ANC/WI: Leopold II gets a colon elsewhere

Leopold II reportedly tried for several places before finally getting the Congo as his own colony. Where else could he have gone, as a way to make him invest too many resources to get into the Congo?

Granted, before event he Suez Canal it was harder to get to Asia but if he's willing to throw resources for enough of a potential return on investment, it could happen. So...

Vietnam, France got involved there in the 1860s but Leopold II could try to jump into thigns with Catholic missionaries and then get upset if they're mistreated.

China, a lot of countries were trying to carve out spheres of influence.

Japan: Could Belgium open Japan up if the U.S. is delayed for some reason? Admittedly Britain or Russia might leapfrog them then, but thsi is an alternate history challenge, after all.

What other places might Lepold II try to get his hands on? What would be the result if one of the above or, maybe mroe plausibly, some other place became Belgian? (And, I'm sure there's a possibility or two I'm not thinking of.)
 
Yeah, I was somewhat confused at first.

As to Leopold, the key reason he got the Congo is that no one else wanted it. Most of the other places on your list, that's not the case.

For instance, you mention opening Japan, but not only is Japan far too expensive (and harder to justify with the "humanitarian" fig-leaf Leopold used for the Congo Free State OTL), but in addition to the US, both Britain and Russia were preparing expeditions to open Japan at almost the same time. Stopping all three of them seems unlikely. And of course, the Dutch had already been there for centuries. It's also not likely to offer him the profit he wants (the US was mainly interested in it as a waypoint for more profitable trade with China; Japan itself doesn't have the natural resources the Congo does).

The Congo, on the other hand, was largely an unclaimed and mostly unexplored jungle, with only the Portuguese having even a tentative claim. It's no threat to anyone, so when Leopold expressed interest in establishing a "humanitarian" association dedicated to developing it and ridding it of the scourge of slavery while Christianizing its inhabitants, no one else really objected too hard.
 
Resolved, That these United Colons are, and of right ought to be, free and independent of your body.

A Belgian built Panama canal seems like a good plan but Leopold had money issues, which is why his Philippines plan failed, and I can't see him getting along reasonably well with the Panamanians like the US did. He'd do something stupid, violent, and oppressive and unlike the Congo where it was away from prying eyes Panama or the Philippines would draw instant attention.
 
So does Leopold have 2 colons or just one in a new place on his body? Is that were the II comes from?

(This reminds me of the Apace Nazi Thread)
 
thanks, y'all - oh, no, what a typo.:eek::eek: I wish I'd thought of that with all the other comedy in my "Vikings Sack San Marino" (at the lulu.com link below with my AH books) Oh, well, if I ever get time to do a squel to that NaNoWriMo, it'd be perfect.

As for North Borneo, do I dare make a comment about his colon being affected if he has too much Java (coffee?) (Note to self, use this if it does develop into a book idea.)
 

Stolengood

Banned
King Leopold's grand vision: :p

Endomucosal_resection_1.jpg
 
but a "title typo" hall of fame could be entertaining...

All the best,

I'd gladly a ccept the nomination. Although we couldn't call it a Turtledove, perhaps a Turtleglove; the award could be this glove looking kind of like one of those oven mitts with a cartoony turtle and a shell on the back.:)

(Yes, a bit further off from the original word, but another board I'm on has made barfoofs a meme after someone else meant to type about walking barefoot and typed they were waling barfoof.)
 

TFSmith121

Banned
The Turtletub?

I'd gladly a ccept the nomination. Although we couldn't call it a Turtledove, perhaps a Turtleglove; the award could be this glove looking kind of like one of those oven mitts with a cartoony turtle and a shell on the back.:)

(Yes, a bit further off from the original word, but another board I'm on has made barfoofs a meme after someone else meant to type about walking barefoot and typed they were waling barfoof.)

The Belgians having something of an empire is interesting; they were (more or less) an ally of the UK for much of the Nineteenth Century, and became independent early enough there was a fair amount of the globe as yet unclaimed (by Europeans) in the 1840s...maybe an earlier POD?

All the best,
 
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