Russia and Persia (1804-1813)

Since I started reading about history - not too long ago - I have noticed that a big driving factor in nearly all Russian foreign politics has been to find access to a warm water sea port.

They fought with the Ottomans in order to have full access to the Black Sea. Arguably a reason for there invasion of Afghanistan may have been to prepare for a future war to gain access to the Atlantic.

So, my proposition is; what if during the Russo-Persian Wars Russia had pushed through the Caucus and gone all the way down (claiming a strip of land) to the Shatt Al-Arab. This is an area where a lot of Iran's oil comes from.

-Would there have ever been a Russian Revolution, with all the potential oil?
-Would there have been the Russian Japanese wars?
etc..
 

abc123

Banned
Since I started reading about history - not too long ago - I have noticed that a big driving factor in nearly all Russian foreign politics has been to find access to a warm water sea port.

They fought with the Ottomans in order to have full access to the Black Sea. Arguably a reason for there invasion of Afghanistan may have been to prepare for a future war to gain access to the Atlantic.

So, my proposition is; what if during the Russo-Persian Wars Russia had pushed through the Caucus and gone all the way down (claiming a strip of land) to the Shatt Al-Arab. This is an area where a lot of Iran's oil comes from.

-Would there have ever been a Russian Revolution, with all the potential oil?
-Would there have been the Russian Japanese wars?
etc..

Yes. Russia allready had all the oil she needed and was biggest oil exporter before 1914.
And yes.
 
I think that the point is: were the Russians able to get that far? They'd to conquar at least something like a third of Persia, at least, or else they'd just get an indifensible long strip of nasty terrain with a hostile populace. With a port on a clsed sea a its end.
Probably not so worth the effort.
And my impression is that the warm water port thing is overestimated after all.
 
If Russia are conquering half of Persia to get a port on the Gulf, expect a war of Russia vs. Britain, Persia, Ottomans and anyone else wanting to take Russia down a peg or two (Prussia? Austria? France? Japan?). This is something Britain will never accept on her own choice.
 
If Russia are conquering half of Persia to get a port on the Gulf, expect a war of Russia vs. Britain, Persia, Ottomans and anyone else wanting to take Russia down a peg or two (Prussia? Austria? France? Japan?). This is something Britain will never accept on her own choice.

If it's happens in, say, 1812, Britain and France have a whole lot of other, and fairly more pressing, problems, Prussia and Austria have no say, and Japan does not give a damn about at all.
And yes, this thread should be moved.

Edit: of course, Russia is going to have major problems in 1812 too.
 
If it's happens in, say, 1812, Britain and France have a whole lot of other, and fairly more pressing, problems, Prussia and Austria have no say, and Japan does not give a damn about at all.
And yes, this thread should be moved.

Edit: of course, Russia is going to have major problems in 1812 too.

The Ottomans however are not going to be happy.
 
The Ottomans had much graver concerns than another empire attacking on of their rival empires and taking a strip of land.
 
The Ottomans had much graver concerns than another empire attacking on of their rival empires and taking a strip of land.

I disagree. If you are the Ottomans, the last thing you want is for Russia to be in a better position to one day take the "Second Rome."
 
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