The peace table: whoever won the war, the nations lost on paper

SUMMARYThe peace table: whoever won the war, the nations lost on paper (Nov 4, 2026). Tito, on Britain and France fighting worldwide: "once the indigenous people's land was taken they're all allies again? Reframe that thought, it's obvious to us indigenous who they were."
RECORD, dividing the world before contact went far: the papal bull Inter caetera (1493) and the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) split the lands of the world between Spain and Portugal on a line drawn through the ocean.
RECORD, the peace treaties: Paris 1763 signed lands from France and Spain over to Britain, with no nation at the table. Paris 1783 signed land west to the Mississippi over to the US, again with no nation present; Joseph Brant and the nations protested that the King had given away land that was never his. The Berlin Conference (1884–85) met to divide Africa among European powers, with no African state invited.
RECORD, the doctrine in US law: Johnson v. M'Intosh (1823): the Supreme Court held that "discovery" gave the European power, and then the US, title, leaving the nations only a right of "occupancy."
RECORD, the turn to alliance: Britain and France, at war on and off from 1689 to 1815, were allies in Crimea (1854) and joined in the Entente Cordiale (1904). Britain and the US, at war in 1812, built the "special relationship."

PATTERNthe wars between European powers were real and costly, but the result at every peace table was the same: the nations' land was divided among the powers on paper, and the nations were left off the paper. Once the dividing was done, the enemies became allies

LENS (WW9)the European powers fought each other for the right to claim the nations' lands, and they shared one rule, "discovery," so whoever won, the nations lost on paper

OPENwhether the rivals coordinated during the wars themselves (shared lodges, bankers and financiers lending to both sides). Needs deep research.