The Scoop
In 1955, Queen Elizabeth II ordered the Royal Navy to seize the Rockall islet due to fears of Soviet espionage. The uninhabited rock became the last territorial acquisition of the British Empire.
The Context
During the Cold War, strategic locations were crucial for monitoring and intelligence gathering. Rockall's location in the North Atlantic made it a potential listening post. The UK's move to claim the islet highlights the heightened tensions and proxy conflicts of the era, focused on controlling sea lanes and monitoring submarine activity.