List of wars involving Iceland explained

The following is a list of wars involving Iceland. Although modern Iceland does not maintain a standing army, navy nor air force; it maintains a militarised coast guard which is in charge of defending the country and has deployed a small peacekeeping force internationally on a few occasions. Iceland has never participated in a full-scale war or invasion and the constitution of Iceland has no mechanism to declare war.[1] None of the Cod Wars meet any of the common thresholds for a conventional war and they may more accurately be described as militarised interstate disputes between Iceland and the United Kingdom.[2] [3] [4] [5]

Before the 15th century

Viking battles

ConflictCombatant 1Combatant 2ResultTotal
losses
Battle of Vinland (1003)Icelandic and Norwegian VikingsNative warriorsVictory
  • Viking victory and withdrawal.
Battle of Vinland (1010)Icelandic and Norwegian VikingsNative warriorsVictory
  • Native attack repelled; Viking withdrawal.

Internal strifes

15th to 19th century

DateConflict / EventAlliesEnemiesResult
1538–1550Icelandic Reformation Catholics Denmark-Norway
Protestants
Icelandic/Catholic victory
1627Turkish Abductions Denmark-Norway
  • Iceland
Ottoman Empire Abduction of 400-800 Icelanders
  • 53 dead
1797Action of 16 May 1797 Denmark-Norway
  • Iceland
Ottoman Empire Victory
1803-1815Iceland in the Napoleonic Wars France
Denmark-Norway
  • Iceland
Coalition Forces Dano-French defeat
  • Dissolution of Denmark-Norway
  • Iceland remains within Denmark as a dependency
1809Jørgen Jørgensen's Revolution Jørgen Jørgensen
  • Icelandic revolutionaries
Denmark-Norway
  • Icelandic loyalists

----- United Kingdom

Danish government restored
  • Jørgen Jørgensen arrested by the British navy

20th century

DateConflict / EventEnemiesResult
1940Invasion of Iceland United KingdomBritish victory
1958-1976The Cod WarsIceland victory.secure their territorial water claims.

21st century

Peacekeeping

MissionStart dateEnd dateLocationTroops deployed
MNF-I20042007 Iraq2
ISAF20022014 Afghanistan2–32

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2017-07-14. From Iceland — Ask A Historian: Has Iceland Ever Been Involved In Any Wars Or Conflicts. 2020-10-17. The Reykjavik Grapevine. en-US.
  2. Steinsson. Sverrir. 2016-03-22. The Cod Wars: a re-analysis. European Security. 25. 2. 256–275. 10.1080/09662839.2016.1160376. 0966-2839. 155242560.
  3. Hellmann. Gunther. Herborth. Benjamin. 2008-07-01. Fishing in the mild West: democratic peace and militarised interstate disputes in the transatlantic community. Review of International Studies. 34. 3. 481–506. 10.1017/S0260210508008139. 144997884. 1469-9044.
  4. Ireland. Michael J.. Gartner. Scott Sigmund. 2001-10-01. Time to Fight: Government Type and Conflict Initiation in Parliamentary Systems. The Journal of Conflict Resolution. 45. 5. 547–568. 10.1177/0022002701045005001. 3176313. 154973439.
  5. Prins. Brandon C.. Sprecher. Christopher. 1999-05-01. Institutional Constraints, Political Opposition, And Interstate Dispute Escalation: Evidence from Parliamentary Systems, 1946–89. Journal of Peace Research. 36. 3. 271–287. 10.1177/0022343399036003002. 0022-3433. 110394899.