AHC: Create the largest realistic 20th century Russia-wank you can think of

Why did a substantial minority of the High Soviet oppose this, though?
I'm no expert on the period, so I couldn't give you a proper answer off the top of my head. I will, however, say that even a substantial number of Bolsheviks opposed seizing power at this time, and it took the extreme prodding of both Lenin and Trotsky to get the party leadership to approve of the coup (according to Trotsky, anyway).
 

RousseauX

Donor
Refuse to sell Alaska. Moscow keeps some prime territory, huge oil reserves and a toehold - or rather a massive footprint on America's doorstep. Did I mention the oil?
Russia otl had plenty of oil (and is still a huge oil exporter) it's just that oil prices wasn't very high for most of the century
 

CaliGuy

Banned
Avoid it altogether. Instead of an Anglo-Japanese alliance, have an Russo-Japanese alliance - Japan gets the Korean peninsular and Russia gets the Manchuria and they together share in the harvesting of the Chinese state.

Makes sense. Also, if Russia outright annexes Manchuria, are the peasants there going to be subjected to forced Russification?

Not adding fuel to Balkan fires would also aid Russian longevity...

Completely agreed. Indeed, Russia should control Serbia--at least until Russia is sufficiently strong to fight Germany.
 

CaliGuy

Banned
I'm no expert on the period, so I couldn't give you a proper answer off the top of my head. I will, however, say that even a substantial number of Bolsheviks opposed seizing power at this time, and it took the extreme prodding of both Lenin and Trotsky to get the party leadership to approve of the coup (according to Trotsky, anyway).
Thanks for your answer. Indeed, I am especially curious about the details of all of this and wonder if anyone here knows the answer to this.
 

BooNZ

Banned
Makes sense. Also, if Russia outright annexes Manchuria, are the peasants there going to be subjected to forced Russification?

That would certainly be the desire, but I expect the Russians would initially lack the resources to do so effectively. OTL the Russians were forced to employ a lot of locals to manage their limited interests in the East, due to inability to encourage Russians to do so. I understand Manchuria was subject to mass Chinese migration in the late 19th Century. Previously sparsely populated, the Chinese deliberately encouraged migration to Manchuria impair the potential colonial encroachment. I also understand migration from Korea during the early 20th century was substantial.

Rather than Russification, the Russians would first need to limit the influence of the Chinese, Japanese and other colonial powers encroaching on Manchuria. I expect the Russians would make serious efforts to coerce substantial populations European Russians to Asia, which might initially include less restrictions on language, culture and religion - thereby encouraging Russian minorities to migrate East to avoid persecution.
 

BooNZ

Banned
Completely agreed. Indeed, Russia should control Serbia--at least until Russia is sufficiently strong to fight Germany.
Yes, the best thing Russia could have done is avoid war altogether for another 40 years or so - it's not like Russia has ever been crowded for space.
.
 

CaliGuy

Banned
Avoid it altogether. Instead of an Anglo-Japanese alliance, have an Russo-Japanese alliance - Japan gets the Korean peninsular and Russia gets the Manchuria and they together share in the harvesting of the Chinese state.

Agreed.

Not adding fuel to Balkan fires would also aid Russian longevity...

Agreed. Indeed, at the very least, Russia should probably tell Serbia that if it starts a war before 1916, it is going to be on its own.
 

CaliGuy

Banned
That would certainly be the desire, but I expect the Russians would initially lack the resources to do so effectively. OTL the Russians were forced to employ a lot of locals to manage their limited interests in the East, due to inability to encourage Russians to do so. I understand Manchuria was subject to mass Chinese migration in the late 19th Century. Previously sparsely populated, the Chinese deliberately encouraged migration to Manchuria impair the potential colonial encroachment. I also understand migration from Korea during the early 20th century was substantial.

Rather than Russification, the Russians would first need to limit the influence of the Chinese, Japanese and other colonial powers encroaching on Manchuria. I expect the Russians would make serious efforts to coerce substantial populations European Russians to Asia, which might initially include less restrictions on language, culture and religion - thereby encouraging Russian minorities to migrate East to avoid persecution.
Two questions:

1. What is your source for the claim that ethnic Russians were unwilling to advance Russia's interests in the East?

2. Which Russian minorities were persecuted during this time?
 
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