It
is a worthwhile exercise looking into the record of those countries
who would bring peace, freedom and democracy to the world.
The
record of the United States (the number of countries it has invaded
or bombed) and Israel (which has managed to attack its neighbours
several times) is clear.
It
seems that Britain has brought peace, freedom and democracy to most
of the countries of the world!
British
have invaded nine out of ten countries - so look out Luxembourg
Britain
has invaded all but 22 countries in the world in its long and
colourful history, new research has found.
6
November, 2012
Every
schoolboy used to know that at the height of the empire, almost a
quarter of the atlas was coloured pink, showing the extent of British
rule.
But
that oft recited fact dramatically understates the remarkable global
reach achieved by this country.
A
new study has found that at various times the British have invaded
almost 90 per cent of the countries around the globe.
The
analysis of the histories of the almost 200 countries in the world
found only 22 which have never experienced an invasion by the
British.
Among
this select group of nations are far-off destinations such as
Guatemala, Tajikistan and the Marshall Islands, as well some slightly
closer to home, such as Luxembourg.
Stuart
Laycock, the author, has worked his way around the globe, through
each country alphabetically, researching its history to establish
whether, at any point, they have experienced an incursion by Britain.
Only
a comparatively small proportion of the total in Mr Laycock's list of
invaded states actually formed an official part of the empire.
The
remainder have been included because the British were found to have
achieved some sort of military presence in the territory – however
transitory – either through force, the threat of force, negotiation
or payment.
Incursions
by British pirates, privateers or armed explorers have also been
included, provided they were operating with the approval of their
government.
So,
many countries which once formed part of the Spanish empire and seem
to have little historical connection with the UK, such as Costa Rica,
Ecuador and El Salvador, make the list because of the repeated raids
they suffered from state-sanctioned British sailors.
Among
some of the perhaps surprising entries on the list are:
- Cuba, where in 1741, a force under Admiral Edward Vernon stormed ashore at Guantánamo Bay. He renamed it Cumberland Bay, before being forced to withdraw in the face of hostile locals and an outbreak of disease among his men. Twenty one years later, Havana and a large part of the island fell to the British after a bloody siege, only to be handed back to the Spanish in 1763, along with another unlikely British possession, the Philippines, in exchange for Florida and Minorca.
- Iceland, invaded in 1940 by the British after the neutral nation refused to enter the war on the Allies side. The invasion force, of 745 marines, met with strong protest from the Iceland government, but no resistance.
- Vietnam, which has experienced repeated incursions by the British since the seventeenth century. The most recent – from 1945 to 1946 – saw the British fight a campaign for control of the country against communists, in a war that has been overshadowed by later conflicts involving first the French and then Americans
It
is thought to be the first time such a list has been compiled.
Mr
Laycock, who has previously published books on Roman history, began
the unusual quest after being asked by his 11-year-old son,
Frederick, how many countries the British had invaded.
After
almost two years of research he said he was shocked by the answer. "I
was absolutely staggered when I reached the total. I like to think I
have a relatively good general knowledge. But there are places where
it hadn't occurred to me that these things had ever happened. It
shocked me.
"Other
countries could write similar books – but they would be much
shorter. I don't think anyone could match this, although the
Americans had a later start and have been working hard on it in the
twentieth century."
The
only other nation which has achieved anything approaching the British
total, Mr Laycock said, is France – which also holds the
unfortunate record for having endured the most British invasions. "I
realise people may argue with some of my reasons, but it is intended
to prompt debate," he added.
He
believes the actual figure may well be higher and is inviting the
public to get in touch to provide evidence of other invasions.
In
the case of Mongolia, for instance – one of the 22 nations "not
invaded", according to the book – he believes it possible that
there could have been a British invasion, but could find no direct
proof.
The
country was caught up in the turmoil following the Russian
Revolution, in which the British and other powers intervened. Mr
Laycock found evidence of a British military mission in Russia
approximately 50 miles from the Mongolian border, but could not
establish whether it got any closer.
The
research lists countries based on their current national boundaries
and names. Many of the invasions took place when these did not apply.
The
research covered the 192 other UN member states as well as the
Vatican City and Kosovo, which are not member states, but are
recognised by the UK government as independent states.
The
earliest invasion launched from these islands was an incursion into
Gaul – now France – at the end of the second century. Clodius
Albinus led an army, thought to include many Britons, across the
Channel in an attempt to seize the imperial throne. The force was
defeated in 197 at Lyon.
Mr
Laycock added: "One one level, for the British, it is quite
amazing and quite humbling, that this is all part of our history, but
clearly there are parts of our history that we are less proud of. The
book is not intended as any kind of moral judgment on our history or
our empire. It is meant as a light-hearted bit of fun."
The
countries never invaded by the British:
Andorra
Belarus
Bolivia
Burundi
Central
African Republic
Chad
Congo,
Republic of
Guatemala
Ivory
Coast
Kyrgyzstan
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Mali
Marshall
Islands
Monaco
Mongolia
Paraguay
Sao
Tome and Principe
Sweden
Tajikistan
Uzbekistan
Vatican
City
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