what often constitutes a nation. A country is said to meet four criteria: it must have a permanent population, a functioning government, the capacity to interact with other states, and a defined territory. Historically, the last of these criteria could only be satisfied if the territory could be protected; after all, territorial wars have been relatively frequent, and the only effective way to protect your territory is with your own military.


A few countries don't have militaries, but these are typically micronations. Iceland, with a population of almost 400000, is by far the largest country to forego maintaining its own military, so let's take a look at Ice. In the 21st century, territorial wars are less common than they once were, and international organizations exist to defend innocent nations from aggressors. While historically Iceland had few powers of self-government, the early 20th century saw Iceland gradually gaining devolved powers. However, the most significant development in the right to self-government occurred in 1918 when Iceland became a sovereign country under the Constitution and hereditary monarchy of Denmark. In essence, Iceland was its own Nation but was bound to Denmark as a result.

However, it was made clear that Iceland would retain control over these two areas and that Denmark would only assume responsibility for them if Iceland requested it. This became significant just over 20 years later, when the Second World War began. Iceland began by committing to a policy of neutrality, as it frequently had in the past. However, it found it difficult to maintain in 1940, when the Nazis invaded Denmark and cut off communication with Ice. In essence, this gave the Icelandic government control over defence and international affairs. The British then urged Iceland to join the Allies the very following month. The British invaded Iceland, but were met with no resistance; there were no deaths in the invasion; in fact, the Icelandic prime minister went on the radio and ordered the Icelandic people to treat the British as guests despite the Icelandic government's claims to the contrary. Iceland refused, citing their policy of neutrality; the British feared that Iceland's relationship with the then Nazi-occupied Denmark may mean that the Nazis could use Iceland strategically to invade them. In its first act in the Second World War, the United States agreed and stationed 40 000 troops on the island. This meant that at the time, American troops actually outnumbered native adult men, though some welcomed the occupation. The British stationed 25 000 troops in the country. The British occupation of Iceland lasted until 1941 when, after a brief handover of responsibility to Canada, Britain requested that the United States take responsibility for defense as they needed to deploy their troops elsewhere.



The relationship between the United States and Iceland was formalised in 1949 when Iceland became a founding member of NATO. Some people were so resentful of it that they accused women who had relationships with their occupiers of being traitors. This dislike for some people was so visceral that a new word for the children of these Liaisons was coined. the building was destroyed Ultimately, the anti-nato protests were unsuccessful largely because politicians saw joining the organization as essential Iceland's foreign minister at the time stated my people are unarmed and have been unarmed since the days of our Viking forefathers we neither have nor are able to have an army but our country is under certain circumstances vital. the group operated from 1951 until 2006 and was based at the Navy Air Station in Keflavik. Iceland and Norway agreed to cooperate on defense matters, and a year after the Americans left, Norway's jet fighters and observation planes were expected to monitor Icelandic airspace and aid in sending rescue helicopters. The Icelandic Coast Guard, established in the 1920s and still operates today, is the closest thing Iceland has to a standing army today.


During the historic Cod Wars with the UK in the 1950s, which were simply a bitter fight over fishing rights, the Coast Guard protected Iceland. Icelandic Crisis is another issue. Reaction Unit They're not that busy these days and in 2008 they decided that there was no need for them to actually wear a uniform or carry their guns in 2009 they gave up on military training so these days it's just well 30 dudes in normal clothes nonetheless despite a nearly nonexistent military capacity, the ecru was a 30-strong peacekeeping force operated by the foreign Ministry established in 2001. The ecru participated in a few NATO and un-led missions. territorial steadfastness this is primarily due to the fact that they are a remote Island and that the US and NATO have supplied them with protection for over 80 years. When the strongest military power and the largest military alliance promise to defend you if you are attacked, perhaps you don't truly need your own military. Perhaps the entire incident demonstrates the effectiveness of international organizations for defense purposes, or perhaps this is only possible since Iceland has a very tiny population overall.