With a POD after 1870 have a war between the United States and Great Britain occur.
AHC:Third War Between Great Britain and the United States
- Thread starter Mister Abbadon
- Start date
The USA got involved in the Venezuela-Guyana borer dispute in the 1890s and threatened war to uphold the Monroe Doctrine. That's probably the best opportunity.
Considering there was still a great deal of anti-British sentiment in America up until the 1920s, it's not that much of a challenge. That border dispute already mentioned is one possibility. A fight over some Pacific islands (like Hawaii) is another potential spark. Crickey, even some unforeseen bone-headed diplomatic move could cause a war.
Is it possible that UK fears it would be the next target when the US fights Spain in 1898? So UK intervenes on behalf of the Spanish?
It could have interesting consequences in Europe too...
It could have interesting consequences in Europe too...
Some possibilities that have been discussed here in the past:
- A war over the Trent Affair. Most people feel the US would be curbstomped if we tried to fight Britain and the Confederacy at the same time.
- Escalation of the Pig War to an actual shooting conflict. This would probably be a very limited war, quickly resolved diplomatically, but political fallout could unleash a lot of butterflies.
- 54-40 or Fight isn't resolved diplomatically. This could go very badly for the US if the UK fully mobilizes its resources, especially if Mexico decides to force a decision over the Texas boundary dispute at the same time, but there's a good chance that Britain would decide that Oregon wasn't worth fighting a major war over.
Will Kürlich Kerl
Banned
Chilean ships actually occupy Panama City, starting a war with the USA. Great Britain intervenes in this war on the side of Chile and Colombia.
I can't see Canada starting anything with the United States... because the government knows that the first place the Americans can/will invade is Canada. It would have to start elsewhere.
As many feathers as the Alaska boundary dispute ruffled, Canada was as far from armed conflict as she could get.
After 1870? That's a tall order. I'm not sure what there is for the US and Great Britain to fight over at that point that would be worth cutting off their trade for.
Still, anti-British sentiment was still pretty high in the 1870s in the US, so maybe some sort of incident on the high seas, plus some real boneheadedness on one or both sides, could lead to a shooting war. I really can't see any good reasons why, though.
Still, anti-British sentiment was still pretty high in the 1870s in the US, so maybe some sort of incident on the high seas, plus some real boneheadedness on one or both sides, could lead to a shooting war. I really can't see any good reasons why, though.
Anaxagoras
Banned
This type of war spark would more easily happen in one of the two nations were a monarchy in which the monarchy still exercised exclusive or de facto control over national policy. This isn't the case with either the United States or the United Kingdom. It would likely have to be something different.
I toyed briefly with the idea of the Second Boer War becoming an international incident that led to the Great War, but I couldn't find the right POD. I was planning on having the US and UK being on opposing sides, but it's pretty implausible overall. I was think of having some ethical incident (y'know, with the prison camps) but there was no human rights indoctrination at that time.
Maybe if alliances simply led to the US and UK being on different sides? But the problem with this is that the US has no reason to form a strong alliance with another world power, except to counter the British, and that just leads us back to the first problem.
Last edited:
At the end of the 19th century, in Pago Pago, Samoa, you may have gotten not just a Anglo-American war, but also Germany involved. I've heard it referred to as the first opportunity for a "World War" to break out. Also heard that a typhoon hit the harbor as the three naval squadrons sat staring each other down. The almost war became a mutual rescue mission.
America was still in its isolationist period, so any war must be due to the Monroe Doctorine being infringed.
My feeling is that this would have to be over resources rather than politics.
A POD where Venezuelan oil was found earlier may do it, as both countries were starting to see the importance of oil in their economy.
My feeling is that this would have to be over resources rather than politics.
A POD where Venezuelan oil was found earlier may do it, as both countries were starting to see the importance of oil in their economy.
katchen
Banned
As it turns out, there is some heavy oil in the Amacurao region that was part of the disputed area between Venezuela and British Guiana in 1894. IOTL, it didn't get discovered until a lot later, but ITTL, it gets discovered before Maracaibo oil does and John D. Rockefeller gets the rights to it. Only those rights are in jeopardy if the territory is part of British Guiana. That heats the dispute up to the point of war with the UK.
But at this point, the demand for oil isn't that high, and the US still has major untapped oil reserves in Texas, and the British have oil reserves elsewhere too. I don't think it lines up with the time period right.