Could the US capture Europe?

[Sashie VII]

This is amusing, Winner's summary was totally hilarious

 

[Ingvina Freyr]

First of all I'd like to thank everybody posting on this thread. It is by far the funniest thread I've ever read. I have literally laughed out loud several times
The answer to the OP is of course, as anyone American, European or other with any sense for strategy would know, a huge NO! Unless, as I am begining to suspect, some of you are refering to a small town in South Dakota named Europe.

I think Winner summed it up nicely:

[...]Basically, the discussion here looks like this:

US patriot: Haha, Europe wouldn't stand a chance.
EU poster: How do you plan to do that?
US patriot: We have better everything, we would crush you like a bug.
EU poster: -disproves everything the US patriot said and post data that suggest, that US is actually in many ways totally unable to attack any reasonably armed Western country-
US patriot: No, that's irrelevant, we have combat experience.
EU poster: Yeah, experience with combat against few villagers armed with AK-47?
US patriot: And our fighter pilots are very skilled, so they don't need better technology to destroy your airforce!
EU poster: They're skilled, because they managed to bomb few unguarded buildings in Iraq, completely undisturbed by any enemy fighters?
US patriot: We have stealth fighters and bombers!
EU poster: We can detect them...
US patriot: NO! WE WOULD WIN, WE WOULD CRUSH YOU!
EU poster: Mind to tell my how do you want to accomplish that?
US patriot: We're AMERICANS, hear that? AMERICANS! We can do everything! EVERYTHING!
EU poster: Sure

 

[Revolutionary]

simply put neither side would win

the only ones who would win are outside powers, a devastated Europe would be ripe for Russian invasion

a devastated America would be ripe for Canadian and Mexican invasion

that being said this scenario will never happen

 

[Cullyn]

Could the USA invade Europe, possibly. The USA has the largest, best armed and most logistically equipped armed forces on the world. If the circumstances were right, secrecy, a divided Europe and a very lucky initial strike (the USA would have to secure major seaport across mainland Europe to allow an invasion to work.) then a bridgehead could be secured.

Could the USA defeat Europe, unlikely. The US military is a known quantity in Europe. Many of the European armies have trained with and use American equipment. Plus, European armies are not inept, conscript armies fighting for a dictator. We are talking about modern, well armed professional services who would be defending there homeland from a foreign foe.

The Logistics for the invasion are huge. You are talking about sending a huge armada across the Atlantic. This armada would have to defend itself against the combined European Navies and Air forces, as well as coastal defences.

Could the USA hold Europe. In no way. Its too big, too diverse and way too much trouble.


There is one other huge thing you are forgetting.

What about the make up of American society? Do you think that people of Irish, Italian, German or English descent are going to allow the wholesale destruction of there former homeland?

What makes you think that the bombing back to the stone age would be a one way street? The US is not the only country able to project military strength beyond its borders and your borders are just as unprotected as ours. Its not like the British didn’t burn down the White House once already.

As for combat ready veterans? The US is not in Iraq and Afghanistan alone you know.

Very silly real life scenario to be honest, but would be a great civ one!

 

[thetrooper]

Do we take into account that the US is tied down in Iamsothoroughlylostistan and a dozen other hellholes around the globe?

 

[aaglo]

You're simply living in a fantasy world. Wake up, guys...

Yes...I seem to recall France thinking the same thing of Germany in the late 30s. They too thought they were impossible to invade.

Hmmm...

What did USA think when they were going to Vietnam?
What did USA think when they were going to Iraq in 2003 (or was it 2004)?

 

[BaneBlade]

Also, granted that the EU may have more troops. But America has much better forces per person than the Europeans do and we don't have the problem of divided command.

Like in WW2 when Germany and Russia fought with 1 man in the supportlines for one on the front, while the ratio for GB was 1:2 and USA 1:4?
Time to show you can fight without Cola, icecream and beer before boasting about superiority.

 

[Abaddon]

No. Its that simple really...

 

[BaneBlade]

Wow.. I guess some people are still, after seven pages, too nationalistic and anti-American to admit the fact that IF we wanted to, we could crush all of the countries in Europe into submission through our superior tactics and equipment. The United States has shown itself, throughout history, that it is capable of defeating any enemy that comes against us. Not to mention the fact that Europe would likely be full of treasonous collaborators and opportunists, the fact that much of Europe's population is neither fit mentally nor physically for military duty (they don't "want" to fight), much of Europe's population is aged (due to white birth rates down), and that it houses an anti-establishment minority of Muslims that though, will unlikely rebel, but will likely sabotage the war effort; and everyone seems to love to ignore the fact that the EU, unlike the United States, is still divided. Every region in the EU speaks their own language for the most part, there are still rivalries, and disorganization, not to mention a stylized beurocratic system. These things may seem small to the untrained mind, however, they account for a lot when the crap hits the fan, so to speak. Also, you speak of it as if United States would be going at it alone, without any allied support (unlikely), and that all of the EU would want to contribute to the war effort (unlikely).

But then again, the United States would never invade Europe.. so yeah?

Better and better.....
But good you tell us WE are nationalistic and delusional....

I tell you what, PLEASE INVADE US.
Nothing better to unify us ASAP.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Better and better.....

Great thread this isn't it?

Commedy Central has nothing on this

 

[BaneBlade]

Great thread this isn't it?

Commedy Central has nothing on this

Most funniest assumption sofar was imho the idea to bomb our railways, roads, and bridges expecting to seriously hamper troopmovement. No better way to spend some 1.000 cruise-missiles without doing real damage!

Sometimes when i hear stuff like in this thread i get the feeling americans are like giant-mutant-cockroaches from outer space, with serious mental issues (mainly inferiority/superiority complexes). Then i think about the americans i met in person and wonder why they are so normal. Nice, intelligent persons. Sleeper agents? Bodysnatchers?

 

[Mise]

Most funniest assumption sofar was imho the idea to bomb our railways, roads, and bridges expecting to seriously hamper troopmovement. No better way to spend some 1.000 cruise-missiles without doing real damage!

Didn't you know? There's only 1 road in Europe, and it was built by the Americans.

I for one am VERY grateful to the Americans for granting us the right to exist. If they wanted to, they could capture Europe and enslave everyone in it. It is only the sheer generosity and benelovence of the American people that we are allowed to continue existing in Europe and to enjoy our backward way of life for the forseeable future at least. I would like to thank the American people for their continued support in this matter. I owe my life to them, really.

 

[Brighteye]

According to the IISS in The Military Balance 2003-2004 (the last time I checked it) the comparative numbers were:

European Union

1,846,910 Active Duty Personnel
2,827,080 Reserves
10,712 Main Battle Tanks
3,182 Combat Aircraft

United States

1,427,000 Active Duty Personnel
1,237,700 Reserves
8,023 Tanks
3,513 Combat Aircraft

The EU has more warships/submarines than the United States but lacks Carrier Aviation. It would however be able to keep the USN out of the Med and Europes' Atlantic Coast readily enough (most EU subs are conventional but in littorial waters that doesn't matter)

Just thought I'd throw in some stats.

This, along with the fact that the US will be invading across a distance of 3,000 miles, should have solved the question ages ago. I've just had a look at this thread and I'm not sure whether to be more shocked or amused at some of the Americans' posts.
They seem unable to cope with the concept of America not being all-powerful and the best. The rest of us actually have culture to rely on for our sense of national identity, but it appears that many Americans have the sense of identity and patriotism first, and then create 'facts' afterwards, like the idea that America could successfully invade Europe. A single European country, with no interference from other powers, sure. All of Europe? Not a chance.

 

[Truronian]

We are forgetting the divine personel. America has God whereas we have Allah.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

No, no, we have the Vatican and thus god on our side

 

[Mise]

This, along with the fact that the US will be invading across a distance of 3,000 miles, should have solved the question ages ago. I've just had a look at this thread and I'm not sure whether to be more shocked or amused at some of the Americans' posts.
They seem unable to cope with the concept of America not being all-powerful and the best. The rest of us actually have culture to rely on for our sense of national identity, but it appears that many Americans have the sense of identity and patriotism first, and then create 'facts' afterwards, like the idea that America could successfully invade Europe. A single European country, with no interference from other powers, sure. All of Europe? Not a chance.

You bring up an interesting point. Europe has a rich history and culture, and national pride and identity are rooted in those things. "American culture" is an oxymoron, and their sense of identity is rooted in power, money and being "America #1". I think that explains a lot.

 

[aaglo]

We'd roll over and take it in the ass whilst the French throw condescending words at them and the Germans sure up their borders with the millions of German men and women who are too old to do any real work. Spain would detonate bombs along the Pyranees and sail out into the Atlantic Ocean with Portugal, Italy would play defensively and pretend to be injured a lot before switching sides half way through, Norway would sell overpriced oil to underpaid tank drivers, Sweden would tax them, Denmark would film them naked, whilst Holland would make a fortune selling sex and drugs to US troops (the "liberal media" would be blamed for corrupting the Army of Christ). Nobody cares about Belarus, Bulgaria, CZ/SK, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Yugoslavia, the Baltic states, the Ukraine, or any other crappy lil Lebensraum nation like that, so America can probably have them.

HAHA!
So does that mean, that Finland would the only one doing the defending then (we have a rather good record against an overwhelming enemy, but that might be because all of the Soviets coming didn't have any room to fight - there were so many of them ).

 

[Brighteye]

We'd stab you in the Yukon with Scotland and then kick you in the Florida with Italy.

And that is the funniest thing I've seen or heard all week.
Yes, it's been a dull week.

 

[aaglo]

@Brighteye,
Thanks for finding that out of the mess

 

[Winner]

Better and better.....
But good you tell us WE are nationalistic and delusional....

I tell you what, PLEASE INVADE US.
Nothing better to unify us ASAP.

My feelings exactly, I almost said the same thing: please, try

Nothing encourages the anti-american feelings in Europe so much as such ultra-arrogant and bloated comments from some Americans...