Worldly Talk

TW Teczka · Oct 14 '12, 9:17pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wippit Guud

Germany... would it count? They were a single country 70 years ago, and they were somewhat split against their will. That's more of a unification.

My guess it that it was technically harder and more expensive than uniting Western Germany with Austria.

Quote:

I'm wondering if the EU would start becoming larger and larger countries until just one big one exists. The only downside is the language barriers, although I'm fairly certain most people know at least some English.

Linguistic crashing with politics... The most popular language (for native speakers) is German. French used to succeed in promoting itself until the new Europe joined in 2004 and from that time English has its chance as the obvious common language. Expect long a bumpy road...

Peruhain · Oct 14 '12, 9:36pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Powderhorn

Well, the California Republic (a revolt that lasted less than a month with no real government ever recognized by another), the Republic of Vermont (self-governed and self-recognized, but with no recognition by anyone else, including the Continental Congress) and the Republic of Texas were all technically nations that joined into the US. Most significantly, Texas existed for almost 10 years before joining the United States. In that time, it was diplomatically recognized by (according to Wikipedia) the United States, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the Republic of the Yucatan.

I realize this isn't exactly what you had in mind, and were looking for more of an "established" nation joining another. There are many events where one nation simply conquers another, but again, I believe you're looking for more of a "this would be mutually beneficial, let us join together amiably."

You're forgetting Hawaii . . . although that joining was pushed along by a pro-American coup against the Hawaiian monarchy. And then President Grover Cleveland refused to back the annexation movement, so Hawaii remained as an independent republic for five years until McKinley and the Spanish-American War came along and stoked lots of imperialist fervor in the U.S.

Peruhain · Oct 14 '12, 9:58pm

Other examples of nations merged together, with varying degrees of success: Yemen (North & South united in 1992, jury is still out on success), Italy (mix of regional small states and city-states until 1860s), Yugoslavia (1919-1991, RIP), Spain (Aragon and Castile until a personal union under Ferdinand and Isabella, late 15th cent.), Norway & Sweden (ca. 1814-1905, another relatively velvet divorce, like Czechs & Slovaks), Tanzania (union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964, some tension, but relatively successful), Vietnam (historically sometimes united sometimes divided, reunited by force after Vietnam War, lots of resentment in the south, including by many former Viet Cong types, but no signs that it is going to break up any time soon).

There are lots of examples of forcible annexation, some of which have proved long-lasting (some of the above examples border on it), and some not so much. East Timor and Western New Guinea were annexed by Indonesia--the former broke away, the latter is pretty firmly under Indonesian control despite resentment and resistance. Western Sahara was occupied by Morocco when Spain pulled out, and I think there is still a separatist movement there, but Morocco doesn't look like leaving soon. And there's Tibet and China, though China controlled Tibet loosely from the 18th to early 20th centuries and never relinquished their claim to it even when they didn't effectively control it (1913-50).

Anyway, dig enough, and you can find examples of all sorts of fusion and fission in the world of nation-states.

Worldly Talk

Countries / Parts of Countries Joining Another?