Larger British Asia

[Tongera]

Would it be possible for the British Empire to own the following territories at the the same time and for a significant length of time: India, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, Pakistan, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei and the Philippines?

How would administration and trade of such a area go? How would these territories be gained in the first place and would other powers react to such a large Empire?

 

[iori]

The British Raj and Malaysia (India, Pakistan and Burma) it can, since it did.

Thailand is a strong possiblity, though IMO it's a 50/50 chance it could go British or French if it never develops the strategy of playing them against each other.

Indonesia is a possiblity since they did control it during the Napoleonic war (at the time the DEI was basically just Java and a few bits of Borneo and Southern Sumatra) and they might decide to keep it and compensate the Dutch elsewhere.

The rest of Indochina is unlikely as both Spain and France had long standing interests in the region, and there would be alot of opposition among the other colonial powers of Britain owing all of India AND all of Indochina, let alone with all the other territories listed.

The Philippines is highly unlikely as the Spanish started colonization there long before England had even begun colonizing, well, anywhere and would remain a highly important colony to Spain.

 

[brick24alpha]

The easiest way would be formal protectorates over Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet. They would not be great sources of revenue but if the objective is simple land area they are your best bet.

 

[Simreeve]

The Philippines is highlyunlikely as the Spanish started colonization there long before England had even begun colonizing anywhere and would remain a highly important colony to Spain.

Manila was occupied by British forces (from India) towards the end of the Seven Years War, but given back at the peace treaty... and if it hadn't been given back then, it might still have been regained by Spain as a side-effect of the ARW, instead.
However, if Napoleon hadn't turned against Spain when he did there was a British plan to ship troops from India across the Pacific into Latin America: Maybe if that had gone ahead then the expedition might have stopped off to seize some key points in the Philippines along the way (even if, as things worked out, that actually meant that it didn't get any further east...) and Britain might have kept them after that?

Alternatively, there was an incident during the early 1870s when Spain simultaneously antagonised both Britain and the USA: IOTL the crisis was defused, but how about an Anglo-American alliance against Spain then with the USA seizing Cuba & Puerto Rico while Britain takes the Philippines, maybe part of Micronesia, and perhaps Spanish Guinea (at least the islands of Fernando Po & Annobon, if not the mainland as well)?

 

[Grey Wolf]

Would a French 2nd Republic have pursued land/domination in IndoChina as hard as Napoleon III did? If he was dead (a few possibilities) or defeated, or imprisoned, and the republic lasted, maybe Britain would end up with a free hand in Siam, and by extension the rest of IndoChina, though it would probably have to fight the Chinese at some stage - but then Britain was doing that spasmodically anyway

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

 

[mlp]

I agree that it may be hard to take the Philippines.
There once was an incident where the French "liberated" a part of the Philippines from Spain, and they denied French authority because of their loyalty towards Spain
I guess that'd be the same for the British if they go into Spain- the Filipinos will denounce their leadership.

 

[iori]

Would a French 2nd Republic have pursued land/domination in IndoChina as hard as Napoleon III did? If he was dead (a few possibilities) or defeated, or imprisoned, and the republic lasted, maybe Britain would end up with a free hand in Siam, and by extension the rest of IndoChina, though it would probably have to fight the Chinese at some stage - but then Britain was doing that spasmodically anyway

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

In the case France does'nt there's a good change Spain will take its place, as Spain had been interested and involved in Eastern Indochina since the early 18th century.

 

[kasumigenx]

I agree that it may be hard to take the Philippines.
There once was an incident where the French "liberated" a part of the Philippines from Spain, and they denied French authority because of their loyalty towards Spain
I guess that'd be the same for the British if they go into Spain- the Filipinos will denounce their leadership.

I think Luzon is a possibility, that is if the Brits defeat the Macabebe scouts, the Katipunan became successful after defeating the Macabebe scouts.