American Civil War: The Chronology of Conflicts & Deceit
In my last blog on American Civil War we discussed about the American civil war was essentially a fight for financial and banking control between the American Nationalists and the British Free Trade radicals in America. In a continuation of the same we shall discuss about another event in the America was which was a history turner yet relatively less discussed among the public memory as to how it impacted the geo politics & trade decades and probably centuries later. The event was the dispatch of the Russian Navy was Czar Alexander II to New York and San Francisco ports much to aid of the North and Lincoln who was fighting a gruesome battle against the south where the British and French ostensibly neutral yet played a dirty role in a bid to destroy the American Union and its financial system.
During the Civil War, all of the world powers were technically neutral. On 13 May 1861, the day Charles Francis Adams arrived in London as the United States Minister to the Court of St. James, and before official news of the blockade of the coast line of the seceded States had been received in that country, Great Britain issued her formal proclamation enjoining strict neutrality upon her subjects. France, Spain, The Netherlands, Brazil and other maritime nations followed with similar proclamations. This action was not favorably received in the North because it meant the recognition of the Confederate flag on the high seas. In addition, it granted Confederate ships privileges in neutral ports equal to those offered ships of the Federal government.
It was in the interest of some to see the American Union split in two. Independence of the Confederacy would weaken a growing and dangerous commercial competitor. '"King Cotton" could rule again. A divided United States was of interest to others because that would, in their opinion, weaken the effectiveness of the Monroe Doctrine and the prospect of its enforcement. The point of common interest, however, was who was to be the winner in the event of a divided United States. In England, the landed aristocracy had much in common with their counterparts in the Southern states. The working class, however, was sympathetic to the North for its anti-slavery attitude as upholding the cause of free white labor. A divided United States gave Britain a sense of greater security.
France, under Napoleon III, was probably the most persistent European anti-Northern country. Striving for world power and prestige, it was pleased at the prospect of a divided United States. That would be less effective in the enforcement of the Monroe Doctrine, which Napoleon considered as standing in the way of his plans for a French colonial empire. The only important European country which was not openly anti- Northern was Russia. In fact, the attitude of the Russian government was so especially friendly as to be noticeably contrasting with that of other European nations. Russian officers volunteered for and fought in the Northern armies. Colonel John B. Turchin, the "Mad Cossack," was court-martialed after his men helped to sack the Southern city of Athens. The contrast in which Russia, with its absolutism, favored a democratic North, while the monarchical classes throughout Europe favored the South is to be noted.
Russia was certainly no champion of democracy, but it was to her interest in the balance of power to favor a strong and united United States. Then, too, there was the problem common to both the United States and Russia: Lincoln had his seceding States and Alexander II, his rebellious Poles. The Poles were restless because of the political condition which had been imposed on them by the former Czar, Nicholas I. The US State Department followed a course guided by our national interest. Secretary Seward gave courteous refusals to the requests of both France and Great Britain that the United States join in a mediation scheme to help the Poles. In addition, the United States was looking toward the end of the war and telling France to get out of Mexico. It was not a love for the Czar that kept the United States out of the Polish problem, but rather a decision in accord with the prevailing foreign policy.
Russia was deeply appreciative of this attitude. Other nations were not—and the London TIMES wrote, on 15 October 1863: "No American can see anything wrong in a Polish war to which that carried on in Virginia and Tennessee bears so strong a resemblance." The relationship, at this time, between the United States and Russia "two of the most mismated international bedfellows in all recorded history” is hard to explain. The two had a common rival in Great Britain. The autumn of 1862 was a desperate period of the rebellion and a dangerous one from the standpoint of foreign intervention in the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln was fighting the confederacy inn south while Russia was facing prospect of Franco-British offensive towards Poland. While all this was transpiring, one of the most unusual events in diplomatic and naval history occurred. Russia dispatched her Atlantic and Pacific Naval Squadrons to United States ports.
Russian naval fleet arrived in New York and San Francisco respectively in September 1863, at a time when the tide of war had turned in favor of the North at Gettysburg & Vicksburg. The fleets remained in United States waters for about seven months before being ordered to return to their homeland. Russian naval fleet comprised a small squadron in the Pacific, seven ships of various descriptions at Kronstadt, and one frigate in the Mediterranean. These ships could not stand British Navy thus Czar Alexander II dispatched the same to American sea ports in bid to take them out. The Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, had been officially notified of the coming by Minister Stoeckl along with Russian Naval Fleet. He wrote on 23rd September 1863:
“The Department is much gratified to learn that a squadron of Russian war vessels is at present off the harbor of New York, with the intention, it is supposed, of visiting that city. The presence in our waters of a squadron belonging to His Imperial Majesty's navy cannot but be a source of pleasure and happiness to our countrymen.”. Later, Welles wrote in his diary: "In sending them to this country there is something significant. What will be its effect on France and the French policy we shall learn in due time. It may be moderate; it may exasperate. God bless the Russians."
The Russian ships and their crews received a warm welcome from the citizens of the New York city. There was a banquet at the Astor House given for the Russian officers by the merchants and businessmen of the city. A grand ball was held in the Academy of Music on 5 November, with decorations of Russian and American flags and other items indicative of the prevailing friendly relations. As might be expected, the arrival of the Russian ships in New York came as a surprise to the British and French ships in that port and a shock to London. The Russian Ambassador to England, who had not been made aware of this move, expressed his concern to Gortchakov.
San Francisco gave a hearty welcome to the ships' companies. Enthusiasm heightened after the Russians rendered valuable assistance in putting out a big fire in the city within three weeks after their arrival. Popov was so bold as to issue orders to fire on any Confederate ships that attempted to make the port. Rumor had it that Confederate cruisers were in the area and planned an attack on the city. The Russian squadron remained in United States' waters until the late spring of 1864. On 26 April of that year, Gortchakov told Krabbe that the Emperor Czar Alexander II considered it was no longer necessary to keep the fleet in the western Atlantic. It is not too difficult to see why the Russians decided to send the ships to American waters. Certainly they did not want to have them locked in ice-bound ports. There were no ports in Europe from which they would be free to operate against British and French shipping.
On the other hand, there are paralleling circumstances in the relations between Russia and the United States that lead to this decision. Alexander I had freed the serfs. Lincoln was emancipating the slaves. Russia was fighting against Polish insurrection; the United States to put. down rebellion. Both Russia and United States were interested in developing their home industries through protective tariffs; England adhered to free trade. New York and San Francisco were the logical ports on which to base their squadrons to insure freedom of operations in the event this became necessary. The Czar did render a distinct service. The United States, on the other hand, was not too conscious of the contribution it was making to the Russian position and its status in Europe. However US also saved Russian Empire from a Humiliating war in Europe after Crimean War defeat.
President Lincoln was assassinated on 15 April 1865. On 16 April 1866, an attempt was made to assassinate Alexander II. His life was saved when a liberated peasant, Ossip Komissarov, hit the arm of the would be assassin and deflected the bullet just as he pulled the trigger. The United States Minister Clay quickly extended the warm congratulations of his government on the safety of the Czar. The monarch replied: "I trust under Providence that our mutual calamities will strengthen our friendly relations and render them permanent." US Congress passed a resolution authorizing a naval vessel to take a special envoy to Russia to express in person to His Imperial Majesty goodwill. A round of receptions, “banquets and balls were given in honor of the Americans. In Moscow, when Fox saw the Russian and American flags flying side by side.
A few months after Fox returned to the United States, the negotiations for the purchase of Alaska came to a climax. By four in the morning of 30 March, the document was ready and it was duly signed and sealed. Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, rich in timber, fisheries, fur seals, minerals and oils were transferred to the United States at the fabulous price of about two cents an acre. On the afternoon of 18 October 1867, General Rousseau, with American soldiers as an escort, landed and marched to the Governor's palace. They were drawn-up beside the Russian garrison, Captain Alexei Pestchaurof and Prince Maksoutoff represented the Czar. The Russian flag was lowered; the Stars and Stripes raised with salutes from both batteries. Alaska and the Aleutians then became a part of the United States, and President Johnson placed them under the War Department where they remained until 1877.
Thus we know that the Russian Naval fleet at New York and San Francisco flummoxed Aristocratic monarchy in Britain & France helping Lincoln consolidate the American Union while US saved Russia of a war in Europe. The British Oligarchy was seething with rage on this Russian maneuver. Thereafter Lincoln was assassinated, the very next day an attempt on Czar Alexander II was made but was foiled. The British Banking Oligarchs took gradual control over American banking & financial system but Russian Empire was still out of their bounds. The made Russian Empire a target of European Aristocracy, in the Russo Japanese war which is also called the Bankers War they inflicted a humiliating defeat on Russian Empire which crippled it. Then came the Bolshevik Revolution sponsored by the same Wall Street elite. Many Bolsheviks sailed from New York into Europe and onwards into Russia; wherein the Russian Empire was ultimately taken down with Russian royal family of Czar and his family being brutally massacred. The Communist backed Soviet Russia was born.
How the Communist ideology was abetted by Wall Street (British American Oligarchy) in Russia and even China is known facet which we covered in detail in our book #TheNewGlobalOrder (2016) ! United States even since has been under the thumb of this Oligarchy ! While Russia after suffering for decades under Communism and Yeltsin, is seeking to revive its old empirical glory under Vladimir Putin. On the other hand Trumpian GOP is now essentially a revolt against this Oligarchical elite based in New York & run from London.
However as i stated earlier neither of the countries now stand independent enough to foist a global order. America is in deeply indebted to British American oligarchy and its financial system, the Russian are degraded by sanctions & perpetual war in Ukraine. The Chinese on the other hand are equally not ready yet to foist their global order. Their economy is linked at the hip with the American empire. So in sum & substance; the wall street (British American Oligarchy) will hit the reset button. This global order has to wind down, it has now too many suitors. Who better than the Manchurian Candidate ‘TRUMP’ ! Yes wind down American Trade deficits with America First and dethrone US Dollar creating chaos & seeding conflicts across the war.
Always remember Trade Wars leads to Military Wars. The Introduction part of my book #TheGreatReset (2022) covers it. American Civil War was also about trade between USA & Britain. We now stand on the cusp of The Next Great War with conflicts erupting in various theatres. Whether American Nationalists win or British American Oligarchy; the end result will suffering for America & the world as a whole in ensuing conflicts. No geography would be spare no one would be immune this time due to an interconnected world unlike the one in 1945. As the famous dialogue from Oppenheimer goes “Amateurs seek the Sun Get Eaten. Power Stays in the Shadows !”