# What if Alaska was still Russian territory **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 7, 2005, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932 "2005-08-07T00:31:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StaberindeMk2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@StaberindeMk2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StaberindeMk2)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/1 "2005-08-07T00:31:21Z")
I’m currently reading a book set during the Cold War, the central premise is that its discovered that Alaska is in fact still Russian territory. Shenanigans and hilarious japes ensue. I was wondering what the repurcussions would have been if this had in fact occured (the setting is the early 1980’s in the book) and perhaps more interestingly what would have been the effect on the Cold War if Russia hadn’t sold Alaska to the US in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/2 "2005-08-07T00:49:15Z")
> [@](#): > > I was wondering what the repurcussions would have been if this had in fact occured Colescott would have never created [this lithograph](http://www.coosart.org/gallery/251.html), and the world would be a sadder place. ---
**Author:** ![malzen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@malzen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malzen)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/3 "2005-08-07T01:25:11Z")
Canada wouldn’t be anywhere near as peaceful as it is today. I hate to say it, but U.S. foreign policy is very consistant on sticking its nose into anything it deems a boogieman, and a Soviet Alaska would have been like Cuba. And we all know what happened with Cuba. Canada would either be a xerox copy of the U.S., or the opposite would have happened - U.S. - Canadian relations would be terrible today. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/4 "2005-08-07T01:29:12Z")
> [@malzen](#): > > I hate to say it, but U.S. foreign policy is very consistant on sticking its nose into anything it deems a boogieman, and a Soviet Alaska would have been like Cuba. Alaska never would have become Soviet, the red armies never would have made it across the Bering Strait during the Revolution. Not only that, but the US would have dispatched troops there ala Archangel after WWI if there was a domestic communist movement up there. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/5 "2005-08-07T01:58:43Z")
Who’s to say the the Soviet revolution ever would have happened? I have a feeling that having such a large land frontier against the British Empire in the east would have shifted things a lot. I do agree that Canada would be a lot less peaceful. Odd that this never occurred to me. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/6 "2005-08-07T01:59:51Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Alaska never would have become Soviet, the red armies never would have made it across the Bering Strait during the Revolution. Not only that, but the US would have dispatched troops there ala Archangel after WWI if there was a domestic communist movement up there. Another thought: Alaska = a Russian Taiwan… ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/7 "2005-08-07T03:40:51Z")
Certainly there can be no factual answer to your OP, so let’s move this to Great Debates. I think it rises above what I would move to IMHO. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/8 "2005-08-07T11:59:34Z")
It’s an interesting “if,’ but don’t forget the event that made Alaska – the Great Yukon Gold Rush of 1898 (or something like that). Assuming that Stewart had declined to bid on Alaska in the 1860s the influx of young men from the US and Eastern Canada at the turn of the 19th Century would have turned Alaska into an American ( America including Canada) dominated provence of a distant and declining empire. Look at California after 1849. I suppose that Alaska would have become Canadian by virtue of the demographics and geography of the thing and that Sergeant Preston and his wonder dog King would have had the whole Yukon River as their beat. The Yukon Gold Rush would have deprived Mother Russia of Alaska long before the October Revolution. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/9 "2005-08-07T15:10:48Z")
> [@malzen](#): > > Canada would either be a xerox copy of the U.S. The independent state of Quebec aside and the First Nations, what makes you think that Canada isn’t already a Xerox® copy of the United States? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/10 "2005-08-07T19:08:03Z")
> [@StaberindeMk2](#): > > I’m currently reading a book set during the Cold War, the central premise is that its discovered that Alaska is in fact still Russian territory. Shenanigans and hilarious japes ensue. Title and author? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/11 "2005-08-07T19:38:41Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > The independent state of Quebec aside and the First Nations, what makes you think that Canada isn’t already a Xerox® copy of the United States? [This book](http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/item.asp?Item=978014301423&Catalog=Books&Ntt=fire+and+ice&N=35&Lang=en&Section=books&zxac=1). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![StaberindeMk2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@StaberindeMk2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StaberindeMk2)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/12 "2005-08-07T22:54:30Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Title and author? “Seward’s Folly” by Graham Lancaster, it was published in 1980 so it might be a bit obscure. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/13 "2005-08-07T23:05:08Z")
> [@StaberindeMk2](#): > > I was wondering what the repurcussions would have been if this had in fact occured (the setting is the early 1980’s in the book) and perhaps more interestingly what would have been the effect on the Cold War if Russia hadn’t sold Alaska to the US in the first place? Then Soviet territory would have been a bit closer to the US mainland. And this wouldn’t have made any difference. Then, like today, they could blow the US to oblivion with ICBMs in Europe and Asia. And Alaska would have given them no advantage. Russian subs can travel in international waters, which begin 12 miles off the US coastline. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/14 "2005-08-07T23:15:21Z")
> [@StaberindeMk2](#): > > “Seward’s Folly” by Graham Lancaster, it was published in 1980 so it might be a bit obscure. Are you certain that is the correct spelling of the author’s name? There is no Amazon listing, not even used. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/15 "2005-08-07T23:24:29Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Are you certain that is the correct spelling of the author’s name? > > There is no Amazon listing, not even used. 😕 It [does](http://www.editing.org.uk/records/0246.htm) seem to exist. ---
**Author:** ![StaberindeMk2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@StaberindeMk2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StaberindeMk2)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/16 "2005-08-07T23:29:25Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Are you certain that is the correct spelling of the author’s name? > > There is no Amazon listing, not even used. 😕 Here you go: > **[Seward's Folly: Amazon.co.uk: Lancaster, Graham: 9780413473608: Books](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sewards-Folly-Graham-Lancaster/dp/0413473600)** > > Buy Seward's Folly by Lancaster, Graham (ISBN: 9780413473608) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. I’m shocked that someone would doubt my word, _shocked_ I tell you. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/17 "2005-08-07T23:35:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Set prinicpally in London, Washington, Anchorage and Moscow, SEWARD’S FOLLY is a taut and original thriller of international politics and political realities. Tense, powerful and brutal, it is a dramtic successor to Lancaster’s previous novel THE NUCLEAR LETTERS. [Graham Lancaster](http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:GV7aickF6ZoJ:www.pfd.co.uk/scripts/get.py/books/%3Fauthors%2BLANCASTG+%22Seward%27s+Folly%22+Graham&hl=en&client=firefox-a) 1980, Methuen ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/18 "2005-08-08T00:45:03Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > The independent state of Quebec aside and the First Nations, what makes you think that Canada isn’t already a Xerox® copy of the United States? Gay marriage. Legalised marijuana possession. The Queen. The House of Commons. The metric system. Poutine. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/19 "2005-08-08T00:47:18Z")
> [@StaberindeMk2](#): > > Here you go: > > [http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0413473600/qid=1123457532/sr=1-3/ref=sr\_1\_8\_3/202-5631706-8839823](http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0413473600/qid=1123457532/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_8_3/202-5631706-8839823) > > I’m shocked that someone would doubt my word, _shocked_ I tell you. 😃 Hmmm…No US publisher? OK. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/20 "2005-08-08T02:09:32Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > And Alaska would have given them no advantage. Russian subs can travel in international waters, which begin 12 miles off the US coastline. No strategic advantage, perhaps. But the Soviets, not the U.S., would have Alaska’s oil. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932.md?page=2)