We will fight

[claymore]

Why has Britain been involved in most of the major conflicts that have occurred throughout the world in the last 3 or 4 hundred years?Was it your policy of colonialism and the fact that your navy ruled the seas? there have been wars against the French, Spanish, Dutch, Russians, Germans, Indians,Arabs, Chinese, Scots,Irish, Argentinians, Americans.......I`m sure I` v e left some out, For such a small country you must carry a very big stick.

[Ice.Maiden]

It's not just the British, claymore. Even recently, we have countries threatening to move in on Israel and Arab countries. I'm sure that most ordinary people just want peace, whoever they are, but governments dictate otherwise.

[jno]

in the course of winning the British Empire, was was a normal way of going about it, which was common procedure at the time. What baffles me is why they're still doing it, even when the empire has been reduced to a small wardrobe in Tooting. There's just no fight they won't stay out of.

[jno]

*WAR* was...

[JockSporran]

Yes, it was all to do with British imperialism. Throughout the 19th and half of the 20th centuries, Britain was the leading world power and aimed to stay that way. Even today, Britsh governments get involved in wars that needn't concern them, e.g. Falklands, Gulf Wars, Iraq, in order to appear as a world power. But don't blame the British or the English people, blame the British government or ruling class.

(By the way, I see myself as Scottish not British).

[Octavius]

If you add 2 or 3 hundred years to American history, I imagine they would have a few more wars under their belts. Britain didn�t have many of the delightful commodities that were available in mainland Europe and beyond and so had to go and get them. One way to do this was by conquering nations, a precedent set by the Roman Empire, the Babylonians, Mongol, Persian, Umayyad, Byzantine, Ottoman, French, Spanish, Russian etc etc. Under George V in 1922, the British Empire encompassed more land mass than any previous empire or any since.

In fact, because of the Spanish Empire's territories around the globe, it was often said in the 16th century that "the sun never sets on the Spanish Empire." This phrase was later applied to the Russian Empire and British Empire.

In terms of colonialism, the European precedent was set by Portugal and Spain in the 15th C. Britain finally followed suit in the 17th C.

Incidentally the Falklands war was caused by the illegal invasion and occupation of sovereign territory by a foreign hostile force. No doubt you would expect �the British� to get involved should a foreign nation decide to goose step into Scotland.

[paddywak]

And no doubt you would be upset if the "British" voted to stop sending any of their tax money north of the boarder!

[Octavius]

Nope, its in Britain isn't it?