Samoan Crisis turns hot

From 1887-1889 Germany and the United States were staring one another down over keeping one another at bay in Apia Harbor, with the British monitoring the situation. Ultimately, Germany and the US partitioned the archipelago in 1890.

What if the US and Germany had gone to war?

I imagine the US would try to annex Hawaii a few years early like with the Spanish-American War.
Germany's pacific holdings at this time are German New Guinea (including the North Solomon Islands), Marshall Islands, and Nauru.
 
For the US is War Plan Black, a few years early, for the Germans its the war plan the kaiser ordered up in that general era. I don't think the German plan as written was very practical, it may have fallen by the wayside swiftly & some other strategy chosen.
 
What if the US and Germany had gone to war?
USN was a Joke at this time, the 'New Navy' ABCDs, two small 3000 ton 13 knot protected cruisers, a slightly larger cruiser, and a dispatch boat.
Not quite the terror of the Seas.
That's it for modern ships, the previous newest ship, the Trenton, was a wooden hulled 4000 ton sailship with auxiliary steam power, a throwback to pre-civil war ideas on what 'real' ships were. The only real modern thing about that ship, was it had electric lighting. The guns were civil war muzzle loaders, the 9" Dahlgren sleeved to make a basic 8" rifled gun.
That's it for innovations.
The rest of the civil war monitors were laid up, or 'rebuilt' that was a way to enrich the shipyards and the politicians support that fraud. The USN was spending more on these repairs that what new steel hulled ships would have cost.
 

raharris1973

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Wasn’t this first Cleveland administration and he didn’t look kindly on Hawaiian annexation, and I don’t think Dole had overthrown the Hawaiian monarchy yet.
 
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From 1887-1889 Germany and the United States were staring one another down over keeping one another at bay in Apia Harbor, with the British monitoring the situation. Ultimately, Germany and the US partitioned the archipelago in 1890.

What if the US and Germany had gone to war?

I imagine the US would try to annex Hawaii a few years early like with the Spanish-American War.
Germany's pacific holdings at this time are German New Guinea (including the North Solomon Islands), Marshall Islands, and Nauru.
How would Japan react ?
 
i suspect that Great Britain, seeing two of its rivals in conflict, would take steps to bring Hawaii into its orbit by making guarantees to the Hawaiian royals,
 
i suspect that Great Britain, seeing two of its rivals in conflict, would take steps to bring Hawaii into its orbit by making guarantees to the Hawaiian royals,

UK always wanted Hawaii to be an independent Monarchy. Problem is, with a real War going on, US desire for a secure Coaling base would push for annexation in a hurry, and the Queen just wasn't good at politics, and it's doubtful the UK would do anymore than protest.
 
But if the Brits get a base at Pearl in exchange for supporting the monarchy, there is no way the US could or would pick a fight. For one, the RN vastly outclassed the USN. Secondly, US domestic political opposition would be fierce.
 
But if the Brits get a base at Pearl in exchange for supporting the monarchy, there is no way the US could or would pick a fight. For one, the RN vastly outclassed the USN. Secondly, US domestic political opposition would be fierce.
Except they were not looking for a coaling station or a base, the wanted two things
a Relay station for undersea telegraph cables to Australia
Hawaii to be independent, and the Queen did not want to give a lease to a base to anyone. Like I said, the Queen never figured out good diplomacy and the politics with working with others.
 
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