If Russia loses the Great Northern War or a war analogous to it around the year 1700 and fails to get Ingria (the piece of land St. Petersburg stands on), where will Peter the Great turn? The dude had an obsession with ships. Try again for Baltic, but with a more southern approach? Black Sea? Far East? Indian Ocean?
Additional challenges ITTL:
-Baltic Sea is mostly a Swedish lake, as they took Denmark and now control both sides of the straits. Baltic Sea thus only gives access to Prussia, Poland-Lithuania, and Sweden.
-Ottomans are still going strong and taking Istanbul isn't an option. Ottomans also control Crimea, though that can be taken. Black Sea only gives access to Ottomans and Poland-Lithuania, and later on Romania
-Chinese are less of a failure and are either able to hold the Russian part of Manchuria, so no Vladivostok or the other cities in the area. Any Russian settlements there must be a bit further north.
-Poland-Lithuania and Sweden are a bit wanked ITTL, so taking much of the Baltic isn't easy. Something like Lithuania could be done, though.
-Russia still needs to be able to have some colonies, even just Alaska is enough
Additional challenges ITTL:
-Baltic Sea is mostly a Swedish lake, as they took Denmark and now control both sides of the straits. Baltic Sea thus only gives access to Prussia, Poland-Lithuania, and Sweden.
-Ottomans are still going strong and taking Istanbul isn't an option. Ottomans also control Crimea, though that can be taken. Black Sea only gives access to Ottomans and Poland-Lithuania, and later on Romania
-Chinese are less of a failure and are either able to hold the Russian part of Manchuria, so no Vladivostok or the other cities in the area. Any Russian settlements there must be a bit further north.
-Poland-Lithuania and Sweden are a bit wanked ITTL, so taking much of the Baltic isn't easy. Something like Lithuania could be done, though.
-Russia still needs to be able to have some colonies, even just Alaska is enough