Russia buys Louisiana

Yes, and it was stupid for doing so. There was NO WAY the US could have taken Alaska by force. It's too isolated and blocked off by both the Royal Navy and the Russian Pacific Fleet. And Alaska has humongous gold, diamond, and oil deposits that could easily inject valuable wealth into the Russian economy. And it has a great strategic position. Excellent base for long-range nuclear bombers. The US won the Cold War because they had Alaska.

There's not much Russia can do to defend it (and how is Russia's Pacific fleet blocking it off better than the US fleet can go after it?), Britain has no interest in defending Russia's colonies, all of those deposits were pretty much unknown at the time (It wasn't called Seward's folly just to be partisan), and Russia is in no position to develop them even if it knows of them.

Meanwhile, that money on hand is actually useful.

Meanwhile, what happened in the Cold War i(or even there being one) s impossible to foresee for anyone in the 1860s, so judging a decision based on that is ridiculous.
 
Although I find a Russian Louisiana neither practical nor possible, I find this question interesting. It does provide a challenge and I love those. So I'll take a swing at it; taking as many liberties as possible. Though the following may verge ASB, my intention is to see what a Russian Louisiana would look like demographically. The road to get there may be weird, confusing, and hopefully fun. Here it goes:

Let's have the PoD in the 1740/early 50s in order to change the Seven Years' War drastically.

Changes:

Europe
  • The French successfully capture Minorca.
  • The Prussians are far more successful in Bohemia and accomplish their objective of seizing Prague.
  • France sweeps into western Prussia. Though they are ultimately turned back, Prussia is devastated.
  • Russia decides to remain in East Prussia.
  • Prussia defeats the Swedish in Silesia. They then move to take back East Prussia. Russia counter attacks and decisively defeat the Prussians.
  • Using Minorca as a base, the French strategically defeat the British in the Mediterranean at three different battles in 1759. Though they prepare for an invasion of England, the invasion is ultimately called off.
  • Russia occupies Berlin in 1760 until 1762 when it is driven out (ending the war soon after). Prussia is still doing well against Austria and Sweden, however.
  • Elizabeth II agrees to take medication, improving her health; allowing her to survive the entirety of the war.
  • Britain never declares war on Spain, keeping Iberia out of the war.

North America
The war goes much better for the French. Though they are ultimately on the losing side, they are able to maintain a strong position on the continent.

India
With British defeats in the Mediterranean, less ships are available for the Third Carnatic War. Thus France keeps its southern stronghold on the subcontinent despite Bengal going roughly the same as OTL.

---

Results:
Europe does not end in status quo ante bellum. Instead, many changes are made. Prussia loses East Prussia to a Russian political union but gains Saxony, Swedish Pomerania, and a political union with Bohemia and Moravia; changing its name to the Hohenzollern Empire. France meanwhile annexes the Belaeric Islands and put a Bourbon on the thrown of Hanover. Russia meanwhile turns Poland into an occupied satellite state with more permanent intentions.
In North America, France keeps an overwhelming proportion of its empire; losing but a few disputed regions.
India looks nearly identical following the war. Hidden is the more permanent French position on the continent.
Britain ends the war bankrupt and on the verge of political and economic collapse.

---

With more Russian capital, further colonization missions are executed by Russia; constructing major settlements as far south as Oregon as well as exploring as far east as Alberta, laying claim to the land.

Britain taxes its 15 American colonies (13+ Acadia and Nova Scotia) without mercy. Revolution is declared by 1774. France and Spain get involved, sparking another world wide war.

Belligerents:
Spain, France, Russia (Poland) vs Great Britain , Portugal, Hohenzollern Empire (mercenaries)

Main event worth noting:
France attempts to invade Britain. London is besieged but does not fall. The British Navy defeats the French and Spanish in the North Sea and Channel. All French troops are either massacred or captured. This puts an end to the war as nobody is left to fight but the Americans.

Results:
Russia formally annexes Lithuania and incorporates Poland as a duchy.
The Confederate Commonwealths of America is established.
France goes bankrupt and Britain suffers a short revolution confined to the isles. The end result is a more war wary England.

---

The CCA is a loose political union with neither a strong central government nor a military. Once Europe recovers, certain commonwealths affiliate themselves more with certain European countries than each other. By 1800, Acadia identifies itself with the French economy; North Carolina to Georgia and New England the British, New York to Maryland the Hohenzollern.
France never faces a civil war, with democracy discouraged by the American example.

---

Peace reigns over Europe until the 1830 Spring of Nations. The Bourbon monarchy of France falls and the Hohenzollerns are kicked out of power; replaced by a radical pan-German organization. This organization conquers Germany to the Rhine, incorporates Austria and disestablishes the HRE while France fights its civil war (where Spain and Britain ally to prevent the rise of a radically anti-monarchical superpower).

---

By the 1840s, France is a bankrupt superpower. The Bourbons regained the thrown albeit under a constitutional monarchy. Spain's colonies in the New World begin to demand greater sovereignty. The CCA has collapsed into Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, the Maritime States, New England, and Acadia.
Sometime during the decade, Russia offers to buy Louisiana for a large sum. France happily accepts.

Boom! Russian Louisiana.

Without American success, the Napoleonic Wars, and the South American wars of independence, perhaps in this world independence movements don't happen / aren't successful.

By the 1880s, I can see Louisiana's demographics looking ~20% American, ~40% French, ~30% German, and ~10 Russian/Slavic with a ~35% Russian speaking population.

By the 1920s, I can see Russia emancipating its New World Colonies. By the 1940s, I can see a multi-national North American Union forming with Russian as one of the official languages (along with English, German, French, and Spanish.

---

Even though that doesn't seem realistic in the slightest, I think it addresses the OP's concerns. Russia simply, under any circumstance, cannot form an ethnic majority of any region larger than say Delaware east of the Rockies; though Russian could make up a major language family on the continent.

Please don't crucify me.
 
Top