Qing-Russian Alliance?

CECBC

Banned
What if Qing Dynasty China and Imperial Russia formed a serious alliance where they helped each other militarily, economically and diplomatically? A good POD for this would be Russia supporting the Qing in the Boxer Rebellion.

Could they have worked together to survive together instead of collapsing?
 
He could look to Germany and Austria-Hungary for European allies.

But the point is, if Nicholas supported the Qing during the Boxer Rebellion, it might have led to war with Germany (and Austria-Hungary, and possibly Britain too).
 
Why would Russia want to prop up a dynasty that served their interests much better as a weak puppet regime as per OTL?
 
But the point is, if Nicholas supported the Qing during the Boxer Rebellion, it might have led to war with Germany (and Austria-Hungary, and possibly Britain too).
War with the Seven Nation Alliance? Hell, Nick II might even get deposed for letting Russians die in the Legation for some yellow primates. :V

The point of the Boxer Rebellion is to get rid of foreigners, full stop. I doubt the rebels are going to make an exception for Russia just because they're buddies with the Qing.
 
War with the Seven Nation Alliance? Hell, Nick II might even get deposed for letting Russians die in the Legation for some yellow primates. :V

The point of the Boxer Rebellion is to get rid of foreigners, full stop. I doubt the rebels are going to make an exception for Russia just because they're buddies with the Qing.

Firstly, it was the Eight-Nation Alliance, not seven nation alliance.

Secondly, I'm not sure why you are quoting my post. It sounds like you are answering another comment.
 

CECBC

Banned
Why would Russia want to prop up a dynasty that served their interests much better as a weak puppet regime as per OTL?
Powerful ally and a counterweight to the Japanese. Qing China and Imperial Russia had a lot in common. They were both autocratic and deeply conservative monarchies with mutual enemies. Working together would be a lot better for both of them then fighting.

By support during the Boxer Rebellion I didn't mean full-on military support but more secret shipments of weapons, supplies and intelligence. Afterwards Russia could use it's diplomatic power to help China get off easy. At the very least they'd stay out of the whole thing and help the Qing government clean up the mess.
 

MrP

Banned
Powerful ally and a counterweight to the Japanese. Qing China and Imperial Russia had a lot in common. They were both autocratic and deeply conservative monarchies with mutual enemies.
That's rather like saying that Imperial Russia and the Ottoman Empire had a lot in common. That might have been true as far as it went, but that didn't make them friendly to each other.

Just as Russia's geopolitical goal of controlling the straits into the Mediterranean could only be achieved at the expense of the Ottomans, its geopolitical goal of getting an ice-free port on the Pacific could only be achieved at the expense of the Chinese. In order to found Vladivostok Russia had to annex half of Manchuria, and in order to found Port Arthur it needed at least to satellise the other half.
 
Powerful ally and a counterweight to the Japanese. Qing China and Imperial Russia had a lot in common. They were both autocratic and deeply conservative monarchies with mutual enemies. Working together would be a lot better for both of them then fighting.

By support during the Boxer Rebellion I didn't mean full-on military support but more secret shipments of weapons, supplies and intelligence. Afterwards Russia could use it's diplomatic power to help China get off easy. At the very least they'd stay out of the whole thing and help the Qing government clean up the mess.

Russia did use her diplomatic power to support the Qing government - because they wanted to gain Chinese de jure acceptance to their de facto occupation of Manchuria. Qing was moribund and powerless, and Russia merely wanted the dynasty to remain in power so that China wouldn't implode and create a regional crisis with Japan, Britain and other powers. And why would mighty Russian Empire need any help from other Asians against some silly midget nation like Japan? The root cause of the Russo-Japanese War the Russian arrogance and contempt towards Japan and Asian nations in general, and you'd need one mighty POD to change the attitude of the Tsarist elite.
 
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