The Scots are descendants of the Celts and are characterized by red hair.
If you call a Scotsman an Englishman, he may be angry with you because they only consider themselves Scottish.
When Scottish students were asked which country they hated the most, they immediately replied to the UK.
There have been two dukes in Scottish history
Voted, in 2014 and 2018. The first was a referendum on independence, and the second was a referendum on continued accession to the European Union. The 2014 Scottish independence referendum ended up losing with 54% of the votes against, and in 2018 Scotland declared its desire to remain in the EU with 62% of the votes in favor. However, the British government has already decided to leave the country. The EU immediately rejected the results of the Scottish referendum.
The 2014 Scottish independence referendum
Both referendums failed, leaving the Scots furious and nearly sparking a civil war in England. Although the British government continues to block the referendum, the Scots will not stop and will continue to vote for good wine in the United Kingdom in the future. All in all, to challenge the British, the Scots are professionals. Speaking of which, the feud between the two brothers of Scotland and England has been going on for several years, and it can be said that it has almost continued throughout the history of the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom is made up of four parts: Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland
The United Kingdom is made up of four parts: Scotland, England
Lan, Wales and Northern Ireland. Unlike China's centralized tradition, these four parts are not provinces, but political units. They can also be considered "countries". They have their own flag. , the national anthem, the government and the parliament, you can compare it to the "vassal states" of ancient China. The United Kingdom is also known as the "Land of Four Nations".
Princess Margaret. The British royal family is actually the British royal family, and they were able to rule Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland because of the royal marriages in history.
Legally, these four parts can make up the United Kingdom, as they are nominally territories of the British Crown. The King of England also holds the titles of King of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is the so-called "co-owner of the world". In fact, the King of England is essentially the King of England. England is about 62% of the size of the island of Great Britain, the absolute majority, and the British make up about 82% of the British population, which is also the absolute majority. country
The main ethnic group in Britain is the British, also known as the "Anglo-Saxons". Their main pedigree is from Germany. They are blonde and tall.
However, the most hated people in the world for the British are precisely their neighbors, the Scots.
The end of the London Rules
In fact, the full name of the United Kingdom is very long. It is known as the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". However, because England is so prominent, even the Chinese translation is simply called "British". Internationally, England is the same as Great Britain, which is one of the reasons why Scotland and Northern Ireland have been seeking independence, that is, they do not want to be "British".
Scottish model with her iconic red hair
Friends who love football
It should be known that the English need to divide England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland when they play. Four teams in one country is considered a spectacle. The most outrageous thing is that these four teams from the same country hate each other. Two of the happiest moments for Scottish fans were when Scotland won and England lost.
The young David Beckham was so cool that he could be a star even if he didn't play.
Although the name of the United Kingdom is English
But these four brothers have never really been united, and the reason why they live together is not based on national feelings but out of practical considerations. England has always been ruled by England, and the capital, London, is itself the capital of England. Britain is not only the most powerful country on the island of Great Britain, but also ranks among the top 10 in the world in terms of political, economic and cultural strength. Some other units simply could not compete with it.
Map of the United Kingdom
But there are also those who don't believe in evil, and that's Scotland. Located in the north of the United Kingdom, the country covers an area of about 79,000 square kilometers and has a population of about 5.6 million, which is the size of a city. Scotland is shaped like a bowler hat, hence the name "English gentleman's hat". However, the Scots are by no means the "gentlemen" of the story. The bloody story of their resistance to British aggression is all over history. The 1995 American film Braveheart is arguably the most famous film to tell the story of the Scottish rebellion.
The 1995 American film Braveheart is based on the story of the Scottish folk hero Wallace's struggle against the British.
Behind the love-hate relationship between Scotland and England is not only the ethnic conflict between Scots and Englishmen, but also the religious differences between Catholics and Protestants. There are also disagreements on how to leave the EU and stay in Europe. The post-2018 relationship, although not as bad as Northern Ireland, with a military conflict, is not weak at all.
A classic short skirt, which was also used as a uniform for the British Royal Guard
Although Scotland is small in size and population, it has a lot of cultural influence. Many classic Scottish cultural symbols and products can now be found all over the world, such as quilts, Scotch whisky, scotch bagpipes, etc., and even the whole of the United Kingdom. This is a superficial cultural product, after all, there are not many old people in the world who wear "skirts".
Queen Elizabeth II poses with officers wrapped in blankets
Scotland has a cold climate, barren land and rolling mountains. It has always been a bad country. Harsh natural conditions can often shape brave people. The Scottish people are known for their tenacity and warlikeness. 90% of Scotland's land is mountainous, divided into highlands and lowlands, the lowlands are relatively flat and densely populated, and major cities in Scotland such as Edinburgh and Glasgow are lowlands.
Scotland
Scotland has been a bitter cold land since ancient times, but it is difficult to live and work in peace. There are four main ethnic groups in Europe, namely Germans, Celts, Slavs, and Latins. The first owners of the island of Great Britain were Celts. They began to move to England in the seventh century BC. And since then he has settled here...
Celtic, mainly found in Ireland and Scotland
After the rise of the Roman Empire, it quickly established a vast empire spanning Europe, Asia and Africa, and fought between the north and the south, turning the Mediterranean Sea into its own inland sea. In 55 BC, the Roman Empire invaded the island of Great Britain and quickly occupied the southern regions. However, when they attacked Scotland in the north, they suffered heavy losses. The total annihilation of the Roman Ninth Army also made the Romans dare not set foot in Scotland again.
Territory of the Roman Empire
After centuries of war, the Roman Empire finally abandoned Scotland. However, the Scots continued to strike south. Finally, like the Central Plains tribes of ancient China, the Romans built fortifications to defend against invasions by northern barbarians, also known as Hadrian's Wall, and later Anthony's Wall with the conquest of the Scottish Lowlands.
Two Roman fortifications built to defend against the Scottish invasion
In the 5th century, the Roman Empire was on the verge of collapse and the Romans retreated from the island of Great Britain. At the same time, a large number of barbarians from northern Europe and present-day northern Germany crossed the sea to invade the island of Great Britain, and they were the famous Anglo-Saxons, which are now the British. Today's English has also developed from German.
The Anglo-Saxons emigrated to Britain
In fact, most of the British people are of Germanic descent, and the British royal family also has extremely pure German aristocratic blood. If Germany had not abolished the monarchy, the British royal family could even participate in the election of the German emperor.
The Anglo-Saxons are a people of northern German and Danish origin, they are distributed in many parts of Britain and North America, and they are mostly blonde and blue-eyed.
When the Anglo-Saxons invaded, Catholicism also spread to the British and Irish islands, where it soon became the only religion. Since then, the situation in Britain has been very chaotic, and the princes and warlords are fighting. In 843, the tribes of Scotland formed their first alliance and subsequently created the first kingdom in Scotland, the Kingdom of Alba, but England. Not yet incorporated.
At this time, the most powerful kingdom in England was the Wessex dynasty, founded in 802, which grew through marriages and wars. Gradually, the differences between England and Scotland began to increase. The majority of the population of England was Germanic. Later, in Scotland, due to the impact of the war between the Roman Empire and England, a large number of Celts emigrated to Scotland, and different ethnic groups lived together.
In 1066, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy of France, invaded England and established the Norman dynasty.
In 1066, Edward the Confessor, the English king, died childless, immediately triggering a battle for the throne between the nobility of England and Europe. The succession to the throne of Europe has always been between aunts and uncles. Therefore, the Duke of Normandy of France, known as "William the Conqueror", also felt that he had a place on the throne of England, so he led his army across the sea to invade England, and then established the "Normandy Dynasty", which was the first time in history that Britain was under French rule.
Normandy
Coincidentally, after a hundred years of struggle, Scotland also welcomed its first king in 1081, Malcolm II of the House of Canmore. Since then, the island of Great Britain has officially formed the pattern of northern Scotland and southern England. Living on the same island, but everything is different.
Although the Normandy royal family was disgraced in the hearts of the British, it also had superiority, and from then on, every king of England automatically inherited the title of Duke of Normandy and legally held the sovereignty of Normandy. In 1154, the Norman dynasty fell, Henry II of Ansar was chosen as his successor, and the Plantagenet dynasty began. It was the most powerful dynasty of the English Middle Ages and the beginning of the Hundred Years' War between Scotland and England.
The 1995 American film "Braveheart"
At this time, Ying
France and the French were too busy fighting around Normandy to look north, and the barren Scotland naturally turned its attention to England in the south. The Scots continued to invade the south, repeatedly conquering York, an important town in the north of England, and when England came to their senses, they signed the Treaty of York with Scotland in 1237, and the two sides agreed on the same opinion.
But power does not allow for a vacuum. In the ebb and flow of each other, England gradually grew stronger. As recently as 1290, Margrethe I, Queen of Scots, died, and the Canmore family became extinct. The King of England at this time was a talented and generous lover. Edward I, known as the "long-legged Edward", seized the opportunity to seize the throne of Scotland, sent troops to occupy Scotland, and proclaimed himself King of Scotland.
The image of Edward I in Braveheart
Under his rule, the Scots were treated as second-class citizens, enslaved by English soldiers, extremely heavily taxed, and Edward I also allowed the English nobility to occupy land in Scotland, which greatly affected the interests of the Scottish nobility. In this context, a Scottish folk hero of bourgeois origin has stepped into the field of history, he is the famous William Wallace.
Wallace statue
Under his rule, the First Scottish War of Independence began, but due to his betrayal as a traitor, Wallace was captured by the English in 1305. After his execution, his body was sent to various parts of Scotland as a warning. Wallace, however, strongly encouraged the Scots to have the courage to resist, and after his death, the Scottish nobleman Robert the Bruce took up his banner and continued to fight, eventually leading to independence.
Mel Gibson as William Wallace
The most famous of this history is the movie "Braveheart". Interestingly, the film is an American film and the main character and director, Mel Gibson, is an Irish-American who grew up in Australia and hates the British very much. , so I made the movie "Braveheart". The call for 'freedom' still reverberates across Scotland today.
In 1314, England was forced to recognize the independence of Scotland, and the Roberts dynasty was formed, recovering the lost territories occupied by England and continuing to deal with its southern neighbors. But the English apparently had a more difficult problem to solve, and that was the Hundred Years' War between England and France, which lasted from 1337 to 1453 and was fought in a dark way. Scotland, on the other hand, adhered to the simple principle that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", and very stupidly declared an alliance with France. Eventually, the Hundred Years' War between Britain and France ended, and Britain concentrated on retreating to the island.
Joan of Arc, France's national hero against England
In 1503, England was Tudor, and Scotland was the Stuart, yes, the Stuart dynasty that would later rule all of Great Britain. The Tudor dynasty married Princess James II of the Stuart dynasty of Scotland. This marriage has directly influenced the fate of Scotland for more than 200 years. Since then, the Scottish royal family and the British royal family have become veritable in-laws, although the public opinion is still the same as the two countries, but the nobles suddenly can't tell the difference between you and me.
Scots
Because the Scottish royal family has the right to inherit the throne of England.
In 1603, Queen Elizabeth I of England died, and clichéd succession reappeared. Princes and kings across the country immediately prepared to compete for the throne of England. But the only person with the right to inherit was Elizabeth's aunt Margaret's daughter, Mary of Scotland, known for her beauty and cruelty, also known as the "Queen of Beheading". The American drama "Queen of the Wind" is based on this and tells the story of Queen Mary's life. Interestingly, the Australian actress Adelaide who plays Mary is actually a descendant of Mary, Queen of Scots. It can be said that she has a beautiful appearance.
Queen of the Wind, starring Adelaide
Although Mary and Elizabeth I were related, they did not communicate with each other. Elizabeth did not trust this aunt at all during her lifetime, because Mary was of French descent and was originally the queen of France. After she became King of Scotland, she coveted the throne of England. In 1567, Mary was deposed by Elizabeth I. However, after Elizabeth's death, Mary's son, King James VI of Scotland, directly inherited the throne of England for nothing. Thus, the kings of England and Scotland became one, and the two countries were officially united.
Queen of the Wind
Unexpectedly, England and Scotland united, because the Scottish king ruled England. After that, England entered the Stuart dynasty, and the Scottish royal family immediately occupied London, quickly becoming British, not only intermarrying with the English aristocracy, but England was predominantly Protestant after the 16th century, and the Stuart dynasty was also converted by Catholicism. The conversion to Protestantism made the Scots very unhappy. They found that in the end England actually ruled Scotland without bloodshed.
United Kingdom.
By the 17th century, Britain had become one of the great powers of the Age of Discovery, but the island's problems had not yet been resolved. The Scots were very wary of England and the friction continued. At this time, the Stuart dynasty had completely become the English dynasty, and it can be said that the Scottish dynasty no longer existed.
But soon a big event happened, and that was the Glorious Revolution. In 1649, the English general Cromwell led the parliamentary army to behead Charles I and proclaimed himself the title of "Lord Protector", announcing the end of the English monarchy. Immediately after that, Scotland declared its secession from the United Kingdom, and Cromwell also led the invasion, burning and looting. After the fall of Cromwell, Britain finally established a constitutional monarchy.
Cromwell
The Scots seized the opportunity to seek full independence, but the British supported the Stuart dynasty to ascend the throne and continue the rule of law. Subsequently, in 1701, England passed the Law of Succession, ending the rule of the Stuart dynasty of Scotland and declaring Hanover to secede from Germany. The Windsor dynasty continues to this day. This time even the Scots did not give face, and Scotland immediately declared independence.
Elizabeth II and Prince Philip But England at this time no longer needs to look at Scotland's face, after the first industrial revolution and the expansion of the colonial powers, England has become the largest country in the world, with a large number of foreign colonies and a large number of industries. Wealth. After the Great Famine of 1695, Scotland gradually weakened, with a population of only 1 million, not enough to compete with England, which had more than 30 million people.
Map of the international colonies of the United Kingdom
In 1698 the Scottish Overseas Settlement Plan failed, £400,000 was wasted, and the country was suddenly on the verge of bankruptcy. Seeing this, England immediately fell to the ground and announced economic sanctions against Scotland. Scotland is on the verge of collapse. When the Bank of Scotland went bankrupt, the Great Famine struck Scotland. Scotland could no longer bear it anymore and finally resorted to the last resort in 1707: declaring a union with England to form Great Britain.
England was also very generous, giving £390,000 directly to Scotland. Under the combination of benevolence and power, Scotland is finally helpless and helpless. Scotland is at least a neighbor of the same island, and although the Scottish Parliament has abolished it, the Scottish aristocracy can at least discuss politics in London, but Ireland next door can only be considered a British colony at this time.
Famine sculpture in Dublin, Ireland
The Great Famine also broke out in Ireland in the 18th century, which directly led to the immigration of a large number of Irish people. This is the origin of the Irish, the second largest ethnic group in the United States today. All this was caused by the British.
Irish-American March
In the end, England failed to conquer Scotland through centuries of occupation and political marriage. Eventually, with its economic advantages, it succeeded in annexing Scotland. However, with the support of England and the colonial market, Scotland also made rapid progress. Not only did the GDP increase from £110,000 in 1707 to £5.2 million in 1801, but many celebrities were born.
watt
In 1801, the Republic of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was formally established, which is known as the modern United Kingdom. Scotland has a lot to contribute. Watt, the father of the Industrial Revolution, was a Scottish man. Adam Smith, who later wrote The Wealth of Nations, was also a Scottish. The world-famous British philosopher David Hume, the father of penicillin. Fleming and Baird, the fathers of television, are both from Scotland and can be said to be talented. It must be said that although the population of Scotland is small, it has produced many great people who have influenced human history.
Edinburgh
In 1922, Ireland gained independence from Britain and the Republic of Ireland was formed. The Irish independence movement greatly stimulated the Scots, and the Scots began to consider the establishment of a Scottish Republic, but most of the Scottish people thought they would have better prospects in the United Kingdom, so the Scottish independence movement was stillborn.
Irish independence movement
In fact, it can be said that the "marriage" of England and Scotland was beneficial for both parties. England was given security, and Scotland was given economic development. However, irreparable historical scars and ethnic differences between the two countries remain. Inevitable problems. After the end of World War II, the British economy began to shrink dramatically, and Scottish nationalism began to rise again, although not as extreme as Northern Ireland, but did give the British government something to drink.
Irish Republican Army
In the 60s of the 20th century, a large amount of oil was discovered in the British North Sea, which had always been part of the territory of Scotland. Scottish nationalists were very unhappy with the intervention of the British government. In 1977, they chanted the slogan "Scottish independence". For the first time and announced that they would reinstate the Scottish Parliament. In the 70s of the 20th century, Britain experienced the Great Depression and was unable to prevent and maintain balance, but after Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Party came to power in 1979, it vigorously attacked the Scottish independence movement.
North Sea oil fields
In desperation, the Scottish Parliament finally reopened in 1980, taking a big step towards Scottish self-government. After that, the head of the Scottish government officially became the First Minister, not the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. But the funniest thing is that Scotland actually elected a South Asian as chief minister in 2023. This guy is still a Muslim, but he is also a Scottish nationalist and independence activist. After he came to power, he caused a lot of trouble for his Indian-British Prime Minister Sunak, his "South Asian hometown".
The current Prime Minister of Scotland, Youssef, is of Pakistani origin
Britain is staging the "India-Pakistan conflict" again? This is such a good cycle, and sometimes real life is even more ridiculous than movies.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is of Indian origin
Nowadays, the Scots are gradually reviving their culture, and whenever they find themselves unhappy, they use the independence referendum to spur London to do more. Scotland's ongoing civil independence movement since the 90s of the 20th century finally held its first independence referendum in 2014, which shocked the British government. In 2018, a second referendum was held as a result of the Brexit referendum, which was clearly opposed to the initiatives taken by the British government, and it seems that despite more than 300 years of union, Scotland is still not truly "integrated".
In fact, Britain can only be seen as a "community of interests". The Scots never considered themselves English. They only come to the UK for the greater good, such as enjoying the UK market and government subsidies. But when the costs of staying in the UK outweigh the benefits, they choose to be "independent". And when Scotland becomes truly independent, Northern Ireland will have to follow suit, and even most of the "Commonwealth" will secede. The division of the United Kingdom will actually begin in Scotland.
Scottish independence movement
Can they still shout "freedom" like their fathers? As for the future, that is the historical task of the Scots themselves.
A classic scene from Braveheart