In light of the various conflicts going on in the Middle East I’ve been curious about what is the most invaded or conquered country or territory in the world throughout history. Iraq and Afghanistan would both be high on the list along with other Middle Eastern countries. Iraq (or historical Mesopotamia) has been invaded or occupied by the Macedonians (under Alexander the great) the Persians, Romans, Mongols, Ottoman Turks, British and Americans, not to mention lesser known invasions in classical antiquity and the middle ages. Afghanistan has been invaded by many of the same powers as well as an invasion by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s. Other countries that come to mind that would be high on the list of most invaded country/territory are Egypt, Poland, the Balkans, Vietnam (or historical Indochina) and Korea.
What do most of these countries have in common? Location. The majority of these countries are small strips of land located in strategic positions historically between much larger powers. Poland is crammed between Germany (or historical Prussia) and Russia. Egypt, Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries have locations that have been between or on the outskirts of various empires throughout history- the Greeks, the Romans, the Persians, the Ottomans etc. Certainly there are other reasons as well that some of these countries have been invaded, including oil and other resources.
On searching this topic out, it appears that there isn’t a clear winner for “most invaded country or territory”. Partially this is because it would have to be defined exactly what constitutes an invasion and what would be considered a territory or country throughout history as many countries and territories have changed names and borders over time. You could include many African countries if you consider colonization as invasion. Despite the question of definition it is clear that there are a number of countries which have historically changed hands multiple times throughout history and who’s histories are filled with warfare, foreign occupation, oppression, political and civil unrest.
It is interesting (and tragic) that many of these locations have unrest to this day. There are tribal, sectarian and political tensions in Iraq, Afghanistan and specifically Egypt most recently. Korea, Vietnam, several Middle Eastern and Balkan territories have had civil wars, the splitting and breaking up of territories and genocides as recently as the 20th and 21st centuries. Wars or revolutions are ongoing in many of these areas to this day. Despite the death of Bin Laden, there is no end in sight for the War in Afghanistan and the future is still questionable in Iraq and Egypt and several other Middle Eastern and Arab countries. History does repeat itself on many levels and the effects of the past continue to linger in these much fought over parts of the world.
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Excellent Article. Keep up your passion.
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