shipyard, St.Petersburg: Situated in the Galerny Island at the river Neva. Owned by the Franco-Novgorodian consortium. It is one of the largest shipyards in Novgorod, with 5 slipyards with capacity of 240m lenght ships to be build. Most of the battleships and battlecruisers were build here.

Baltic Shipyard, St. Petersburg: Situated in the Vasilevskiy Island in the Neva Estuary and is opposite of the Admiralty shipyard. Owned by the state. It has 4 slips and one large drydock. It also has complete capability to build engines for the ships.

Putilov Shipyard, St.Petersburg: New shipyard formed by the Putilov company that had build ship engines, guns and armour platings. It was working on assosiation with the German firm Blohm & Voss. Build mainly destroyers and cruisers, expansion of the shipyard was underway in 1917.

Mühlgrabenweft, Riga: a Branch of F Schichau shipyard in Germany. Build destoyers and smaller ships.

Franco-Baltic Shipbulding Co, Reval: Owned by the French company Schneider-Creusot and situated in the Zigelskopel bay. It had 3 250m slips and 4 130m slips and two drydocks. The 2 battlecruisers of the Sankt-Petersburg class were build here.

1.5.2 Pacific Shipyards:

Tikhookeanskiy zavod, Dalny: Formed in 1898 as soon as the Liaoning Peninsula was leased to Novgorod. It was completed in its full capacity in 1906. Owned by the state. It has 3 large and 4 smaller slips.

Vostochnaya Verf, Dalny: Owned by the Manchurian shipbulding Co. With technical direction from John Brown & Co Ltd. 2 large slips and 4 smaller ones. It had capacity to build engines for the ships as well.

Dalzavod, Vladivostok: Smaller shipyard for repairs and small ship construction.

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