Russian Gotland

Valdemar II

Banned
In the Finninsh War 1808-1809, Russia occupied Gotland what if they had annexed it after the war, what effects would we see?
 

Valdemar II

Banned
Here's my thought are that it will have little effect in the 19th century, but when we come to WWI, it will have some effect because it can be used as base against the Swedish-German trade, so likely we will see the Germans attempt to and succed in occupy the Island.

While it's under Russian rule it main purpose will likely be that it's a naval base, but we will little Russian emigration. Still the population will likely be bigger Gotland has seen little growth thanks to out migration, with the capital infused into the economy with a large Russian naval base and being the only Swedish speaking province of the Russian Empire, much more of the population will likely stay on Gotland, so my guess rather than 50 000 we may see something like the double in 1914 without counting Russian naval personnel and families. A question are how Gotland will be adminstrated, I could imagine it either being made part of governorate of Estonia or Courland or the Grand Duchy of Finland, through we may also see Ösel, Dagö and Gotland being made a separate governorate. Whatever they choose are going to have enourmous effect on Gotland.

I think Gotland will be against joining with Sweden after the war, and if Dagö and Ösel has been adminstrated together they may stay together, while if it was part of Finland it may end up in the same position as the Åland Isles, it may also be the Estonian version of Åland if it adminstrated from Talinn.
 
Last edited:
Here's my thought are that it will have little effect in the 19th century, but when we come to WWI, it will have some effect because it can be used as base against the Swedish-German trade, so likely we will see the Germans attempt to and succed in occupy the Island.
What about during the Crimean War?
 
Really, the capture of Gotland was a coup. The Russians transported 2 000 men there with no protection from the fleet. The Russian fleer was much weaker than its Swedsih counterpart, not even counting the Royal Navy squadrong of 11 ships of the line and 5 frigates that supported it, and refused to leave port - it was also in a sorry state, with half of the ships so rotten they had sunk at their moorings. Three weeks later the Swedes retook the island very easily as they had complete naval superiority.

The Russians keeping Gotland or getting it in the peace borders ASB territory, IMHO. The only reason the Russians were allowed to sail away (without weapons) was that they had behaved extremely civilized towards local population.

And Gotland would not be the only Swedish-speaking province of the Russian Empire. Dagö and Ösel were to a large extent Swedish speaking, as was small rural parts of northern Estonia. The Åland islands have always been completely Swedish-speaking and the area round Åbo was almost completely Swedish-speaking when the Russians took it.

But if we disregard all this and say the Russians do get Gotland, Sweden would most likely join the Crimean War to get it back. They might also get Åland in the war.
 
If Sweden wasn't willing to go to war for Finland, there's no way they will go to war for Gotland, through UK may occupy the island under the war.

That's very plausible. But maybe Russian Gotland can be used to get the Swedes into the CP? Assuming no butterflies for almost 100 years, that is...
 

Valdemar II

Banned
That's very plausible. But maybe Russian Gotland can be used to get the Swedes into the CP? Assuming no butterflies for almost 100 years, that is...

I'm going to say no, unless the Russian does something extremely stupid, like preemptive strike.
 
Top