what if japan owned alaska?

cheezball567

Assuming that...
A) William Seward died in the assassination attempt in 1865
B) Japan either purchased/took over alaska

What do you think the effects would be in terms of the United States?
-how would it affect the pearl harbor bombing/US entrance in WWII


Oh, and also, if Seward died 1865, when and how do you think Japan would acquire alaska (only japan, forget about GB and any other countries)
 

ZaphodBeeblebrox

cheezball567 said:
Assuming that...
A) William Seward died in the assassination attempt in 1865
B) Japan either purchased/took over alaska

What do you think the effects would be in terms of the United States?
-how would it affect the pearl harbor bombing/US entrance in WWII


Oh, and also, if Seward died 1865, when and how do you think Japan would acquire alaska (only japan, forget about GB and any other countries)
Click to expand...
Well First Things First, There will be Butterflies ...

A Japan that Owns Alaska should be a MUCH Bigger Power in The Pacific ...

This Not Only has Knock-on Effects on Any Future Great War, But would Tend to Preclude a PTO in a Second Large Conflict!

:D
 

Xenos

Alaska could certainly have relieved Japan's oil shortage after the American embargo. If, of course they found it. Also, Alaska would make a great base for an attack on San Francisco, where the US Pacific fleet might be based in this scenario.
 

Dean_the_Young

Xenos said:
Alaska could certainly have relieved Japan's oil shortage after the American embargo. If, of course they found it. Also, Alaska would make a great base for an attack on San Francisco, where the US Pacific fleet might be based in this scenario.
Click to expand...
Except, you know, the minor detail of Alaska oil only coming onto line well after WW2, and that was with American investment and technology. Japan didn't have the technology to utilize Siberian resources, and much the same problems go to Alaska.
 

David S Poepoe

Banned
Xenos said:
Alaska could certainly have relieved Japan's oil shortage after the American embargo. If, of course they found it. Also, Alaska would make a great base for an attack on San Francisco, where the US Pacific fleet might be based in this scenario.
Click to expand...

By the same token Alaska can be easily attacked from the Puget Sound area and the Gulf of Alaska would be a terrible battleground between three forces, the Americans, the Japanese and Mother Nature.
 

NomadicSky

Banned
I wonder if Japan would still have Alaska today?

If they hadn't attacked the US I'd say they might and Korea too. One big Japanese Empire. I guess they'd use the "warmer" parts of Alaska as a Japanese colony the rest might be undesirables from around their Empire.
 

NapoleonXIV

Banned
WI they'd used a good deal of the money they used for military in OTL to buy up land from the Russians in Siberia as well. My understanding is the Russians were sellling at this time. If they got the land cheap (and it seems the Russians at this time had little use for it) they could have used other money to explore and develop. Is there any good reason they might not have found Alaskan and/or Russian oil earlier than in OTL?

I dispute that the Americans or anyone else would just take it from them. The area wasn't seen as all that ripe for expansion by any other Western power because of both climate and distance but the Japanese were right there. Also, even a lesser armed Japan was still a formidable adversary and they were very friendly with GB, the 800lb gorilla, to the point of allying with her in 1905, which no other country had ever managed.

Japan with oil doesn't fight with America, maybe doesn't even fight. Why go to war with China when you have thousands of square miles of your own to develop in Siberia and Alaska? Why become militarist and ally with an expansionist and racist Germany when you have no war going on to support?
 
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