Implications of a Soviet Alaska

But would Russia have gone communist?

Colonies often have acted as escape zones for malcontents, weirdos and visionaries, thereby preserving the conservative Old Order in the old country.
Russia's Jewish population was only 7%, yet Jews were some 40% of the Revolutionary movement...or so I've read. So perhaps Alaska could have become an emigration goal for a lot of the people who would otherwise have stayed in Mother Russia and stirred the pot.

So Alaska might have built a quasi-socialist society (pre-gold discovery), and Russia wouldn't have had a revolution. But after the discovery of gold?

Do Russia and Canada go to war?
 
Colonies often have acted as escape zones for malcontents, weirdos and visionaries, thereby preserving the conservative Old Order in the old country.
Russia's Jewish population was only 7%, yet Jews were some 40% of the Revolutionary movement...or so I've read. So perhaps Alaska could have become an emigration goal for a lot of the people who would otherwise have stayed in Mother Russia and stirred the pot.

So Alaska might have built a quasi-socialist society (pre-gold discovery), and Russia wouldn't have had a revolution. But after the discovery of gold?

Do Russia and Canada go to war?

There's an interesting idea! if you get a quasi-socialist state with a large Jewish population, that thins the socialist out of Zionism, and you end up with a more nationalistic/ethnic/religious Zionism.
 
Couldn't the revolution possibly spill into North America by doing that? Also, look at Vietnam, they won there despite the US's attempts, and willingness to wear itself out.

Otherwise, sure.

All,

It looks as though we see the US being able to just take Alaska when gold is discovered. The justification is that there are US citizens there. And let's face it, we are nto talking millions of people in Alaska.

That saying US policy is to invade any country anywhere and take any parts they wish based on economy, justifying it on US citizens being there.

That's strong stuff even at the turn of the last century.

I can't quite see US invading Russia under the Tsar.

I can see a US invasion during the intervention years, but even so, world opinion might not go for an annexation.

I think the Mexican wars were different, where at least there were more US citizens involved, the border a bit fluid (?), and Mexico not a strong nation (as Tsar Russia was after all, at least perceived as such).

Which president would sign off on annexation of a part of Russia? Can't see it. not plausible

Comments?

I agree. In this case, it'd be like expecting Mexico to invade and successfully take over Manitoba in For Want of a Nail or for the U.S. to successfully annex & assimilate(key word being assimilate. In both cases it is one thing to hold a territory, and quite another to successfully annex it) Peru and Chile in Decades of Darkness. You would either need a long string of PODs to make it work or you'd need some copious amounts of handwavium and reality bending, or perhaps both.
 
Top