When are territorial claims valid/invalid?

[madd0ct0r]

There is the nuanced position available - allow the territory claims to lapse after a certain amount of time, provided that the period of time is 1) long enough that the invaders will never be sure they personally will benefit 2) long enough that rational future discounting makes most cases unprofitable (strategic islands remain an probable exception, 'sacred ideals' like the holy land is another) and 3) long enough that there's a reasonable chance that some diplomatic situation will arise where it may be a useful chip to an negotiation, thus being settled that way instead.

[Dominus Atheos]

I know.

I merely say that we choose to have the claims expire, in order to have peace.

However, therein lies a hidden danger when successful feats of ethnic cleansing and colonization would be serving as examples for future invaders, encouraging them to keep the territory for as long as possible to let the claims expire.

I mean, Northern Ireland is a prime example. Ireland cannot have its territorial integrity because a part of it was literally settled over centuries by British loyalists. I am sure other examples can be found as well throughout history.

I am not saying perpetual war is preferrable. I think it is not possible to right every wrong. But an acceptance of a past injustice without accepting any adverse consequences... rings hollow nonetheless.

When the last person who was born in that territory dies of old age. After that, it has passed from living memory and the resettlers start having a valid claim to the land. If it was total and complete genocide, then their nation can claim it for 1 lifespan, which I would say is 100 years.

[K. A. Pital]

Seems like the obvious counter argument is that not doing so encourages countries to ethnically cleanse much harder to prevent the issue from ever coming up in the future.

Who has had success in such endeavours, though? Usually a country hellbent on a swift and total genocide would lose the territory it is occupying, and it usually occurs fast on the historical scale. Those who are smarter and choose a combined strategy of long-term assimilation or slow cleansing, on the other hand, can win in the longer term.