04 Nov 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.
The analysis is contained in a new book, All the Countries
We've Ever Invaded: And the Few We Never Got Round To.
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
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/9653497/British-have-invaded-nine-out-of-ten-countries-so-look-out-Luxembourg.html