Вспомнают очень нетривиальный эпизод времен Холодной войны, 1956 года известный под названием "Суэцкий кризис" (не путать с "Карибским кризисом"). Когда Египет после прихода к власти Нассера национализировал Суэцкий канал, это привело к совместной агрессии Израиля, Англии и Франции против Египта. Тогда совместно США и СССР указали агрессорам "нахуй - это туда!", куда те и отправились. Через несколько лет от уже распадающейся Британской империи осталось несколько обглоданных костей:
...Since the end of World War II, the United States has blocked independent military action by allies. During the 1956 Suez Crisis, the government of Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal. In response, Britain, France and Israel invaded the country. Rather than backing its allies, the United States joined its rival—the Soviet Union—in putting diplomatic and financial pressure on the interlopers until they withdrew. When this succeeded, the three countries were humiliated, the UK in particular. The Suez Crisis can be regarded as the final nail in the coffin of the British Empire—it showed that even if Britain had independent military capability, it would not be able to deploy it against American wishes.
И ещё, оттуда же:
...The term “frozen conflict” is regularly used to describe the Russian strategy of stationing troops in previously warring states, such as in Moldova or Georgia, to “freeze” tensions. But America perfected this strategy decades ago: Britain and France, or France and Germany, no longer go to war with one another—a sharp contrast to their long history of doing so.