AHC: Have Alexis de Tocqueville's US-Russia Cold War Prophecy Come True Without Nazism or Communism

CaliGuy

Banned
Here's an interesting AHC: Have Alexis de Tocqueville's 1830s prophecy about an eventual U.S.-Russian global Cold War come true without the "help" of either Nazism or Communism (as in, neither Nazism nor Communism can help achieve the goal of this TL).

Any thoughts on how to do this?
 

CaliGuy

Banned
For reference, here is the prophecy itself:

http://www.bartleby.com/73/2045.html

"There are now two great nations in the world which, starting from different points, seem to be advancing toward the same goal: the Russians and the Anglo-Americans. Both have grown in obscurity, and while the world’s attention was occupied elsewhere, they have suddenly taken their place among the leading nations, making the world take note of their birth and of their greatness almost at the same instant. All other peoples seem to have nearly reached their natural limits and to need nothing but to preserve them; but these two are growing…. The American fights against natural obstacles; the Russian is at grips with men. The former combats the wilderness and barbarism; the latter, civilization with all its arms. America’s conquests are made with the plowshare, Russia’s with the sword. To attain their aims, the former relies on personal interest and gives free scope to the unguided strength and common sense of individuals. The latter in a sense concentrates the whole power of society in one man. One has freedom as the principal means of action; the other has servitude. Their point of departure is different and their paths diverse; nevertheless, each seems called by some secret desire of Providence one day to hold in its hands the destinies of half the world."

Indeed, for someone in the 1830s--over one century before the start of the Cold War!--Alexis de Tocqueville was certainly way ahead of his time in his prediction(s). :)
 
If you read the wording one sees the insight, Czarist Russia would evolve to a global player just as the USA did. Both are big countries with big potential. I agree that both world wars propelled these two to the big leagues but even in 1914 one sees that Europe was getting small and the world was the new playground, only the British Empire competed but it was not one country. I am pondering a world with the USA not a belligerent in the European war (s), I am still puzzling the effects.
 
It is complicated to have this happen without WW1 and WW2, especially without WW1.

WW1 was an enormous boost for the US while It was a cataclysm for Russia (far worse than for France, Germany or Belgium).

It is often ignored that in the early 20th century, Russia was the fastest growing economy and modernizing at lightspeed. Had WW1 not dramatically reversed this course, the russian empire would have been far stronger than the USSR, plagued by the disasters of WW1 and communism, ever was. And the US would have been much less stronger, much less able and willing to project power.
 

CaliGuy

Banned
It is complicated to have this happen without WW1 and WW2, especially without WW1.

WW1 was an enormous boost for the US while It was a cataclysm for Russia (far worse than for France, Germany or Belgium).
What about with WWI but with no WWII, though?
 
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