Deleted member 109224
...The Prince of Lichtenstein was offered Alaska?
Lichtensteinian Alaska was on the table?
What?
Alaska as a Canadian province
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...The Prince of Lichtenstein was offered Alaska?
Lichtensteinian Alaska was on the table?
What?
If Alaska was a Canadian province/territory that may have some interesting knock on effects. Firstly, I'm going to be assuming a bit of an 1860s POD. First is that in 1866 through clashes with the Andrew Johnston Administration and the Senate, William Seward is forced to resign from the Cabinet, never being able to get his Alaska purchase off the ground, grinding Russian talks to a halt. Secondly, in 1868, the Disraeli Government survives it's first general election. Cut to 1871, Canada is now affirming it's desire to build a transcontinental railroad and British Columbia has agreed to join Confederation. Canada now, for all intents and purposes, stretches from coast to coast. Russia, which in conjunction with the opening of the Suez Canal and the Canadian desire to build their transcontinental railroad, are very unnerved by this. Approaches to the Grant Administration have been rebuffed due to lack of interest, and no other European power seems intrigued by this territory at the end of the world. In turn, they reluctantly approach the British government on interest of buying it. Disraeli, who loved grand imperial gestures, and loathed Russia, agrees. He enters into negotiations and in 1873 Alaska is purchased for a sum which probably ends up seeming extravagant in British pounds, and depending may cost Disraeli the election.
That aside, the stewardship of Alaska is first given to the Royal Navy in Esquimalt, something that the commander right balks at. He quickly forms a working relationship with the provincial government, and a joint naval/dominion working group begins to administer the far flung 'British Alaskan Territory'. Now at some point Gladstone is going to make it into office and despairing of the expense he will probably decide to sell this far flung territory to Canada for a pittance, which he does, we shall assume some point before 1885. In doing so Alaska drops into the lap of Canada.
Now, all that being said, what really changes? Arguably not much in the early period. It's another big icy lump up north atop more icy vastness Canada already has. Now there's obviously going to be surveyors and prospectors in the 1880s, and who knows, maybe someone will note gold in that time period? But let's just say gold is discovered around the same time as OTL and so Canada is suddenly rushing to manage a new gold rush at the turn of the century across Yukon and Alaska. Since there's no international boundary, prospectors from Canada and the US flood into the region and Canada has trouble controlling it. They have to police the three routes (the All Canada Route, the Skagewadyea Route and the All Water Route by sea up the Yukon River) which probably necessitates dispatching a big commitment of both army troops, North West Mounted Police and government officials, leading to a far larger understanding of the territory. This will probably generate the similar rushes in Nome and elsewhere along the Yukon of OTL leading to a larger Canadian commitment.
This has flip effects where you see the Canadian Numbered Treaty system brought north in an effort to police the place, while the Canadian government probably also hands over most of the pan-handle to British Columbia to rationalize the region. The Alaska Territory is probably officially incorporated sometime in the 1890s. The population probably stays at a pretty static 50-60,000 for a time as the gold rush ends, and people leave in droves and only business interests are left managing small communities alongside government surveyors and Indian agents with a NWMP presence.
This all said and done though, there's not going to be too many changes. Other than the huge gold boom, not much is all that different. Unless oil is found earlier (IMO unlikely) then by and large timber and fishing will be the resources available to the government. The area will be treated as such probably for longer TTL. It won't be until the later 20th century when more intensive oil exploration begins that this really kicks a difference into gear. Say that by the 1960s Canada has really begun working hard on the whole Oil Sands issue, and surveyors have discovered the oil reserves in Northern Alaska. This will probably prompt whatever Canadian government which is around to begin exploitation through to the 1970s. By that point Canada is going to be a marginally richer nation, more oil reserves, and perhaps with good stewardship nominally energy independent.
Canada probably gets a reputation as the 'oil barons of the North' while also being the second largest nation in the world after Russia.
That aside, the stewardship of Alaska is first given to the Royal Navy in Esquimalt, something that the commander right balks at. He quickly forms a working relationship with the provincial government, and a joint naval/dominion working group begins to administer the far flung 'British Alaskan Territory'. Now at some point Gladstone is going to make it into office and despairing of the expense he will probably decide to sell this far flung territory to Canada for a pittance, which he does, we shall assume some point before 1885. In doing so Alaska drops into the lap of Canada.
Now, all that being said, what really changes? Arguably not much in the early period. It's another big icy lump up north atop more icy vastness Canada already has. Now there's obviously going to be surveyors and prospectors in the 1880s, and who knows, maybe someone will note gold in that time period? But let's just say gold is discovered around the same time as OTL and so Canada is suddenly rushing to manage a new gold rush at the turn of the century across Yukon and Alaska. Since there's no international boundary, prospectors from Canada and the US flood into the region and Canada has trouble controlling it. They have to police the three routes (the All Canada Route, the Skagewadyea Route and the All Water Route by sea up the Yukon River) which probably necessitates dispatching a big commitment of both army troops, North West Mounted Police and government officials, leading to a far larger understanding of the territory. This will probably generate the similar rushes in Nome and elsewhere along the Yukon of OTL leading to a larger Canadian commitment.
This has flip effects where you see the Canadian Numbered Treaty system brought north in an effort to police the place, while the Canadian government probably also hands over most of the pan-handle to British Columbia to rationalize the region. The Alaska Territory is probably officially incorporated sometime in the 1890s. The population probably stays at a pretty static 50-60,000 for a time as the gold rush ends, and people leave in droves and only business interests are left managing small communities alongside government surveyors and Indian agents with a NWMP presence.
This all said and done though, there's not going to be too many changes. Other than the huge gold boom, not much is all that different. Unless oil is found earlier (IMO unlikely) then by and large timber and fishing will be the resources available to the government. The area will be treated as such probably for longer TTL. It won't be until the later 20th century when more intensive oil exploration begins that this really kicks a difference into gear. Say that by the 1960s Canada has really begun working hard on the whole Oil Sands issue, and surveyors have discovered the oil reserves in Northern Alaska. This will probably prompt whatever Canadian government which is around to begin exploitation through to the 1970s. By that point Canada is going to be a marginally richer nation, more oil reserves, and perhaps with good stewardship nominally energy independent.
Canada probably gets a reputation as the 'oil barons of the North' while also being the second largest nation in the world after Russia.
The Russian Tsar offered alyaska not to Liechtenstein but to the house of Liechtenstein from which the principality took its name from, the most likely outcome for
alaska in such a scenario is that it is given to a second son of the prince of liechtenstein
If that rumor was true, then prince Johann II, the prince of the Prince of Liechtenstein between 1858 and 1929, would be the Prince of Alaska. The problem is, he had no sons. Upon his death in 1929, he was succeeded by his brother Franz I. And Franz had no children either. Franz I was succeded by his grand nephew Franz Joseph II. Franz Joseph had multiple sons and his second son was Prince Philip (and no, not de prince Philip of Engeland), who is still in live to this day and has three sons. Another option is that Prince Karl Alfred, the brother of of Franz Joseph II, would be the the prince of Alaska.
Yes, similar to how the King of Belgium owned the Congo until 1908, not Belgium itself.
Johann II probably wouldn't personally rule the territory. It would most likely be ruled by a company with Johann II being the biggest shareholder, and his shares would be sold off upon his death, or even before if Johann II lost money on it (which he probably would have).
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