A fascinating summary of many key issues - thank you: very clearly presented.

Interesting and well-done article, island Carol. As a Yank, I must say I love to imagine our friends across the pond as having ’the English vice.’ Their spanking stories always seem to have an air of authenticity to them. Perhaps between their school system, lousy climate, and impulsive nature, a predilection for spanking is inevitable. That’s my perception, and I’m sticking to it!

I know it's called The English Vice but it was the French who coined the term according to Ian Gibson in his book, The English Vice. Apparently the French brothels did a roaring trade in thrashing upper class young Englishmen who wanted to relive their schooldays. The French coined the expression and it stuck. I am sure it could be just as aptly named The German Vice or after any number of other countries who seem equally as obsessed as ourselves. Perhaps we should call it the American Vice in future? Must make a point of seeing that film. Many thanks for an excellent article.

PS That schoolmaster you mention, he is probably not shivering with excitement, he is probably just shivering because there was no heating!!

Very interesting article which could have been much much longer to cover all the issues highlighted.
Whilst very proud to be English and arrogant to say I am the very embodiment of "the English vice", I want to put a word in for the Russians. In "The Brothers Karamazov" Dostoyevski states that the Russian love of beating their children is part of their nature. If there was any doubt about the sexual element of corporal punishment he writes that the village girls submitted willingly to public chastisement as they were virtually guaranteed a proposal of marriage soon afterwards.

Interesting overview. It is called the English Vice often enough, but, as others have said, it is pretty universal.
The Japanese love it, so it isn't just European. The Germans and Central Europeans like Czechs and Hungarians are particularly keen, and we need not mention the Russians.
Something I long have wondered about is the suspicion that the spanking fetish may die out as spanking is so discouraged/banned in the west. Not so, however, as the number of very young enthusiasts on various forum and blog sites attests.

And don't forget Americans, blackbirch - we love it too! Great little article, i-carol. I don' think you needed to go into anything beyond a summary, hitting the major points.

Cal - I presume the English school system you're referring to is the public school (= private school, of course) system. The vast majority of us go through the state system which is generally much less strict - and corporal punishment in state schools was abolished in the late 1970s, so those who have experience of it are a dying breed! I was fascinated that you see us as impulsive. Southern Europeans see us as the opposite! The French traditionally see us as cold and reserved (though also devious) and the Finns as polite and friendly.

Thanks for this thought-provoking article, IC.

At the question why erotic spanking is called the English Vice and not also the German Vice I already answered in another place: even if Germans enjoy spanking as much as the English, the Germans don't consider spankings being a "vice".

The expression "English vice" has a very positive connotation for me. It includes something wicked, exciting, sensual and erotic. I think in Germany all methods of beating are historically more to satisfy sadistic (or masochistic) feelings. Sexual arousal is often not the goal, but rather a side product. We even have no word in our language to describe erotic spanking, that alone reveals why nobody talks about a German vice.

As a limey I have long since ceased to be embarrassed that England has the (undeserved) reputation for being the centre of the CP universe. I suppose there are subconscious associations with the term "motherland" in those countries where English is the main language

When the term "La Vice Anglaise" was coined it must have been around the time the Marquis De Sade was earning his own word in the dictionary (and of course two centuries after Reine Margot wrote approvingly about fesser). So even if the misbehaviour was rife 'outremars' the French chez-eux were not unfamiliar with the practice. The French are insouciant naturally:. fesser turns people on, so what. So I assume La Vice Anglaise referred as much to the endless neurotic discussions beyond La Manche as to the practice itself. Les Anglais are always overreacting to things..

Here in the exceedingly respectable Spanking Library we do actually like a bit of endless titillating discussion of our favourite vice. For us, vive La Vice Anglaise.