What if the Alaska Purchase 1867 includes more islands?

Would it really cause more tension? The Soviet Union never had much of an issue with the American purchase of Alaska and considering that Wrangel Island is not exactly a commercial investment bonanza it would probably be the world's largest polar bear preserve...

So I don't see why the US and USSR would have anything to be more hostile unless the butterflies somehow got flapping way out of control and someone puts an ICBM base on one of them (which is just crazy lol)
 
Based on this question 2 years ago by the user @Ayoitsme in their post https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/larger-more-included-in-the-alaska-purchase.492917/

What if the Purchase included the Wrangel Island, the Commander Islands, and Big Diomede Island?
It would not change the History of America, but it would build up more tensions later down the road, what does that look like?
How and why?

Getting more Aleutian Islands...sure, maybe. As far as I'm aware the "furthest east" the Russians ever settled there was Unalaska. Wrangel Island is a problem, since it was never administratively a part of Russian Alaska and the US has to reason to request it.

This is important because I see a very different reaction between extra Aleutians and Wrangel.
 
How and why?

Getting more Aleutian Islands...sure, maybe. As far as I'm aware the "furthest east" the Russians ever settled there was Unalaska. Wrangel Island is a problem, since it was never administratively a part of Russian Alaska and the US has to reason to request it.

This is important because I see a very different reaction between extra Aleutians and Wrangel.
I mean, there were American Activists that claim that at least 8 islands (Including Wrangel Island) were America's, which could be the America and Russia's Dokdo moment for them, or the Russians added the Commander Islands and the Wrangel Island into the Alaska Purchase in 1867.

I do believe that if they did purchase those two islands nothing big during the cold war would change, though I could see some tensions in the modern day.
 
Would it really cause more tension? The Soviet Union never had much of an issue with the American purchase of Alaska and considering that Wrangel Island is not exactly a commercial investment bonanza it would probably be the world's largest polar bear preserve...

So I don't see why the US and USSR would have anything to be more hostile unless the butterflies somehow got flapping way out of control and someone puts an ICBM base on one of them (which is just crazy lol)
Fair Enough
 
I mean, there were American Activists that claim that at least 8 islands (Including Wrangel Island) were America's, which could be the America and Russia's Dokdo moment for them, or the Russians added the Commander Islands and the Wrangel Island into the Alaska Purchase in 1867.

I do believe that if they did purchase those two islands nothing big during the cold war would change, though I could see some tensions in the modern day.
Was wondering if anyone would mention the "State Department Watch" claims... :)
Granted, some of the islands are basically rocks... but they would have territorial waters claims around them, so might be of some commercial or strategic value...
 
The Commander Islands would probably be the most important. At closest distance, they're only 180 km away from Kamchatka, 525 km from Petropavlovsk, 800 km from the Kurils, and 1,900-2,000 km away from Sakhalin and northeastern Hokkaido. I could see their use being akin to the large Air Force station on Shemya, where they'd launch raids and surveillance missions against the Japanese and later the Soviets, although it's likely Japan in WWII captures them.

Also, the international date line would be drawn slightly different to accomodate these now-American islands.
Getting more Aleutian Islands...sure, maybe. As far as I'm aware the "furthest east" the Russians ever settled there was Unalaska. Wrangel Island is a problem, since it was never administratively a part of Russian Alaska and the US has to reason to request it.

This is important because I see a very different reaction between extra Aleutians and Wrangel.
Americans made up the bulk of people sealing and whaling around Wrangel Island. Its legal status was disputed until the early 20th century, with the Russian claim in doubt and an American claim existing. It seems plenty possible for it to be annexed to the US.
 
The Commander Islands would probably be the most important. At closest distance, they're only 180 km away from Kamchatka, 525 km from Petropavlovsk, 800 km from the Kurils, and 1,900-2,000 km away from Sakhalin and northeastern Hokkaido. I could see their use being akin to the large Air Force station on Shemya, where they'd launch raids and surveillance missions against the Japanese and later the Soviets, although it's likely Japan in WWII captures them.

Also, the international date line would be drawn slightly different to accomodate these now-American islands.

Americans made up the bulk of people sealing and whaling around Wrangel Island. Its legal status was disputed until the early 20th century, with the Russian claim in doubt and an American claim existing. It seems plenty possible for it to be annexed to the US.
That sounds like a possibility in 1867
 
I think I read somewhere that the Tsar didn't sell the rest of the islands because he feared the US would come up with some excuse to fight for Kamchatka penisula because of US whalers staying in Petropavlovsk(wintering there I guess). Maybe another sell in the 1870's?
 
I think I read somewhere that the Tsar didn't sell the rest of the islands because he feared the US would come up with some excuse to fight for the Kamchatka peninsula because of US whalers staying in Petropavlovsk (wintering there I guess). Maybe another sale in the 1870s?
Considering that the United States is fresh from the civil war and would focus more on its internal affairs, I think America wouldn't want more land at this time. I'm not sure if America wants a land border with Asia.
 
Considering I grew up in Juneau and I have always been partial towards Kamchatka (for a myriad of reasons) I've always wanted it a part of Alaska lol
 
Last edited:
Maybe this AU might be your absolute dream!
Well I'm kinda on hiatus from making my own contributions to timeline creation 'cause I've kinda not had the time since my career and motherhood kinda eat up my time, I no longer have my laptop I used to use for map making D:

Now I browse this site on my phone for my AH fix, though, back in the day I think I did have a few expanded Alaskan territories I'd have to take a gander at my own dA and refresh my memory lmao
 
Well I'm kinda on hiatus from making my own contributions to timeline creation 'cause I've kinda not had the time since my career and motherhood kinda eat up my time, I no longer have my laptop I used to use for map making D:

Now I browse this site on my phone for my AH fix, though, back in the day I think I did have a few expanded Alaskan territories I'd have to take a gander at my own dA and refresh my memory lmao
I actually had someone just color in the Map of the United States, a map where Alaska owns Wrangel Island and the Commander Island! Though America owning a chunk of Siberia sounds very interesting
 
T
I actually had someone just color in the Map of the United States, a map where Alaska owns Wrangel Island and the Commander Island! Though America owning a chunk of Siberia sounds very interesting
The missile crisis in the 60's starts because the US sends missiles to Kamchatka. Not sure the USSR could blockade though.
 
Top