AHC/WI: Korea was American/Russian/French/German/British colony

[mlp]

POD is 1800. I was wondering how different colonial policies by the imperial powers would be applied to Korea and be comparable with OTL Japan's. Focus should preferably be on how Korea as a colony would be ruled, rather than how that would come to occur. Get wild.

Note: American/Russian/French/etc is meant as WI these countries take the whole of Korea, on different scenarios, rather than them taking Korea all at once.

Possible reasons why the countries would come to acquire Korea as a colony:

• United States: 1871 expedition becomes successful, America secures heavy unequal treaty on Korea. Formally annexed for secure harbour between Japan and China and base of operations for expeditions into China.
• Russia: Japan beaten in First Sino-Japanese War, Russia pushes Japan out of Korea. Annexed for warm-water harbour.
• France: Large expedition led to Korea instead of Vietnam, secures heavy unequal treaty on Korea. Annexed for keeping British influence on China at check.
• Germany: Japan beaten in First Sino-Japanese War, taken instead of OTL Shandong after competition with Russia. Annexed with British help to keep Russia at check, and base of operations for trade in the Far East.
• Britain: Secures unequal treaty on Korea after royal government unsuccessfully attempts to become closer to Russia in height of Great Game conflict. Annexed to keep Russian influence at check.

 

[Masky]

I imagine had Korea come under the United States it could have ended up a lot like Cuba, or Panama: occupied as a protectorate for a very long time, restricted heavily by American economic and strategic interests. Maybe, this lessens American interests in the Philippines, leading Germany or Britain to purchase/conquer them later.

The United States probably would intervene a lot more in Chinese internal affairs with a Korean protectorate, and Japanese radical expansion would not occur with a heavy American presence in the area.

 

[mlp]

I imagine had Korea come under the United States it could have ended up a lot like Cuba, or Panama: occupied as a protectorate for a very long time, restricted heavily by American economic and strategic interests. Maybe, this lessens American interests in the Philippines, leading Germany or Britain to purchase/conquer them later.

The United States probably would intervene a lot more in Chinese internal affairs with a Korean protectorate, and Japanese radical expansion would not occur with a heavy American presence in the area.

Considering how the Philippines was a colony for several centuries previous and Korea was not occupied by a foreign power since the Han dynasty, the Americans will definitely meet more obstacles than it did OTL. What may be the American response, both short-term and long-term, to the situation?

 

[GeneralInTheShell]

Considering how the Philippines was a colony for several centuries previous and Korea was not occupied by a foreign power since the Han dynasty, the Americans will definitely meet more obstacles than it did OTL. What may be the American response, both short-term and long-term, to the situation?

I wouldn't be so quick to say that. The Philippines had launched several attempts to gain independence from Spain in the past and by the time the the USA defeated Spain, the Malolos Republic had all but defeated Spain. The US had to fight a bitter Three year war followed by an additional nine years of insurrection in the largely Sulu Sultanate which had not been colonized by Spain.

Honestly, I don't see the United States directly annexing Korea. Establishing a protectorate as an extension of the unequal treaties similar to what the US did in Cuba and Panama, absolutely, but annexing it seems unlikely. You might get American support for a Republican revolution that ends up getting out of hand and have the revolutionary government demanding new treaties with the US on a more equal bases that leads to the US sending significant forces to put the revolution down. If the war in the Philippines is anything to go by, then the US will be incredibly brutal

 

[tonsofun]

If Russia gets to annex all of Korea for that elusive warm water port then I can imagine the Korean people having a bad time. Their presence there and the defeat of Japan is likely to butterfly any WW2 as we know it.
But whether they can hold on to it is a whole different thing. I can imagine after a while there will be some terrible atrocities committed in an effort to keep the land.
I can also imagine Stalin moving in quite a few patriotic Russians during his time as he did with the other parts of the Russian Empire. We may even end up with a modern day Crimea situation where Russia might lease a part from Korea and even try to annex it in the future with the Russians who live there.

 

[Qhapaq Inka]

Those are child's play; how about an Italian, Belgian, or Danish Korea?

 

[dissatisfieduser]

Korea under Russian domination would be subjected to immediate and intensive Russification. This process would happen through the following stages:

1. Place the colony under martial law.
2. Aggressively push ethnic Koreans out of major port cities or areas (Incheon, Pusan, Chongjin)
3. Encourage migration of European Russians into Korea.
4. Initiate economic incentives for Russification

• Exclusion from jobs requiring secondary level education (or its equivalent)
• Extra taxation for non-Russian speakers

5. Initiate cultural assimilation

• Impose criminalisation of vernacular/cultural construction
• Establish primary level public schools that only teach in Russian
• Ban any form of Korean language schooling
• Abolish the local monarchy
• Ban the construction of any Korean owned facilities (case-by-case exemptions)

 

[TRH]

Those are child's play; how about an Italian, Belgian, or Danish Korea?

Denmark is easy -keep Danes on throne of England, make that into a personal union with Denmark, apply butterfly net for 900 years and then do the British scenario.

 

[PhilippeO]

If Russia gets to annex all of Korea for that elusive warm water port then I can imagine the Korean people having a bad time.

Korea under Russian domination would be subjected to immediate and intensive Russification.

Huh ? What ? Why ?

Russian is not cartoon monster. In fact, Russia is competent colonizers. They successfully colonize Caucasus, East Europe (Baltics and Duchy of Lithuania). Southern Russia (Volga Delta), and Turkestan (Central Asia). and they use variety of effective strategies.

abolishing Monarchy is possible, although Georgian monarchy ended as Russian noble. several other monarch, especially if converted become Russian great noble.

Russian also have retain Muslims nobility and Muslims soldier, they generally supported local eliteand unlikely to do any massive disruption.

I don't see Russian pursuing Russification, they don't do that in Baltics, Turkestan or Caucasus. Russification seems to happen naturally with moving Russian settler, absorbtion of nobles to RUssian elite, and preferential treatment to RUssian and Orthodox settlers and/or converts.

Korean Russia is likely retained it Monarchy (although powerless), and its nobility (and thus elite culture). converted noble would be given special treatment, but both Korean noble would also participate in government with rare appointed Russian official from Moscow. Among the populace Orthodox Korean > Christian Korean > ordinary Korean, but it would not be that different from pre-Russian society. in fact, Korean could very well become successful minority, dominating Manchuria and Eastern Siberia, with many Korean settler considered less savage (farmers, not hunter) and safe (better than Chinese settler). Korean would likely become like Finland, Baltics, or Armenia-Georgia with local elite and society still vigorous.

 

[Arkenfolm]

Korea under Russian domination would be subjected to immediate and intensive Russification. This process would happen through the following stages:

1. Place the colony under martial law.
2. Aggressively push ethnic Koreans out of major port cities or areas (Incheon, Pusan, Chongjin)
3. Encourage migration of European Russians into Korea.
4. Initiate economic incentives for Russification

• Exclusion from jobs requiring secondary level education (or its equivalent)
• Extra taxation for non-Russian speakers

5. Initiate cultural assimilation

• Impose criminalisation of vernacular/cultural construction
• Establish primary level public schools that only teach in Russian
• Ban any form of Korean language schooling
• Abolish the local monarchy
• Ban the construction of any Korean owned facilities (case-by-case exemptions)

Doesn't seem like a sane policy for Russia to do, even considering Tsarist Russia. The Koreans are pretty alien compared to any other group incorporated into the Russian Empire. I bet it might be compared to the Finns, and Korea could govern itself with Russian "advice" always being considered.

And I think a Russian Korea wouldn't be directly annexed to the Russian Empire but rather persist as a buffer between Russian and Japan. Although on the downside, it might end up like Finland and suffer a civil war between communists/non-communists if the Russian Empire ever fell.

 

[Tredecimus]

Korea as a Russian protectorate is more plausible. She only needs a warm water port and a secure line towards it.

 

[GeneralInTheShell]

Korea under Russian domination would be subjected to immediate and intensive Russification. This process would happen through the following stages:

1. Place the colony under martial law.
2. Aggressively push ethnic Koreans out of major port cities or areas (Incheon, Pusan, Chongjin)
3. Encourage migration of European Russians into Korea.
4. Initiate economic incentives for Russification

• Exclusion from jobs requiring secondary level education (or its equivalent)
• Extra taxation for non-Russian speakers

5. Initiate cultural assimilation

• Impose criminalisation of vernacular/cultural construction
• Establish primary level public schools that only teach in Russian
• Ban any form of Korean language schooling
• Abolish the local monarchy
• Ban the construction of any Korean owned facilities (case-by-case exemptions)

That's nothing what the Russians did in Central Asia. Tsarist Russia often time co-opted the local elite into imperial administration. Later on they began to send more colonists and confiscate land for cotton cultivation, and the Russians actively pushed for the region becoming a monoculture based on the cotton industry, but the Russians didn't try and turn the Central Asians into Russians. The Central Asians didn't exactly enjoy the rule of the Tsarist government, but they didn't revolt against the Tsar until conscription was extended to them.

 

[Qhapaq Inka]

Denmark is easy -keep Danes on throne of England, make that into a personal union with Denmark, apply butterfly net for 900 years and then do the British scenario.

Well played!

 

[RGB]

Korea under Russian domination would be subjected to immediate and intensive Russification. This process would happen through the following stages:

1. Place the colony under martial law.
2. Aggressively push ethnic Koreans out of major port cities or areas (Incheon, Pusan, Chongjin)
3. Encourage migration of European Russians into Korea.
4. Initiate economic incentives for Russification

• Exclusion from jobs requiring secondary level education (or its equivalent)
• Extra taxation for non-Russian speakers

5. Initiate cultural assimilation

• Impose criminalisation of vernacular/cultural construction
• Establish primary level public schools that only teach in Russian
• Ban any form of Korean language schooling
• Abolish the local monarchy
• Ban the construction of any Korean owned facilities (case-by-case exemptions)

Most of modern Russia (let alone the old Empire) was colonised and literally nowhere did they impose all the platform planks you're suggesting. Some of them for short lengths of time, yes, all of them? Never.

In fact even during the worst bone-headed Russification moments of the 1880s, the vernacular was not criminalised and local language schools were not banned. In fact the Russians were remarkably poor at either attempting or succeeding in forced assimilation compared to the more advanced Western Europea bureaucracies. Imperial Russia in the 19th c. failed in so trivial a task as to make their Cyrillic versions of the local languages widely accepted on territories that they held for hundreds of years.

 

[mlp]

Bump for more opinions on other forms of colonisation.

 

[Sebbywafers]

If the Russians get Korea and win the Russo-Japanese war in the same TL, This will surely disrupt the OTL agreement where Inner Mongolia was Japanese-influenced and Outer Mongolia was Russian-influenced. This could very well mean that when Qing explodes and the Russians back a new Mongolian nation, Inner Mongolia is included too. That could have some very interesting implications I reckon.

 

[ZhugeLiang]

If the Russians get Korea and win the Russo-Japanese war in the same TL, This will surely disrupt the OTL agreement where Inner Mongolia was Japanese-influenced and Outer Mongolia was Russian-influenced. This could very well mean that when Qing explodes and the Russians back a new Mongolian nation, Inner Mongolia is included too. That could have some very interesting implications I reckon.

The Qing might not explode (as quickly, or at all). The Russians heavily supported the Qing over any alternative.