WI: War Over Alaska?

Germaniac

Donor
As soon as the Japanese defeat the Russians Alaska is as good as American. They will see the Russia cannot project its power to the Americas and no one wants to see Alaska fall into Japanese hands.
 
As soon as the Japanese defeat the Russians Alaska is as good as American. They will see the Russia cannot project its power to the Americas and no one wants to see Alaska fall into Japanese hands.

Ah ... you forgot butterflies ... if Alaska stays Russian, the gold found there would fuel a much better infratructure in Russia with a early Transsiberian railway (would make sense since it would also support getting colonists there from european russia, and gold the other way), which in turn might stop the Japanese from being able to pull off a win, due to it being easier for Russia to get troops there
 
As soon as the Japanese defeat the Russians Alaska is as good as American. They will see the Russia cannot project its power to the Americas and no one wants to see Alaska fall into Japanese hands.

Japan defeating Russia isn't something that's inevitable at all. Japan might not industrialise the same way. The Anglo-Japanese alliance may not pan out. Russia and Japan may stay friendly as they were in the 1850-1860s. There may be no Qingdao/Port Arthur crisis/intervention. Russia may even "win" a replay of the 1904/05 with a few small divergences. The Qing may lucky and stomp Japanese naval ambitions with a better-managed Beiyang fleet early, blocking Japan from being able to challenge Russia.

However yes, if they ever take Alaska they will probably be forced to surrender it to America by some kind of international congress or face a war they will likely lose.
 
again ... in case be I highly doubt that America would have a dog in such a hunt ... Canada on the other hand would be a logical successor, specially given the friendship between Russia and UK at this point
 
Given a 1899-1900 Gold Rush the Russians would not be able tp establish a solid defensive position in Alaska even if all foreign prospectors were ukased out. In 1905, Russo-Japanese war breaks out. How can Russia prevent Japan from sending a small fleet and occupying army into the Alaskan islands, panhandle and the gold fields. Thay can not. Hello Japanese Alaska. Can you say '1941'? Let's be scared, very scared.
 
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