Archetypes of Icelandic Strategic Culture: A Visual Analysis

This article traces the evolution of Iceland’s strategic culture from 1945 to 2024 by examining how Icelandic media visually construct the “Other.” Political cartoons serve as the primary evidence base: their recurring motifs and metaphors reveal the values that underpin national security thinking. The analysis yields three core findings. First, Icelandic strategic culture is founded on a normative aversion to force: military power is portrayed as legitimate only when exercised in self-defence. Second, this pacific norm produces a consistently defensive—rather than offensive—posture toward external threats. Third, Icelandic identity is forged relationally, through shifting depictions of major international actors. These relational patterns unfold as follows. Between 1945 and 2024 the United States and the United Kingdom transition from suspicious “Others” to trusted allies, adding a distinct transAtlantic layer to Icelandic self-conception. By contrast, the Soviet Union (1945–1991) and its successor, Russia (1991–2024), remain durable cultural antagonists: Cold-War tropes such as the Russian bear continue to symbolize an assertive, menacing foreign policy. After 1991 the European Union emerges as an ambivalent figure, blending attractive and repulsive traits that mirror Reykjavík’s own indecision over deeper European integration. The cartoons also project a reflexive self-image: Icelanders emphasise their small size and material weakness while acknowledging reliance on external security guarantors—above all, the United States. Finally, the broader international environment is depicted as anarchic and inherently hazardous, reinforcing Iceland’s defensive orientation and its search for reliable partners.