The Anglo-Russian War of 1900

The Anglo-Russian War of 1900

In this slim pamphlet the tale is told of the invasion of Melbourne by a Russian naval fleet. The invasion begins so subtly that, at first, Melbourne residents welcome the four Russian ships which appear in their bay. For two days people enjoy the opportunity to visit the ships, with ‘the crews being ever ready to be hospitable, and entertaining all comers right royally' (p. 6). So discreet was the invasion that not even the ships’ captain was aware that he was about to be involved in a war. Although he carried sealed despatches, it wasn’t until he received a secret code instructing him to open them - just prior to the under-sea telegraph cable, which linked Australia to the rest of the world, being deliberately severed - that he realised his mission. Within two hours, all four local warships anchored nearby had been destroyed or disabled and the 1700 visitors to the Russian ships had been massacred by their hosts. So swift and surprising was this outbreak of war that most Melburnians went to bed that night suspecting nothing. They woke however, to a completely different scenario the following morning as troops had advanced during the night and taken possession of various strategic locations and killed or imprisoned anyone who opposed them.

Details of some of the atrocities perpetrated by the Russians in order to subdue and control the local population are reasonably graphic, presumably to ensure a significant impact and a wide readership. As with other books of this genre, the underlying intention of The Anglo-Russian War of 1900 appears to have been to tell a cautionary tale about the current state of military funding and strategies in order to encourage change while, at the same time, presenting it in an accessible format that ensured maximum effect.

Basing the story on the premise of Australia being isolated from the rest of the world because of damage to their only link to the inter-continental telegraphic system was a clever ploy by the author, A.H., whose identity remains a mystery. On 29 June 1888, the undersea cable between Java and Darwin had actually been damaged and communications with the rest of the world ceased. For just over two long weeks, until it was repaired, there were real concerns that Australia was about to be invaded. Additionally, in the months before the cable damage, there had been a growing sense of vulnerability and anxiety about the defence capabilities of the various colonies. The damaged cable therefore, initiated various defence strategies and widespread newspaper coverage as the country awaited a possible invasion. A.H.'s story was a clever fictionalisation of a real threat that resonated with the general public.