North Macedonia (formerly the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) is listed as invaded in 2001. How can a country be invaded when troops were already in the country (UNPREDEP)?
Not actually a question directed at yourself.
If that info is a bit wrong, then North Macedonia would still be on the list, as British troops were in action there during the First World War, as part of the Macedonian front, against Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria.
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I spent some time on the border in Macedonia. There were observation posts dug into the mountains that looked down onto the Kriva river valley, the main east west thoroughfare of the northern part of the country. You wouldnt see the window slits from outside they were concealed so well. From the inside there was a marvelous view. The whole place looked frozen in time.
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That sounds really interesting! A neat little time capsule from a century ago.
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The remnants of my old mountaintop OP show up well on Google earth. It’s easy to find because of the bright gravel road that goes to nowhere.
42°21’17"N 22°15’12"E
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… And about sixty thousands French soldiers were killed in five weeks.
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I am guessing you are confusing Williams - the Conqueror vs this guy who I was talking about!
Very different times! But yes, both Williams invaded.
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Very true.
Also back in Norman times, Scotland and Ireland were separate countries and England had part of France - Normandy…Also around that time Wales was invaded.
And the BEF are responsible for that? Or the woeful French leadership? Gamelin didn’t even have radio communications at his HQ, and failed to react to the build up on the Meuse - which lead to the French and BEF being cut off from the rest of France.
As I pointed out above, William Rufus (William II) also invaded part of Scotland and started calling it England after his father died.
Though it hadn’t been part of Scotland for very long at that point- I’m not sure if the Kingdom of Strathclyde/ Alt Clud was still quite within living memory, but it’s close.
After the Romans left it went from being Rheged to part of Northumberland (by dynastic union, not invasion), then Strathclyde and finally Scotland. At no point was it part of a country called England before 1092, which was my point.
Yes, I am simplifying the history a bit, but it is close enough.
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Yes, as I said, I hadn’t really studied any of this.
I purposefully avoided Scotland for this very reason, it’s a really complex history even for those who live in Britain - partly not taught - maybe it is in Scotland but in England history is really badly taught, partly it is taught, a lot of it is contentious like Ireland. Although Scotland was never totally ‘conquered’ by anyone I think, parts yes, from Vikings, English, Picts - or were they locals, no-one really knows?..etc.
Unlike Wales which was conquered in the middle ages and has been unhappy about it ever since, Scotland actually joined the Union in the 18th century due to failed foreign colonies and being basically bankrupt. That pisses off nationalists who want to see it as a them vs us thing, but Scotland chose then to be part of the United Kingdom. And despite what Westminster says, could choose to leave. Wales would be more complicated…and Ireland? Eeek. Yeah… not going to go there…could be forced with Brexit. TBH I think Ireland should be unified but I know some Northern Irish disagree with that.
Tis a bit like Falklands though, just because some people want to be ‘British’ doesn’t mean mainland should have to pay for that - or indeed prop up the bigoted DUP.
Didn’t make it through the whole TikTok video I guess?
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Some Scots chose to be part of the UK: those with votes in Parliament. And Scotland then was no more of a democracy than England was.
O would, ere I had seen the day
That Treason thus could sell us,
My auld grey head had lien in clay,
Wi’ Bruce and loyal Wallace!
But pith and power, till my last hour,
I’ll mak this declaration;
We’re bought and sold for English gold –
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!
— Robert Burns
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To expand on that- the vote to pass the treaty of union was very corrupt, with parliamentarians being openly bribed to vote in favour
At the time there wasn’t broad public support for the treaty, with large crowds protesting outsideParliament against it. But of course, their opinions didn’t matter in those pre-democratic times.
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Both true - but I find it interesting people say ‘some X did that’ when it suits them, and then blame the whole of England for the mess when it gets heated.
We - the working class English who could not usually vote, certainly not against the lord of the manor who quite often was the MP - didn’t vote for it either. That wasn’t unusual, from rotten boroughs, gerrymandering and women and many people not having the vote. Or not having a free vote.
But it’s also interesting that the English tend to get the blame, when actually the fuck up that is Darien and some very corrupt Scottish princes were the bigger problem closer to home. If they hadn’t bankrupted themselves in a fool’s errand, the union would never had to happen…
Not saying that Westminster is great, they have shown themselves to be increasingly distant from the people - of all the ‘united’ kingdoms - nowadays united in their hatred of Westminster!
I wonder if that joke predates Ivanhoe?
“It’s SHITE being Scottish! We’re the lowest of the low. The scum of the fucking Earth! The most wretched, miserable, servile, pathetic trash that was ever shat into civilization. Some hate the English. I don’t. They’re just wankers. We, on the other hand, are COLONIZED by wankers. Can’t even find a decent culture to be colonized BY. We’re ruled by effete assholes.”
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