Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Non-Wargaming Discussion => Chat & News => Topic started by: Orcs on 17 October 2012, 09:49:26 PM

Title: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: Orcs on 17 October 2012, 09:49:26 PM
What countries (if any)has Britain not fought with.  I am including all incidents of armed conflict not formal declarations of war.  Going back I suppose to Roman times?

Title: Re: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 17 October 2012, 10:08:56 PM
Traditionally the answer is 3: Mongolia, Aruba and Kiribati

Portugal, Britain's oldest ally fought us when ruled by Spain.
Antarctica.
Anywhere where ruled as a colony we have been at war with at some point (Australia is difficult to find conflict with, but does teh Ashes count)

Wars involving Englan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_England)
Wars after the Act of Union: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_Great_Britain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_Great_Britain)
Known Wars In Britain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_in_Great_Britain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_in_Great_Britain)

"In my view every single country in the world apart from the following: Burundi,Cape Verde,Dominican Republic,French Southern Territories,Guinea-Bissau Macedonia,Northern Mariana Islands,Sao Tome And Principe,United States Minor Outlying Islands,Western Sahara. This is an indirect answer however, since this does take into account the following: 1) previous sovereignty by third parties of land now sovereign itself. 2)attempted seizures 3)established bases 4)engagements within territories against third parties. 5)wars of independence against third parties backed by the government. 6)dominions, condominiums, colonies, mandates, occupations,invasions,civil wars,conflicts,dependencies,discovery naming and exploration,raids,indirect invasion by association, low intensity war,NATO actions,protectorates, peacekeeping,declarations of war,territories,gunboat diplomacy.Revolutionary support acts, militarily aided humanitarian aid,rescue missions and claims. 7)arguable incidences of informal empire by preference of trade, investment, property and industry backed by military assistance or threat. 8)Major incidents not resulting in war but with diplomatic victory. 9)Territories by association. The reason I have listed all of these is that native populations,lands, third parties, sovereignty or economies have all at one time or another been directly or indirectly affected by these "actions". Perhaps this is not a very good answer but there we are.
Mike Slammer, Hertfordshire United Kingdom"

NON-COMBATANT LIST INCLUDED HERE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-1818,00.html (http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-1818,00.html)
Title: Re: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: Leon on 17 October 2012, 10:14:11 PM
Now what would be cool is if someone took a list of all 206-ish countries, and assigned the relevant wars/conflicts to them so we could all see when and who we've been fighting with...  :D
Title: Re: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 17 October 2012, 10:19:25 PM
Just sort of done that, see wiki link in my edit!  ;)
Title: Re: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: Nosher on 18 October 2012, 07:09:52 AM
(Australia is difficult to find conflict with, but does the Ashes count)

Gets my vote ;)

And then there's the Lager Wars. They win on recent lager inspired adverts (Fosters), however it still tastes like drinking kangaroo p*** :D
Title: Re: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: Kiwidave on 18 October 2012, 07:35:23 AM
Quote from: Nosher on 18 October 2012, 07:09:52 AM
And then there's the Lager Wars. They win on recent lager inspired adverts (Fosters), however it still tastes like drinking kangaroo p*** :D

That's why they don't drink it in Australia.....

New Zealand's never been at war with Britain, unless you count the Land Wars against the Maori in the 19th century, which were more of a rebellion/uprising than nation v nation.
Title: Re: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 18 October 2012, 07:37:04 AM
Think that counts as a technicality/invasion.
Title: Re: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 18 October 2012, 08:19:24 AM
What about the reverse - who has been allied with England (1930's usage). ?

IanS
Title: Re: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: Leon on 18 October 2012, 12:39:34 PM
Quote from: mad lemmey on 17 October 2012, 10:08:56 PM
Wars involving England: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_England)

Sorry, I couldn't read any further than this:

"1543-1550    War of the Rough Wooing       Scotland    Treaty of Norham, Scottish victory"

=O =O =O
Title: Re: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: nikharwood on 18 October 2012, 07:34:59 PM
 :D ;D :D
Title: Re: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: Orcs on 18 October 2012, 09:47:20 PM
Quote from: Leon on 18 October 2012, 12:39:34 PM
"1543-1550    War of the Rough Wooing       Scotland    Treaty of Norham, Scottish victory"

=O =O =O

If it took 7 years to woo her, it was hardly rushing it.   :).  Or perhaps she wanted "a bit of rough"   and her husband did not like being cockolded.
Title: Re: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: Luddite on 18 October 2012, 11:24:01 PM
It seems to have been a cavalry action...

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ABC%2BjmiLL._SS500_.jpg)


Difficult to pin down who we haven't fought, but it may well all be over in a couple of years if the Jocks vote to form a new country (note that Scotland, Wales, England, and Northern Ireland are not currently countries - weird eh?) we English might be able to revive the old tradition of invading Scotland again.
Title: Re: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: FierceKitty on 19 October 2012, 02:01:48 AM
Can Scotland really make a go of it alone? I wish 'em well (quarter haggis-eater myself, and very tasty haggis can be too), but can they afford it?
Title: Re: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: GordonY on 19 October 2012, 02:54:54 AM
one word reply, Whiskey.
Title: Re: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 19 October 2012, 08:24:01 AM
Aint the one wid der "e" Irish ?   :d :'(
Title: Re: Who has Britain not fought
Post by: GordonY on 19 October 2012, 09:23:15 AM
doesnt matter, we'll claim the duty on that as well  :D