USA takes Alaska by force

Super_Cool

How we get a situation so that the USA takes Alaska in a war with Russia? What would be the effects of taking it this way?
 

Delta Force

Banned
Russia and the United States were rather reliant on each other during the Civil War era, so the bigger challenge is making it so that their strategic interests drive them apart. I think that the Russians had a nautical no-go zone beyond a certain latitude to keep foreigners out of Alaska, so that's a potential flashpoint. But really, the strategic interests coincide so much that the big challenge is having an issue crop up that would lead to war. Alaska itself isn't going to be a good reason to go to war. Alaska was considered nothing more than snow, trees, and a few Native Americans before they discovered the gold, rich fisheries, minerals, and petroleum.
 

ggarner57

What if America doesn't buy Alaska, tsarist Russia survives, ends up handing control over to Japan after the Russo-Japanese war, and America seizes it during WW2, or during a gold rush?
 

January First-of-May

Well, considering where the US is and where Alaska is, to get the US to take Alaska by force would almost require an US that has Canada already.

Getting the US to take Alaska from Japan might actually be easier/more likely, but I'm not sure that would work with the OP (which specifically mentioned a war with Russia).
 

Lalli

USA doesn't buy Alaska, some butterflies die and revolution in Russia like in OTL. USA then takes Alaska during Russian Civil War.
 
wcv215

wcv215

Lalli said:
USA doesn't buy Alaska, some butterflies die and revolution in Russia like in OTL. USA then takes Alaska during Russian Civil War.
Click to expand...

A POD in the 1860s precludes WWII as we know it from happening.

To the OP the main question is why?

The best I can come up with is the following: the deal to purchase Alaska falls through for various reasons. A few years later however butterflies help to push support for an annexation go British Columbia to be the preferred option, and the British accept, with a guarantee of certain basing rights for the Royal Navy and safe harbor for merchant ships.

A few decades pass and the Russian government collapses a few years early, leading to a communist-style takeover. The US has an expansionist minded president who moves American troops and ships to "secure American territory" in Alaska, eventually leading to outright annexation in a few years (or when gold is discovered.)

Not exactly a war, but still a hostile takeover
 
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