4 ms·

Lets add San Marino, Monaco and the Vatican for good measure. All those states have very specific historical reasons why they dodged unification with their sur

Lets add San Marino, Monaco and the Vatican for good measure. All those states have very specific historical reasons why they dodged unification with their surrounding countries. The most surreal being Monaco's sovereignty saved by Grace Kelly's fame as an actress moving American public opinion to pressure France not to swallow it. Also, note, that all the towns you listed are (historically) worthless border towns wedged between titans who would violently oppose their neighbor swallowing them. Sure, now those microstates are rich, but historically they were worthless and not worth war with a powerful neighbor to take over.

jonhohle 3y ago
Taiwan?
- SonicScrub 3y ago
  > Sovereignty is impossible without defense. Defense is impossible without credible deterrence See above
- thsksbd 3y ago
  You're comparing an island with millions of people to Andorra? Except for Luxembourg a few hundred guys could besiege all of the states listed above. Ten thousand would suffice for Luxembourg. As it stands no one is really sure if China - with one of the the world's largest armed forced - could successfully invade Taiwan.
  - radiator 3y ago
    No, some people are sure that China could.
- panick21_ 3y ago
  That's a country with 23 million people.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
manuelabeledo 3y ago
> The most surreal being Monaco's sovereignty saved by Grace Kelly's fame as an actress moving American public opinion to pressure France not to swallow it. I'm not quite sure that this was the case. Monaco was independent long before Grace Kelly married the incumbent prince. The country is a tax haven, which seems to be enough for many micronations to survive.
- thsksbd 3y ago
  Indeed but DeGaulle blockaded the principality in 1962.
  - manuelabeledo 3y ago
    Not to gain control of its territory, but for economic reasons [0] > In 1962, the crisis was triggered by a very technical provision on the nullity of share sales under certain conditions (Mourlane, 2005). The provision was introduced specifically to enable the state of Monaco to regain control on Radio Monte-Carlo (RMC) and Télé Monte-Carlo (TMC), two leading media outlets in France (Bézias, 2007). The French government owned the shares of the companies through various subsidiaries. This was a political matter: with the war in Algeria, media were closely controlled in France, so broadcasters from Monaco and Luxembourg (RTL) enjoyed more freedom and the right to air advertisement. The amusing fact is that the transmitters of RMC and TMC were located on a nearby hill… in France. > Organising more OECD workshops on double-taxation is certainly not as romantic as trying to starve Princess Grace Kelly, but, as de Gaulle said in 1944, “The most noble principles in the world live only through action“. [0] https://www.finance-watch.org/lessons-from-history-the-monaco-crisis-from-1962-1963-and-the-emancipation-of-tax-havens/ https://www.finance-watch.org/lessons-from-history-the-monac...

jonhohle 3y ago

Taiwan?

SonicScrub 3y ago
> Sovereignty is impossible without defense. Defense is impossible without credible deterrence See above
thsksbd 3y ago
You're comparing an island with millions of people to Andorra? Except for Luxembourg a few hundred guys could besiege all of the states listed above. Ten thousand would suffice for Luxembourg. As it stands no one is really sure if China - with one of the the world's largest armed forced - could successfully invade Taiwan.
- radiator 3y ago
  No, some people are sure that China could.
panick21_ 3y ago
That's a country with 23 million people.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

manuelabeledo 3y ago

> The most surreal being Monaco's sovereignty saved by Grace Kelly's fame as an actress moving American public opinion to pressure France not to swallow it. I'm not quite sure that this was the case. Monaco was independent long before Grace Kelly married the incumbent prince. The country is a tax haven, which seems to be enough for many micronations to survive.

thsksbd 3y ago
Indeed but DeGaulle blockaded the principality in 1962.
- manuelabeledo 3y ago
  Not to gain control of its territory, but for economic reasons [0] > In 1962, the crisis was triggered by a very technical provision on the nullity of share sales under certain conditions (Mourlane, 2005). The provision was introduced specifically to enable the state of Monaco to regain control on Radio Monte-Carlo (RMC) and Télé Monte-Carlo (TMC), two leading media outlets in France (Bézias, 2007). The French government owned the shares of the companies through various subsidiaries. This was a political matter: with the war in Algeria, media were closely controlled in France, so broadcasters from Monaco and Luxembourg (RTL) enjoyed more freedom and the right to air advertisement. The amusing fact is that the transmitters of RMC and TMC were located on a nearby hill… in France. > Organising more OECD workshops on double-taxation is certainly not as romantic as trying to starve Princess Grace Kelly, but, as de Gaulle said in 1944, “The most noble principles in the world live only through action“. [0] https://www.finance-watch.org/lessons-from-history-the-monaco-crisis-from-1962-1963-and-the-emancipation-of-tax-havens/ https://www.finance-watch.org/lessons-from-history-the-monac...