Russia buys the Congo

It would be logistically very difficult controlling area for Russia. And why even Russia would bother with that when it even sold Alaska while ago? And Russia had enough domestic problems without colonies.
 

scholar

Banned
Suppose Russia not Belgium is who acquires the Congo?
I can foresee Belgium selling the Congo to Russia, particularly after Leopold's control over the colony is diminished, but I cannot see Russia going into the Congo unprompted.
 
I can foresee Belgium selling the Congo to Russia, particularly after Leopold's control over the colony is diminished, but I cannot see Russia going into the Congo unprompted.

Why would they sell? The Congo was profitable, although keeping it so required consistently criminal policies, to a point that even Belle Epoque respectable society Europeans bothered to show disgust.
And why would Russia even consider to buy? They have no strategic interest in the area nor the logistic capability to project power there.
There are a lot more willing buyers around, primarily France, who had a right of first option in case Leopold forfeited the Free State, a right that was conveniently ignored when the Free State was "donated" to Belgium. And conceding France that right had been in itself essential to Paris' acquiescence to the creation of the State itself.
 

scholar

Banned
Why would they sell? The Congo was profitable, although keeping it so required consistently criminal policies, to a point that even Belle Epoque respectable society Europeans bothered to show disgust.
And why would Russia even consider to buy? They have no strategic interest in the area nor the logistic capability to project power there.
Its not as hard as you might think. It would really only require two things: (1) Belgium's position is rendered more unstable and (2) Russia buys into the idea that the mark of a Great Power is territory in Africa.

The idea of purchasing a preestablished colony from a mid-sized state that is down on its luck might be a lot easier to justify as Russia may be able to leave much of the colonial infrastructure in place, while at the same time reaping its rewards. Granted, it would make more sense for them to establish coaling stations in East Africa - but should England preempt this move by taking them for herself, or encouraging a faster allocation of those territories to non-Russian aligned states, then Russia would naturally be forced to look elsewhere should they be sufficiently invested in the idea of African Colonialism. As for Logistics, you shouldn't assume autarky. Russia would have been more than capable of establishing relationships with other states in order to enhance its own power-projection capabilities. Belgium to the Congo is not all that closer than, say, the Baltics or the Crimea to the Congo.

As for France, if France's involvement in the first prerequisite condition is sufficiently large and negative, Belgium might be able to use that as a pretext to ignore it.
 
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