AH challenge: Russo-American War

With any POD you want, make there be war between Imperial Russia and the United States between the years of 1890 and 1910.
 

Rockingham

Banned
With any POD you want, make there be war between Imperial Russia and the United States between the years of 1890 and 1910.
Have a POD that allows the Russians to further develop and colonize their American colonies South of Alaska(like those in California)... and keep at least some until the period between 1890 and 1910. With the Russians controlling a signifcant area, including plausibly much of the Oregon territory as a compromise between the US and Britain.

Somewhat implausible, especially for the colonies to last that long, but with a POD of any time plausible. If America still stretches to the Pacific, its going to want to remove the colonies at soem point or another...
 
is there any way Russia could decide the selling Alaska was a bad idea, try to buy it back and when that was rebuffed went for the other option?
 

Rockingham

Banned
is there any way Russia could decide the selling Alaska was a bad idea, try to buy it back and when that was rebuffed went for the other option?
If you had a very inbred Tsar, it would be quite easy:D

Otherwise, very difficult.

It would be the eqivalent of France to take back the Louisania purchase in the same period. Damn stupid.
 
If you had a very inbred Tsar, it would be quite easy:D

Otherwise, very difficult.

It would be the eqivalent of France to take back the Louisania purchase in the same period. Damn stupid.

Well, many of the Tsars...:D

anyway, that's me stumped unless Russia decides to intervene in the American-spanish war or after it feels threatened by the Americans in the Phillipines, both very unlikely.
 
Somewhat implausible, especially for the colonies to last that long, but with a POD of any time plausible. If America still stretches to the Pacific, its going to want to remove the colonies at soem point or another...

Unlikely, while the US would try to diplomatically acquire any said colonies, its far more likely that they will acceptable under the Monroe Doctrine. No forcible annexation until the 19th century, if even at that.
 

Rockingham

Banned
Unlikely, while the US would try to diplomatically acquire any said colonies, its far more likely that they will acceptable under the Monroe Doctrine. No forcible annexation until the 19th century, if even at that.
Depends upon the extent of said colonies..... thy could cover as much as half of the modern day US's Pacific coast(if we include Alaska into that estimate, 2/3s)
 
A scuffle over Open Door Policy in China? The US objected to Russian control over Manchuria, but it became a moot point when replaced with Japanese control over the same area. Perhaps we could replace the Russo-Japanese war with the Russo-American War? There'd need to be some kind of causus belli, perhaps a USS Maine-like exposion? or Russian execution of American citizens?
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
Have a POD that allows the Russians to further develop and colonize their American colonies South of Alaska(like those in California)... and keep at least some until the period between 1890 and 1910. With the Russians controlling a signifcant area, including plausibly much of the Oregon territory as a compromise between the US and Britain.

Somewhat implausible, especially for the colonies to last that long, but with a POD of any time plausible. If America still stretches to the Pacific, its going to want to remove the colonies at soem point or another...


Problem with the Russian colonies is that, unlike the English or Spanish colonies, the Russian colonies were based almost exclusively on trapping (even more so than the French colonies in North America). The Russians had NO need for land, or for resources except the fur (and this was only because they'd pretty much Hoovered up all the fur bearin' critters along their coastline). They walked away from the Northern California and Pacific Northwest colonies, not due to pressure from the Spanish or English (or even the Americans) but because the had more or less destroyed the fur seal & sea otter populations along the Pacific Coast.

Alaska was retained for a longer period, more out of inertia than any other reason. The colonies there were always a drain on the Russian treasury, with the profits from the fur trade being eaten up by transportation costs and the need to supply the outposts with most of their food from Russia.

Alaska was like Siberia, except on the other side of the Bering Strait. I've always been surprised that the Tsar didn't try to sell a chunk of Siberia to Steward when he sold Alaska. As far as everyone in power was concerned in the 1860's it was all just a bunch of snow and half civilized tribes.
 
Problem with the Russian colonies is that, unlike the English or Spanish colonies, the Russian colonies were based almost exclusively on trapping (even more so than the French colonies in North America).

Have the Russians (or more likely, some unlucky native who tries to barter with them) find the California gold fields before 1849?
 
Depends upon the extent of said colonies..... thy could cover as much as half of the modern day US's Pacific coast(if we include Alaska into that estimate, 2/3s)

Maybe occupy any said colonies in the event of the Communist revolution, but other than that probably no. The US has access to the Pacific via San Diego, it doesn't need the Puget Sound region or San Francisco Bay.
 
My idea is to have the US House refuse to pay of "Seward's Folly" and so the sale falls through. This leaves Alaska in Russian hands. With the discovery of gold in the north, I see the US becoming very interested in the place and making a move to take what they had taken a pass on previously.
 
Alaska was like Siberia, except on the other side of the Bering Strait. I've always been surprised that the Tsar didn't try to sell a chunk of Siberia to Steward when he sold Alaska. As far as everyone in power was concerned in the 1860's it was all just a bunch of snow and half civilized tribes.

Because control over the Eastern Asian coast was essential for Russian interests in the area: China, Manchuria, Japan and Korea.
 
If the alliances in Europe are formed differently, then an earlier WWI could put the United States against Russia. Maybe Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia against Great Britain, France, and Italy (and later the US)?

Does the war have to encompass the entire twenty years, or can it be a short period of time within the timespan?
 
?Didn't whe have a thread about Russia selling Kamchata and East at the same time as Alaska?

In the late 1800's the US claimed Bear Island and several other Artic Islands north of Siberia.
The US dropped the claims when Whe recongized the USSR post WW1.
[The Claims + poetic lienence, were the basis of the opening Chapters in Clusser's "Raise the Titantic"]
A attemp by the Tzar to remove a small american Party on Bear Island, goes wrong, and the Americans are Killed. Causis Belle .........
 
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