The tiny island that played NATO like a fiddle — and won.
Season 1 • Episode 2
LatestIn the aftermath of the Second World War, relations between the former allied eastern and western powers deteriorated fast. Suddenly, the small island nation found itself in the midst of the ensuing “cold-war”, which it used to its full benefit to catapult into the modern world. A founding member of the NATO alliance, Iceland provided an important base for forward operations in protection of NATO’s northern flank and Scandinavia and the approaches to North America by U.S. and allied forces.
Direction
Crisp archival footage that makes gray skies feel genuinely tense.
Writing
Narrator treats Iceland's strategic gamesmanship with delicious dry wit.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Iceland remains the only NATO member with no standing military — the 1951 defense agreement still shapes their foreign policy today.
The Keflavík base created a bizarre cultural collision: 5,000 Americans in a nation of 200,000 Icelanders, birthing an entire generation of 'base kids' and local resentment.
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