More because we invaded with high - misplaced - hopes, found out that liberal democratic American allies can't be snapped into existence, insisted it was still possible if we broke the Taliban, have now belatedly realised that it was a dumb idea in the first place and have now aimed for the more manageable goal of leaving it stable, flawed but still inhospitable to Al Qaeda, which is proving to be harder to do one might expect.
Unfortunate geographic losers
- Thread starter Patroklos
- Start date
Domen
Misico dux Vandalorum
Invading Poland was a horrible mistake, there's just to many damn Poles
"Poles say, that the difference between Poland and other kingdoms is, that those need fortresses and mercenary soldiers for defence, while Poland is protected not by lifeless, but by living strongholds, that is chests of nobility."
- Germanicus Malaspina, 1598
"(...) the only hope in bravery of the Poles, who never wanted to have any other strongholds except their own chests"
- Cosimo de Torres, 1621
"(...) it is a standard custom among this nobility to say, that their chests are the strongholds of Poland"
- Sebastian Cefali, 1665
Spoiler :
Rashiminos
Fool Prophet
Atlanteans, via the deluge.
Phrossack
Armored Fish and Armored Men
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Africa. The Sahara's nearly worthless, and cuts off much of the continent from the outside. Much of the land is suitable only for grazing. Other parts are malaria-infested jungles. South of that's the tsetse fly belt. The good land in the south was totally isolated for millenia.
Racsoviale
Smoke me a kipper!
On the other hand it has some of richest farmland, mineral deposits and fishing grounds - Am I generalizing correct now
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
I was going to make a joke about Wales being harmless, but then I remembered where Strongbow was from... 
RedRalph
Deity
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I was going to make a joke about Wales being harmless, but then I remembered where Strongbow was from...
Yup. It's a bad neighbourhood. Dick all resources too (well, some copper in ancient times and possibly some oil in the sea but that's about it).
Meh, I'm not going to count Masada's examples and am going to retreat into the perverse, utopian Victorian view of Fortress England which hasn't been successfully invaded for 944 years. We are a 1,000 year success story
Your fortress sucks!
-Fortress America
Quackers
The Frog
Flying Pig you hero, you just wtfpwned Joe in the face.
inb4 joe changes the goalposts of the discussion
inb4 joe changes the goalposts of the discussion
You're one to talk.
Our population was some 15 million then, mostly farmers, spread across an area many times the size of your country. Try it again. Go ahead. I dare you.
Quackers
The Frog
C'mon we are good friends!
Couldn't resist
Spoiler :
Couldn't resist
Bowsling
Deity
It all of course, depends on who actually owns the land next to you. Even though Poland's geographic position didn't work out too well in 1939, yet they established a successful state in the 1600's while Germany was engulfed in religious struggles and Russia was too busy fighting the Ottomans and Swedes.
One could argue that a definite loser during this period was Denmark. Sure, controlling access to the Skaggerrack is all splendid, but when your Norhern neighbour is an expansionist empire and your southern neighbour is a bunch of small, rich, states, the crap's bound to hit the fan.
One could argue that a definite loser during this period was Denmark. Sure, controlling access to the Skaggerrack is all splendid, but when your Norhern neighbour is an expansionist empire and your southern neighbour is a bunch of small, rich, states, the crap's bound to hit the fan.
kochman
Deity
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This concept is pretty fascinating.
I think it can be true, to some extent.
Take the USA... we're pretty protected. Who could project enough power to overtake us? This allows us to be at peace in our homeland, and not have to rebuild after war.
Afghanistan... it is clearly a crossroad. It was quite fertile until the Mongols wiped out their irrigation system... it has never recovered, obviously.
So many examples...
However, look at Germany... It is one of those "middle ground" places... open to attack from France in the West, Italia/Austria in the south, Poland/Russia/Czech in the East, and by way of the north, the UK and Scandanavia... Yet they have done a pretty good job! Even in the times before unification.
So, it can have an impact, but I believe the resilience of a nation must be considered... and this is cultural, and changes over time.
I think it can be true, to some extent.
Take the USA... we're pretty protected. Who could project enough power to overtake us? This allows us to be at peace in our homeland, and not have to rebuild after war.
Afghanistan... it is clearly a crossroad. It was quite fertile until the Mongols wiped out their irrigation system... it has never recovered, obviously.
So many examples...
However, look at Germany... It is one of those "middle ground" places... open to attack from France in the West, Italia/Austria in the south, Poland/Russia/Czech in the East, and by way of the north, the UK and Scandanavia... Yet they have done a pretty good job! Even in the times before unification.
So, it can have an impact, but I believe the resilience of a nation must be considered... and this is cultural, and changes over time.
kochman
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So was The Most Serene Republic of Venice... until they let Napolean waltz in.Meh, I'm not going to count Masada's examples and am going to retreat into the perverse, utopian Victorian view of Fortress England which hasn't been successfully invaded for 944 years. We are a 1,000 year success story
Anyhow, the fact that it takes a navy to attack you certainly helps! The Germans conquered most of Europe in short matter in WW2, but couldn't cross the Channel...
Like China, they should be able to crush Taiwan, but they can't muster up the navy to project their massive land power.
