I'm actually working on something similar..
CSA and US are drawn in as allies.
That is ridicoulous. Not matter what TL, the CSA and the USA are never going to ally. The whole of the the civil war from the souths point of view was to break connections with the union. Give me a non ASB scenario that the CSA and USA ally.
That is ridicoulous. Not matter what TL, the CSA and the USA are never going to ally. The whole of the the civil war from the souths point of view was to break connections with the union. Give me a non ASB scenario that the CSA and USA ally.
O.K assuming the P.O.D is the Trent Affair here's how the sides might line up and why they might fight.
Confederate allies and co-beligerants ( Grand Coalition)
1. Confederate States of America
2. British Empire- Declares war against the USA in Feb 1862 as a result of a more beligerant U.S response to the the Trent Affair, The Confederacy is recognised, the Royal Navy is dispatched to break the blockade and defeat the the U.S Navy at sea. 20,000 British troops are dispatched to Canada, and Canadian Militia is called up. *Note* Although there is some resistance amongst the British as to being allied to the slaveholding Confederacy, it is somewhat counterbalanced by the fact that The U.S also has slave states, and that emancipation is not a Northern war aim at the time Britain enters the war.
Fr-Joins the British in recognition of the Confederacy and in declaring war on the U.S after both nations agree to support (or at least condone)French occupation of Mexico. The French enter the war on April 18th, 1862 and dispatch a fleet to the Gulf of Mexico, to establish contact with the Confederacy and support its Mexican operations, 5000 French Marines are also landed at New Orleans to assist in it's defense as it will serve as the main French naval base.
Spanish Empire- Joins in May 1862 as an ally of France, supports the Confederacy as sympathetic to the Amistad affair claims against the U.S. deploys forces and ships to defend commerce with Cuba.
U.S Allies and Co-Beligerants- (Grand Alliance)
United States of America
1. Mexico (Juarez) Lincoln supports the Juarez government per the Monroe Doctrine and Mexico already at war with France, Declares war on Britain and eventually Spain
2. Russian Empire- Sore from the Crimean war and friendly to the Union the Czar declares his support for the Union Cause and declares war against Britain, France, and Spain in May 1862 Russian troops reinforce Alaska and a Russian Fleet patrols North American waters.
That's my theory for the initial grouping, I'm working on a timeline where other major players will join in to make a wider war.
2. Russian Empire- Sore from the Crimean war and friendly to the Union the Czar declares his support for the Union Cause and declares war against Britain, France, and Spain in May 1862 Russian troops reinforce Alaska and a Russian Fleet patrols North American waters.
That's my theory for the initial grouping, I'm working on a timeline where other major players will join in to make a wider war.
"Anyway, any idea of a Russian offensive via Alaska is pretty ludicrous. There is no way of supporting even comparitively minor forces in that region, let alone one of their 8 Army Corps (which are very large bodies the size of a US Army). OTL 4 of their 8 Corps were used against the Anglo-Franco-Turkish Army in 1854-6, the remainder being required to block any possible amphibious desant in the Baltic."
"The real threat from Russia is against British India (and the French Levant), which will primarily be played out in Persia, Mesopotamia and Afghanistan."
"The Russian "Fleet" is exceptionally small, and is just meat for the RN grinder. They were OTL completely unable to prevent the RN acting at will in the Baltic."
Right, I agree entirely that Russia would be unable to mount an offensive into Canada from Alaska, I was thinking that they would send reinforcements merely to attempt to hold it pending a British/Canadian offensive.
The Russian Fleet may not amount to much but they could potentially cause a few headaches for the RN since they now have allied ports of call in the U.S and Juarez controlled Mexico
20,000 British Troops? OTL That was the advanced party to hold any (snowbound) US invasion force until the thaw.
Anyway, any idea of a Russian offensive via Alaska is pretty ludicrous. There is no way of supporting even comparitively minor forces in that region, let alone one of their 8 Army Corps (which are very large bodies the size of a US Army). OTL 4 of their 8 Corps were used against the Anglo-Franco-Turkish Army in 1854-6, the remainder being required to block any possible amphibious desant in the Baltic.
The real threat from Russia is against British India (and the French Levant), which will primarily be played out in Persia, Mesopotamia and Afghanistan.
The Russian "Fleet" is exceptionally small, and is just meat for the RN grinder. They were OTL completely unable to prevent the RN acting at will in the Baltic.
Tigers
Think the Russians are going to have problems supporting forces in Persia beyond the Caspian coast, even without expected Persian opposition. Welcome to try threatening India through Afghanistan as a great way to bled them dry and gives the Indian army some exercise. Don't know how happy the Ottomans would be with a 'French Levant'.They will definitely get drawn into the mix in any conflict in Mesopotamia.
Steve