The following is a list of wars involving Iceland. Although modern Iceland does not maintain a standing army, navy nor air force, it maintains a militarised coast guard which is in charge of defending the country. The country has deployed a small peacekeeping force internationally on a few occasions. It has never participated in a full-scale war or invasion, and the constitution of Iceland has no mechanism to declare war.
None of the Cod Wars meet any of the common thresholds for a conventional war, and they may more accurately be described as militarised interstate disputes between Iceland and the United Kingdom.
Before 1500
ConflictCombatant 1Combatant 2 Result Internal conflict: Age of the Sturlungs (1220–1264) Icelandic GothisSupported by: Kingdom of Norway Commonwealth GothisOld Covenant Termination of the Icelandic Commonwealth Iceland is integrated into the Kingdom of Norway 74 Icelanders dead
1500–2000
Date Conflict / Event Allies Enemies Result 1538–1550 Icelandic Reformation Catholics Denmark-Norway Protestants Icelandic/Catholic victory Continuation of the Protestant church in Iceland 127 dead 1627 Turkish Abductions Denmark-Norway Iceland Ottoman Empire Algeria Abduction of 400–800 Icelanders 53 dead 1797 Action of 16 May 1797 Denmark-Norway Iceland Ottoman Empire Tripolitania Victory 1803–1815 Iceland in the Napoleonic Wars France Denmark-Norway Iceland United Kingdom privateers Dano-French defeat Dissolution of Denmark-Norway Iceland remains within Denmark as a dependency 1809 Jørgen Jørgensen's Revolution Jørgen Jørgensen Icelandic revolutionaries Denmark-Norway Icelandic loyalists
United Kingdom Danish government restored Jørgen Jørgensen arrested by the British navy 1940 Invasion of Iceland United Kingdom British victory Occupation of Iceland 1958–1976 The Cod Wars Iceland United Kingdom West Germany Belgium Victory Iceland secures its territorial water claims
After 2000 Peacekeeping
Mission Date Location Troops deployed MNF-I 2004–2007 10 ISAF 2002–2014 2–32
See also
Defence of Iceland Iceland in World War II (invasion) List of countries without armed forces Military history of Iceland Turkish Abductions
References