How would Sweden become a colonial power?

pa_dutch

Sweden *was* a colonial power. They had a fort in my hometown (right outside of Philadelphia, PA). They also had colonies in the Caribbean and on the Gold Coast.
 

HeavyWeaponsGuy

Banned
It was a colonial power.

It might not have the population or the finances or the ports to be the best colonial power, but it could be a fairly decent one.
 

Evil Opus

A victory in the Great Northern War would certainly help; perhaps even going back to the Thirty Years' War, have an even more lopsided Swedish victory.
 

Krases

pa_dutch said:
Sweden *was* a colonial power. They had a fort in my hometown (right outside of Philadelphia, PA). They also had colonies in the Caribbean and on the Gold Coast.
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Oh man, imagine a Swedish North America...would need a really early POD though. Like Vinland survives to the 1500's and gets a new wave of settlers and technology from the Swedish Empire at some point. Next thing you know, North and Central America are painted blue, but its no Ameriwank!
 

katchen

Banned
Sweden could have made a good start by acquiring the Nicobar Islands from Denmark in 1809 when Sweden got Norway.Sweden could have built from there, initially going after the Andaman Islands, Phuket Island from Thailand and/or some or some of the Mergui Islands before moving on Tanithauryi itself from Burma. It is Burma, which at this time probably offers Sweden it's best opportunity for profitable imperial penetration. Burma is trying to expand westward into British India, but British India is owned by the British East India Company. If the Swedes can muster 10,000 men and ships to carrry them before the mid 1820s, (which was what the Britich EAC used to defeat the Burmese in the First Anglo Burmese War of 1825) they can likely establish a Swedish colony in Burma. All the British ask for in return is Assam, Manipur and Arakan with the Swedes getting Tanithuaryi and the right to expand into Songkhla (which can lead to a canal across the Kra Isthmus ) and the Irwaddy Delta with prospects for furher expansion into the rest of Burma up to Yunnan, China. Burma can be Swedish just as Indochina can be French.
 

superkuf

spunkychariot said:
By what means must Sweden go through in order to land itself in Africa or Asia?
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First Sweden must understand that wars on the European continent won't give any permanent results - Sweden is simply a to small player to keep any conquests. Secondly Sweden must understand that any war on behalf of France, England or any other power will cost Sweden far more than the foreign subsidizes amount to. So drop waging wars on the continent.

To both get decently big colonies and keep them (different from OTLs small attempts) the POD have to be early. Two quick PODs

a) GA2 don't involve Sweden in the 30 year war, but use the gathered military capacity to first invade and conquer Scania while Denmark fights against the Empire. After digesting this rich prize he orders one or more colonial attempts in Africa (or more likely, North America). All those Swedes that died at Breitenfelt, Prague or Copenhagen may end up as colonists.

b) Charles XI got stomach cancer and did 1697, only 42 years old and with a 15 year old son which inspired the neighbouring countries to attack and end the Swedish Empire 1721. Butterfly the cancer and let Charles XI live 20 more years - probably a time of peace that would give Sweden time to focus on colonial adventures. It is even possible that Charles XI would realize that the Swedish territories in Germany would bring Sweden into future wars, and trade the territories (such as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Pomerania) for territories outside Europe.

But in the end Sweden is an unlikely colonial power. To low population, to big unexploited areas in the north and squeezed between Germany and Russia.
 
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