# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/21 "2005-08-08T02:18:42Z")
**What if Alaska was still Russian territory** There’d be a shitload of oil wells up there, that’s what. ---
**Author:** ![StaberindeMk2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@StaberindeMk2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StaberindeMk2)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/22 "2005-08-08T14:08:25Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > 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. I’m fairly sure it’d have made more difference than that, for one the USSR would have access to all the Alaskan resources not the US. it would also have had a psychological impact, Alaska would be chock-full of Soviet equipment and manpower and would share a lengthy border with Canada, it would be yet another tense area where Soviet and NATO forces would be rubbing up against each other with all the potential for conflict and misunderstanding that would create. The difference between SLBM’s and ICBM’s are that land-based missiles are inherently more accurate with heavier warheads, while sub-based missiles were city-destroyers (through most of the Cold War at least), land-based missiles could be used to target American missile-fields and wouldn’t missiles based in Alaska have a significently reduced flight time compared to those in continental Russia? ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/23 "2005-08-08T15:24:07Z")
I don’t think Alaska’s resources would make much differenct to Russia. Russia already controls vast territories in Siberia. Siberia and Alaska are pretty similar resource-wise. The reason Siberia is looked on as a hell-hole and Alaska is looked on as a land of Adventure is purely due to the different socio-politco-economic systems of the USSR/USA. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/24 "2005-08-08T20:56:05Z")
A. The book’s premise is nonsense. By the 1980’s, Alaska was an American state, with no Russian authority on the ground. B. Even if the Tsars had kept control of Alaska, the Revolution might not have effectively reached there. There were other interests that could have stood against Bolshevik dominion over any part of North America. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/25 "2005-08-08T23:27:47Z")
i don’t think that russia would have held onto alaska very long after the revolution. either it would have been a taiwan situation, and allied with the us and canada very quickly; or the soviets would have sold it off to the us or canada for the money they very badly needed to get things off the ground. the soviets sold off quite a bit of national treasure after ww1 and ww2 when they needed funds to build and stabilize the country. at the time of the rev. alaska was too far away to really control easily. ---
**Author:** ![StaberindeMk2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@StaberindeMk2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StaberindeMk2)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/26 "2005-08-08T23:53:56Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > A. The book’s premise is nonsense. By the 1980’s, Alaska was an American state, with no Russian authority on the ground. > > B. Even if the Tsars had kept control of Alaska, the Revolution might not have effectively reached there. There were other interests that could have stood against Bolshevik dominion over any part of North America. The premise is that an English scholar discovers an irregularity in the transfer of the land, the money was supposed to be exchanged within 10 months of signing the treaty but did not in fact change hands for 14 months, rendering the whole thing invalid. In the end it turns out that the whole situation was engineered to provide a distraction while the Soviets invade Iran. Using nuclear weapons to trigger an earthquake that kills several million people first, now _thats_ when I raised my eyebrow. ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/27 "2005-08-09T00:46:47Z")
You know, I could have sworn the book in question was [this one.](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0061007137/qid=1123548457/sr=1-12/ref=sr_1_12/002-3917270-4184814?v=glance&s=books) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/28 "2005-08-10T13:41:50Z")
> [@Airblairxxx](#): > > You know, I could have sworn the book in question was [this one.](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0061007137/qid=1123548457/sr=1-12/ref=sr_1_12/002-3917270-4184814?v=glance&s=books) I, too, thought immediately of the Jeffrey Archer book. It’s pretty good, although not his best. MacKinlay Cantor wrote a famous 1960 \*Look \* magazine article about the Confederacy winning the Civil War. He posited that the U.S. government, strapped for cash after having to move the capital from Southern-occupied Washington, D.C. to “New Columbia” (the present-day Columbus, Ohio) wouldn’t have had the shekels to also acquire Alaska. It remains in Russian (later Soviet) hands and becomes heavily militarized during the Cold War. ---
**Author:** ![TrixFouley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ea924/32.png) [@TrixFouley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TrixFouley)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/29 "2012-02-26T10:15:54Z")
> [@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. Are you weak in a “upper” location? Alaska is few hours away from former USSR, reason why Russia sold it because the land is obsolete. American government sure knows how to spent they’re money expecially on a land that constantly has deep freez and no important resources, i bet it has a really good price tag now i even wouldn’t be surprised if it would end up on ebay under 10k with message “free heaters included” and still no one would buy it! No wonder US gov has 15 bil debt, they always spent cash on stuff they don’t need. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/30 "2012-02-26T10:41:31Z")
> [@TrixFouley](#): > > Are you weak in a “upper” location? Alaska is few hours away from former USSR, reason why Russia sold it because the land is obsolete. American government sure knows how to spent they’re money expecially on a land that constantly has deep freez and no important resources, i bet it has a really good price tag now i even wouldn’t be surprised if it would end up on ebay under 10k with message “free heaters included” and still no one would buy it! No wonder US gov has 15 bil debt, they always spent cash on stuff they don’t need. HELL-low Trix, you are replying to a 6.5 year old thread. From Wiki: > [@](#): > > Alaska was purchased from Russia on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million ($120 million in today’s dollars) at approximately two cents per acre ($4.74/km²). The land went through several administrative changes before becoming an organized (or incorporated) territory on May 11, 1912, and the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959.[5] This has nothing to do with our present debt problems. > [@](#): > > …no important resources… You are correct, but some people are interest in a black sticky substance which there is a lot of up there. Go figure.:smack:😕 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/31 "2012-02-26T11:48:31Z")
Sarah Palin would have been telling the truth about being able to see Russia from Alaska. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/32 "2012-02-26T15:54:10Z")
Assuming Alaska stayed Russian and became Soviet-Communist after 1917, would that have affected Japan’s attempts to invade the Aleutians during WWII? Likely the Soviets would have been less able than the Americans to repel the Japanese from that territory, and perhaps mainland North America would have become another front, long-term. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/33 "2012-02-26T16:34:49Z")
The 1980s documentary cartoon series _GI Joe_ posited a similar question. The ownership of Alaska was in question and GI Joe and their Soviet counterpart the Oktober Guard teamed up to prevent Cobra from owning Alaska. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/34 "2012-02-26T16:51:39Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Sarah Palin would have been telling the truth about being able to see Russia from Alaska. 😃 Sarah Palin wouldn’t have been eligible for president! ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/35 "2012-02-26T17:00:44Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > The 1980s documentary cartoon series _GI Joe_ posited a similar question. The ownership of Alaska was in question and GI Joe and their Soviet counterpart the Oktober Guard teamed up to prevent Cobra from owning Alaska. I loved that series. Why did PBS stop filming? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/36 "2012-02-26T17:05:34Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Sarah Palin wouldn’t have been eligible for president! Actually, she was born in Idaho. She would still be a natural born U.S. citizen. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/37 "2012-02-26T17:07:36Z")
> [@TrixFouley](#): > > Are you weak in a “upper” location? While opening ancient threads and posting with marginal coherence is not prohibited on the SDMB, insulting other posters is prohibited outside The BBQ Pit forum. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/38 "2012-02-26T17:40:20Z")
> [@TrixFouley](#): > > Are you weak in a “upper” location? Alaska is few hours away from former USSR, reason why Russia sold it because the land is obsolete. American government sure knows how to spent they’re money expecially on a land that constantly has deep freez and no important resources, i bet it has a really good price tag now i even wouldn’t be surprised if it would end up on ebay under 10k with message “free heaters included” and still no one would buy it! No wonder US gov has 15 bil debt, they always spent cash on stuff they don’t need. The American government spent seven million dollars to buy land with a trillion dollars worth of oil in it. And you think that was a bad deal. It’s not the American government that’s looking clueless here. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/39 "2012-02-26T17:47:02Z")
To belatedly answer the OP, I just can’t see any realistic scenario where Alaska would have been part of the Soviet Union during the Cold War. As others have noted, Alaska would have filled up with Americans and Canadians once gold was discovered in the 1890’s. And once there was a non-Russian majority in the colony, there would have been pressure for it to break away from Moscow. Even if the Imperial government had somehow been able to resist this (which seems unlikely) Alaska would seceded like Finland and Poland and the Baltic Republics did during the Russian Revolution. The United States and Britain, which intervened against the Soviets, would have been more than happy to have done the same in Alaska. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932/40 "2012-02-28T16:45:38Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Another thought: Alaska = a Russian Taiwan… Interesting thought. So you would have the Commies take over what actually became the USSR, and you’d have the Czars taking up residence in Anchorage or something and you’d have a standoff between Soviet Russia in Eurasia and Imperial Russia/Alaska in North America. In American Russia, you dig for gold. In Soviet Russia, gold digs for YOU! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-alaska-was-still-russian-territory/315932.md?page=3)