8 Small Countries With Surprisingly Chaotic Histories

History tends to be dominated by the big players. France, Britain, Russia, Germany, China — the so-called “major” powers. But what people often forget is that being small doesn’t mean you’re safe from chaos. In fact, most small countries are often packed with the most absurd, dramatic, and downright unbelievable stories. Some of these places are no bigger than a mid-sized city. Some you could drive across in less than an hour. And yet, their pasts are full of drama. So, here’s a closer look at eight tiny nations whose histories are far messier than their size would suggest.

San Marino

San Marino is one of those places people usually forget exists. Tucked neatly into Italy, it’s about the size of a small town and home to just over 30,000 people. Despite this, San Marino proudly claims to be the oldest republic still in existence, founded in 301 CE by a stonemason who was probably just looking for somewhere quiet to avoid persecution.

What followed was centuries of sheer stubbornness. San Marino was invaded, occupied, threatened, and generally hassled by larger powers: the Papal States, Napoleon, Mussolini, the Nazis — yet it kept bouncing back. Napoleon respected their independence (probably because they asked very nicely). During WWII, San Marino declared neutrality and still got bombed by the Allies because someone thought there might be Germans hiding there. Through it all, San Marino survived by being small, polite, and politically savvy.

Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein is the kind of place that looks like a backdrop for a fairy tale. But don’t be fooled — its history has been quietly chaotic. For one, it’s technically been invaded by Switzerland. Twice. Not on purpose, mind you. In 1985, a group of Swiss soldiers wandered across the border during an exercise. The Liechtensteiners shrugged it off and were reportedly gifted wine as an apology.

In 2007, it happened again when 170 Swiss troops accidentally entered Liechtenstein’s territory at night. Once again, no one seemed too fussed. Liechtenstein somehow avoided both World Wars, maintained its neutrality, and has quietly become one of the richest per capita countries in the world, all while occasionally being politely trespassed upon by its neighbors.

Luxembourg

If Luxembourg had a national motto, it might well be “Not this again.” Strategically placed between France, Germany, and Belgium, Luxembourg has spent most of its history being invaded, annexed, traded, or fought over.MNapoleon? Took it. Prussia? Wanted it. France? Claimed it. Germany? Invaded it. Twice.

Luxembourg’s Fortress City was once one of the most heavily fortified in Europe, for good reason. Even today, the country carries scars of its past occupations, though it’s since reinvented itself as a wealthy, multilingual hub of banking and EU politics. Beneath its polished modern exterior is a history of being Europe’s favorite battleground.

Monaco

Monaco may be best known today for casinos, yachts, and royals, but its history is far more complicated (and chaotic) than most people realize. The ruling Grimaldi family started their reign in the 13th century by literally sneaking into a fortress dressed as monks. Since then, Monaco has spent centuries being a strategic pawn between France, Spain, and Italy, with power swinging back and forth depending on the political mood of the moment.

It survived piracy, blockades, occupation, and financial collapse, only becoming financially secure thanks to the invention of Monte Carlo Casino in the 19th century. Even then, Monaco only managed to stay independent through careful diplomatic balancing acts, marriages, and occasionally just sheer luck.

Malta

Few places have been fought over as consistently, and as fiercely, as Malta. This tiny Mediterranean island has been conquered and reconquered by practically every empire you can name: Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, the Knights of St. John, Napoleon, and the British Empire, to name a few.

Its strategic position in the Mediterranean made it the site of constant conflict, most famously during the Great Siege of 1565, when the Knights of Malta miraculously held off the vastly superior Ottoman forces. Even in WWII, Malta became one of the most heavily bombed places on Earth, earning its people the George Cross for bravery.

Montenegro

Montenegro might be small, but it punches well above its weight in terms of historical chaos. In the 19th century, it became a recognized kingdom, only to be absorbed into Yugoslavia after WWI. Then came WWII, Tito’s Yugoslavia, and eventual independence, again, in 2006 after a peaceful referendum with Serbia (a rare thing in Balkan politics, especially when Serbia is involved in any way).

Andorra

Andorra is nestled in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, a tiny co-principality jointly ruled (to this day) by the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell. That setup alone should tell you how weird its history is. Andorra somehow managed to stay neutral through most conflicts, though it did declare war on Germany during WWI… then forgot to sign the peace treaty. Technically, this left them at war until 1958, though no one really noticed.

In WWII, it became a key smuggling route between Spain and France, and despite its pastoral image today, Andorra has a history full of smugglers, political oddities, and legal loopholes, all while maintaining one of Europe’s most unusual forms of government.

Vatican City

Vatican City is tiny. Like, laughably tiny. But its impact on history? Colossal. For centuries, the Pope wasn’t just a spiritual figure; he was a political leader with armies, alliances, and enemies aplenty.

The Vatican has survived assassinations, coups, schisms, and more than a few conspiracy theories. There’s the Avignon Papacy (when the Pope just up and moved to France for a while), the Western Schism (when there were multiple rival popes at once), and the Borgia era, which reads like a particularly dark soap opera.

We have multiple articles covering this tiny place, as it’s truly one of the most interesting out there. So, if you’re interested, here are a few of them:

• Visiting the Vatican Soon? Here’s What Most People Wish They Knew Before
• The Possession Case That Made the Vatican Rewrite Its Rulebook
• What’s Hiding Under the Vatican? Theories About the Church’s Most Mysterious Secrets
• Why the Vatican Put Galileo on Trial for Telling the Truth