Racsoviale said:
That's not high on the list of things I worry about in life; then again, higher seasonal temperatures have a statistically significant relationship with increases in violence. I'm also sure the Scots, Irish and Welsh can attribute a substantial portion of their mental illnesses to having to live near the English.
Winner said:
Getting the troops across is the problem. The last successful invasion of England was in 1688. The last successful attempt before then was in 1326. (It's a shame its so difficult but that's another issue entirely).
Otherwise the point is well made. England is terrible for defence. Then again, Wales and Scotland aren't much better. The geography militates against a unified defence in both cases. Since Wale's defensive perimeter is open at two ends, and because the Welsh are fissiparous buggers, a prospective enemy can divide and conquer facing one half of the small population at a time. While Scotlands isn't that much better and is moreover divided between a lowland core, which is accessible, and a worthless highlands which isn't. A canny invader just conquers the lowlands and lets the highlands wither on the vine for lack anything else to do. To make matters worse neither have had the population or the social organisation to make use of the terrain. Much as Switzerland for all its mountains hasn't historically been that effective of a blocking force. Sure, some cantons can block St. Gottards can be blocked but other cantons might be willing to cut a deal, at the expense of the others. This helps to explain the Protestant cantons position in the Thirty Years War: 'by all means by sympathetic to the Protestants, but let's not piss the Emperor off because Bad Things happen to people (The Three Leagues) who get in his way'.
j/k
