Alaska-The Red Frontier

WI Alaska had stayed in Russian hands into the 20th century; could it have wound up as part of the Soviet Union, sort of an "Arctic Cuba?"
 
I've heard some say that if it would have stayed Russian, it might have been a refuge for the "White Russians" (the Tsar's forces?)
 

ninebucks

Banned
I've heard some say that if it would have stayed Russian, it might have been a refuge for the "White Russians" (the Tsar's forces?)

That's assuming the Red's ignore it, which they might, but they might not. At a meeting of Red commanders there would be many arguments either way, on the one hand, invading Alaska would involve a naval campaign, and the White's have the advantage there, on the other hand, the Reds will need to assert naval superiority sooner or later, on the other hand, invading Alaska would detract forces from more important areas, on the other hand, ignoring Alaska would give the Whites somewhere to regroup, on the other hand, invading Alaska would antagonise the two most powerful capitalist powers in the world, the British Empire and the United States of America... and so on, and so on.
 
That's assuming the Red's ignore it, which they might, but they might not. At a meeting of Red commanders there would be many arguments either way, on the one hand, invading Alaska would involve a naval campaign, and the White's have the advantage there, on the other hand, the Reds will need to assert naval superiority sooner or later, on the other hand, invading Alaska would detract forces from more important areas, on the other hand, ignoring Alaska would give the Whites somewhere to regroup, on the other hand, invading Alaska would antagonise the two most powerful capitalist powers in the world, the British Empire and the United States of America... and so on, and so on.

Given that the British had already intervened on teh side of the Whites in Russia, they certainly wouldnt have sat theer and let the Reds invade a country next door to Canada.

If the Whites fled there, it would probably have ended up somewhat like Taiwan did re. China. - claimed by the Reds, who are unable to do anything about it, while recognised as independent by everyone else (probably while claiming Russis, which would be quietly ignored by the rest of the world)
 
Given that the British had already intervened on teh side of the Whites in Russia, they certainly wouldnt have sat theer and let the Reds invade a country next door to Canada.

If the Whites fled there, it would probably have ended up somewhat like Taiwan did re. China. - claimed by the Reds, who are unable to do anything about it, while recognised as independent by everyone else (probably while claiming Russis, which would be quietly ignored by the rest of the world)

Agreed, though its proximity to Canada and the US IMO means its more likely to develop a more democratic gov't than Taiwan, plus one that is relatively well off due to gold and oil deposits.
 
I also don't see the USSR invading a free Alaska like in the timeline that glenn67 posted. Stalin was far more concerned about Communism in Russia than spreading it elsewhere. And by the time Russia did start to eye expanding its influence during the Cold War, America would have been willing and able to defend Alaska (or probably named Alyaska which I believe was the original Russian name).
 

ninebucks

Banned
I also don't see the USSR invading a free Alaska like in the timeline that glenn67 posted. Stalin was far more concerned about Communism in Russia than spreading it elsewhere. And by the time Russia did start to eye expanding its influence during the Cold War, America would have been willing and able to defend Alaska (or probably named Alyaska which I believe was the original Russian name).

Free Alaska? Bare in mind these are the Whites we're talking about.

And Communism in One Country would still apply to Alaska, it was, afterall, part of the Russian Empire, (not that Stalin would be there to be concerned, of course).
 
Depending on what time frame the Russians still have Alaska, 1920's or 1905? Not sure if this happens in WWII, if there is a WWII in TTL. Would Japan then try to seize Alaska from the Russians/Soviets then? Heck they did attack the Aleutians when it was an American possesion anyway.
In any case the U.S and Britain would not allow communist forces so close to them in North America. If it is white Russians that some how keep hold of Alaska, then it will sure be monitored by the Americans and British.

For the scenario to play out this is going to have to take place before 1900. I am still certain that even in Seward did not make a grab for this, another American or maybe even the British would have sooner or later.
 
Thers is one thing that i think people miss here. In the 1860s , when seward bought alaska of the russians , Alaska was barely Habitable from a russian point of view. The total number of europeans (I.E. Russians) was less than 15000 , mainly centred around a handfull of trading stations, And the Tsar proffesed no intentions to either increase the population , or improve the pitifull infrastructure that kept them supplied. The fact of the matter was that the colonial economy had been based primarialy on the fur trade , somthing that had collapsed by 1869. I doubt that the situation would have been much better by 1917. A white army evacuating to Russia under these conditions would have frozen , starved and revolted , and not neccesarily in that order.
Thus two things are needed , a reason to retain a colony , and the means to expand it.

There are a couple of things that might have allowed this.

1)Discovery of Gold. In OTL , gold was discovered in the Klondyke , causing the alaskan population to boom with all the propectors. However , most of these prospectors came from the US and relied on shipping from California and British Columbia to keep it going. If the Russians followed thier traditional protectionist policies and kept the fields closed to outsiders and having a high degree of state intervention , than few would have come( or they would have warred with the British Empire) . Alternatively , if they had allowed foreigners in , then a tiny minority of the population would have been Russian by 1917 , loosening Russian control.

2) More extensive development of Russias far eastern Territories. One of the main factors that kept Russian Alaska underdeveloped was the fact that many of the supplies for the colony essentialy had to come from European Russia , on the other side of the world. Until the completion of the trans-siberian railway in 1916 , this meant they would have meant a long voyage around cape horn at the mercy of the weather and the Royal Navy. If the railway had been completed earlier , and Russias intended build up in the far east had been completed , then the increased infrastructure facilities (That in OTL came from California) could have resulted in cheaper supplies and easier integration of the alaskan wilderness.

3)A greater willingness on behalf of the US and the British empire to aid the White Russians. Even if Alaska had remained a wilderness incapable of supporting an army ,British or American supplies could have allowed the Tsarists to make Alaska a redoubt , And with the difficulties of taking the campaign there (along with a lack of political will to do so) might have made the soviets think twice before launching an invasion
 
On the other hand, we might get Socialist-Revolutionary Alaska...now that would be an interesting timeline.
 
Variation

Many moons ago, I put up a scenario in which Alaska remained Russian until 1905 when it was ceded to Japan under the Treaty of Portsmouth. Given the knowledge of the wealth of the territory, I think it might have been a more reasonable request for the Japanese Empire to make.

Alaska is an Imperial Province governed by a relative of the Emperor until the 1930s when it becomes a military and scientific trasining ground as well as a penal colony - in this timeline, the invasion of Manchuria happens later.

War between the Japanese Empire and the United States broke out following the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941. Given the severity of the winter conditions and the remoteness of the region, there was no immediate military action in the Alaskan Theatre.

On May 15th 1942, a Japanese air and naval force attacked Vancouver causing widespread damage and destruction. Japanese aircraft raided Seattle and Spokane in June and July.

In October 1942, a sharp American/Canadian offensive pushed Japanese forces back from the Canadian frontier.

By the spring of 1945, Japanese forces in Alaska were isolated from the homeland. On August 10th 1945, as part of the offensive in Manchuria and Sakhalin, a Soviet force crossed the Bering Strait and landed on the west coast of Alaska. Within a few days, Soviet tanks had reached the Alaskan provincial capital and the Alaska Army yielded.

Alaska became an Autonomous Republic in 1946 and soon Soviet troops were facing NATO forces along the Alaska-Canada frontier. However, the severity of the terrain precluded any direct military action.

In March 1990, Soviet troops withdrew and a few months later Alaska seceded from the Soviet Union as the Democratic Republic of Alaska. The new nation quickly established close trading links with Canada and the USA and became a favoured tourist destination for those seeking the remote and the wild.

Alaskan politics are dominated by the Alaskan Front, a broadly centre-right party encouraging further investment. However, a growing Green movement developed quickly after 2000 and in the recent Alaskan election, the Green Party won a majority in the Parliament.
 
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