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W D Martin	Russo-American War of 1904		Lead	[-]
Posts: 235 10/21/09 03:30:18	Tags : None In OTL, we had the Russo-Japanese War, with the US playing the role of peacemaker. Yet it didn't have to be that way, because in 1882 the US and Korea signed the "Korean-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce", which included a clause for "mutual friendship and defense"(Wiki article, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinmiyangyo ) So if the American Diplomats are a bit smarter than historically, and get a small modicum of trade with Korea, and the Koreans are less intransigent and smarter than in OTL, and recognize Japan and Russia as the greater threats, then the US may feel obligated to intercede on behalf of the Koreans when the Russians encroach on them. It may also lead to a joint American-Japanese alliance, to deter or even defeat the Russians. Any of you care to speculate on how this plays out? It certainly will make for a fine wargame campaign, lots of whangs at sea and booms ashore! Later, Bill "If there are no proofs against you, it`s not your merit, but our misconduct" Dzerzhinsky
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miketr		#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 591 10/22/09 11:50:42	The problem as I recall is that the damage to Korea's sovereignty so to speak was done before this. In the 1870's and the 1894-95 Sino Japanese war. So if you want to move the US into the key power roll in Korea you need to have a number of changes. Not only increased US trade BUT the US being forced into having some type of garrison in Korea. The problem is I don't think the USA of 1905 can defeat Russia in the short term. The army and navy would be too small and would be swept aside by a Russian offensive. Unless you are going to edit US mindset a great deal to get it into empire building a peace time mass army. Even then the Pacific ocean is a rather large logistics hump to cross, sure the Russians have Siberia but Japan was just next door and all the advantages that implies. Michael Just my $0.02 worth
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W D Martin		#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 236 10/23/09 11:57:02	Oh I don't know Mike, we had a pretty large force in the PI from 1898 until the end of the Insurrection, we were definitely in the "White Mans Burden" mode then. If we are in Korea as more of a trade partner/ally than occupier, I can see us having some troops there but mainly modernising the Korean military. Its not much of a stretch to see us helping Korea with troops. I'll have to look at the stats for the Russian Navy vs the USN. I know we had started a decent building campaign just before the SpanAmWar. The politics of all this will be complicated. China is almost certain to be carved up again. Germany, Japan, and who knows who else will be wanting a slice of China, and with the US as a major player earlier, alliances will shift. An earlier start to WWI? Ill have to go back and look at the 1st Sino-Japanese War to get a better idea of its effects. Admittedly, this is all VERY preliminary, the idea may well fall apart upon closer scrutiny. Regardless, it should make for a cracking good "What If" wargame scenario. "If there are no proofs against you, it`s not your merit, but our misconduct" Dzerzhinsky
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Russo-American War of 1904	10/21/09 03:30:18	W D Martin
Re: Russo-American War of 1904	10/22/09 11:50:42	miketr
Re: Russo-American War of 1904	10/23/09 11:57:02	W D Martin