British Palawan; is it possible?

If the Spanish Philippines faces an uprising in the 1890's and the U.S either stays out of it or performs poorly (lets just say the Spanish-American War doesn't happen or is confined to Cuba), could there be a chance for Palawan Island to be snatched by the British?
 
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The Sandman

Banned
Well, as I suggested in your TL, the Brookes of Sarawak could make a play for it, because they can deny that they're doing so on the behalf of the British and have it technically be true. The British themselves wouldn't unless they're willing to go to war with Spain, or unless there's some sort of multinational treaty dividing the Philippines in which Palawan is part of the British gains (in which case the Spanish would be forced to cede the colony or face an utterly unwinnable war).

What I'm not sure about, off the top of my head, is what resources can be gained beyond pretty borders and more land.
 
Well if you want Spain to not be at war when the Philippines has their uprising, I don't think any country will want to get involved and needlessly provoke a declaration of war or something from Spain.

One way of making intervention 'justified' could be to have the Spanish commit a lot more atrocities in the Philippines and, perhaps more importantly, for the world press to give a damn about it (maybe the hostility between Spain and the USA can play a role here).

Philippine revolutionaries then seize Palawan, but their strength is dwarfed by Spanish forces. So with nowhere else to go, they offer to cede themselves to the Brookes or something. In that case, maybe the sheer revulsion against Spain for their massacres comes into play, and the British 'broker' a deal in which Palawan goes to Sarawak and, in the course of time, to the UK.
 
I'm not sure why Britain would want it, though. I agree that the earlier suggestion about the Brookes making a grab for it is probably more practical.
 
Okay, I am interested in the Brookes taking Palawan, but one of the reasons why the Dynasty lasted for so long was because they didn't make any waves internationally. Taking an island that was once a Spanish Philippine possession will definitely make the outside world pay more attention to them, which will lead to a HUGE Pandora's Box of butterflies.

I need to think of something discreet. Unfortunately 1890's Philippines was anything but discreet for any nearby power.
 

SunDeep

Banned
There's a much easier earlier POD. Just like Sabah, Palawan used to be part of the Sulu Sultanate. Just have Alfred Dent purchase Palawan from the Sulu Sultanate along with Sabah in 1881, and you're there. Simple.
 
There was an incident during the OTL 1870s when the Spanish summarily executed both British and American citizens, crew from a ship that had been caught running guns to the Cuban rebels. IOTL the junta that then led Spain managed to placate the UK & USA: Have it be more intransigent instead, and have the UK & USA go to war as allies against the Spanish: The USA (with help from the Royal Navy) takes over in Cuba and Puerto Rico, but at this date the UK is in a much better position than the USA to take over the Philippines (Yes, all of them, not just Palawan...) and Spanish Micronesia...
 
I'm not sure why Britain would want it, though.

They could grab Palawan if necessary to secure the safety of passage to South China Sea. But it depends on who holds the rest of the Philippines, though.

There was an incident during the OTL 1870s when the Spanish summarily executed both British and American citizens, crew from a ship that had been caught running guns to the Cuban rebels. IOTL the junta that then led Spain managed to placate the UK & USA: Have it be more intransigent instead, and have the UK & USA go to war as allies against the Spanish

When did this happened exactly? OT: Can I take this idea for my TL?
 
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