>doing language exchange with a Japanese woman
>she brings up Alaska
>asks why it's not part of Canada
>I tell her because it was actually a Russian territory which was purchased by the United States
>she tells me in broken English that Russians were really stupid for doing that
Was she right?
Other urls found in this thread:
youtube.com
en.wikipedia.org
twitter.com
Russia needed money
but yes, with the discovery of even more oil I would say it is certainly historically a poor decision. They couldn't have known though, and likely wouldn't have developed it for a long time
yes, because we discovered a bunch of gold right after buying it.
We sold it because the UK was about to invade it and we hadn't any power projection there so it would be either loosing it for free or getting some money at least.
They were afraid of the british taking it and a war that far would cost them much more than they saw value in Alaska at that time. It probably was expensive af to upkeep it normally as well.
Don't the Russians have enough of oil and shit in Siberia anyway?
«…тeпepь, c изoбpeтeниeм и paзвитиeм жeлeзных дopoг, бoлee eщё, чeм пpeждe, дoлжнo yбeдитьcя в мыcли, чтo Ceвepo-Aмepикaнcкиe Штaты нeминyeмo pacпpocтpaнятcя пo вceй Ceвepнoй Aмepикe, и нaм нeльзя нe имeть в видy, чтo paнo или пoзднo пpидeтcя им ycтyпить ceвepoaмepикaнcкиe влaдeния нaши. Heльзя былo, oднaкo ж, пpи этoм cooбpaжeнии нe имeть в видy и дpyгoгo: чтo вecьмa нaтypaльнo и Poccии ecли нe влaдeть вceй Bocтoчнoй Aзиeй; тo гocпoдcтвoвaть нa вceм aзиaтcкoм пpибpeжьe Bocтoчнoгo oкeaнa. Пo oбcтoятeльcтвaм мы дoпycтили втopгнyтьcя в этy чacть Aзии aнгличaнaм… нo дeлo этo eщё мoжeт пoпpaвитьcя тecнoй cвязью нaшeй c Ceвepo-Aмepикaнcкими Штaтaми»
Count Myravyov-Amurskiy, the general governor of Siberia.
she doesn't understand russia cannot defend it, it is already over extended for the little people compared to the land
japanese understanding of land is very different from everywhere else because they think their country is too small for their people, hence wrong
Russia wouldn't be able to keep it should american (or british) settlers move in there anyway. It was better off to sell it while they could claim it was theirs.
Why is Russian economy always at a bad condition?
They've got a great military, they've got oil, they're not niggers who are too stupid
China's grown to become the second greatest nation economically
Why not Russia?
poor russians
Too many untold millions of their best and brightest have been being murdered for the past 100+ years. Their gene pool is running rather thin at the moment.
Because we like to chill
corruption, mismanagement, nepotism, you know the usual
corruption and a culture that promotes alcoholism in men.
Most Russians couldn't into economics or smart financial management once the commie era went away, so the ones that did or had some form of political power in the new state sucked up most of the resources and became oligarchs
They cope with the cold with vodka instead of space heating.
>strengthen USA
>weaken Britain
it was a good deal geopolitics-wise
Competentcy only existed with Russian queens and women of power. Their men are drunk and misogynistic so their country has gone to shit.
Economy is overrated. Russia is all about dem feels.
Yeah, it was in the long run a stupid decision for Russia, but they couldn't have known about the resources at the time and in any case couldn't have kept it since the Brits were moving in. Still a worthy investment on our part to see mild levels of Canadian butthurt.
Russia seems like a colder and alcoholic version of the South, 2bh.
Typical slav demeanor, same reason there is a homegenous African demeanor, homogenous mena demeanor, homogenoues mestizo demeanor etc..
because we can't be soulless capitalist pigs
Why is everybody in this thread saying that the brits were moving in?
It is factually wrong. The only major war between russia and the UK troughout there history war the crimean war. Did UK attempt anything against Alaska durign that war? Nope.
And still today there are barely 33 thousands peoples living in Yukon the canadian territory beside Alaska. The numbers of permanent british resident there in the 19th century was probably close to 0. More than half of Canada is a frozen wastelant inhabited. Why would the brits fight for more of that.
hol up, I saw u had sometin more den me nigga, das some borgese shit, bam bam nigga give me dat shit, revolutionary shit yeeeee
They tried to unvade Kamchatka. And population of Alaska back then was 2500 russians and 60000 eskimos. And this
Nah, Russia always was under west or in war.
Sounds like paranoia to me. But hey I guess that after the crimean war the russians could not know that the brits won't invade them again and that Alaska was safe.
USA would not have been able to invade Alaska simple because the brits would not allow them to cross Canada.
The UK would have kept his canadian puppet in check to avoid tensions between Russia nad the UK.
Alaska would have been russians during both world wars on the same side than the USA and the UK.
And then the cold war where the Soviets are a superpower and can protect Akaska with there nukes.
Russia is huge enough as it is. Russia and China are too shady for their size and responsibilities.
The Russians never owned the whole of Alaska. They had settlements across the Aleutian chain and into southern Alaska, also known as the Kenai peninsula region.
The Tlinglit were too fierce and well armed (ceder armor, longboats that could easily navigate the fjords quickly, and american guns) for the Russians to control the SE completly.
They simply didn't have the resources for Siberia, let alone maintaing colonies in the New World, it was a liabillity and a gamble. If they had an idea of the vast mineral deposits I'm sure they would have kept it.
Basically once they overharvested the fur-bearing sea mammals, they couldn't develop the rest of the terrority without great cost. They sold their useless land they never fully owned to a neutral country, and created a buffer-zone between them and their long time rival, the UK.
source - I'm Alaskan
So what USA probably would have bought it when the cold war was at its peak because "muh nukes in alaska"
...