Plausibility check: could an European become emperor of China

Zagan

Donor
The Tsar of a more eastern-oriented Russia could perhaps become Emperor of China after a successful invasion from a better developed Siberia.
 
Considering we had an event like the Taiping Rebellion in our timeline why not use a variation on that? Rather than someone like Hong Xiquan it's a European missionary, with a previous career in the military, who gets knocked on the head or has a psychological incident and starts preaching a revised gospel and founds a new sect. Things start to spiral out of control from there, he puts his former military training to good use so that the rebels are even more effective, and eventually he's sitting on the throne having claimed the, new, Mandate of Heaven.
Thing is, the Taiping Rebellion didn't become so widespread because they were Christians, it was because they were Han rebelling against the hated foreign Manchu. Introducing European Christianity as the basis of a rebellion is a very hard sell; the Manchu publicly conformed to and cultivated Chinese traditions (save the hair thing), while imposing European Christianity would be both foreign and in conflict with Chinese traditions.
 
Can European nations even supply a full scale invasion on the other side of the planet at this point in history? Invading Japan is a chore (islands, 75% mountains, etc.) and, past that, Japan tried conquering China and Korea OTL in this period. It couldn't even manage conquering Korea, even with arquebuses and an century-of-war-tested army numbering over 100,000 strong and the Joseon's absolute lack of preparation (because they saw Japan as uncivilized. They'll pay mind to a foreign barbarian from the other side of the world who's managed to conquer the entirety of Japan with a massive force from across the world). European ships and supply systems don't do too well in uncharted territory in a land far away, especially considering the Korean navy did do well due to skillful use of Korea's coastline and traps.

I think you've completely misread my post. No Europeans could conquer Japan ever. But allying and influencing is possible. The Euro's wouldn't work against the asians, they would use them on their side. The supplies for the European fleet wouldn't have to come halfway around the world from Europe because the supply base is in Japan. Although the Japanese navy of the era was inferior to the korean one, that was because they were using inadequate ships and had no naval combat technology/doctrine. Give them some of the latest western ships and crews and I have little doubt that the tide of the war would change dramatically in favor of the invaders.
 
Frankly, we would need The Unparalleled Invasion level mass deaths for an European power to take China, or we would have to extend the meaning of "European" to something like Hellenized Central Asia.
 
Really, I'd have expected ALEXANDER IN KOREA CHINA to make an appearance in this thread by now....

Eh, I didn't feel like it. :p

That said, here's a batshit insane idea:

The Papacy favors the Jesuits in the Chinese rites controversy, and the Dutchmen are crushed underfoot by the Spaniards, and Koxinga is converted to Christianity.

Thus, with Spanish help, the Ming remnants go off and reclaim China in the name of Christ. :p
 
I don't know about China or Japan but I could see a European Monarchy coming in to late Joseon, conquering it, and building a new 'dynasty' (which is actually just making it a part of the European nation) and the 'Emperor' never steps foot in Korea.

I don't know maybe.
 
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