AHC: Brazilian acquisition of French Guiana

If Brazil was more prosperous I am sure they could have just purchased it from France, anytime before around 1950 (before the rest of the Empire was collapsing and the viability of a launching site was discovered).

At least for the OTL major wars after 1815 France was on the winning side, so trying to gain it through war probably wouldn't work, unless Portugal could somehow get it at Vienna.
 
portuguese Brazil administered the territory for several years during the Napoleon wars. They invaded, along with Britain, and took control of it. Britain and the rest of the major powers made them cough it up at the end of the wars.

I'm guessing it's borderline ASB to actually have their ally Britain throw them a bone (Britain kept everything it wanted). Portugal was forced into the war by two powers that didn't much care about them, and then abandoned at the peace table.
 
You could have Brazil join a war against France where France happens to be on the losing side, although you would have to somehow get Brazil to butt heads with France. They probably wouldn't do so over French Guiana because it's rather insignificant. Maybe if Brazil were to become involved in Africa, a colonial conflict could escalate from there...
 
I'm guessing it's borderline ASB to actually have their ally Britain throw them a bone (Britain kept everything it wanted).
Britain garrisoned & effectively administered Madeira for part of the Napoleonic Wars. Maybe the British government (prompted by the Admiralty, or by lovers of Madeira wine, or whatever...) decides that they would rather like to keep Madeira afterwards, and "persuades" Portugal to accept continued British control there (possibly still with nominal Portuguese ownership?) in exchange for compensation elsewhere which could include incorporating the former French Guiana into Brazil?
 
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