WI: France annexes Santo Domingo?

I have a vague recollection of France being one of the other powers approached in the late 1860s about annexing Santo Domingo (or the modern Dominican Republic).

What would happen had France taken up the offer on that?
 
Monroe Doctrine would kick win probably.
Can the USA just declare war to France, occupy the island while fighting the Civil War or during the Reconstruction? And had they even the navy to do that in a better situation?
 

Deleted member 67076

Another Restoration War most likely. Still got bad memories of the earlier French occupation from 1795-1803.

But the French might be able to keep the place if they play their cards right. You need a governor willing to work with and coopt both the northern elites of El Cibao and the cattle barons near Santo Domingo. The former are easy, as theyre mostly merchants who want business and a state willing to help and invest in them. The southerners... Well, thats hard. They want patronage and money, preferably in increasingly higher amounts. And arent keep to government centralization.

Furthermore there must be AN ABSOLUTE GUARANTEE that slavery will remain banned and that mulattos can keep the privileges of citizenship they had. Would be great if the French offer French citizenship to all men on the island but I dunno the plausibility of that.

All this said, its much easier to have the French keep Eastern Hispaniola during the original cessation in 1795. You'd only need to change a few policy decisions and the governor.

In all cases that France manages to keep Santo Domingo I forsee the French using the country as a staging point for various interventions in Latin America, a naval base in Samana, and creating greater animosity with Haiti.
 
Can the USA just declare war to France, occupy the island while fighting the Civil War or during the Reconstruction? And had they even the navy to do that in a better situation?

To my mind the chances of that happening are vanishingly small. The army has been downsized alongside the navy, the South is still the hot political issue, and they are actively fighting the Plains tribes. No reason to try and stop France from getting a naval base.

Another Restoration War most likely. Still got bad memories of the earlier French occupation from 1795-1803.

But the French might be able to keep the place if they play their cards right. You need a governor willing to work with and coopt both the northern elites of El Cibao and the cattle barons near Santo Domingo. The former are easy, as theyre mostly merchants who want business and a state willing to help and invest in them. The southerners... Well, thats hard. They want patronage and money, preferably in increasingly higher amounts. And arent keep to government centralization.

Furthermore there must be AN ABSOLUTE GUARANTEE that slavery will remain banned and that mulattos can keep the privileges of citizenship they had. Would be great if the French offer French citizenship to all men on the island but I dunno the plausibility of that.

All this said, its much easier to have the French keep Eastern Hispaniola during the original cessation in 1795. You'd only need to change a few policy decisions and the governor.

In all cases that France manages to keep Santo Domingo I forsee the French using the country as a staging point for various interventions in Latin America, a naval base in Samana, and creating greater animosity with Haiti.

Fair points. I can't see an immediate second Restoration War unless the same slavery idea pops up (and the French clergy might learn the mistakes of their Spanish predecessors). Since the French aren't actively pursuing slavery in any of their nearby possessions I can't see that being a problem.

However, beyond making the place safe for investors and building up a naval base I can't see France being very hands on in governing the island unless they have to.
 

Deleted member 67076

Wasn't that only in Haiti

Nope. Revolutionary France was given Spanish Hispaniola as a result of the peace in the War of the Third Coalition.

Fair points. I can't see an immediate second Restoration War unless the same slavery idea pops up (and the French clergy might learn the mistakes of their Spanish predecessors). Since the French aren't actively pursuing slavery in any of their nearby possessions I can't see that being a problem.

However, beyond making the place safe for investors and building up a naval base I can't see France being very hands on in governing the island unless they have to.
Broad Self autonomy would actually be a good thing. When the Spanish started to treat Santo Domingo as a colony like in Cuba during the second Colonial Era, thats when the Spanish lost their goodwill and the population revolted.

France basically just needs to throw more money at the place (not too hard considering the government revenue was only 2 million dollars during 1899), give the local government more firepower and troops to surpress revolts, collect and pay the debt, and build infrastructure. The rest will mostly fall in line.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Monroe doctrine is overrated. Could the US stop Santo Domingo from willingly joining France ?
I suspect it would be more likely to cause the US to make a better offer to Santo Domingo and make the deal more attractive to the US government.

OTL the US generally wasn't especially interested in gaining Santo Domingo, but if the alternative is it going to France, they are going to be much more willing. The US still remembers the intervention in Mexico and Napoleon III's flirting with the Confederates; they're not going to want to see him gain more territory.
 

Deleted member 67076

I suspect it would be more likely to cause the US to make a better offer to Santo Domingo and make the deal more attractive to the US government.

OTL the US generally wasn't especially interested in gaining Santo Domingo, but if the alternative is it going to France, they are going to be much more willing. The US still remembers the intervention in Mexico and Napoleon III's flirting with the Confederates; they're not going to want to see him gain more territory.

France had always been more popular amongst Santo Domingo's governments and the consulate always had quite a lot of influence. If France is dead set on gaining the annexation, they have quite the head start on who they need to bribe, contact, arm and convince in order to get this to happen.

Arguably up until the US intervention, you could say that the Dominican Republic was in the French Sphere, rather than the American one.
 
Top