AHC/WI: Algerian Meiji Reformation

Which Algeria? The Regency which was essentially always in conflict with its neighbours or Europeans (which ended to make the prime interest of the Regency, namely piracy, decling significantly); and weakened by social differenciation and factionalisation?
Or are we talking about highland or hinterland entities such as Ouragala, Ait Abbas and the rest of arab/berber dynasties?

Contrary to Japan, which while cut in several clans and conflicting political interests, did represented a same cultural and political continuum AND having significant features that allowed a quick revival which allowed Mejii to heappen (or rather not to happen elsewhere than in Japan), Algeria was significantly divided, declining since the XVIIth century and peripheral. European presence, while more cyclical in nature than constant, was a basic feature of trade and politic on the coast in 1800 (such as French trade establishment, or outposts, already a thing then).

Your best chance, rather than a Meiji (with which manufactures? which demographical dynamism?) would be having the Regency "pulling an Alawite". Morroco knew a similar decline than Algeria in the late XVIIIth/early XIXth century, but had the benefit being more peripheral to European presence than Algeria which helped delaying colonial takeover, and then a greater institutional stability. Of course, that Morroco was a regional state since centuries while the Regency was a mixed bag mostly ruling over he coastal plan and immediate highlands (and not all of both) didn't help.
Or, "better" pulling a Beylik, with enough Ottoman influence to prevent its de-facto independence into a mix of corsar state and landed owners states.
Both would probably ask for a PoD before 1800 (while reasonably doable in the second half of XVIIIth, I think) , tough : at best IMO, you'll turn Northern Algeria in a protectorate de jure, a colony de facto if not.
 
With a POD no earlier than 1800, make Algeria experience a Meiji Reformation and avoid colonization by any European power.

Just to point out... Japan is totally different as Algeria for the latter to experience Meiji reforms.

It could reform differently, a la Egypt under Mehmed Ali Pasha. A requirement is to stop piracy at any cost. Preferably at latest in the late 18th century.
 
Very interesting insight. Had Hussein Bey, not angered the French, could a French protectorate be set up in the region and through that, Algeria is modernized to the point where sometime before 1930, they manage to gain independence from France?
Frankly, a French expedition was more or less bound to happen at this point, following the Spanish exemple, but also because of the many tensions between the Regency and France.
Long story short, the Regency supplied the French armies with grain since 1795, something that no French government cared to pay for. It turned really bad at some point, namely when the general consul was executed in Algers in 1811.
Giving that putting and end to a trade conflict was also a safe way to score a cheap political victory...The unstable situation in Regency (between deys, jannissars, factions, etc.) would be as much opportunities to come, see and beat the crap out of anyone there.

Eventually, the main interest of Algeria at this point was its grain production (which represented still the main part of grain traded for in Marseilles at this point) which contrary to previous Spanish outposts against Piracy, basically called for the control of the whole coastal plain.
Not that I think an integrated native entity (altough more of an integrated protectorate than a native client) is impossible, at the contrary (if difficuly). But by the XIXth, anyone defeating the Regency would takeover the coast.

A requirement is to stop piracy at any cost. Preferably at latest in the late 18th century.
The problem is that it was one of the main sources of ressources for the Regency, the other being grain trade. As the piracy declined in the XVIIIth, so did the whole Maghrib. And then you have the problem with most of social classes (regardless social-cultural, social-economical or social-political) : it's really hard for them to deny themselves.
 
I know about the grain but not about the execution. That is interesting

My suspicions of this being improbable turn out to be correct. Could a great figure turn the tides though? Maybe a charismatic soldier rises to the top and keeps Algeria as a country. If even that is unlikely, what is the latest POD that could end up with Algeria seen as a western state.
 
My suspicions of this being improbable turn out to be correct. Could a great figure turn the tides though? Maybe a charismatic soldier rises to the top and keeps Algeria as a country. If even that is unlikely, what is the latest POD that could end up with Algeria seen as a western state.

Theoretically, I'd say if you can prevent the breakdown in Ottoman authority/allow it to be restablished in the late 18th/early 19th century to the point the Europeans decide it's better to get the Sultan to put his own house in order (Which he's inclined to do anyways if he's trying to go the Enlightened Despotism/Centeralization Route), than they have an umbrella that gives them the space to at least take a crack at reforms like Tunisia would later on. Now, the odds of them being successful without sinking into a debt trap are fairly low, but it's not impossible if they piggy back off a successful Tanzimat.
 
What if King Louis-Phillipe is deposed before 1830? How much time does Algeria have?
Don't you mean Charles X?
Well, you'd need a really explosive revolutionary situation, there : he wasn't that widely popular and was likely to do a mistake at some point, but even less than five years? But let's assume that's done : at this point, a radical republic being probably out of question, we're either seeing another Bourbon or good old Louis-Philippe on the throne and, more importantly, the same rough political base and state corps. This is important because the idea of taking some skin out of the declining Ottoman Empire by proxy, alliance or directly was quite there already (support to Greece, Russia and of course expedition to Algeria). It could take different forms, but giving the French interests on Algerian coast, it's likely to be a first strike.

Of course @FillyofDelphi made a really good point by arguing that if Ottoman Empire reforms itself more broadly, this might look like less of an immediate opportunity and the change of perception might do something there. The problem being that Algeria never was really under Ottoman control to begin with (think of it as an Ottoman "Far-West", pun intended) so while the oriental broad policies of European powers being changed ITTL will probably impact at least partly French interests management in Algeria, probably less so than in Tunisia and Egypt ITTL, and definitely not like Syria.
 
If we remove the limit of the POD being post 1800, what would be the latest POD for a First World Algeria? Would we have to go back to even before the regency or just a hundred years or so?
 
If we remove the limit of the POD being post 1800, what would be the latest POD for a First World Algeria? Would we have to go back to even before the regency or just a hundred years or so?

It isn't hard to get a first world(-ish) Algeria. If in 1800 earliest, be on good terms with France or Spain, just to play them off against each other. But Piracy has to end. Ideally they move them under Ottoman protection, mostly for diplomatic reasons.

Ideally... before the Revolutionary Wars is ideal. So... 1791?
 
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