User blog:SArchangel/Alyeska (Russian America)


 * The purpose of this blog post is to outline alternate-historical premises for the creation of the fictional country of Alyeska. This is an Altverse candidate.

Main Points of Divergence

 * Imperial Russian explorer of the  gives much more detail about Northern California, rather than the blunt description IRL. He would provide even more detail to his wife. Kurkov would persuade his colonial comrades led by  to write to their families as well. These letters will be combined to form the “Kuskov Papers,” distributed all over the empire including the Imperial throne, and encourage many Russians to colonize the area for a possibly better life.
 * When is accused of "siphoned money" to American banks, he would still be removed from power. But with the success of the 1812 Ross Colony (now Fort Ross, Sierra), and the confirmation that the rumor is completely false, Baranov is given an apology and returns to his post as Governor (rather than being sent back to Russia, where he dies on route IRL).
 * Russia would still proclaim the, but it would be worded differently. Foreign vessels would not be banned from Russian territory. Russia would still claim all of the coat of North America north of the (which would give Russia all the land north of Vancouver Island), and would also claim the Slavianka River (now the Russian River, mostly part of Sierra) watershed (and coastal regions... more details to come) as Russian. With non-Russian ships allowed, the Americans and British would not show as much defiance as IRL (but would still dispute it). It would be Spain who is the most pissed, and would eventually agree to invade the colony. This occurs several days before the ‘unofficial’ establishment of the  from the Spanish Empire.

General History

 * 1822: Battle of Fort Ross, a small yet very important battle for Alyesky (Alyeska demonym) history. A small Spanish naval fleet attempts to capture Ft. Ross without declaration of war. At first, Aleut fishermen were able to sight the arrival of the fleet, and warned Ft. Ross, giving the Russian colonists time to prepare. When the Spanish arrived, Russian artillery was able to destroy one of the Spanish ships, but heavy damage to the fort and surrounding regions made it difficult for the Russians to defend a land invasion. The battle turned when the many Russian naval and merchant ships began to get involved. Russian gunboats was able to destroy the leading Spanish brig, forcing the rest of the fleet to retreat to the Spanish port in Monterey. Once word reach Saint Petersburg about the unprovoked Spanish attack, the Russian Empire declared war the Kingdom of Spain, leading to the start of the Russo-Spanish War.
 * Russo-Spanish War aka the California War (1822-1825): A conflict fought between the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Spain over the control of the Pacific Northwest. Tensions between the two regional powers grew after the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, during which Russia established a fort on the California coast during the Peninsula War (in which Spain was occupied by France). The conflict remained centered along the Alta California coast, with some battles taking place in the Gulf of Alaska. The war would take a drastic turn when the Russian Empire aligned themselves with and the Mexican Empire, which weakened the Spanish forces in the war with the Russians. This alliance consisted of the promise of Slavianka River territory occupied by Spanish forces at the time to Mexico.
 * This war contributed to the forced abdication of the Mexican Emperor Iturbide and the collapse of the Mexican Empire in favor of a Mexican Republic. This was because Mexican military generals and advisors serving in the war believed that Iturbide was an incompetent ruler. Together they founded the Mexican Republic, and the Russian Empire was the first foreign country to recognize it.
 * The war ended in 1825 with the signing of the Treaty of Saint Petersburg, which resulted in the First Mexican Republic and the Russian Empire taking control of Spain’s claims to the Pacific Northwest. The Russian victory (combined with Russia's recent victories against Sweden and France) helped strengthen Russia's global power among the other European powers, as well as the beginning of a permanent Russian presence in North America. The war weakened an already weakened Spain, further leading to the deterioration of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. The Russian presence also affected Great Britain and the United States, leading to a territorial conflict that would last until the late-1800s.
 * The Russian Empire and the United Kingdom (Britain) ratify a treaty which defines the boundaries of the two nations in North America. The Columbia River (until reaching the northernmost bend) down to the Snake River (and then cut off by the Mexican border) will be the border between British territory and Russian territory.