How to sell Alaska

In 1867 the government of Alexander II sold the North American United States (NAUS), just released from a bloody civil war, the territory of the "Russian Alaska." Over time, this "deal of the century" has acquired a mass of speculation and myths, many of which are in no hurry to die and still - for example, to the effect that "Uncle Sam", these lands were not sold and leased - whether 100 , or at all for 99 years, so that the "Render zemlitsu Alyasochku, give back darling!" (©, a group of "Lube").
Book now prisoner Ivan Mironov, journalistically revised version of his dissertation, debunks these myths and conjectures without giving write off losses and Russia's ills on "Bolsheviks and Communists", depriving prerevolutionary history of our country generously naleplennoy her leaf gilding.
It is worth noting a strange pattern that none of the Russian emperors admitting territorial losses of the country, did not die a natural death. This also applies to the Liberator Alexander II (AK), and proclaimed svyatomuchenikom Nicholas II (South Sakhalin and the Kurils). However, in recent Russian history rulers, from Lenin to Yeltsin, this rule apparently does not apply until ...
But back to the book of Ivan Mironov. He writes: "In its rejection of the Russian North American colonies was interested not only the young state the U.S., but the old world rivals the Russian Empire, fearing the growing strength of Russia in the Western Hemisphere. Ironically, in Russia, in its ruling elite, the government found influential followers of this idea, as already in the 40s may indicate policy of the Ministry of Finance in relation to the Russian-American Company. Nicolae But if I no one in the government and could not think of a direct rejection of aiding her possessions from the empire, then under Alexander II this idea gradually began to acquire the ruling circles of the Russian sale of Alaska ... preceded by many years the activities of a small group of senior government officials, the character wore a conspiracy whose purpose was to ruin the colonies and the creation of artificial prerequisites for the liquidation of the North American territories of Russia and their transfer to the United States ... The official reasons for the sale of Russian America, pushed government lobby, a policy of eliminating the North American colonies in Russia, were false, and the transaction concluded by the Government of Russia and the United States, contrary to the geopolitical interests of the Russian empire. "
We all remember the wonderful image of patriot diplomat Gorchakov, created by the writer Valentin Pikul's novel "Battle iron chancellors." But the same Chancellor Gorchakov when he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, it turns out, was one of the most ardent supporters of the sale of Russian America. So the reality is much more complicated, even the brightest and most convincing artistic metaphors.
  "Declared Value of Russian America was less than 3% of the annual income of the empire, about 9% of the annual cost of the army. Based on the above data on the country's budget to the studied era can say with confidence that no financial interest in the sale of Russian state lands in America was ... as for the argument about purchasing the deal reliable ally in the United States, it is also not tenable. Indeed, if you follow common sense, then, having made such a deed as to preserve the unity and independence of the United States, Russia, rather itself had a moral right to "ask" any U.S. state, but the opposite has happened: at the time, as Americans, still reeling from a civil war, praised Russia for "unselfish and solid friendship in times of hardship" and swear eternal loyalty to her we in a fit of generosity to give them obscure their territory. further development of our relations with the United States showed that the assignment to the United States Russian possessions in America did not contribute to the strengthening of friendship mezhdtsu two states - on the contrary, it has strengthened the power and independence of the United States and made ​​them more aggressive policy toward the former neighbor. "
Incomplete after forty years after this "gift" to her grandson Alexander II, Nicholas, during the Russian-Japanese war had to face the Pacific virtually united Anglo-American-German coalition, longed for Russia's defeat. Suffice it to recall the role of American bankers Schiff, agents of the British Rothschild maritime rearmament of Japan. "We have no permanent enemies and permanent allies - we have permanent interests" - the slogan of British politics completely adopted their "younger brothers," Americans. And forget who you're dealing with the West and the East, to the leaders of Russia has always been, is and will be like death.