Alyaska: Russo-Judaeo Theocracy

First Alternate History, so give me a break, yeah? Also, I posted in the Pre-1900 as the Point of Divergence is initially then (1860s), but the real affair begins in 1905-1906, so if this needs to be moved, so be it.

Points of Divergence: Confederacy wins the Civil War, thus causing turmoil and bankruptcy in the USA, including the end of Republican dominance (i.e. McClellan is in the White House in 1865). Thus Russia does not sell Alaska to the USA. (In OTL, Russia likely would have sold it to either the US or Canada/UK, but as the UK was doing all they could to counterbalance the Russians... I thought that Russia might have wanted to use Alaska as a buffer state, so to speak.)

Everything outside the US follows more or less as OTL, until...

Following Tsar Nicholas II's October Manifesto (in response to the Russian Revolution of 1905), the State Duma of the Russian Empire capitalized on the anti-Semitic pogroms sweeping the Empire since the 1880s, and chartered the Autonomous Jewish Duchy in Alaska. Many Jews, fearing for their lives, volunteered to head this new settlement program. Stipulations imposed by the Duma, however, required those involved to first help construct the Trans-Siberian Railway to the Pacific, under military guard for "protection against undue prejudices."

That's as far as I've really thought, but consider this:

--The railway would have been finished sooner, perhaps a couple of years, and possibly the construction of a Bering Strait Bridge (eventually).
--More migration within the Russian Empire, as in OTL with the added sales of cheap Siberian grain, etc.
--Jews, learning of the Alyaska project decide to move there instead (During these Pogroms of the late 1800s and early 1900s, many Jews fled to the UK and US).
--The Population of Alyaska grows much swifter than OTL, bolstering trade with the North American west coast, and the exploitation of natural resources.
--Following the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, Alyaska may, having their own Jewish Duma (presumably) would have averted the Communist Uprising, devoping instead into a Theocracy.

I realize this whole Timeline needs filling out, but I just thought I'd post it here as over the past few days I've been stunned by the amount of knowledge, tact, and imagination expressed in these forums. So any suggestions, please!

-Troyer IV
 
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Bump?

Forgive my zealotry, I'm just not that keen on history since 1453, so anything at all would help.

Are you a timetraveller who just ISOTd to present day from 1453!?

Seriously, it looks good, but as you said, it could benefit from some fleshing out. It's certainly interesting enough.
 
I wish I could time travel... that would be the best!

No, its just that I've always been far more interested with pre-gunpowder arms and military functions. I kind of grabbed at 1453 since it is sometimes referred to as the end of the Middle Ages and the onset of the Renaissance. Renaissance politics, among other things, made my head spin so I lost interest afterwards.

I've begun working on a few pages at the Alternate History Wiki, tagging all of them with "Aftermath" so its easier to recognize which is related. Only a few skeletons started, so far. But once this semester is over, I'll likely have more time to dedicate to it.
 
Couple of things:

1. Why make it a Duchy? Who would be the Duke of a Jewish state, especially considering the anti-semitism which would drive this whole thing forward? Might be better to start it off as a special Russian territory and have it become an independent 'Free State'/something after someone wars against Russia and wins/internal rebellion cripples the Tsardom.

2. If Russia holds onto an overseas territory past 1900, surely their navy might be better prepared for action in the Pacific and thus defeat/do better against Japan in the Russo-Japanese War, avoiding the embarrassment of loss and avoid the whole 1905/Provisional Government/Bolshevik thing in the first place?

3. What's the arable land like up in Alaska? Would the larger population be dependent on imports for food?

4. I'm assuming there's no Klondike Gold Rush in this TL? If there was, why would the Russian government send people they don't want to a place with gold mines and already heavy immigration?
 
Couple of things:

1. Why make it a Duchy? Who would be the Duke of a Jewish state, especially considering the anti-semitism which would drive this whole thing forward? Might be better to start it off as a special Russian territory and have it become an independent 'Free State'/something after someone wars against Russia and wins/internal rebellion cripples the Tsardom.

2. If Russia holds onto an overseas territory past 1900, surely their navy might be better prepared for action in the Pacific and thus defeat/do better against Japan in the Russo-Japanese War, avoiding the embarrassment of loss and avoid the whole 1905/Provisional Government/Bolshevik thing in the first place?

3. What's the arable land like up in Alaska? Would the larger population be dependent on imports for food?

4. I'm assuming there's no Klondike Gold Rush in this TL? If there was, why would the Russian government send people they don't want to a place with gold mines and already heavy immigration?

First, let me thank you for your candid responses. I had not considered a great deal of detail, so this will greatly help. Following are my responses:

1. The Duchy was just a quick guess as to the Russia Political System prior to the Tsar's downfall. The only things I really knew of Russia pre-USSR were the words "tsar" and "duma" and I only have a vague sense what the Duma was, a legislative body of some kind.

2. It may depend on the level of value placed upon Alaska by the ruling class(es) of Russia. If, for example, there were only minor settlements of commercial whaling and whatnot, the navy may be less required to guard the Alaskan coast than that of Vladivostok. Interesting, I'll have to look more into this as well.

3. If nothing else, some minor agricultural product (the Pacific coast of North America is more temperate than the Atlantic coast, mostly because of the Oceanic cycles of warm and cold waters), as well as the usual sort of whaling, forestry, and trade. I'm not sure what the fullest extent of farming may be acquired, but I'm sure there would be enough to feed the relatively small population... maybe.

4. I had actually not even considered the Gold Rush in the slightest. As I said, I'm not too great on post-Medieval history, and American history least of all. That's somewhat sad, as I am from the US... IF Russia did hold onto Alaska, it may be that the Gold would have prompted earlier construction of a railway, a higher influx of immigrants from Russia, and therefore a larger naval presence. The question of the navy, however, comes down to technology and leadership than numbers... or at least I would assume.

I'll check all of these out, thanks again!

-Troyer IV
 
Fair enough, and you're doing better than many new members by thinking things out beforehand and trying to do research. It's a good idea, and worth working on.

1. Doing a very brief search on Wikipedia, it looks like Alaska had been running on some sort of company-colonization thing similar to the Hudson Bay Company or British East India Company, although on a smaller scale. Some sort of disaster, either militarily (look into the Aleuts with that) or politically (scandal, disfavor, or angry Brits) could force the colony to be siezed by the government and turned into a national colony, likely ruled by a colonial governor.

2. Again after a brief scan on Wikipedia, it looks like most of Russian Alaska's economy relied on the fur trade, which appears to have been mostly tapped out by the mid-19th century. Likely little value is placed on the colony, which is part of the reason it was sold to the US in OTL.

3. The southern panhandle of the state sounds like it has a climate similar to Seattle and the rest of the northwest Pacific Coast, which makes sense. Dunno what the farming is like out there, though.

4. Part of the reason why I mention larger Pacific navies is the issue of the Baltic Fleet in the Russo-Japanese War. After the first few months of the war in OTL, it became obvious that reinforcements were needed in the east. The nearest ships were in the Baltic, however, and it took the fleet far too long to reach Port Arthur and Vladivostok- the war started in early 1904, but the Baltic Fleet only arrived in the Pacific in May of 1905.

It's okay if you're not feeling so sharp with post-medieval history. This sort of thing is a great excuse for research and learning about an era you knew little to none about before, and I heartily encourage it.
 
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Okay, here are the highlights of what I've learned:

--1799 Russian-American Company chartered, first state-sponsored commercial trading company, fell under Ministry of Commerce of Imperial Russia. Founding of Novo-Arkangelsk for maritime trade. Fur trade began to decline by 1820s.

--1818 the Russian government had taken control of the Russian-American Company from the merchants who held the charter. Prince Dmitri Petrovich Maksutov was the last reigning Governor of the company.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitri_Petrovich_Maksutov

--1860s begins the Western Union telegraph line from California to Moscow. This leads through British Columbia, Alaska, and Siberia. It is abandoned before it is completed after a couple of years. Russia, approached by the US to help fund it, don't care and to barter their debts (I suppose) sell off Alaska to the US in 1867.

--1896 begins the Klondike Gold Rush. The 'Klondike' is located in the Yukon Territory (according to the map I've looking at).

So, there's the Government control, but I'm not altogether sure in what way, so I'll delve for more.

Also, if the US is in disarray following the Civil War, the Western Union telegraph may not take place (plans were made, but no action until 1865--and by this time the war was over).

That leaves about 70 years between the Imperial control and the Klondike Rush. What's to keep them from selling the company in the meantime, other than to play counter to the British Empire?

I also found the date 1881 where the Company had ceased all commercial ventures, but by that time the land was in US hands, so that would be irrelevant in an AH, yes?

But then, again I know it's basic Wiki (not exactly academic), I found this quote, which may have encouraged the "autonomous" region I first mentioned: "...the difficulties of supplying and protecting such a distant colony, brought about a waning interest."

So... any thought?
 
Intriguing idea. Definitely needs to be fleshed out and more research will be needed, but this could be incredible if done right. :)

Points to consider:

1 - "Butterfly Effect": your POD is in the 1860s. There WILL be changes trickling out from there such that by 1900 the world will be notably different. There may be no Nicholas II or Lenin (both born after the POD), at least not in the same way. Even if you handwave the "different genetics" a devout Butterflyist will insist upon their childhood experiences will change with the new TL. World politics will unfold differently as well. With the US now spit, the US will not be the ones likely to "open up" Japan, ergo Japanese-Russian politics will change ergo different or no Russo-Japanese war.

2 - Agriculture: Alaska will support cold-weather crops, so the basic Russian package of Rye, Beets, and Cabbage will do well given aritable land. The hard part is land. Most of Alaska tends towards mountainous or swampy or permafrost. South coastal Alaska will be difficult due to the lack of flat land beyond a few small alluvial plains (such as Anchorage). However Interior (Fairbanks/Yukon valley) Alaska will work well enough.

3 - Gold/Minerals: Alaska's great for these things. There will be an Alaska gold rush (and copper rush) when it's discovered. This will bring prospectors from America and Canada and as big and empty as Alaska is getting and keeping them out will be more impossible than US-Mexican border patrol. This creates a major demographic change, which for a TL is dramatic gold.

4 - Gold = wealth = cash for the Tsar = major changes in Russian economics and politics. This may mean preventing the OTL downfall, or it may hasten it if a suddenly cash-flushed Tsar goes on a spending spree and sets up an unsustainable economic system. Look at Spanish merchantilism: all that gold from Mexico and Peru, yet they still managed to bankrupt the treasury on lavish projects and costly wars.

5 - Canada-Alaska conflict: border disputes were solved peacefully OTL between the UK and US. Will Russo-British competition on the continent and the seas allow the same?

6 - Jewish Demographics: who ends up in Alaska? What do they know? What are their skills? Banking? Science? Farming? Trades? Does this strange "new homeland" attract non-Russian Jews? How does this affect European demographics? How does this affect US demographics if the Jews that flooded Ellis Island are now heading to Sitka? Do the Jews rebel and attempt to set up a Nieu Yisroyael?
 
First Alternate History, so give me a break, yeah? Also, I posted in the Pre-1900 as the Point of Divergence is initially then (1860s), but the real affair begins in 1905-1906, so if this needs to be moved, so be it.

Points of Divergence: Confederacy wins the Civil War, thus causing turmoil and bankruptcy in the USA, including the end of Republican dominance (i.e. McClellan is in the White House in 1865). Thus Russia does not sell Alaska to the USA. (In OTL, Russia likely would have sold it to either the US or Canada/UK, but as the UK was doing all they could to counterbalance the Russians... I thought that Russia might have wanted to use Alaska as a buffer state, so to speak.)

Everything outside the US follows more or less as OTL, until...

Following Tsar Nicholas II's October Manifesto (in response to the Russian Revolution of 1905), the State Duma of the Russian Empire capitalized on the anti-Semitic pogroms sweeping the Empire since the 1880s, and chartered the Autonomous Jewish Duchy in Alaska. Many Jews, fearing for their lives, volunteered to head this new settlement program. Stipulations imposed by the Duma, however, required those involved to first help construct the Trans-Siberian Railway to the Pacific, under military guard for "protection against undue prejudices."

That's as far as I've really thought, but consider this:

--The railway would have been finished sooner, perhaps a couple of years, and possibly the construction of a Bering Strait Bridge (eventually).
--More migration within the Russian Empire, as in OTL with the added sales of cheap Siberian grain, etc.
--Jews, learning of the Alyaska project decide to move there instead (During these Pogroms of the late 1800s and early 1900s, many Jews fled to the UK and US).
--The Population of Alyaska grows much swifter than OTL, bolstering trade with the North American west coast, and the exploitation of natural resources.
--Following the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, Alyaska may, having their own Jewish Duma (presumably) would have averted the Communist Uprising, devoping instead into a Theocracy.

-Troyer IV
1) Actually, the TSR was initially completed in 1903, in time to be able to send troops and equipment for the Russo-Japanese war. Work continued, indeed for another decade or so (1916 is a date I see).

2) Look at a map of Russia and where the TSR goes. You'd have to have to build another RR roughly half as long as the TSR, through even nastier terrain, just to get to the Bering Strait. Then you have to build through Alyeska. No fun at all. Might be a MUCH later project if Alyeska really gets off the ground.
 
2 - Agriculture: Alaska will support cold-weather crops, so the basic Russian package of Rye, Beets, and Cabbage will do well given aritable land. The hard part is land. Most of Alaska tends towards mountainous or swampy or permafrost. South coastal Alaska will be difficult due to the lack of flat land beyond a few small alluvial plains (such as Anchorage). However Interior (Fairbanks/Yukon valley) Alaska will work well enough.


??? I can imagine a few places that might grow crops, but most of Alaska is northern and cold, with a really short growing season, no? What agriculture happened OTL in the Yukon valley? AFAIK, during the Gold Rushes, all the food was imported..
 
Geekhis Khan said:
Intriguing idea. Definitely needs to be fleshed out and more research will be needed, but this could be incredible if done right. :)

Points to consider:

1 - "Butterfly Effect": your POD is in the 1860s. There WILL be changes trickling out from there such that by 1900 the world will be notably different. There may be no Nicholas II or Lenin (both born after the POD), at least not in the same way. Even if you handwave the "different genetics" a devout Butterflyist will insist upon their childhood experiences will change with the new TL. World politics will unfold differently as well. With the US now spit, the US will not be the ones likely to "open up" Japan, ergo Japanese-Russian politics will change ergo different or no Russo-Japanese war.

2 - Agriculture: Alaska will support cold-weather crops, so the basic Russian package of Rye, Beets, and Cabbage will do well given aritable land. The hard part is land. Most of Alaska tends towards mountainous or swampy or permafrost. South coastal Alaska will be difficult due to the lack of flat land beyond a few small alluvial plains (such as Anchorage). However Interior (Fairbanks/Yukon valley) Alaska will work well enough.

3 - Gold/Minerals: Alaska's great for these things. There will be an Alaska gold rush (and copper rush) when it's discovered. This will bring prospectors from America and Canada and as big and empty as Alaska is getting and keeping them out will be more impossible than US-Mexican border patrol. This creates a major demographic change, which for a TL is dramatic gold.

4 - Gold = wealth = cash for the Tsar = major changes in Russian economics and politics. This may mean preventing the OTL downfall, or it may hasten it if a suddenly cash-flushed Tsar goes on a spending spree and sets up an unsustainable economic system. Look at Spanish merchantilism: all that gold from Mexico and Peru, yet they still managed to bankrupt the treasury on lavish projects and costly wars.

5 - Canada-Alaska conflict: border disputes were solved peacefully OTL between the UK and US. Will Russo-British competition on the continent and the seas allow the same?

6 - Jewish Demographics: who ends up in Alaska? What do they know? What are their skills? Banking? Science? Farming? Trades? Does this strange "new homeland" attract non-Russian Jews? How does this affect European demographics? How does this affect US demographics if the Jews that flooded Ellis Island are now heading to Sitka? Do the Jews rebel and attempt to set up a Nieu Yisroyael?

1. Yes, I had considered that, and I've been trying to figure out how the break up of the US might affect other nations (as a whole, their international options, colonies, alliances, etc.) instead of individuals -- at this point! I will look further into it.

2. Alaska's only real arable regions are Matanuska valley (40 miles NE of Anchorage) and Kenai peninsula (60 miles SW of Anchorage). I do not know the immediate and maximum these farms can support, however.

3. If worked properly, a Jewish regime might be able to capitalize on this, but you are right. There's no way to keep them out, and the ensuing conflicts could make for international incidents...

4. Depending on when those items were found, and who was Tsar at the time... it would likely hasten the downfall. The final couple of Tsars were less than tactful or capable, IMHO. With their foolish meddling, it might turn into an earlier revolution.

5. The Russians prior to the would-be sell of Alaska had made certain concessions and demands on the extent of their territory, assumably this would have stayed in place had the Russians began an extensive colonization or not.

6. Some Jews end up in Alaska, presumably, again depending on when this emigration begins, and what it entails. The demographics would change, but then, depending on what the US looked like at the time, fewer might want to go there, so no Ellis problem. Non-Jews would come, as well, I'm sure. Especially once minerals were found. Rebellious Jews is something history has certainly not lacked, so it is quite possible depending on treatment by the Tsar, the influx in Gentiles, and other conditions. Could be.

Dathi THorfinnsson said:
1) Actually, the TSR was initially completed in 1903, in time to be able to send troops and equipment for the Russo-Japanese war. Work continued, indeed for another decade or so (1916 is a date I see).

2) Look at a map of Russia and where the TSR goes. You'd have to have to build another RR roughly half as long as the TSR, through even nastier terrain, just to get to the Bering Strait. Then you have to build through Alyeska. No fun at all. Might be a MUCH later project if Alyeska really gets off the ground.

1. I was thinking I had read that, but wasn't sure about the 1903. Well, that means I would just have to push up the movement, eh?

2. Yes, any Bering Bridge or Bering Railway would be a much much later endeavor.
 
??? I can imagine a few places that might grow crops, but most of Alaska is northern and cold, with a really short growing season, no? What agriculture happened OTL in the Yukon valley? AFAIK, during the Gold Rushes, all the food was imported..

Alaska's not a tropical paradise, but it's more temperate than most people assume given its latitude. While not ideal agricultural land (only 1% arratible and with a lousy growing season), Alaska is more than capable of agriculture. It does very well with potatoes (a major export, actually) and cabbages (the latter grow to ginormous size thanks to the near-constant sunlight in the summer months). Also gardening is common, though some crops like squashes do require artificial light supplements.

The U of Alaska Fairbanks has a notable Agricultural college.

Here's wiki's small entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska#Agriculture

which notes: "Due to the northern climate and steep terrain, relatively little farming occurs in Alaska. Most farms are in either the Matanuska Valley, about 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Anchorage, or on the Kenai Peninsula, about 60 miles (97 km) southwest of Anchorage. The short 100-day growing season limits the crops that can be grown, but the long sunny summer days make for productive growing seasons. The primary crops are potatoes, carrots, lettuce, corn, and cabbage."

Obviously not going to be a "breadbasket", but with fish and game and animals (cows and even reindeer) enough to support a not-excessive population without excessive imports.

Here's a website devoted to Alaska agriculture: http://www.alaskagrown.org/

Here's a gardening note: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art57131.asp

Food in the gold rush was imported because a) the huge influx of population numbers vastly outstripped the potential of the local resources, b) people were more interested in gold than growing potatoes, and c) huge winter populations required huge amounts of food.
 
Alaska's not a tropical paradise, but it's more temperate than most people assume given its latitude. While not ideal agricultural land (only 1% arratible and with a lousy growing season), Alaska is more than capable of agriculture. It does very well with potatoes (a major export, actually) and cabbages (the latter grow to ginormous size thanks to the near-constant sunlight in the summer months). Also gardening is common, though some crops like squashes do require artificial light supplements.

The U of Alaska Fairbanks has a notable Agricultural college.

Here's wiki's small entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska#Agriculture

which notes: "Due to the northern climate and steep terrain, relatively little farming occurs in Alaska. Most farms are in either the Matanuska Valley, about 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Anchorage, or on the Kenai Peninsula, about 60 miles (97 km) southwest of Anchorage. The short 100-day growing season limits the crops that can be grown, but the long sunny summer days make for productive growing seasons. The primary crops are potatoes, carrots, lettuce, corn, and cabbage."

Obviously not going to be a "breadbasket", but with fish and game and animals (cows and even reindeer) enough to support a not-excessive population without excessive imports.

Here's a website devoted to Alaska agriculture: http://www.alaskagrown.org/

Here's a gardening note: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art57131.asp

Food in the gold rush was imported because a) the huge influx of population numbers vastly outstripped the potential of the local resources, b) people were more interested in gold than growing potatoes, and c) huge winter populations required huge amounts of food.

Someone suggested Yukon valley, which seemed very unlikely to me. Now that you mention short-season veggies, I remember some record examples of ?I don't remember what? from Alaska, as you say.

I can't find any citation for the growing season of rye (barley or oats), but even Marquis wheat (which was the first short season spring wheat that really allowed profitable agriculture on the Canadian prairies) has a growing season of 107 days according to the one figure I found, and which is longer than your season.

If coastal Alaska stays warm enough, you might be able to grow winter rye, which would help a lot.
 
So that takes care of agriculture, in the long-run.

The problem I seem to be having the most is the actual movement of Russians (Jews and Gentiles) to Alaska for a reason. I suppose the pogroms and the widespread destruction could make some believe it better to exile the Jews en masse than allow it to continue... of course, that would lose a precious scapegoat for the Tsar.

Ideas?
 
Namewise, it couldn't have been a duchy, as Russia didn't have Dukes. The only high-ranking noblemen were called either Counts or Princes (prince being in the sense of someone with pretty complete soveigrnty over lots of land, not the next in line to the czar).

Fascinating concept. I suppose the official language would be Yiddish?
 

Teleology

Banned
I like the idea of a Jewish State in Alaska, it sounds interesting, but I don't know how many Jewish Russians would voluntarily emigrate to a frozen wasteland if they knew they would be conscripted into a massive forced labor project that will guarantee that the empire will always be able to get to them should it feel the need to persecute them further.


More likely they would still go to Britain/the US as in OTL.


However, the Jewish Duma voluntarily deciding to enact a railway project to connect them with nice neutral British Columbia, with a stipulation on the permission for the project being that they must also connect it to the main port for Russian ships, might make the whole thing make more sense. Or even just the regular Russian-oriented rail project you mention, but without it being a mandatory project under armed imperial guard.

If it was being managed by the Jewish Duma and protected by the local Jewish police, then there wouldn't be a PR problem. Plus the rail police might be the core cadre of the eventual army of the eventual independent state, the railway being their main excuse at paramilitary-level-armed police.
 
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