Global attention fixates on Donald Trump’s Greenland crusade, a month-long barrage of provocative claims igniting fury. Envisioning US acquisition to vault past Canada in territory—second only to Russia—this saga blends bravado with buried history.
Greenland’s allure is Arctic mastery: vital for navigation routes post-ice melt, rich in minerals fueling batteries and defense tech, population be damned. Existing US military assets pave the way, but sovereignty grab would provoke seismic backlash.
Roots trace to expansionist DNA. 1867’s Alaska bargain. Polk’s aggressive 1840s annexations of Mexican lands via conquest, driven by expansionist creed. McKinley’s 1898 spoils from Spain—Philippines et al.—heralded superpower status, fueling empire debates Trump nods to via policy homage.
Modern hurdles abound: Denmark’s refusal, Greenland’s autonomy demands, UN frameworks. Trump’s narrative revives manifest ambitions amid China-Russia Arctic jostling, questioning if 21st-century norms can contain 19th-century urges.
Provocative yet improbable, it spotlights enduring US quests for dominance, where history informs hunger in thawing frontiers.