From the Reconstruction era to the Cold War, multiple administrations have tried (and failed) to acquire the Arctic island. This article explores why Greenland has always remained out of reach—and why it always mattered so much.
From the Reconstruction era to the Cold War , multiple administrations have tried (and failed) to acquire the Arctic island. Here’s why Greenland has always remained out of reach—and why it always mattered so much. Uummannaq, a tiny town on a remote island in northwest Greenland , sits 600 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. From Cold War military bases to modern Arctic ambitions, Greenland ’s strategic location and resources continue to draw global interest.
—but the island’s leaders have consistently resisted these overtures. From land purchase attempts to military base negotiations, here’s why Greenland remains one of the world’s most coveted islands. Fresh from purchasing Alaska from Russia for $7.2 billion in 1867, the United States began eyeing Greenland and Iceland as potential American territories.—pointed to Greenland’s vast fisheries, animal life, and “mineral wealth.” An acquisition of Greenland might also compel Canada (located between Alaska and Greenland) to become part of the U.S., the report said. But Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, isn’t just an empty swath of ice. The island has been home to Indigenous communities, predominantly Inuit, for centuries. These communities have thrived in Greenland’s harsh Arctic environment, developing traditions centered on fishing, hunting, and close ties to the land. Early U.S. interest largely overlooked these communities, focusing instead on the island’s strategic location and natural resources—a trend that would continue for decades. “It all comes down to two factors: location and minerals—and it really hasn’t changed,” says Peter Harmsen, a Copenhagen-based journalist and author of The Struggle for Greenland. The U.S. would swap land in the Philippines for Greenland and the Danish West Indies (from Denmark). The Danes would then swap land with Germany. But once again, efforts flopped.During World War II, the U.S. negotiated an agreement with Denmark, which granted the U.S. the right to build and access military bases on the island. The island’s cryolite deposits, vital for aircraft production, became a critical resource. Greenland’s weather stations were also essential for forecasting conditions in Europe, aiding Allied plans. After Nazi Germany surrendered in May 1945, the Danes expected American forces to pack up and go home. But they “It was seen as so critical to U.S. security that we kind of dug our heels a little bit,” says retired U.S. diplomat John Hardt. After World War II, the U.S. turned its attention to a new potential threat: the Soviet Union. Amid a brewing Cold War, U.S. military and naval officers realized the importance of Greenland’s location in the Arctic as a midpoint between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. Owen Brewster, former senator of Maine, described the purchase of Greenland as a “strategic necessity.” In 1946, State Department official John Hickerson reported that U.S. military leaders deemed Greenland “indispensable to the safety of the United States.” The U.S. covertly proposed paying Denmark $100 million in gold for Greenland, the Associated Press reported decades later. It also toyed with trading oil-rich land in Alaska’s Point Barrow district for portions of the island. “The U.S. is also trying to create a view throughout Western Europe of itself as a positive democratic force, maintaining transcendent values, recognizing independence and autonomy,” says John Hardt. But the proposal shocked the Danish government, Hardt says. “While we owe much to America, I do not feel that we owe them the whole island of Greenland,” then-Danish Prime Minister Knud Kristensen reportedly said. The U.S. instead negotiated a different arrangement, securing a long-term lease on the island’s air bases, allowing the U.S. to continue operating and setting up military bases on the island, as deemed appropriate by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)—the transatlantic military alliance formed in 1949. This arrangement reinforced Greenland’s strategic role in transatlantic defense during the Cold War. In the 1970s, U.S. National Archives documents revealing post-World War II attempts to purchase Greenland were declassified. Still, it wasn’t until 1991 that a Danish newspaper first reported on them, sparking renewed debate about Greenland’s sovereignty and historical U.S. ambitions. Today, Greenland remains a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with its own parliament and government. Denmark retains responsibility for foreign affairs, defense, and other matters. The island is experiencing renewed attention due to melting ice caps, unlocking new shipping routes and access to untapped resources. Yet, both Denmark and Greenland have been firm: Greenland is not for sale
Greenland United States Denmark Cold War Arctic Sovereignty Natural Resources Military Bases
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