When Iceland Defeated Britain: The Cod Wars (Short Animated Documentary)

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The Cod Wars. Britain wanted to fish, Iceland said no. Ramming.
Sources:
Fishing in the Mild West: Democratic Peace and Militarised Interstate Disputes in the Transatlantic Community by Gunther Hellman and Benjamin Herborth

[@jarnodatema]

If it weren’t for those brave British and Icelandic sailors we’d all be speaking Cod today ✌️

[@leonmail0]

Take my like and get out.

[@bendikmanum3132]

Blub - blub.

[@andreasvw6906]

@@bendikmanum3132 Treason !

[@miltonfarmer1139]

lmao

[@I-am-not-paul]

Hvað

[@R3GARnator]

Iceland pulled the "I'm calling mom!" card.

[@DaveMiller6042]

Mom was the United States

[@TheMarkster245]

I’m calling mommy Nixon

[@Kanohoro]

Nixon says it's my turn on the Xbox

[@freddy4603]

Nixon says the Xbox is mine :)

[@joshuaearlsumbillo25]

Britain should've just drop opium in Iceland just like what they did with the Chinese and the Ottomans.

[@Mauricio24271]

"Iceland won three wars in a row against the UK" Argentina: is it possible to learn this power?

[@houselemuellan8756]

Not from a German WW1 veteran...

[@gideonmele1556]

Iceland: “Fight over water” Argentina: “...¿q?”

[@viniciusvyller9458]

Not from a cod...

[@ryanchuabowen2045]

Its called threatening to kick NATO out

[@Gaben38]

Just ask the US to bully UK, easy.

[@Thecommander248]

USA: "STOP KILLING OUR ALLIES FOR FISH!" Britain: "BUT I'M HUNGRY!"

[@joaolucasfraga9147]

USA: "NO YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE ENGLAND, HUNGARY IS WAY TO THE EAST AND A BIT TO THE SOUTH!"

[@Thecommander248]

@@joaolucasfraga9147 XD

[@fogareuaquelecaradaportari3386]

@@joaolucasfraga9147 thats a fucking impostor, the real USA is not that good at geography

[@joaolucasfraga9147]

@@fogareuaquelecaradaportari3386 Nice one! :D

[@philip8498]

@@joaolucasfraga9147 the real USA couldnt even spell hungary. They wouldnt even dream of that place being an independent nation

[@Corium1]

Cod War? U.S.: sleeps Threaten to leave NATO? U.S.: HOL UP NOW

[@rocky8u32]

For context: Iceland was critical during the Cold War for NATO's control of the Atlantic. The US Air Force maintained an air base for the whole Cold War at Keflavik. This allowed the air force and navy to support air patrols of the North Atlantic. In addition, Iceland was one of the bases if the G-I-UK passive sonar detection system (SOSUS) that was designed to detect Soviet submarines entering the Atlantic out of the submarine bases on the Barents Sea. All of this was important for preventing the Soviet Union from cutting off US reinforcements and supplies to Europe in the event of a "hot" war. NATO wanted to prevent what the Germans tried to do in both world wars, use submarines and aircraft to attack shipping across the Atlantic. Iceland was a critical part of this strategy, so I'm sure the threat of them withdrawing was taken very seriously at the time.

[@wilms2328]

@@rocky8u32 Iceland has excellently navigated itself into NATO. Because they were technically under allied occupation during the second world War, they offered to join NATO in exchange for having to supply not a single soldier. They leveraged their strategic position incredibly well, which brought them into this unique position within NATO

[@xbox_cheeto5338]

@@wilms2328 But they can't do that now so much considering their lessened importance as a location

[@wilms2328]

@@xbox_cheeto5338 Strategic importance doesn't really change. Control of the GIUK-gap, the seas between Greenland, Iceland and the UK is vital for access to the Atlantic. NATO controls that area fully. In event of conflict with Russia (basically NATOs purpose), the Russian navy will never be able to break out into the Atlantic

[@wilms2328]

@Papaya Tasty I'm not trying to be paranoid, sorry if I came across as such. All I'm saying is that NATO was created as an opposing force to the Soviet Union, whose legal successor is Russia. Having the ability to restrict access to the oceans is very important during wartime. NATO controls all the vital naval chokepoints in Europe: The Sound in the Baltic, the English Channel, the GIUK gap, the Bosporus and the strait of Gibraltar plus whatever I might have missed. Of course conflict with Russia is extremely unlikely, but if such a conflict was to arise, NATO is in an excellent strategic position to deal with it. That's basically what a defensive alliance like NATO is about: being prepared for such circumstances.

[@LoneWolf343]

"The Cod Wars were finally over." ...for now.

[@krzysztofsobucki9681]

That would be the littest ending ever...

[@jokuvaan5175]

Next time Iceland will claim 1000 km of its coast. Give it a century and they'll claim the oceans of the whole World.

[@frenchguitarguy1091]

Literally what i was thinking

[@michaelalexander3078]

LoneWolf343 Begun, the Cod Wars have.

[@HgEuAaVrEdN]

Genius

[@daveb.4268]

"In Cod we Trust!" and "Cod save the Queen!" Were common battle cries.

[@noobmaster-wg4no]

😂😂😂

[@gunziz109]

i want to cry

[@FozzQuaker]

Cry Cod for Harry, England and St George

[@Betojb007]

You know what they say... "Cod has mysterious ways."

[@johnyricco1220]

Cod be for us, who can be against us?

[@tHeWasTeDYouTh]

Cod Wars Cod Wars The Empire Strikes Back Cod Wars The Return of the Vikings

[@Aaron19987]

Cod wars: the cod fights back

[@mrpewpews8918]

YEEEAAAHHH!!!

[@0915junior]

Lord of the cods the two trawlers.

[@derinko]

Cod Wars: Now it's personal

[@danc7934]

Cod wars: Revenge of the Brits

[@petersmythe6462]

*Iceland has left faction: NATO.* ... *Iceland has joined faction: Warsaw Pact.*

[@user-ke4wr2hj1c]

Transmission from the United States of America:iceland has left nato Transmission from the union of Soviet socialist Republics:iceland has joined the Warsaw pact

[@Zerpderp0]

America: GODDAMN IT BRITIAN!@!!

[@yeatnumber1Dmuncher]

Iceland has called The Soviet Union as our enemy in the Romanian-Brazilian war.

[@misschauchatcultistbernie2740]

@@yeatnumber1Dmuncher Bulgaria has called Switzerland as our enemy in the Bulgarian-Bulgarian war was the strangest I have ever seen and it was on a Feedback gaming video I believe

[@yeatnumber1Dmuncher]

@@misschauchatcultistbernie2740 "The United States has declared war on the United States"

Iceland: (increases economic zone to 12 miles) (increases economic zone to 50 miles) (increases economic zone to 200 miles) (increases economic zone to the entire ocean)

[@andgames9805]

(increases economic zone to all the water of the universe)

[@aj-gt4vj]

Don't expose all the plans yet

[@Icanhasautomaticcheeseburger]

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. to U.S.: "MAMA!!!!"

[@theomegapyrope9715]

RULE ISLANDDIA ISLANDDIA RULE THE WAVES

[@barkinghampalace5032]

Better yet, increases it by a line up to the U.K. itself, just barely touching.

[@Outside85]

basically this was the Monty Python sketch where the UK dances up to Iceland, slaps it with two herrings for a couple of times, then iceland pulls out a cod and smacks the UK into the water.

[@fransbuijs808]

And releases the 16 ton weight.

[@Rudepenaltyoffside]

🤣

[@Vinemaple]

Thank you so much lol I love that skit

[@Infamouschef_]

I love how passive aggressive so many wars have gotten after WW2. Instead of shooting each other, they are playing naval bumper cars.

[@AlextheRambler]

So that's why the price of my cod and chips has increased!

[@lirachasmody]

rambler why arent you playing hoi4

[@anhalter1572]

Lol

[@rpbapale2732]

Oh hey their HOI4 Historian. Damn you and your references.

[@josephstalin7353]

our lord is here

[@rydyly1734]

That's a for sure sign that an Iceland superpower video is coming out. Hope your hairline can sustain such a pure video idea Alex!

[@smilingearth5181]

Going to war for fish and chips is perhaps the most British thing I've heard about since the Opium Wars.

[@thewanderingdoomed4883]

Lmao

[@X_Potato]

British tanks have tea making facilities.

[@smilingearth5181]

@@X_Potato that is VIOLENTLY British.

[@scintillam_dei]

Ah, the British, with their cute second-biggest-empire ever that fails to beat the biggest, Spain's, for during the Iberian Union, the Spanish Emperor ruled all oceans with no rival, but the British ALWAYS had to share EVERY ocean with the French and others. Brits sing that Britannia rules the waves, so the UK of GB admits that seas count, seas with more resources than British wastelands, mind you. Only hypocrites count the less-resource-rich areas. Who owns most of the earth? Spain wins. Who has more wastelands and poor people? Britain wins.

[@smilingearth5181]

@@scintillam_dei...the fuck are you going on about?

[@vectravi2008]

One of the Icelandic secret weapons at this time was a costal patrol vessel called Thor. Much smaller than any British warship it still packed a mighty punch. This was because the normally empty fore peak tank in the bow of the Thor had been deliberately filled with concrete. This made a very effective battering ram that scared many a British warship captain. The Thor could ram without suffering too much damage and incur major damage on its opponent and most importantly without firing a single shot. Clever what?

[@Unknownmonkey13]

I'm sorry to be that guy but do you have a source for that? Neither of the two icelandic vessels I've found named Þór has any mention of a concrete ram

[@vectravi2008]

@@Unknownmonkey13 hi Gallows, A few years after the cod wars I sailed with an engineer who had been on the Thor at the time. He told me about it. It resulted in her always being down by the head afterwards as it couldn't be removed. Don't know if there is any official sources, I've looked myself after seeing your reply but I couldn't find anything either.

[@Unknownmonkey13]

@@vectravi2008 Shame, seemed like an interesting read, thanks anyway

[@heimirmagnusson1036]

@@vectravi2008 you might be referring to the Odin vessel which was known for ramming into British vessels during the cod wars, which was later replaced by the thor vessel, its currently in the icelandic maritime museum.

[@kingace6186]

I didn't know that the Icelandic Coast Guard was adept in unconventional warfare. LMFAO.

[@alabamaal225]

I remember a cartoon satirizing the "Cod War" showing British admirals gathered around a chart table with model ships being moved about by subordinates. One of the admirals was portrayed as saying, "We haven't had this much fun since Jutland."

[@williammerkel1410]

That can't be much fun since even though Jutland was a draw the RN took significantly higher losses and it could have turned out much worse for them, they were outgunned and outmaneuvered, only the size of their fleet prevented disaster.

[@AudieHolland]

@@williammerkel1410 While it was a tactical defeat, it was a strategic victory. Because the German Navy never ventured out again following the Battle of Jutland. In the case of the British Navy, it was actually too big to fail.

[@ericlee5515]

@@AudieHolland German submarines still ventured out. It was still a major British victory as the status quo was maintained and the British could take the naval casualties, the Germans couldn't.

[@AudieHolland]

@@ericlee5515 There never was a second naval battle. Submarines don't count.

[@richardthomas5362]

@@williammerkel1410 Actually, I think the Germans were outgunned. The Germans a little over 20 battleships, a mix of pre dreadnoughts (4 x 11in guns), battle cruisers (8 x 11in guns, I think, and, as it turned out, explosive), and dreadnoughts (the 12 x 11in and 12 x 12in gun ships had broadsides of 8 big guns while the most advanced dreadnoughts had 10 x 12in guns with a 10 gun broadside. The Royal Navy had around 10 dreadnoughts (10 x 12in guns, except the Agincourt which had 14 x 12in guns), 12 super dreadnoughts (10 x 13.5in guns each) and five super dreadnoughts (8 x 15in guns), as well as floating explosives (battle cruisers with 12 and 13.5in guns). I think the only reason the Germans gave better than they got is because the British AP rounds had defective detonators, or something, which meant a number of their hits failed to explode. If the Germans had stayed to fight to the end I believe the Germans would have been wiped out, but the British grand fleet would have been much smaller as a result.

[@notesla1568]

Iceland: (openly attacks British vessels) USA: *(Sniff) this is the most beautiful thing I've seen since 1776*

[@sniperpc1971]

Vietcong: Start massacring american soldiers UK: (sniff) This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen since 1812 Edit: A lot of you are getting very angry! Remember kids, this is a joke! Don't take it too seriously!

[@gavinr9356]

@@sniperpc1971 massacring american soldiers? the death toll of the u.s was 58,000 and vietnams was 1,165,000

[@MS-qd1jj]

@@gavinr9356 exactly and an undeveloped farming nation against a superpower leading a coalition of minor powers, for the vietcong, it was a win. Plus their enemies were outspending them hugely and still failed to reach strategic goals.

[@gavinr9356]

@@MS-qd1jj the u.s strategic goals were extremely flawed because they didn’t want another Korea. Also if you go buy percentage of gdp spent. Then no the u.s didn’t outspend them. Also this has nothing to do with what I was even saying I was calling out the fact the comment was stupid and even if it was a joke it was a shit one considering it was false.Don’t bring up things that I wasn’t even talking about to win an argument.

[@gavinr9356]

@@secretname4190 ok and? I understand that they should have had better strategic goals.but Also this has happend to the Soviets when they invaded Afghanistan and China couldn’t take Taiwan. So stop trying to act like only the u.s had these issues.there’s many times in history when other superpowers failed to win against minor countries.

[@abbaa711]

“The Cod Wars were finally over.” Until Cod Wars: Episode VIi: The Fish Awaken

[@thebronzedragon1]

Cod War VIII: The last Haddock Cod War IX: Rise of High Water Other instalments are Cod War: Ram One Cod War: Water polo

[@wannabedal-adx458]

@@thebronzedragon1 Well definitely call Cod War V: The Empire Strikes Back!!! Because why change a good thing!! :D

[@Take-aim-and-reload...]

*_Cod War: Infinite Warfare Remastered_*

[@howardthealien2606]

Elvin Ostrup Begun,the memes have

[@B121AN1]

Episode IV: A New Cod Episode V: Britain Strikes Back Episode VI: Return of the Fleet

[@unclenogbad1509]

I remember this - much hilarity in UK btw. One problem was that Royal Navy destroyers at the time had only light modern armour, whereas the Icelander ships had icebreaker hulls. 'Accidental' collisions tended to have only one result.

[@tykjpelk]

Iceland had an advanced weapon to fight the British trawlers: A sharpened anchor that the coast guard would drag as they crossed behind the trawlers, cutting the trawl wires.

[@TheZags18]

The cold war turned into the cod war cuz Britain took the L

[@greenfingernaildirt356]

lmaooo

[@krisdaman3469]

lolololol

[@Slash-wd6vw]

That was a good one

[@Crowned159]

The L of Looser

[@arsenique6478]

Oh shit.

[@alhurpoiuytrewq9377]

Russians: I fight for my motherland Germans:I fight for my people British: I fight for my king Iceland: I fight for my freaking COD!!

[@USERZ123XD]

German is fatherland

[@joemanton2340]

for Britain its queen

[@Bruh-hq1hx]

In germany it was i fight for god and Kaiser

[@apreciadordobrasil4932]

Russians:Za Rodinu!(For the Motherland! Germans:Für das Vaterland!(For the Fatherland!) British:God save the King/Queen! Icelanders: *Hendur af þorskinum mínum!*

[@alhurpoiuytrewq9377]

what is the Translation for the Icelandic one

[@conorstapleton3183]

Britain: *sending Warships to the Channel Islands, because of fishing rights* Cod War Veteran: *has flashbacks*

[@LaYziELoC7]

Call of Duty: The Cod Wars

[@karlfranz310]

I want it

[@pedroapinto06]

So...... Basically it's CoD cod wars

[@karlfranz310]

@@pedroapinto06 yes

[@pinksheep406]

I was just thinking about that!

[@Chillerll]

COD: Modern Cod War 2

[@androzani]

Here’s a little lesson in fishery.

[@bogdan1058]

Glad to see that reference here

[@biliminsrlar5752]

This went down in history.

[@justinian-the-great]

@@biliminsrlar5752 If you wanna be a fisher NUMBER ONE, you gotta catch the British on the run!

[@datboi6005]

@@justinian-the-great now listen to me, and fish around! Be careful not to make a sound!

[@lahavmorris9919]

*BOOM!* (Warning shot)

[@kjartannn]

in Iceland we are tought this in 5th grade and legit 99% of all the classes my 5th grade teacher tought found this more interesting than ww2

[@mentos93]

I never heard anything about iceland in ww2, will look into it sounds intresting.

[@aj-gt4vj]

Í hvaða skóla varst þú í

[@kjartannn]

@@aj-gt4vj laugarnesskólam kennarinn var sköllóttur og smá off topic

[@benjamingumundsson4397]

Yyyy U gay it was occupied by the british and then turned over to the americans

[@rubennavarro611]

@@kjartannn wow islandic is more similar to swedish that what i imagin, i kind of understand u

[@MatsLM]

If you’re interested, the casualty on the Icelandic side was during the Second Cod War. It was an engineer onboard the Icelandic Patrol Vessel ICGV Ægir. The man in question is Halldór Hallfreðsson, who was killed by electrocution when flooding came to his section of the boat when the British HMS Scylla rammed it.

[@aapowarjovaara1865]

Greatest hero in the Icelandic history

[@evo5dave]

What about the cod???

[@Frisbieinstein]

Annual cod ceremonies honor Hallfreðsson.

[@Enyap_]

There was also German guy who was severely injured when he was somehow hit by a line with a hook trailing from an Icelandic boat intended to slice off the fishing nets of the boat he was on.

[@justnoah2073]

2:02 I love the "People's" slapped onto the Republic of China. It's a really nice detail because in 1971 is when the PROC was given the seat on the security council instead of the ROC.

[@hfar_in_the_sky]

The big thing to note as to why Iceland was so important to NATO was because it was vital to the maintenance of the SOSUS listening posts that deterred Russian submarines from crossing the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom gap into the North Atlantic. And since "keeping them Ruskies out of our waters" was more important to America than anything else, you can understand why America came down so heavily in favor of Iceland during each of these conflicts.

[@ramjb]

Not just SOSUS. The GIUK gap was patrolled from airbases in Iceland and was a key strategic point in controlling possible forays of the Soviet Naval Aviation bomber forces into the North Atlantic proper. Iceland was home to both ASW forces (in the shape of P3 Orions), but also an advanced Early Warning and fighter base, with F-15s and E3s deployed. With Iceland out of the picture not only the USSR's submarine force became much more threatening due to the collapse of SOSUS (the net was hardwired from Iceland, it could be shut down from there), their naval air assets could strike convoys at will with little or no forewarning from the Early Warning assets based on Iceland that were tasked with patrolling the northern approaches, and unchallenged by interception from F-15s coming from there aswell. Tom Clancy described that when he was writting "Red Storm Rising" (a novel about WWIII erupting in the early 80s) that he wargamed the scenario several times with friends of his and that the NATO air assets based on Iceland pretty much made an impossible task for the soviets to really threaten the naval communication lines between the US and Europe. Submarines had a hard time crossing the GIUK gap, but more importantly the AEW-Eagle combo based on Iceland made it virtually impossible for air attacks on convoys to happen. So, he had to write in the novel a whole arch covering the surprise invasion and neutering of Iceland as a base for NATO in order to make his narrative credible.

[@jamesscarano7843]

@@ramjb That time when the Russian captain faked a perfect American accent and the NATO forces let them go by . . . awesome book . . .

[@ThatIcelandicDude]

Then there is the fact that this is during a time when the US was actively asserting itself as "the" nato power. In the suez crisis America dropped the hammer on Britain hard, becouse Britain had not sought US approval before and America wanted to make it clear that nothing would be done in nato without consulting them first. In Iceland Britain was directly interfering in what they considered thei sphere of influence and they were going to let that slip by.

[@boanamergulhao9423]

so sus

[@hamzaalikhan9932]

russia is being SO SUS...

[@Canhistoryismylife]

I’m waiting for the movie about this called “The Codfather”

[@julianaylor4351]

Apparently there are some fish and chip shops with that name.😋😂🐟🍟

[@IncogNidos]

I too saw word "God father" somehow

[@Some_Random_Asshole]

There’s a chippy near me called that

[@chrisca]

Now, head yourself out

[@nb2008nc]

Instead of a dead horse head, throw a mutated cod head in someone's bed.

[@IowanLawman]

I love the fact that the lack of fish for Fish & Chips started a national emergency

[@SamBrickell]

The US is just like: "Are you SERIOUSLY endangering NATO just because you want to eat cheaper fish!?"

[@AmusedWalrus]

"This was embarrassing for the UK" This enraged his father who punished him severely

[@opfor287]

You are not a clown you are the entire circus

[@dalikunsmith7938]

Ted Garrison The most ambitious crossover

[@RicardoD957]

Oh an oversimplified joke? There's a tax for that.

[@trashman7906]

More like his son (the Unites States) threatened to put him in a nursing home.

[@abandonedchannel72929]

Johan Jacobs r/woooosh

[@AmusedWalrus]

"The UK didn't wish to jeopardize the alliance, or more specifically annoy the Americans" How times have changed since 1812

[@cursedex3755]

Britain basically lost all of it's super power due to WW1, 2 and decolonisation and so we're no where near a super power anymore as America and the USSR took over as the worlds super powers

[@benign2859]

@@cursedex3755 Nice airhead you have.

[@cursedex3755]

@@benign2859 Its the unfortunate truth and way of history, all empires eventually fall and so did ours there was nothing which could have prevented it

[@MonTheWell1886]

@@cursedex3755 WW1 didn't really hurt Britain that much. They gained German colonies and the UK and France became the strongest powers in Europe until WW2.

[@la34632]

Not that surprising considering the importance of Iceland in the alliance, without the GIUK Gap there would have been Soviet submarines in the Atlantic.

[@ValueNetwork]

Denmark: gets involved in cod war 2 on the British side to protect the seas around the Faroe Islands! Iceland: doubles Its fishing zone in cod war 3, getting dangerously close to Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Denmark: does nothing

[@scipio436]

The knew they had no chance against the might of the Icelandic Empire

[@alanpennie]

​@@scipio436 Danish feelings about Iceland are... complicated.

[@Owgla]

​@@alanpennie the feeling is mutual

[@midwintersnight]

It’s even funnier when you realise that Iceland doesn’t have a military XD

[@christophershell7564]

Iceland was just like: USA, communist is on the rise. Give me fishing rights and the amount of communal ocean decreases...

[@brownbricks6017]

They have a Coast Guard.

[@FozzQuaker]

The nearest they have to a Military is the 200 strong Iceland Crisis Response Unit of which about 30 are active at any one time...Though I'm sure the ICRU's job is provide peacekeepers for UN duties...

[@sliczedkaidzo2225]

They never defeated British army? They cried until they finally got what they wanted, British army could easily beat Iceland obviously and it’s been proven since we invaded them in 1940

[@kolbrunbjorg6559]

@@sliczedkaidzo2225 any army could beat us because we don’t have an army😶😅

[@concept5631]

*Iceland has left: NATO* *Iceland has join: Warsaw Pact* USA: *_BRRIIITTAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!!!!!_*

[@concept5631]

@Yyyy U gay Stolen *_and_* remodeled.

[@nore5992]

@Yyyy U gay The better one

[@Maekar19]

SLINKMAANNNNN

[@mrabdou3569]

(panic in american )

[@thebronzedragon1]

@@Katzian I call this 'Aggressive Negotiations'

[@asj8048]

🇬🇧:"hehe u r only fighting with ur coast guard" 🇮🇸: Yes.

[@Lakeland_IV]

direct rule from Reykjavík

[@eh1600]

Chad Icelandic fisherman vs Virgin British sailor

[@quisqueyanguy120]

@@Lakeland_IV E V E R Y I C E L A N D I C A F I S H E R

[@theelementalscientist6631]

“You’re not allowed to fire at the Icelanders unless they fire first!” “Right.” *British government walks away* “You didn’t say anything about ramming them though 😈 “

[@marcofava]

The Icelanders started the ramming first btw

[@yorktown99]

It's worth point out that while Iceland was deploying its navy to defend its fishing grounds, Canada was letting the Grand Banks be utterly destroyed by modern, mechanized fleets of trawlers from around the world.

[@DampZombieNugget]

UK: Ok, how much more do you think of expanding your naval borders? Iceland: Yes

[@williamtoner8674]

so bored of this joke

[@alihani1830]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@mikespearwood3914]

@@williamtoner8674 All these jokes get done to death!

[@arandomperson6557]

Breaking News: Iceland expands fishing area to 5,000,000,000 miles

[@Jedi_Spartan_38]

If this stuff had happened 100 - 200 years before then Britain would have just taken over Iceland.

[@Einargizz]

Oh cool... That means we can fish just outside Pluto's orbit.

[@Hellenic_Empire]

@@Einargizz not now.... After Cod war 28278228th Iceland doubled its claims..

[@NJFireDepartment]

Not without pissing off the Entire World

[@arandomperson6557]

@@Einargizz I've heard they have some great fish there though, luckily.

[@rvfharrier]

For those wondering why anyone would have even cared about Iceland leaving NATO, it's because of its geography. It's situated centrally in the GIUK (Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom) gap, a chokepoint for Soviet submarines attempting to enter the Atlantic ocean. With Iceland as part of NATO, assets could be stationed there to make life very difficult for any such submarines trying to enter the Atlantic to potentially devastate convoys from the US in the event of a war, hence the threat of them pulling out of NATO having such sway.

[@goobot1]

I lol’d at the fact that since the ships didn’t want to shoot and start an actual war they decided to just ram into each other instead.

[@MrPicky]

The British didn't dare to shoot because they'd technically been in a "real war" with a NATO country. When a NATO country is invaded then other NATO countries are supposed to help it.

[@alanpennie]

The ghosts of the Phoenicians smiled.

[@blitzkrieg2928]

Uk: my fish Iceland: I would like to talk with your manager UK and USA: Oh boy

[@gentblue]

Karen Karendottir?

[@Danymok]

*Next year* : Iceland claims exclusive rights to waters within 4000 miles of their shores *Iceland wins*

[@biliminsrlar5752]

Your videos are pretty good.

[@pashauzan]

It's you!

[@dextercochran4916]

This is basically every fight siblings have with each other. Both have good claims, but then the younger one escalates it until things get stupid and Mom and Dad tell the older sibling to back down.

[@TheInfamousHoreldo]

perfect.

[@PrivateMcPrivate]

Yep

[@Blanco8x8]

Britain: We need fish. Iceland: That sounds like a "you" problem.

[@Uranium_Enjoyer]

You should rename it to “that time Iceland defeated Britain, three times”

[@unitedkingdomofgreatbritai5498]

I seen you in Hyper bat mapping comment sections

[@Novella1]

I create similar videos on my channel but it's hard getting recognized. Could anyone check it out and tell me their thoughts? Thank you

[@unitedkingdomofgreatbritai5498]

@@Novella1 ok

[@VenomousCompany]

@@Novella1/videos I was actually surprised with the quality of your "Last Man To Die In World War I" video. Not as good at the big history channels but very certainly decent. I gave you a sub anyway and i'll see what you do in the future. I'm sure video quality will improve a lot as time goes on.

[@mhx6437]

@@Novella1 Thank for not spamming linkd and asking properly. I will check it out.

[@jonthorn1968]

Fact: My Icelandic great-grandfather was a veteran of two of these wars

[@blueowlfilms]

I cant when begin to imagine the brutality and trauma he faced from the war

[@IngiR08]

My grandma was a veteran too!

[@IngiR08]

And my great-grandfather was a WWII veteran. He died in an attack in Iceland by Nazi submarines.

[@blueowlfilms]

@@IngiR08 may his soul rest in peace

[@diegomayz8503]

@@blueowlfilms The casualties of those three war were extremely low XD

[@hunter_noah]

"You can't shoot them until they shoot first" "Understood" ... *Enganges ramming speed*

[@Jonathan-nn3rg]

I just have to say (for all your videos in general), I love them! Even though your animated people don't talk or have facial expressions, the way you move them and the thing with their eyes are just so funny! That's probably the biggest reason I watch these (and to learn). These are the best historical shows on KZbin!!! 😁👍

[@edgelord8337]

Britain losses to Iceland. USSR losses to -Finland- Afghanistan America losses to Vietnam. Australia losses to discount ostrich. Historical bruh moments.

[@MrSimythe]

Australia looses to emus...

[@scottwilliams7766]

Guy spells lose like “loose”...

[@someguy3766]

Vietnam and the Winter War were basically opposites. In the Winter War, the Soviets performed atrociously yet still won. In Vietnam, the Americans performed superbly yet still lost. Political will determined the outcome of both wars rather than actual military competence.

[@assassinosproductions3201]

@Johan Jacobs It's ok, if that makes you feel better that you lost to some poorly fed farmers...

[@edgelord8337]

This comment section has become a war zone. All of you are get wooshed.

[@paradoxequinox4104]

I love that animation of the U.S laying on the pressure. Just this powerful slowly leaning closer and closer until they finally were like "OK!Jeez."

[@unclejoeoakland]

Ever hear how LBJ would lay it on congressmen? He'd set them in a few low club chair and hover in real close, badgering them from inched away, get his face up under their noses and remind them how he could queer every last dime of pork they had coming. To his credit, it worked.

[@wyveriusblackfire3834]

"Ferb, lean on him."

[@Bloodlyshiva]

I prefer the "more, and more, and more...." sequence.

[@joseSanchez-ej2oh]

3:09 I love how he can make international relations hilarious with such stiff movement by giving the appropriate context

[@DrQuak]

I think you glossed over a small important fact of *why* the US was willing to embarrass the UK in this way for Iceland - Iceland's membership within NATO was of significant tactical importance in terms of containing / monitoring Russian vessels (especially submarines) leaving the North Sea. One of the big tactical focuses of NATO was containing the Russian navy, which had significant constraints due to geography. The only Russian Naval access to the Atlantic were either to take their Black Sea fleet through the Bosporus (controlled by Turkey) or Gibraltar (controlled by UK) straits, both of which were key NATO members; or to take their Baltic Sea fleet through the English Channel (obviously controlled by the UK) or the two waterways either side of Iceland (the GIUK gap). Policing the GIUK gap was, basically, the primary role of the British Royal Navy within NATO, and could only be done effectively with a good UK-Iceland relationship. If the Soviet Navy could traverse the GIUK gap with ease then, should the cold war turn hot, the Soviets could disrupt NATO naval as the Germans tried to do in WW1 / WW2.

[@chadvid2000]

When the Waters starts to speak Icelandic Royal Navy: “Oh Neptune”

[@EkEMaN91]

You joke, but that kind of did happen. The Icelandic fishermen did not take kindly to some kinky boot tea drinkers and so they would terrorize them through ramming and any other means they thought of. To stop this the British Navy patrolled and would clash with them instead, but the Icelanders were wily and would slip through their patrols. To combat that, British ships were to call out the locations of spotted Icelandic ships. That worked well for a few days until the Icelandic fishing men started recording the messages and playing them when they'd long since become untrue. When the British realized this, they'd report the message as false and the Icelanders recorded that too, for when they next spotted them.

[@kamanashiskar9203]

Well, that only for decade. Than they went back to speaking British.

[@cheydinal5401]

"We claim all fish and chips between Reykjavik and Sri Lanka"

[@Apokalypse456]

"Rekjavic" does not exist and Sri Lanka was still called Ceylon

[@cheydinal5401]

@@Apokalypse456 Shut up

[@cheydinal5401]

@@Apokalypse456 Learned something, though

[@Apokalypse456]

@@cheydinal5401 tbh I expected that cheap ass "you must be fun at parties" meme :p good old fashioned shut up was refreshing. And I am glad you learned something^^

[@breaddboy]

@@Apokalypse456 what do you mean reykjavík does not exsit? Where did that plane take me...

[@easyeight8983]

Imagine starting with 3 miles of fishing rights and over the course of 30 years moving it to 200 miles against one of the historically most powerful navies in the world. Nice.

[@radicalrazel9156]

Going to war over fish *and winning* is the most Icelandic thing I have ever heard

[@martinfawkes595]

And when Iceland weren’t done embarrassing us at war, they embarrassed us at football.

[@Temp-hg3kq]

Martin Fawkes 🤝

[@fulcrum2951]

Adding salt to the wound Adding insult to injury Insert analogy here

[@lennydale92]

We suck at soccer anyway. Might as well concentrate on improving our rugby and cricket.

[@KofteG61]

Iceland is something else. They also humiliated the Netherlands and Turkey.

[@jerres9585]

@@lennydale92 Dude you have the premier league, the best league in the world in my opinion. But yeah you're national team is pretty much cursed 😂 they always have a great generation of players and it's never enough 😅

[@cespu_iv4519]

That's why in HOI4 britain always attack Iceland

[@jeebeeb5813]

@my mom You say occupation, I say some dudes on vacation during WW2.

[@josephstalin7353]

and lost in hoi4

[@scottishboi6035]

😂

[@AaronF2112]

HOI!

[@1212rocketlauncher]

@@jeebeeb5813 Ironically enough a few British soldiers died here in Iceland during WW2, they froze to death in the Westfjords.

[@FD-vj6hd]

I did not expect Iceland to be the aggressor and the UK to be in the right at the start of this video, safe to say it’s not often that was round in history

[@catiminiclergus537]

« In the right » lol? They were fishing far from 3 miles away from their coast, and only for confort. Iceland did to fkn survive

[@catiminiclergus537]

It s like there is a fruit hanging in the middle of the road, a homeless person is used to taking it as it’ sens the only free food in a mile, but a billionaire pass by and take it because he like the taste

[@b8nnytez]

How very dare you! 🇬🇧 🐟 🤔

[@TheJan1101]

"Iceland won three wars in a row against the UK" Germany: Could you please teach me?

[@alanpennie]

I was there when an Icelander said exactly this to a German. The Icelandic equivalent of "Two World Wars and One World Cup".

[@bigmanjorge]

Captain Birdseye is wanted by NATO for multiple massacres during the Cod War

[@julianaylor4351]

He likes the simple things like stealing fish from other people's waters.😋😂

[@spooks7108]

Lol

[@goulven05]

Unfunny joke but ok

[@bigmanjorge]

@@goulven05 So you feel the need to trundle in a year later with your world class intellectual output. If only we could all be as witty as you, lardy-fucking-da

[@a2falcone]

The 1952 Declaration of Santiago from Chile, Peru and Ecuador, and the Third Cod War, were key precedents for the international recognition of 200 nmi exclusive economic zones. So it was actually a pretty important "war".

[@MrPicky]

Correct, Iceland did a lot of countries a big favour by starting this.

[@andrewcutler4513]

I remember, as a young kid, seeing a TV news article (maybe on 60 Minutes?) about the '70s round. The Icelandic Coast Guard ships were "armed" with 19th century style muzzle loaded cannons!

[@FozzQuaker]

The Icelandic Coast Guard had some balls to go up against the Royal Navy, despite being outmatched, outgunned and outnumbered

[@samwilkinson2534]

Who will win? Iceland: the country with NO army and a little coast guard. UK: One of the largest and high tech navy's in the world.

[@adamingigulaugsson3323]

The icy bois

[@aj-gt4vj]

Iceland

[@R3GARnator]

Calling mom won.

[@indefiniteabyss1257]

Calling mommy usa won

[@sigurhel]

You might want to note that the Coastguard ships were converted trawlers with a second hand gun welded to the deck. They only fired blanks at the RN, while cutting off the trawls from the British trawlers.

[@viktoriouz1]

Fun fact, a key strategy Iceland used in the second cod war to upset the UK was to have giant scissors on designated boats that would go out and cut the fishing net of British ships. This resulted in ships having to go back to the UK to get new net which was very time consuming and expensive. And ofc Iceland never paid a dime in damages.

[@heycunt7186]

BRUH talk about clever

[@Zeroneii3]

@@heycunt7186 are you perhaps looking for the word ingenuity?

[@Lightspectre1]

3:08 Cracked me up! US is like "Britain, I love ya... but... without Iceland Soviet subs could place SLBMs off the Eastern Seaboard and I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU RISK NUCLEAR ARMAGGEDON OVER SOME FUCKING FISH MY LAST ACT ON THIS PLANET WILL BE TO END YOU."

[@MrTired666]

I absolutely love this as I knew absolutely zero about this fascinating series of fall outs! Thanks

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Robbie Rotten goes crazy when it comes to his people's fish

[@asj8048]

R.I.P

[@blacktallsmart1914]

He was number one

[@chemi169]

He still protects the waters of Iceland in spirit

[@Fatihturk0071]

Underrated

[@EsamforMEMES]

F

[@armandovaiandando6472]

0:05 I always thought that the Emu war was the most important.

[@darthvenator2487]

What about when we Brazilian kicked france in the epic lobster war.

[@heuristicschool8680]

Imagine dying in the cod wars

[@UNLebanon]

I remember learning about this in college. Not in a history class, mind you. I learned about it in a science class called "marine conservation." It is a lovely example of how the 'tragedy of the commons' is not only bad for ecosystems, but for international politics as well.

[@anna-flora999]

Despite this not being a commons

[@UNLebanon]

@@anna-flora999 The North Atlantic was treated as "common ground" for cod fishing. Hence the name of the phenomenon known as the "Tragedy of the Commons."

[@Spoon80085]

Britain: we want more fish Iceland: WE NOW OWN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN

[@luvee659]

Icelandic Ocean*

[@alexbalan_5623]

@@luvee659 r/whoosh

[@AmusedWalrus]

"The Cod wars were finally over" Fake news, Call of Duty Modern Warfare just came out

[@rachelk.anderson9956]

There is a call of duty reference

[@zy2359]

I was wondering where the call of duty comment was

[@nickmcgargill6216]

The internet is strong with this one.

[@crusader7659]

Call of duty 2020 idea, CoD: Cod

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

Iceland: Ah shit here we go again

[@epicgamerzfail4575]

"The cod wars" Ah, so a new call of duty is coming I see.

[@goulven05]

Unfunny

[@kedarunzi9139]

Funny

[@arnigeir1597]

00:49 that frame in the background looks just like something on the wall of an Icelandic office, they are all covered with landscape paintings, always with mountains and ocean.

[@tankman1429]

When after 3 “wars” you increase your fishing rights from 3 miles from shore to 200 miles from shore

[@ricojes]

STONKS

[@Snoflakes_1]

“That time a small country defeated the UK at sea three times in a row” *distant Dutch belly laughter*

[@harryhoran3403]

Oh fuck off you piss taker

[@hoseadavit3422]

@@harryhoran3403 Well it's true not to mention a list of war that Britain had lost

[@harryhoran3403]

@@hoseadavit3422 list them :)

[@beooftheeuphrates]

@@harryhoran3403 the war you're currently losing to the grand caliphate of europa

[@hubjump]

Consider the fact we were not united properly back then. It was still a bunch of noblemen and the king just did what ever paying up peasants to war france with. Hell they weren't even to be called English.

[@GIOGIOJOJOOO]

This guy has to be my (one of my) favorite KZbinrs EVER.

[@arturleperoke3205]

„You know the drill: Britain wanted more fish, Iceland said no. The royal Navy got involved. Ramming“ Hahaha sounds like a school presentation

[@cheydinal5401]

"The cod must flow."

[@aj-gt4vj]

The cod must flow to iceland

[@lahavmorris9919]

I see a sifi reference here

[@gupyb4165]

For Cod Hulud.

[@xcreenzm8]

Britain: Hey you can't expand your fishing line Iceland: Haha boats go brrr

[@williamlloyd3769]

While serving at Naval Air Station Keflavik 1979-80, everyone on Friday and Saturday nights enjoyed the USO fish fry! Definitely worth fighting for.

[@samjohn5042]

I love your videos

[@ahmedelrasheed4432]

I swear Iceland is that one kid who always tells the teacher if you did something.

[@dsn274]

Yeah, why would they want to protect their own commerce and sovereignty?

[@SirAntoniousBlock]

I swear Britain is that one kid who always wants to steal other peoples stuff.

[@ym6294]

You also forgot when Iceland beat England in the Euro Cup.

[@animo9050]

humans: invent guns britain and iceland: *ha ha ramming go brrr*

[@LashanR]

The increase to 200 miles is such a troll move and it actually won out

[@bluef1sh926]

Everybody: robs Iceland of its literally the only way of income and does this right next to its shore Iceland: doesn't allow this Everybody 😮

It’s not it’s shore and it’s not it’s only income.

[@bluef1sh926]

@ r/whooosh but also for your term-nazi fetish: it's one of its most important ways of income, and if there is no border between its inland and its shore then the shore belongs to the same party as the inland, you fucking idiot...

[@niono1587]

ulga inga bunga

[@SamBrickell]

@ You forgot the double-quotes around the incorrect "it's"s.

[@clemenshensch]

Great Britain and Australia: Like father, like son.

[@maxwellweiss9849]

It is the year 2023, Iceland now owns all bodies of water. The world is dying of thirst Hope is fading fast.

[@OOM--bl1wz]

And the chosen one, Greenland has been chosen by the prophecy to save the world

[@Marjenk77]

This has to be one of the funniest history lessons this channel has given!

[@worldofthought8352]

'They may have won the "cod wars" but I can't see them beating our football team anytime soon!' - 2016

[@Hellenic_Empire]

Also the same brit learning the then-news of football "-_- ngga wtf you know what??? END ME" *UK was annexed Iceland took 69 states*

[@gumunduringigumundsson9344]

My father took part in the cod wars. He says we were totally crazy in our ships with the ramming and using a special custom made clippers to cut the nets of the UK ships. I'm very proud of him.

[@mirzaramishbaig8980]

Iceland:"beats the UK three times in a row" Me:😲

[@annaskaaki9584]

Love the it’s always sunny reference