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Can English people explain how they feel about this?

493 replies

Green215 · 05/10/2025 18:22

As an English person, do you hold resentment towards any country based on historical grievances like war, invasion, famine, colonialism etc? If so, which; if not, why?

The reason I ask is because I’ve always found it odd how the English tend to be the only people in the world who do not hold such grievances.

Irish people are always complaining about British colonialism; many Scots and Welsh likewise complain about England on a historical basis; Greeks and Turks complain about one another; Africans, Indians, Arabs etc complain about European colonialism and American invasions; China complains about Japanese atrocities and vice versa; Russia complains about German atrocities; post-Soviet states complain about Russian occupation; France and Germany complain about one another; America often complains about the Revolution; Canada complains about the War of 1812; Mexico and Latin American countries and Caribbean countries complain about American invasions or interference or colonialism; some Australians resent British rule etc.

But, rarely do English people demand reparations or sing “rebel songs” or complain about historical grievances. Why?

I could understand if maybe some English people resented Germany due to the two world balls or resented America for things like the Suez crisis and the funding of the IRA. And truth be told, I have come across some English people that are like that. But, they are very few compared to the other peoples I described.

I understand that this is sort of an academic question, but I wanted to come on this forum to ask ordinary English people how they felt and I hope you can give some honest answers rather than sarcastic responses or not answering the question properly.

OP posts:
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AgnesMcDoo · 05/10/2025 18:25

Don’t the English hate the French?

(Scottish myself so don’t know)

ExitPursuedByABare · 05/10/2025 18:27

Nope. Don’t hate anyone.

Although I have been known to refer to the French as cheese eating surrender monkeys.

Bigearringsbigsmile · 05/10/2025 18:28

No I don't hold resentment against any other nation

And I don't understand others resenting nations for things that happened 100s of years ago

Whats the point?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

eggandonion · 05/10/2025 18:28

My parents...not English but from NI...really didn't like the Japanese because of the war. My grandfather who was wounded in the first world war had no animosity towards the Germans.

Uggbootsforever · 05/10/2025 18:29

Honestly - no. I think this is a very important question so I would have to be honest if I did.

Multiple relatives were killed in WW1 and WW2.

History is full of war, famine, disease and disaster. We don’t need more of it, fuelled by grudges.

TickyandTacky · 05/10/2025 18:31

Literally hate no country at all. Don't know why, I just dont feel it.

soupyspoon · 05/10/2025 18:31

No and I find it odd that we dont and others do.

Another way that English people self deprecate and wring their hands about things are in history were completely normal. Countries, nations, regimes, rulers invaded others to be more powerful, make more money, get more land and resources.

Its a fairly modern thing that the world knows they souldnt do this any more.

Its happened, so it happened.

ItstheHRTpat · 05/10/2025 18:31

The Irish hold resentment because it was still in living memory, and lasted for over 800 years before that. Who were the English colonised by to feel angry at?

vincettenoir · 05/10/2025 18:31

The French are our historical rivals. But I don’t think we hate the French. Generally thinking the English know them for being arty, arrogant, sophisticated and always on strike. They are too aspirational to be hated. Who doesn’t like trip to the S of France? They are like us in a lot of ways too. Very politically divided, history of colonisation, multicultural etc.

londongirl12 · 05/10/2025 18:32

English and don’t hate anyone else. The people of today aren’t responsible for the actions of their ancestors.

soupyspoon · 05/10/2025 18:32

ItstheHRTpat · 05/10/2025 18:31

The Irish hold resentment because it was still in living memory, and lasted for over 800 years before that. Who were the English colonised by to feel angry at?

The French more or less.(Normans) And if you mean the land that is now England, then the Vikings and Romans. More or less.

Uggbootsforever · 05/10/2025 18:33

ItstheHRTpat · 05/10/2025 18:31

The Irish hold resentment because it was still in living memory, and lasted for over 800 years before that. Who were the English colonised by to feel angry at?

Half a million of us killed in WW2?!

MidnightPatrol · 05/10/2025 18:33

We probably don’t complain about historical grievances because for much of the last 350 years we ruled half the planet, and now are a bit apologetic about that.

I was raised to be a bit suspicious of the Germans, which presumably was a post-war thing and feels quite funny really now (also not entirely sure I’ve met anyone else who was raised with the same).

DiscoBob · 05/10/2025 18:33

Well historically England has colonised and invaded other countries, rather than being invaded. So they benefitted from it.

They're moaning now about being taken over by brown people arriving on small boats. To make up for lost time I guess.

londongirl12 · 05/10/2025 18:33

vincettenoir · 05/10/2025 18:31

The French are our historical rivals. But I don’t think we hate the French. Generally thinking the English know them for being arty, arrogant, sophisticated and always on strike. They are too aspirational to be hated. Who doesn’t like trip to the S of France? They are like us in a lot of ways too. Very politically divided, history of colonisation, multicultural etc.

I like in Kent and we don’t like the French when they strike and then the port closes and clogs up all the local roads round Dover. Issues on the M20, it’ll be the French again 😂 but all said in jest.

popcornandpotatoes · 05/10/2025 18:34

Have we suffered at others hands as much as others have? Haven't we often been the ones causing the suffering?

Loads of countries were horribly impacted by ww1 and ww2, so I think it would be odd for the English specifically to hold a grudge.

Onekidnoclue · 05/10/2025 18:34

I think historically we English tend to have been the ones being dickheads! Not much to feel aggrieved about when you’ve colonised half the globe. We haven’t been invaded for about a thousand years and all the myriad of problems we’ve got now are entirely of our own making. Yes, there are some racist knobs trying to blame immigrants but the truth is we’ve had a cracking run as a country. We’ve done a fair few things we should feel embarrassed by and a decent amount of good.
Id say as a nation we have view that Americans are a bit cringe and should really take a good look in the mirror about gun control and spelling but that’s it really.

BlueberryLatte · 05/10/2025 18:34

I'm Irish <starts belting out Fields of Athenry> 😂😂

I thought the English hated the French, Germans and Americans

CharlotteStreetW1 · 05/10/2025 18:34

But, rarely do English people demand reparations or sing “rebel songs” or complain about historical grievances. Why?

Because the English are usually the ones responsible for the historical grievances.

(I am English)

DublinLaLaLa · 05/10/2025 18:34

Nope. Don’t hate anyone. Don’t even mildly dislike anyone. However, I’m not surprised we aren’t the most popular country in the world.

AprilinPortugal · 05/10/2025 18:35

AgnesMcDoo · 05/10/2025 18:25

Don’t the English hate the French?

(Scottish myself so don’t know)

I love the French language. I think the French hate the English more. As do the Scottish! 😄 But whatever happened in the past...what's that go to do with us in this day and age?

popcornandpotatoes · 05/10/2025 18:35

Who would we demand reparations from? The Vikings and normans?

MissyB1 · 05/10/2025 18:36

ItstheHRTpat · 05/10/2025 18:31

The Irish hold resentment because it was still in living memory, and lasted for over 800 years before that. Who were the English colonised by to feel angry at?

Yes it’s a long time since England was invaded by anyone, no use me resenting the Romans or vikings 😂 kind of wish the Romans would come back and rebuild the roads actually!

zazazaaar · 05/10/2025 18:36

In the 80s the German lad who joined our class was relentlessly bullied about loving Hitler etc. The matches against Germany always ended in fights in the pub!

ThankGodItsAutumn · 05/10/2025 18:38

God yes, fucking Romans coming here with their central heating, hot baths and proper roads...

Nope...I really don't get it at all.

It niggles me a bit that Scotland are semi-detached from the rest of UK, get more GDP per head to find their free prescriptions, uni education and elderly care and are still constantly whinging, but nothing historical.