History Main / RussiaCalledTheyWantAlaskaBack

This is a sister trope to MexicoCalledTheyWantTexasBack, which also concerns a foreign power invading part of the US that they used to own. Like with Texas, this is also a localized version of InvadedStatesOfAmerica. Can also overlap with RussiaTakesOverTheWorld. Russia may act out of opportunism during a SecondAmericanCivilWar.

[[quoteright:350:[[UsefulNotes/VladimirPutin https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/russia_invades_alaska.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"Seward's Purchase... JUST GOT REVOKED!"]]

[[quoteright:350:[[UsefulNotes/VladimirPutin https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/russia_invades_alaska.jpg]]]]

* After the start of the Ukraine crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin held an annual question and answer television segment in which a woman asked him about taking back Alaska. Putin dismissed it, saying it was "too cold" and that Russia already had enough cold places.
* There is also a pun-joke about Alaska in Russian. Here it goes: Putin's mistress asks him for some "krem" (cosmetic cream), but Putin mishears and conquers "Krym" (Crimea) for her. And now the mistress is afraid to ask him for a "kolaska" (perambulator)... Or for ''[[GratuitousEnglish ice cream]]'', [[DontExplainTheJoke i. e. Ice-Crimea, i. e. icy land Russia wants back]].
* As mentioned above, the WWII Japanese capture of the Aleutian islands of Kiska and Attu is the only RealLife invasion thus far. Japan was hoping to better defend their northern flank and divert attention away from the upcoming Battle of Midway. Unfortunately for the Japanese, but fortunately for the U.S., the latter had cracked the Japanese naval code and knew all about their Midway plans, and that included the Aleutian landings. In June 1942, the Japanese bombed nearby Dutch Harbor from aircraft carriers, then seized the two small islands with little difficulty. Because of the remote location and harsh weather conditions, it took a year for the U.S. to mount a response, but the islands were finally liberated in August 1943. The Battle of Attu is the only major land battle to occur on North American soil during the war, and the only battle of the Pacific Theatre to take place in winter or arctic conditions.

* In an episode of ''Series/CoryInTheHouse'', Cory accidentally hands the deed to Alaska to the Russian Prime Minister when he puts it in his jacket pocket. The episode revolves around Cory and President Martinez attempting to get the deed back. HilarityEnsues.

* In ''A Matter of Honour'', a 1986 thriller by Creator/JeffreyArcher, the hero comes across a copy of the Alaska Purchase treaty which shows Alaska is only leased to the USA. At the time of the novel's setting - the mid-1960s - that lease is due to expire. Various parties, not leas the [[DirtyCommunists KGB]], are ''very'' keen to get hold of this document.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare2''. It features Russia invading America, but the invasion is on the East Coast, leaving Alaska alone. The initial cutscene showed masses of Russian units coming in on three different fronts (East Coast, Alaska, southern California) but the latter two were actually false alarms due to the US' early warning detection system being compromised.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero'' had a ''three-way'' fight for Alaska. Cobra discovers a (fictional) provision in the purchase treaty stating that whoever holds an artifact called the Seal of Alaska will legally own it. The Russians were supposed to hand it over but the ship carrying it disappeared. The Joes, Cobra, and the Russian Oktober Guard (Russia's G.I. Joe) search the state for it.

* Many Russians incorrectly think that the sale of Alaska was, in fact, a temporary lease agreement, and that Russia will regain full ownership of the region after a certain time period. That is not true, and no official lease document exists.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/russia_invades_alaska.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"Wait a minute, what's ''[[UsefulNotes/VladimirPutin he]]'' doing here?!"]]

The northwestmost chunk of North America was largely uncolonized before UsefulNotes/ImperialRussia showed up in the early 1800s. By the 1850s, they realized [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_America their colony]] was unprofitable, hard to defend, and causing tension in their already strained relationship with the British Empire (which owned Canada), so were open to any reasonable opportunity to offload it. Russia and the United States being rather buddy-buddy in the '50s and '60s (the US had supported the Russians diplomatically during the UsefulNotes/CrimeanWar, and Russia had helped prevent the Confederacy from gaining European support during UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar[[note]]by subtly threatening to engage Prussia (it's a long story, much of it to do with the Balkans, but suffice it to say Russia and Prussia were also on good terms in the days of Bismarck) in an attack on France and the UK should either recognize and assist the Confederacy[[/note]]), several negotiations were made over those decades, and a deal was finally struck in 1867. The US named their new territory Alaska (long a colloquial name for the region), and in 1959 it became the 49th state.

Fiction has produced no shortage of works depicting this scenario. It gained popularity during the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, when there was real fear of the Soviet Union invading. However, it has remained common in the post-Soviet era, usually with a [[MakeTheBearAngryAgain resurgent Russia]], or even some other enemy like China invading. This is because Alaska has many resources that are important for America (chiefly oil) and also occupies a strategic place on the globe, so it could be a tempting target for any enemy with the power to fight the UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks. In 1935, General Billy Mitchell testified before Congress about Alaska's importance, saying: "I believe that in the future, whoever holds Alaska will hold the world. I think it is the most important strategic place in the world."

In RealLife, Alaska has only been invaded once, not by Russia, but by Imperial Japan during World War II, when they seized two Aleutian Islands as a means to protect the home islands from an American attack from the north. It didn't really work out; they were expelled by an Ameri-Canadian response force after 14 months, and the eventual invasion of Japan came from the south side.

A Russian assault would be unlikely at present because doing so would almost certainly start a world war, provoking a response from not only America but her many allies, some of whom are quite close to Moscow. There's also the fact that both sides of the Bering Strait are severely lacking in the infrastructure needed to move and supply any invading force. The nearest Russian railhead is roughly 2,000 miles away,[[note]]There are proposals to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bering_Strait_crossing connect Alaska and Siberia by rail]] via large bridges and/or undersea tunnels, but this would be a spectacularly expensive project. Particularly given the engineering challenges of building in such a cold climate.[[/note]] meaning any effort would be by sea, and the US Navy currently outclasses the Russian Navy, especially in the Pacific. So concerns or discussions of this happening in the real world are minor at the moment unless World War III breaks out over something else first.

** The ''Battlefield 2'' expansion ''Armored Fury'' features a Chinese invasion of Alaska, which is being done in conjunction with the MiddleEasternCoalition invading the U.S. East Coast.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare2''. The sequel features Russia invading America, but the invasion is on the East Coast, leaving Alaska alone. The initial wave showed masses of Russian units on a radar screen coming in on three different fronts (East Coast, Alaska, southern California) but two of them were entirely made up false units due to the US' early warning detection net being compromised.
* ''Videogame/ShatteredUnion'' features an America plunged into a [[DividedStatesOfAmerica Second Civil War]] following a nuclear terrorist attack on Washington, D.C. that kills the President and the entire line of succession. Russia, led by a ruthless dictator, invades Alaska and reannexes it claiming that it really belonged to them all along. [[spoiler: It's eventually revealed that he was the mastermind of the civil war in the first place, wiping out the federal government and sowing unrest so that Russia would dominate]]. Once the player reunites the U.S. the final mission involves reclaiming Alaska from the Russians.

* There is also a punny joke about Alaska in Russian. Here it goes: Putin's mistress asks him for some "krem" (cosmetic cream), but Putin mishears and conquers "Krym" (Crimea) for her. And now the mistress is afraid to ask him for a "kolaska" (perambulator)... Or for ''[[GratuitousEnglish ice cream]]'', [[DontExplainTheJoke i. e. Ice-Crimea, i. e. icy land Russia wants back]].
* As mentioned above, the WWII Japanese capture of the Aleutian Islands of Kiska and Attu is the only RealLife invasion thus far. Japan was hoping to better defend their northern flank and divert attention away from the upcoming Battle of Midway. Unfortunately for the Japanese, but fortunately for the U.S., the latter had cracked the Japanese naval code and knew all about their Midway plans, and that included the Aleutian landings. In June 1942, the Japanese bombed nearby Dutch Harbor from aircraft carriers, then seized the two small islands with little difficulty. Because of the remote location and harsh weather conditions, it took a year for the U.S. to mount a response, but the islands were finally liberated in August 1943. The Battle of Attu is the only major land battle to occur on North American soil during the war, and the only battle of the Pacific Theatre to take place in winter or arctic conditions.

Ah, UsefulNotes/{{Alaska}}, America's 49th state and the Last Frontier. The home of salmon, gold, oil, and many kinds of wildlife. And a potential place of origin for WorldWarIII.

When we talk about an Alaskan land rush here, we usually mean vast armies rushing across the landscape.

In 1867, [[UsefulNotes/ImperialRussia the Russian Tsar]] sold the territory of Russian America to the United States. The territory wasn't doing the Tsar much good, never really turning a profit, and proving to be an unnecessary thorn in the Empire's already strained relationship with the UK (which owned Canada), so the Russian government was open to any reasonable opportunity to offload it. Russia and the US being rather buddy-buddy in the 1850s and '60s (the US had backed up the Russians diplomatically during the UsefulNotes/CrimeanWar, and Russia had run interference in Europe on the Union's behalf during UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar[[note]]by subtly threatening to engage Prussia (it's a long story, much of it to do with the Balkans, but suffice it to say Russia and Prussia were also on good terms in the days of Bismarck) in an attack on France and the UK should either recognize and assist the Confederacy[[/note]]), the Tsar made the obvious decision once the US sent a decent offer. The U.S. named their new territory Alaska (long a colloquial name for the region), and 92 years later in 1959 it became the 49th state. But what happens if the UsefulNotes/RussiansWithRustingRockets decide to renege on the deal?

This is a sister trope to MexicoCalledTheyWantTexasBack, with Russia in place of UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}} and Alaska in place of UsefulNotes/{{Texas}} and the Southwestern U.S. Like with Texas, this is also a localized version of InvadedStatesOfAmerica.

Fiction has produced no shortage of works depicting this scenario. It began gaining popularity during the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, when there was real fear of the Soviet Union invading. However, it has remained common in the post-Soviet era, usually with a [[MakeTheBearAngryAgain resurgent Russia]], or even some other enemy like China invading. This is because Alaska has so many resources that are important for America and it also occupies a strategic place on the globe so it could be a tempting target for any enemy with the power to go up against the UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks. In 1935, General Billy Mitchell testified before Congress about Alaska's importance, saying: "I believe that in the future, whoever holds Alaska will hold the world. I think it is the most important strategic place in the world."

# They are not actually trying to take Alaska back, but just trying to distract the United States military from a battle taking place elsewhere in the world (and maybe damage/destroy some of the important resources in the state while they're at it). Usually happens in WorldWarIII settings.
# They are using Alaska as a "bridge" to invade the continental U.S. and Canada.

Some more humorous works might have two or more sides fighting over a fictional "deed" to Alaska left over from the original purchase. (Note: Such a deed doesn't exist in real life.)

In RealLife, Alaska has only been invaded once, not by Russia, but by Imperial Japan during World War II when they seized two Aleutian Islands as a means to protect the home islands from any American Attack from the north; it didn't work out like they planned [[note]] The Americans would actually launch their campaign against Japan from the South since there were more islands that were useful [[/note]].

A Russian assault would be unlikely at present because doing so would almost certainly start WorldWarIII, provoking a response from America's allies as well as the U.S, itself. There is also the fact that both sides of the Bering Strait are severely lacking in the infrastructure needed to move and supply any invading force. The nearest Russian railhead is roughly 2,000 miles away[[note]]There are proposals to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bering_Strait_crossing connect Alaska and Siberia by rail]] via large bridges and/or undersea tunnels, but this would be a spectacularly expensive prospect. Particularly given the engineering challenges of building in such a cold climate.[[/note]], meaning any effort would be by sea, and the US Navy currently outclasses the Russian Navy, especially in the Pacific. So such concerns or discussions of this happening in the real world are minor at the moment unless an actual World War III suddenly breaks out.

Overlaps with InvadedStatesOfAmerica and sometimes RussiaTakesOverTheWorld. May happen as a result of opportunism during a SecondAmericanCivilWar.

* As mentioned above the invasion of the Aleutian Islands of Kiska and Attu by Imperial Japan is the only RealLife invasion thus far. Japan was hoping to divert attention away from the upcoming Battle of Midway and to create a defense for their northern flank. Unfortunately for the Japanese, (but fortunately for the U.S.) the U.S. had cracked the Japanese naval code and knew all about their Midway plans, and that included the Aleutian landings. The Japanese landed on the two islands and bombed Dutch Harbor as well. Because of the remote location and harsh weather conditions, it took a year for the U.S. to mount an attempt to retake them. The Battle of Attu is the only major land battle to occur on North American soil during the war, and the only battle of the Pacific Theatre to take place in winter or arctic conditions.

* In 2014, declassified documents revealed that in 1950, the U.S. government trained Alaskans as "stay behind agents" to form the beginnings of a local resistance in the event the Soviets invaded Alaska.. At the time, the U.S. military believed Alaska might be a battleground, especially if the Soviets wished to draw American forces away from Asia, where the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar was raging at the time.
* On the other side of the iron curtain, it was discovered that in the late-1940s and early-1950s, Stalin had formed and assigned the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_Army_(Soviet_Union) 14th Assault Army]] to cross the Bering Strait and seize the Steward Peninsula in the event of war with the US. This was planned as purely tactical maneuver, though; the idea was to establish makeshift airfield on which Soviet long-range bombers (which at this time did not have enough range or air refueling capability), flying over North Pole, could be quickly refueled during raids against US homeland.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Anime/MuvLuvAlternativeTotalEclipse'' features Alaska that has been divided into American and Soviet sectors. Unusually for this trope, the division was the result of an agreement between two countries after the majority of Soviet Union were overrun by the BETA invasion.
[[/folder]]

# They are not actually trying to take Alaska back, but just trying to distract the United States military from a battle taking place elsewhere in the world (and maybe damage/destroy some of the important resources in the state while their at it). Usually happens in WorldWarIII settings.