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Rapa Rapa: Difference between revisions
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As [[Urcea]] began to expand its interests abroad in the 19th century, it inaugurated a period of [[History_of_Urcea_(1798-1902)#Birth_of_a_global_navy|major expansion of]] its [[Royal Navy (Urcea)|Royal Navy]]. These efforts accelerated following the acquisition of a naval base in [[Arona]], giving Urcea westward access across the [[Polynesian Sea]] and [[Ocean of Cathay]] for the first time. As a new naval power in the era of coal-powered steam ships, Urcea was disadvantaged relative to other great powers in its lack of an expansive island colony network, a fact which limited its ability to project power due to a lack of {{wp|Fuelling station|coaling stations}}. Accordingly, the Royal Navy began to seek a new island in the Polynesian Sea to acquire as a forward refueling and logistical center, and after several options were examined Rapa Rapa was chosen, both due to its viable natural harbors as well as legal situation. The island had no Occidental claimant and was nominally owned by the [[Daxia]]n government via its conquest of Truk, but Daxia had no interest in the island. Accordingly, Urcea purchased the island in November [[1861]] and dispatched a force from Arona to subdue the island in late January [[1862]]. | As [[Urcea]] began to expand its interests abroad in the 19th century, it inaugurated a period of [[History_of_Urcea_(1798-1902)#Birth_of_a_global_navy|major expansion of]] its [[Royal Navy (Urcea)|Royal Navy]]. These efforts accelerated following the acquisition of a naval base in [[Arona]], giving Urcea westward access across the [[Polynesian Sea]] and [[Ocean of Cathay]] for the first time. As a new naval power in the era of coal-powered steam ships, Urcea was disadvantaged relative to other great powers in its lack of an expansive island colony network, a fact which limited its ability to project power due to a lack of {{wp|Fuelling station|coaling stations}}. Accordingly, the Royal Navy began to seek a new island in the Polynesian Sea to acquire as a forward refueling and logistical center, and after several options were examined Rapa Rapa was chosen, both due to its viable natural harbors as well as legal situation. The island had no Occidental claimant and was nominally owned by the [[Daxia]]n government via its conquest of Truk, but Daxia had no interest in the island. Accordingly, Urcea purchased the island in November [[1861]] and dispatched a force from Arona to subdue the island in late January [[1862]]. | ||
Urcea's | Urcea's Tainean Squadron arrived from Arona in February 1862 and deployed a small detachment of marines ashore. The expedition immediately experienced significant resistance; though the indigenous Rapans possessed less sophisticated weapons than the Urceans, their martial culture and the jungle of the mainland made it difficult to defeat their warbands, and by the end of the month all five villages had agreed to a truce to resist the encroachment. After malaria began to set in, a change of strategy occurred and the marines retreated from the main island to the less populous island now known as Navy Island, and established a fortified camp there. The ships of the expedition periodically bombarded the main island, while sailors from the squadron helped the marines clear Navy Island and, eventually, the lands of "the shield". Accordingly, throughout most of spring 1862, a stalemate ensued, with the Urceans controlling the outlying islands but the indigenous peoples remaining in control of the main island. Small scale skirmishes occurred that spring, with small raiding parties from the main island landing in canoes on Navy Island at night, but these efforts were insufficient to eject the Urceans. In early June, reinforcements arrived in the form of a {{Wp|regiment}} from the [[Royal and Imperial Army (Urcea)|Royal Army]]. The Army forces, together with some marines, re-landed on the main island on 18 June 1862. The regiment was enough to pacify the island, as they far outnumbered the island's population at the time, estimated to be around 700-800. The Army established small garrisons in each village but allowed the tribal leadership structure to largely continue uninterrupted, with peace being kept while the naval base could be constructed. Civilian contractors arrived that July and by September 1862 Navy Island had been transformed into an adequately fortified coaling station and naval base. The base attracted a very small civilian counterpart, and by the middle of 1863 workers from the villages began to be transported for work on Navy Island. The Army would remain on Rapa Rapa until [[1870]], as their village garrisons remained key to keeping peace and order on the atoll; after 1870, smaller marine garrisons and civilian police took their place. | ||
In [[1864]], a civilian rectory was established over the island. In [[1866]], the rector established the Municipal Corporation of Rapa Rapa, forming the basis of today's Rapa Rapa City. At the time, the municipality was envisioned more as a method to provide normal governance for the small civilian component of the naval base rather than the main island villages. The status quo remained in place on Rapa Rapa until around the late 1870s. The Urcean and indigenous parts of the atoll began to grow increasingly integrated due to the growing number of indigenous peoples working in and around the naval base in some form, and in [[1879]] the five villages submitted a petition for their incorporation into Rapa Rapa City. This request was granted and, effective 1 January 1880, Rapa Rapa City came to cover most of the atoll. Political and cultural integration were not instantaneous, however; most Rapans continued to prefer their village-oriented cultural and political structures for decades to come, with only the generation born in the 1880s and beyond viewing Rapa Rapa more as a cohesive whole rather than five villages. The villages had temporarily united to face the arriving Urceans in [[1862]] but the presence of the Urcean military had permanently halted the centuries of village feuding, allowing a new sense of the island's unity to grow in the following decades. Rapa Rapa remained relatively conflict free during the [[Red Interregnum]] and [['97 Rising]], recognizing whichever government held [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] and its military forces being far too remote to participate in the conflict. | In [[1864]], a civilian rectory was established over the island. In [[1866]], the rector established the Municipal Corporation of Rapa Rapa, forming the basis of today's Rapa Rapa City. At the time, the municipality was envisioned more as a method to provide normal governance for the small civilian component of the naval base rather than the main island villages. The status quo remained in place on Rapa Rapa until around the late 1870s. The Urcean and indigenous parts of the atoll began to grow increasingly integrated due to the growing number of indigenous peoples working in and around the naval base in some form, and in [[1879]] the five villages submitted a petition for their incorporation into Rapa Rapa City. This request was granted and, effective 1 January 1880, Rapa Rapa City came to cover most of the atoll. Political and cultural integration were not instantaneous, however; most Rapans continued to prefer their village-oriented cultural and political structures for decades to come, with only the generation born in the 1880s and beyond viewing Rapa Rapa more as a cohesive whole rather than five villages. The villages had temporarily united to face the arriving Urceans in [[1862]] but the presence of the Urcean military had permanently halted the centuries of village feuding, allowing a new sense of the island's unity to grow in the following decades. Rapa Rapa remained relatively conflict free during the [[Red Interregnum]] and [['97 Rising]], recognizing whichever government held [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] and its military forces being far too remote to participate in the conflict. | ||