re: #116 Feline Fearless Leader

There’s some sort of historical line around the late 19th or early 20th century after which conquering and annexing territory became “bad” in the eyes of the current mainstream. Beginning of the realization that non-Europeans might have nationalistic desires of their own, or something else.

This hasn’t prevented various territory transfers since then, especially following the two World Wars, but there was a sea change at some point.

[A clarification: This is from the viewpoint of Western Civilization and its historical record. I am pretty sure the various peoples subjected to the assaults, colonial overlordship, exploitation, and arbitrary territorial divisions ever saw it as a good thing.]

That line is pretty much the UN Charter that grew out of the failed colonial era that ended post WWII.

un.org