How to Hide an Empire
How to Hide an Empire is the book by Daniel Immerwahr referenced in How to get what Greenland has, with permission. In the episode, the book functions less as a full book discussion than as the historical frame for seeing U.S. power beyond the map of formal states.
The source uses Immerwahr’s work to explain why strategic expansion does not always look like annexation. Land purchases, inhabited territories, overseas possessions, and military bases can all shift control, jurisdiction, and security access, making Military Base Sovereignty a key alternative to formal territorial acquisition.
For the Greenland episode, the book’s frame supports Strategic Access Without Annexation. The United States may want minerals, warning systems, and Arctic access, but the source argues those needs can be pursued through agreements with Greenland and Denmark rather than by owning the island.
Connections
- Daniel Immerwahr - author and episode expert.
- United States, Greenland, and Denmark - states and territories in the episode’s historical comparison.
- Military Base Sovereignty and Strategic Access Without Annexation - concepts the book helps frame.