The Cod Wars: When Iceland Defeated the British

In the middle of the 20 th century, Iceland, a small and sparsely populated island nation, bested the United Kingdom, formerly the biggest empire in the world, and still a significant world power. Iceland beat the British not once, but an unprecedented three times, achieving significant victories in each of the three “Cod Wars.” Faced with this situation, there is one clear question: How did Iceland do it?

Iceland was by no means a wealthy or even highly developed nation. Their population was low, and their natural resources were sparse. In the 1950s, Iceland had two valuable assets: a strategic position in the North Atlantic, and a lucrative fishing industry. Looking out for the latter, Iceland extended their fishery zones from three to four miles away from the coast in 1952, limiting the ability of foreign fishermen to work in Icelandic waters.[1] This seemingly small action would lay the groundwork for three Cod Wars fought intermittently over 18 years.