Negotiations about sale

Underlying reason

Alaska opened in 1732 by Russian expedition under the direction of M.S.Gvozdev and I.Fyodorova, was possession of Russia in the North America. At first it accustomed not the state, and private persons, but, since 1799 — specially founded monopoly — the Russian-American company (RAC).

The area of the sold territory made 586 412 square miles (1 518 800 km ²) and was almost uninhabited — according to the RAC, at the moment of sale the population of all Russian Alaska and the Aleutian islands made about 2500 Russian and approximately to 60 000 Indians and Eskimos. In the XIX-th century beginning Alaska brought in incomes at the expense of trade in furs, however to the middle of the century it began to be represented that expenses on the maintenance and protection of this kept away and vulnerable, from the geopolitical point of view, territory will outweigh potential profit.

The first the question on sale of Alaska by the USA before Russian government was lifted by the governor general of Eastern Siberia count N.N.Muravev-Amursky in 1853, specifying that it, in its opinion, is inevitable, and at the same time will allow to strengthen positions of Russia at the Asian coast of Pacific ocean in the face of accruing coming Britain empires:

Directly to the east from Alaska the Canadian possession of British Empire (formally company of Hudson bay) were stretched. Relations of Russia and Britain were defined by geopolitical rivalry, and sometimes were openly hostile. During the Crimean war when the British fleet tried to land a landing in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsk, possibility of direct collision in America became real. In these conditions, in the spring 1854 from the American government, wishing to prevent occupation of Alaska by British Empire, the offer about fictitious (temporarily, for a period of three years) sale by the Russian-American company of all possession and property for 7 million 600 thousand dollars has arrived. The CANCER has entered into such agreement with American-Russian trading campaign in San Francisco, supervised by the government of the USA, but it hasn't come into force, as the CANCER was possible to agree with the British company of Hudson bay.

Negotiations about sale

Formally, following offer on sale proceeded from the Russian envoy in Washington baron Edward Steklja, but the initiator of the transaction this time was great prince Konstantin Nikolaevich (Alexander's younger brother II), for the first time sounded this offer in the spring 1857 in the special letter to the Minister for Foreign Affairs A. M.Gorchakovu. Bitterlings has supported the offer. The position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was reduced to question studying, and has been decided to postpone its realization before the expiry of the term of privileges the RAC in 1862. And then the question temporarily became irrelevant in connection with Civil war in the USA.

On December, 16th, 1866 the special meeting on which were present Alexander II, grand duke Konstantin, Ministers of Finance both the sea ministry and the Russian envoy at Washington baron Edward Stekl has taken place. All participants have approved idea of sale. Under the offer of the Ministry of Finance the sum threshold — not less than 5 million dollars gold has been defined. On December, 22nd, 1866 Alexander II has confirmed territory border. In March, 1867 Stekl has arrived to Washington and has reminded state secretary William Sjuardu «of offers which became in the past about sale of our colonies» and has added that «now the imperial government is located to enter negotiations». Having secured with the consent of president Johnson, Sjuard already during the second meeting with Steklem which have taken place on March, 14th, could discuss the main positions of the future contract.

On March, 18th, 1867 president Johnson has signed official powers of Sjuardu, almost negotiations of the state secretary with Steklem in which course the contract draft on purchase of Russian possession in America for 7 million dollars has been in general coordinated at once have taken place.

Date: 2015-12-18; view: 582