The US and Canada haven’t fought since 1812. Which European border of a major super power has a longer history of being close allies?
The UK and Scotland shouldn’t count because Scotland isn’t a sovereign country, they are a state of the UK that has lied about retaining their sovereignty for 500 years (which is why they have to beg England for permission to even hold an independece referendum)
Spain and France shouldn’t count because Spain worked with the Nazis in ww2 and wouldn’t help France.
I considered that, but Switzerland was under seige by fascists on 3 fronts from 1939 to 1944 (the Nazis pressured the French-Swiss border and Italian fascists pressured the Italian-Swiss border)
The US and Canada haven’t fought since 1812. Which European border of a major super power has a longer history of being close allies?
What’s the definition of “being a close ally”? You’re using the date of Canada and USA last conflict, but for Spain and France you’re using political alignment.
I think Portugal and Spain also make a good candidate if we’re looking back only until the early 1800’s. The border itself had a few changes but they were peaceful IIRC, the last conflict was 1801?
On a separate note, the quote says has been the most peaceful and beneficial, so it’s not so much as a matter of peaceful for the longest time. Even if EU borders weren’t peaceful way back, quite a few of them are so peaceful nowadays that they barely register as existing. In terms of most beneficial, I’m not sure how to analyze that.
Quite a surprising one here: I think the Norwegian/russian border can actually match that. I believe Norway is the only country neighbouring russia that has never been invaded by them (sans WWII, where they invaded Nazi-occupied Norway and willingly left after the Axis was defeated).
I also think the Norwegian/Danish border has been conflict-free for some hundred years (to be fair, we were in a union for ≈450 years ending in 1814). We’ve had some skirmishes with the Swedes throughout the years, but I believe the last one was in 1814.
Norway and Denmark don’t have a land border. Thus including alliances in general the Anglo-Portuguese one dates back to 1373, with only 60 years interruption when Portugal was in dynastic union with Spain which in modern terms could be called an occupation.
…and this isn’t just a technicality with both nations being big on seafaring you can consider the water between them a highway, French cannons nonwithstanding.
I’m not quite sure if you’re disregarding the fact that Norway and Denmark haven’t had a war for hundreds of years because they don’t share a land border? In any case i can point out that there were plenty of Norwegian-Danish hostilities before the union time. With both Norway and Denmark being big on seafaring, the waters between Norway and Denmark have historically been seen much more as a highway (as you say about the Anglo-Portuguese waters) than anything else.
The distance is shorter though, so I would rather compare the Norwegian-Danish border to the Anglo-French border, and the lack of a land border there hasn’t really prevented any wars.
I had forgotten about that! However: That wasn’t sanctioned by the government though if I remember correctly, it was done by civilians that requested governmental military support which was refused.
Canada and the US have been close allies for 200 years. The last time they fought was 1812
Edit: I was wrong, we have only been close allies for 130 years
Not 200 years. The last major conflict was the War of 1812 but relations weren’t rosy until the Great Rapprochement starting around 1895. The period inbetween saw the Fenian Raids, Patriots’ War, Britain’s tacit support of the Confederacy and the Trent Affair, and disputes around the Oregon Country and Alaska border. Hell, Confederation happened mostly because of fears of the US’s growing power after its civil war.
Tell me your views are extremely America-centric without telling me.
The only way you can have those views is if you know nothing about the EU at all.
Removed by mod
The US and Canada haven’t fought since 1812. Which European border of a major super power has a longer history of being close allies?
The UK and Scotland shouldn’t count because Scotland isn’t a sovereign country, they are a state of the UK that has lied about retaining their sovereignty for 500 years (which is why they have to beg England for permission to even hold an independece referendum)
Spain and France shouldn’t count because Spain worked with the Nazis in ww2 and wouldn’t help France.
Switzerland? Apart from a bit of aerial bombing during WWII it’s been a pretty peaceful border since that time Napoleon invaded.
I considered that, but Switzerland was under seige by fascists on 3 fronts from 1939 to 1944 (the Nazis pressured the French-Swiss border and Italian fascists pressured the Italian-Swiss border)
What’s the definition of “being a close ally”? You’re using the date of Canada and USA last conflict, but for Spain and France you’re using political alignment.
I think Portugal and Spain also make a good candidate if we’re looking back only until the early 1800’s. The border itself had a few changes but they were peaceful IIRC, the last conflict was 1801?
On a separate note, the quote says has been the most peaceful and beneficial, so it’s not so much as a matter of peaceful for the longest time. Even if EU borders weren’t peaceful way back, quite a few of them are so peaceful nowadays that they barely register as existing. In terms of most beneficial, I’m not sure how to analyze that.
Quite a surprising one here: I think the Norwegian/russian border can actually match that. I believe Norway is the only country neighbouring russia that has never been invaded by them (sans WWII, where they invaded Nazi-occupied Norway and willingly left after the Axis was defeated).
I also think the Norwegian/Danish border has been conflict-free for some hundred years (to be fair, we were in a union for ≈450 years ending in 1814). We’ve had some skirmishes with the Swedes throughout the years, but I believe the last one was in 1814.
Norway and Denmark don’t have a land border. Thus including alliances in general the Anglo-Portuguese one dates back to 1373, with only 60 years interruption when Portugal was in dynastic union with Spain which in modern terms could be called an occupation.
…and this isn’t just a technicality with both nations being big on seafaring you can consider the water between them a highway, French cannons nonwithstanding.
I’m not quite sure if you’re disregarding the fact that Norway and Denmark haven’t had a war for hundreds of years because they don’t share a land border? In any case i can point out that there were plenty of Norwegian-Danish hostilities before the union time. With both Norway and Denmark being big on seafaring, the waters between Norway and Denmark have historically been seen much more as a highway (as you say about the Anglo-Portuguese waters) than anything else.
The distance is shorter though, so I would rather compare the Norwegian-Danish border to the Anglo-French border, and the lack of a land border there hasn’t really prevented any wars.
Norway occupied parts of Greenland for a while, 1931-1933, I’d call that an act of aggression against Denmark and thus a war even if it was ultimately resolved peacefully and the claim didn’t concern the Danish mainlands.
I had forgotten about that! However: That wasn’t sanctioned by the government though if I remember correctly, it was done by civilians that requested governmental military support which was refused.
“In the last 100 years”… European borders were not peaceful for that long
To be fair, historically speaking, Europe’s borders have been all but peaceful.
Fair, but on March 26 the initial Schengen-Borders will have been basically nonexistent for 30 years.
Canada and the US have been close allies for 200 years. The last time they fought was 1812 Edit: I was wrong, we have only been close allies for 130 years
Not 200 years. The last major conflict was the War of 1812 but relations weren’t rosy until the Great Rapprochement starting around 1895. The period inbetween saw the Fenian Raids, Patriots’ War, Britain’s tacit support of the Confederacy and the Trent Affair, and disputes around the Oregon Country and Alaska border. Hell, Confederation happened mostly because of fears of the US’s growing power after its civil war.
It has been detrimental to the many first nations whose lands have been divided.