Ástandið

Ástandið (Icelandic: "the condition" or "the situation") is a term used about the influence British and American soldiers had on Icelandic women during World War II. At its peak the population of foreign soldiers was equal to that of Icelandic men. Many of the foreign soldiers would court Icelandic women and estimates of the number of local women who married foreign soldiers goes into the hundreds. Such interaction between Icelandic women and foreign troops was not always well received and the women involved were often accused of prostitution and betraying their home country. Children born from such unions are known in Icelandic as ástandsbörn ("children of the condition/situation").

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Middle ages Settlement of Iceland 870–930 Icelandic Commonwealth 930–1262      Farthings 965      Christianization 999–1118 Sturlung era 1180–1264 Norwegian rule 1262–1380      Old Covenant 1262 Danish rule 1380–1918      Reformation 1536–1627      Danish trade monopoly 1602–1874 Eruption of Laki 1783–1785
Modern era Independence movement 1809–1847 Prohibition 1915–1989 Kingdom of Iceland 1918–1944      Act of Union World War II 1939–1944      Invasion of Iceland 1940      Occupation of Iceland 1940–1945           Invader relationships Founding of republic 1944 Iceland in the Cold War 1947–1991      Cod Wars 1948–1976      Anti-NATO riot 1949 Financial crisis 2008–2011 COVID-19 pandemic 2020–
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US Army training in Iceland in June 1943

When the British invaded Iceland in 1940, people gathered on the streets to see the troops and the fact that many young Icelandic girls were captivated by them did not go unnoticed. Immediately discussions began over what effect this would have and minimal interaction with British forces was encouraged, but this proved to be difficult as many Icelanders had jobs in some way connected to the troops. A committee was formed which produced a damning report on the soldiers, which shed light on widespread prostitution amongst the troops. Some sources suggested that girls as young as twelve years old were involved in prostitution.[1] The Icelandic authorities tried unsuccessfully to reduce the soldiers' encounters with Icelandic girls but with time the issue lapsed and was no longer part of the current affairs. The soldiers went home with the conclusion of the war in 1945.

US troops returned to Iceland in 1951 as part of the Iceland Defense Force during the Cold War. In order to reassure Icelandic authorities, the troops were quarantined in the Keflavík Air Base, which remained in operation until 2006.