Why is it hard for countries to give up on land claims?

Question

Fighting sometimes over uninhabited islands or lands that have no strategic value.
Even if the land have some value, wouldn’t be better to give up claims rather than risk bad relations, embargos or war?

In: Other

Answer 1

There is a huge difference between what makes sense economical compared to internal politics and international politics.

Even if it mak scene in an economic and international politics perspective it can be terrible for internal political reasons where your political opponent will criticize you. Using national pride argument and day that are weak and the great country of X do not need to follow the demands of country Y

The internal political explanation is often the most important explanation.

An example is the Falkland where it had no economic or strategical value for either country. Argentina invaded the primary as a way to shift focus from the economic problems and the junta dirty war against political opponents.

For the UK that had ave a terrible economic decade before and had an empire that had crumbled with colonies declaring independence now had island far away from where the population like to remain British. So it was a perfect opportunity for Margaret Thatcher to show strength. Sh e and the government’s approval rating was terrible, she gains the political power and popularity she later had in large part because of the war.

Falklands might not strategically important for the UK but other holdings around the world are and resisting the Argentinians show that they are prepared to defend the country. That will make anyone thinking of capture an important colony to think twice.

Foor the Argentinas Junta it was a disaster and it resulted that the stood down and there was a democratic election the next year. But if the had captured it the would have stayed in power longer.

So for both sides is was a political gamble and the military usage was popular in both countries. That is popular in Argentina before the start to lose the war.

So the Falklands Island might be strategically irrelevant and an economic drain but because of internal politics and the message you send to the word they were important for both.