What if America took Western Sahara from Spain?

Lusitania

Donor
So basically an American colony in all but name? Even the police force would likely have to be provided by the Americans, given how broke and ineffective early 20th century Morocco was.

It's innovative. It would be 21st century economic imperialism wrapped up in a late 19th century/20th century package.

Given that you would have American naval bases in Western Sahara, you can easily have the men stationed there double as reinforcements for a meager Moroccan occupation force.

I am still waiting for someone to demonstrate how the US could accomplish this. There is ASB possibility. Maybe they wave a wand.
 
I don’t see any need to beyond someone saying “fuck it, there was oil in Alaska so who the hell knows what’s there” and rolling the dice on it.
 

Lusitania

Donor
I don’t see any need to beyond someone saying “fuck it, there was oil in Alaska so who the hell knows what’s there” and rolling the dice on it.

Sorry you saying that the US can just barge through and they will able to do it regardless of logistic and other considerations.

Also what does Alaska have to do with this scenario? Alaska was purchased from Russia not conquered.
 
Sorry you saying that the US can just barge through and they will able to do it regardless of logistic and other considerations.

Also what does Alaska have to do with this scenario? Alaska was purchased from Russia not conquered.

The US snapped up a lot of territory after that war. Some of it was purchased, including the Philippines. So it’s possible the US buys Western Sahara for dirt cheap after the war on the off chance it has something.

I say Alaska because it was thought to be useless at first but then they discovered oil.
 

Lusitania

Donor
The US snapped up a lot of territory after that war. Some of it was purchased, including the Philippines. So it’s possible the US buys Western Sahara for dirt cheap after the war on the off chance it has something.

I say Alaska because it was thought to be useless at first but then they discovered oil.
Ok buy it yes but not capture it without capturing Canary Islands first.
 
Ok buy it yes but not capture it without capturing Canary Islands first.

Buy it, capture it, but it for less than market value...whatever; my point was that they would have to be willing to take a big chance on it. But yes, I think that, if the US ever came into the Western Sahara, it would be by purchase and that purchase would be on favorable terms to the US.
 

Driftless

Donor
There were contingency plans by the US Navy to "descend" on the Canaries as a base for cruiser operations against Spain - IF the Span-Am War dragged on. I've never seen any references past that very generic idea though.

*edit* One or more of the Canaries would have made a useful naval base (and later airbase) throughout the Twentieth Century; but that would have required a very visionary US imperialist to have thought that idea worth the inevitable troubles that go with that possesion. I can't imagine the Spaniards, British, French, or Germans being at all keen on the idea....

The US did not have the power projection and military means to take and keep the Canaries. The battled the Spanish colonial army and did not face a hostile population in either Cuba and Philippines. To do that would of required an imperialistic American government and a much larger American navy and army.

If those two exist would they of tolerated Dutch, French or British presence in the American continent?

I think you've summed it up well. Even IF the US is able to make a very temporary coaling and restocking operation work for a few weeks on one of the Canary Islands; it did not have the naval or ground forces to overtake the whole chain, and nowhere near enough capability to hold them in 1898. That's very likely why the original idea was shelved after the initial discussion. What seems like a good idea at first often doesn't stand up under critical review.
 
IMO, the US is more likely to set up the Philippines as a true US territory with parts of the Philippines on tracks to statehood rather than take the Western Sahara.
 
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