Wars are a terrible thing that result in lost lives, incredible damage to property, ruined environments, and many other problems.

They have such a devastating impact that wars are widely reported upon and talked about, especially when the war is between well-known countries.

Because of this, it is surprising to most people to learn that there was a war between Canada and Denmark that went on for 38 years.

Granted, there was no formal declaration of war. And there were no injuries or deaths involved. Given the participants in the war, it is likely not surprising that the entire affair was quite nice and funny.

Known as the Whiskey War of Hans Island, it can hopefully serve as a template for future geopolitical conflicts for years to come.

In the 1970s, scientific interest in the Arctic region was growing. This led to territorial claims being established by various nations, especially those of Canada and Greenland, which is a Danish territory.

Fortunately, the various countries were able to figure out who owned which islands without too much trouble. Hans Island, however, was the exception.

Both Denmark and Canada said that this small island belonged to them. Since the island is only 1.2 square kilometers (.5 square miles) and is nothing but rock, it wasn’t worth holding up any treaties or agreements, so the actual ownership of the island was left unsettled.

This worked out fine until the 1980s. Anyone who is involved in politics knows that if things are explicitly clear, someone will try to take advantage. A Canadian fossil fuel company did that by coming to Hans Island and conducting a survey, likely to determine if it could be used for drilling or other activities.

Word got back to the Danish government, and they weren’t happy about it. Tom Hoyem was Denmark’s Minister of Greenland Affairs at the time, and he knew something had to be done. He talked about it in an interview in 2022, saying:

“I was a little nervous. Such a border dispute could potentially be quite serious, and I knew that we would probably attract a lot of attention.”

He is certainly right. Even minor territory disputes have a history of escalating into very serious conflicts if they aren’t handled properly. So, in July of 1984, Hoyem and his team took decisive action that began the Whiskey War.

They loaded up into a helicopter armed with a Danish flag and a bottle of brandy. He explains what happened next:

“When we landed on the island, we built a stone cairn where we could put a flagpole and hoist the Dannebrog [Denmark’s flag]. On that stone cairn, I placed the [brandy] and a handwritten little card that said that everyone who comes by is welcome to have a glass, including Canadians. We thought that was funny, because no one comes by out there.”

It took some time, but when Canadians next visited the island, they shot back by removing the Danish flag and replacing it with their own. Naturally, they also took the brandy and replaced it with a bottle of Canadian whiskey. To rub salt in the wound, they left a note that said, “Welcome to Canada.”

The intense conflict raged on for years. Anytime a Danish ship or helicopter visited the island, they would put up a Danish flag and a bottle of their favorite liquor. When Canadians visited, they would do the same with their own flag and whiskey.

Of course, they always included a funny or sarcastic note when they left, ensuring the other country knew that they owned the land.

In 2005, both countries decided that they needed to solve this problem once and for all. So, they began negotiations over this small rocky island that nobody really cared about. As you might expect with any type of geopolitical negotiations, things moved slowly.

It took 17 years before the two countries could agree that they would split the island in two, each taking half. The island would be split from north to south along a natural ridge line. In 2022, representatives from each country met in Ottawa and signed the agreement, exchanging bottles of liquor for one last time.

So far, this peaceful solution has held strong. Perhaps someday another country will come in and reignite the Whiskey War once again.

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