Mentioning the War-athon

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Was disappointed to see the Wales National Team twitter account bringing up Rhodri Mawr's 855 victory over Danish Chieftain Gorm at Yr Gogarth in a since deleted tweet after the two countries were scheduled to play one another in the last 16.

sorry this was actually England and World War II wasn't it.

[Satchmo Distel]

It's as if we need two threads: one to discuss the game and one for the build-up. I actually think there's a danger the war shit will distract the England players and motivate the Germans, in what otherwise looks like a game that will be settled by one defensive error by either side.

[tee rex]

For each tie we need a conflict, or at least a sharp exchange of diplomats' letters, from history.

Sweden v Ukraine seems to be all about an alliance in 1709, which is a bit boring, and therefore an appropriate predictor for the game.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Poltava

[Patrick Thistle]

Was disappointed to see the Wales National Team twitter account bringing up Rhodri Mawr's 855 victory over Danish Chieftain Gorm at Yr Gogarth in a since deleted tweet after the two countries were scheduled to play one another in the last 16.

sorry this was actually England and World War II wasn't it.

This has actually made me laugh out loud

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

The Franco-Austrian War of 1859 (aka the Second Italian War of Independence) was all about the French helping the Kingdom of Sardinia kick the Hapsburgs out of Lombardy, Tuscany and Parma. France got the Riviera in return and it soon led to the unification of modern Italy.

[Etienne]

Italy vs Austria would be WW1 and the battle of Caporetto. Sadly we no longer have a world leading scholar of Italy and WW1 on the board.

Most of the other pairings are countries without a notable history of conflict between each other.

[ursus arctos]

One can, however, acquire her new book, which is out today!

[ad hoc]

Angola and the DRC have a long border. Can't believe there was never any conflict between Portugal and Belgium there

[jwdd27]

The French did invade Switzerland in 1798, setting up the Helvetic Republic, but it all seemed quite civilised, I'm not sure if it will be playing on the players' minds, Clive.

[ursus arctos]

Angola and the DRC have a long border. Can't believe there was never any conflict between Portugal and Belgium there

What was then Zaire did provide support to the forces fighting for the independence of the former Portuguese colonies, including Angola, but that was a decade or so after the Belgians had renounced their claim.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

The French did invade Switzerland in 1798, setting up the Helvetic Republic, but it all seemed quite civilised, I'm not sure if it will be playing on the players' minds, Clive.

I expect that was a conflict sparked by a dispute about which cheese is best to use in a fondue.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Angola and the DRC have a long border. Can't believe there was never any conflict between Portugal and Belgium there

I don't think there was - you probably need to go back to them being the junior partners of the opposite sides of the Eighty Years War

[Belhaven]

I think Sweden could demand to get their national colours back from Ukraine.

[tee rex]

One can, however, acquire her new book, which is out today!

I'd read that.

I can't remember which documentary it was, but I was gripped by the stories of WW1 soldiers in the Dolomites/Alps, fighting vertically, like in a skyscraper lift shaft - amazing.

[Duncan Gardner]

26 major tournaments starting in 1970.England have reached a later stage than Germany in 2 of them (2004, 2018)

[ad hoc]

England always win the Euros when the year ends in 1

[ad hoc]

Well, as yet, you can't prove me wrong

[imp]

"Four World Cups and three Eu-ros/Doo-da, doo-da..."

[Discordant Resonance]

No Spain-Croatia skirmishes, the Kingdom of Naples being the closest to either of them.

[Kevin S]

26 major tournaments starting in 1970.England have reached a later stage than Germany in 2 of them (2004, 2018)

A good stat but why start in 1970 out of interest?

[ursus arctos]

Because the only prior meeting in a major tournament was in 1966, when both reached the Final

[Discordant Resonance]

Though Google does throw up the following:

[Ray de Galles]

The French did invade Switzerland in 1798, setting up the Helvetic Republic...

That's exactly the type of thing they'd do.

[Guy Profumo]

A good stat but why start in 1970 out of interest?

Unix "year zero"

When time itself began.

[Sean of the Shed]

Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm in 2016. Revenge is almost certainly on the cards.