AHC: Minor Colonial War like the Spanish-American War

The Spanish-American War, while obviously notable for many reasons was largely a colonial/localized war. Neither side made any clear intention to attack the other nation's actual home territories, and the conflict was largely small in scale, and scattered over relevant colonies.

The distance between the United States and Spain might have been the largest factor in this, so I am interested if it is possible for a minor (say under 20,000 casualties) conflict to be fought between imperial powers in the later 19th century without expanding into a full blown multi-state conflict? I suppose the borders in Europe make continental fighting hard to avoid, but bonus points if you can do it.
 

Marc

Donor
I would think that it would be possible to create a supposing where the British went to war with Germany over the latter's African colonies circa 1880's-90's.
I really doubt that Germany was up to a full scale war with the British empire at that time.
 
Portuguese-American War for the Atlantic Islands maybe? Seems a bit too ambitious for the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Spanish-Japanese War if Spanish American War remains a West Indies war... For the Philippines and the Pacific.

Russo-American War in the 1870-1880s if Russia does not sell Alaska
 
The Spanish-American War, while obviously notable for many reasons was largely a colonial/localized war. Neither side made any clear intention to attack the other nation's actual home territories, and the conflict was largely small in scale, and scattered over relevant colonies.

The distance between the United States and Spain might have been the largest factor in this, so I am interested if it is possible for a minor (say under 20,000 casualties) conflict to be fought between imperial powers in the later 19th century without expanding into a full blown multi-state conflict? I suppose the borders in Europe make continental fighting hard to avoid, but bonus points if you can do it.
Maybe conquering /annexing Danish territory.
 
Kingdom of Denmark
VERSUS
Vardar Insurgents Kingdom of Spain

Time Period - 1867
Cause of War - Danish gunboats firing on Basque fishers off the southern coast of Greenland

FIGHT!
 
Some kind of portugese-dutch conflict? I recall there still being some competition in east asia between the portugese and dutch colonial empires, and they're both at least fairly strong.
 
The Fashoda Incident turning into a shootout is an obvious one.

Another one is if Portugal refuses to back down after the British ultimatum of 1890 to withdraw from disputed territories in central Africa leading to clashes between both sides colonial forces would also fit.

There's also the various plans in the immediate run up to WW1 to partition the Portuguese African colonies between Britain and Germany leading to one of history's shorter and more one sided wars (German and British Empires versus Portugal...) if ever followed through.
 
The Fashoda Incident turning into a shootout is an obvious one.

Another one is if Portugal refuses to back down after the British ultimatum of 1890 to withdraw from disputed territories in central Africa leading to clashes between both sides colonial forces would also fit.

There's also the various plans in the immediate run up to WW1 to partition the Portuguese African colonies between Britain and Germany leading to one of history's shorter and more one sided wars (German and British Empires versus Portugal...) if ever followed through.

Yeah. Poor Germany and Britain, wouldn't even know what hit 'em. Ave de Portugal, Portugal governa o mar!
 
The Spanish-American War, while obviously notable for many reasons was largely a colonial/localized war. Neither side made any clear intention to attack the other nation's actual home territories, and the conflict was largely small in scale, and scattered over relevant colonies.

The distance between the United States and Spain might have been the largest factor in this, so I am interested if it is possible for a minor (say under 20,000 casualties) conflict to be fought between imperial powers in the later 19th century without expanding into a full blown multi-state conflict? I suppose the borders in Europe make continental fighting hard to avoid, but bonus points if you can do it.
What if the Japanese conquer German colonies in the Pacific in 1890es ?
 
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