Dan Snow’s History Hit

Episode: A History of (American) Occupation in Greenland

Date: January 8, 2026
Host: Dan Snow
Guest: Professor Robert William Ricks, University of Copenhagen

Overview

In this riveting episode, Dan Snow dives deep into the little-known but geopolitically crucial history of Greenland, shining a light on centuries of occupation, attempted purchases, and great-power rivalry. With guest Professor Robert William Ricks, author of The Vanished Settlers of Greenland: In Search of a Legend and Its Legacy, the episode tracks Greenland’s journey from ancient settlement through Norse colonization, Danish rule, and recurring American schemes to acquire it—all the way to present-day debates over sovereignty and security. The conversation is lively, rich with vivid anecdotes and links past controversies to today’s headlines, particularly renewed US interest in Greenland’s strategic and resource value.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Greenland Before the Europeans

• Ancient Settlement
  • First humans arrived about 4,500 years ago, migrating from what is now Canada. (05:25)
  • Migratory Paleo Arctic peoples included Dorset and Thule, ancestors of modern Inuit.
  • The Inuit lived a nomadic lifestyle, following hunting grounds and adapting to challenging climates. (05:57)
• Climate as Destiny
  • Greenland’s habitable areas are limited to the coasts; climate shifts had outsized effects on survivability. (06:41)
  • Warmer periods enabled marginal farming; colder centuries drove depopulation and abandonment.

2. The Norse and the Myth of “Green Land”

• Norse Colonization
  • Erik the Red, exiled from Iceland for murder, led the first European settlement in 986, marketing it as “Greenland” for propaganda to attract settlers. (07:41)
  • Early colonies functioned independently from European crown control; over time, Norway asserted formal protection (1261), mainly to secure shipping and trade. (08:45)
• Viking Victims?
  • Noted role reversal: English pirates raided Iceland and Greenland in the 15th century, reversing the typical “Viking” narrative. (09:58)
• Fate of the Norse Greenlanders
  • Last contact recorded in 1410; colony faded mysteriously, possibly due to climate change, resource exhaustion, or assimilation/return migration. (13:33)
  • “These are the bombastic visions, dystopian visions of the all the Norse Greenlanders dying... Probably that didn't happen that way.” – Ricks (14:49)

3. Transition to Danish Rule

• Kalmar Union & Colonial Inheritance
  • In 1397, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden united under the Kalmar Union; Denmark inherited Norwegian overseas colonies, including Greenland.
  • Despite 1814 Denmark-Norway separation, Denmark kept Greenland (and Iceland, Faroe Islands) via treaty. (11:43)
• Recolonization and European Competition
  • 1600s: Denmark reasserted presence amid Dutch and British trading/whaling around Greenland. (15:52)
  • 1721: Denmark formally reestablished colonial rule to control trade and resources. (17:28)
  • Whale blubber was as valuable then as oil is now: control of Greenlandic waters was fiercely contested. (21:19)

4. The “Scramble for Greenland”—American Interest

• First US Moves: 1867-1910
  • Post-Alaska purchase, US Secretary Seward eyed Greenland and Danish West Indies, linking expansion to encircle Canada and access Arctic resources. (23:01)
  • A US government report speculated controlling Greenland would force “a peaceful and cheerful handing over of Canada” to the US. (23:01)

    “If Greenland could be bought for the US, it would induce … a peaceful and cheerful handing over of Canada... sandwiched between Alaska, Greenland and the US…” — Ricks (23:01)

• The Great Trade that Wasn’t
  • Early 1900s: elaborate negotiations between Denmark, US, Germany for territory swaps involving Greenland, Danish West Indies, Philippines, and Schleswig, ultimately fizzled. (25:29)
• Sale of Danish West Indies
  • 1917: US bought the present-day US Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million, with an (unmet) expectation that US would formally acknowledge Denmark’s rights to Greenland. (27:46)

5. Twentieth Century: Resources, Security, and World War II

• Industrial Stakes
  • Greenland’s cryolite mines (vital for aluminum, and thus WWII aircraft production) elevated US interest.
• World War II “Occupation”
  • 1940: After Denmark’s occupation by Germany, the Danish ambassador in Washington independently authorized the US military to “protect” Greenland, especially cryolite mines, amid fears of Nazi encroachment (with Denmark’s official government unable to consent under German occupation). (30:29)

    “He [Kaufmann] basically goes rogue … accused of high treason. But he does establish this agreement with the US that … US servicemen do travel to Greenland and protect … the cryolite mine…” — Ricks (30:29)

  • “Weather wars” saw secret German and Allied meteorological stations on Greenland’s coast, leading to skirmishes. (32:33)
• Postwar Contest
  • US offered Denmark $100 million for Greenland in 1946. Also considered swapping land in Alaska; Denmark refused. (33:59)
  • Greenland soon hosted the Thule Air Base (now “Space Base”), key to NATO’s missile and early-warning defenses. (34:40)

6. Modern Sovereignty—Who Decides Greenland’s Fate?

• From Colony to Autonomy
  • Greenland gained successive autonomy: from Danish colony, to province (1953), to home rule (1979), to expanded self-rule (2009). Domestic governance is now almost fully Greenlandic. (36:00)
  • Denmark only retains control over foreign affairs and defense, under the “unity of the realm.” (36:00)
• On American Purchase Proposals
  • US interest (most recently under Donald Trump) is legally moot as only Greenland can determine its status—Denmark cannot “sell” it. (36:00)

    “It’s simply as impossible as it would be for Westminster to sell Scotland without any involvement of Holyrood.” — Ricks (37:01)

• Path to Independence
  • Greenland’s self-determination is explicitly recognized in Danish/UN law; 4 out of 5 Greenlandic parties currently support independence, but economic viability is a challenge.
  • Danish subsidies (roughly 5.7 billion kroner annually) still underpin Greenland’s economy; true independence may require new resource development (potentially with US investment). (38:18)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The US tried [to buy Greenland] again in 1910. In 1930, the Danish prime minister had to announce publicly that Greenland was not for sale. It didn’t stop the Americans, though. In 1946, they made an offer to buy it again. Greenland matters.” – Dan Snow (01:56)
• “Eric the Red... was banished from Iceland and he sought out this place in Greenland... part of a propaganda exercise, he sold this as the green land.” – Ricks (07:41)
• “So there’s this idea that the US could purchase these three islands [Danish West Indies]. And in this annexation frenzy, both Greenland and Iceland entered the discussion as a kind of way to guilt the expansionist lily...” – Ricks (23:01)
• “It’s kind of probably misattributed to Mark Twain, where you say that history is rather fond of rhyming, but we certainly see... as Donald Trump in the same breath mentions Canada and Greenland, this is something that’s been mentioned before.” – Ricks (23:01)
• “Their economy is propped up by Danish… block grant to the tune of 5.7 billion Danish kroner… It will be difficult to achieve independence straight away, but I think that is the long term prospect for many Greenlanders.” – Ricks (38:18)

Timeline & Timestamps of Key Segments

• [05:25–06:41] Paleo-Arctic and Inuit settlement, survival, challenging climates.
• [07:41–08:45] Norse colonization, Eric the Red, early European settlements.
• [09:58–11:36] English pirates in Iceland/Greenland, Norse life in the colonies.
• [11:43–13:33] Kalmar Union, Danish inheritance of Greenland and Iceland.
• [13:33–15:31] Disappearance of the medieval Norse settlers, myth vs. reality.
• [15:52–17:28] Reclamation expeditions, Dutch and British competition, recolonization.
• [21:19–22:46] Whaling as a driver of European contest for access to Greenlandic waters.
• [23:01–25:05] 1860s–1910s US attempts to purchase Greenland, echoing modern ambitions.
• [27:46–27:54] Sale of Danish West Indies to US, failure to secure American recognition of Danish claim to Greenland.
• [30:29–33:25] Cryolite, World War II, US “protection” of Greenland, meteorological espionage/skirmishes.
• [33:59–34:40] 1946 US-New offer to buy Greenland, strategic role in NATO and NORAD postwar defense.
• [36:00–39:07] Modern autonomy, legal impossibility of “selling” Greenland, independence movement, economic realities.

Closing Analysis and Present-Day Relevance

Dan Snow sums up the episode by emphasizing the enduring pattern of outside powers trying to assert control over Greenland and the critical but often overlooked role the island plays in great-power strategy. Despite renewed American interest, sovereignty lies—legally and practically—in the hands of Greenlanders themselves, though Danish and international dynamics will shape their choices. As Arctic resources and shipping lanes beckon, Greenland’s fate remains entwined with both history and current events.

• “It does seem like Trump is trying to exploit the pro-independence sentiment in Greenland. It’s a game that the US has played before… For now, Denmark still controls Greenland’s foreign and defense policy.” – Dan Snow (39:29)
• “Enough is enough. No more pressure, no more innuendo, no more fantasies about annexation.” — Jens Frederick Nilsen, Greenland’s Prime Minister (40:45)
• “Watch this space, folks. We’ll have to wait and see.” – Dan Snow (41:23)

Further Reading

• Book Recommendation:
  The Vanished Settlers of Greenland: In Search of a Legend and Its Legacy by Robert William Ricks

This episode is essential listening (or reading) for anyone keen to understand the geopolitical, environmental, and cultural stakes of the “Arctic century”—and how the echoes of history shape today’s headlines about Greenland.