Most powerful military in history?

[Knight-Dragon]

On the contrary, the Yuan Dynasty lasted for 100-ish years (the norm for most Chinese dynasties - Zhou and Qing are exceptional) and the Liao hung about most of the time. The Qing Dynasty also happens to be descendants of the Liao, IIRC.

The Qing (Manchus) are descendants of the Jin (Jurchens), not the Liao (Qidan, a proto-Mongol people).

 

[josephstalin]

Mongols dominated warfare under Khan.
According to votes US is the most powerful military. In 20th century? There is still was USSR. China grew powerfuful day by day. Britain was still in play. And how many soldiers were dead in Vietnam, Korea against primitive armies.Japan kept US quite busy most of WWII. All 20th century was a turmoil of war with such megapowers as Germany, Britain, USSR, China, Japan. Khan never met something like that opposition in life. If he could lived longer he would conquer Europe.

 

[HamaticBabylon]

USSR has 12,000 functioning nukes!

 

[Dreadnought]

Mongols dominated warfare under Khan.
According to votes US is the most powerful military. In 20th century? There is still was USSR. China grew powerfuful day by day. Britain was still in play. And how many soldiers were dead in Vietnam, Korea against primitive armies.Japan kept US quite busy most of WWII. All 20th century was a turmoil of war with such megapowers as Germany, Britain, USSR, China, Japan. Khan never met something like that opposition in life. If he could lived longer he would conquer Europe.

And the Khan took advantage of the world's weaknesses. There were three dynasties in China at the time (Xia, Jin, Song) and if they had united against Khan he would have been defeated. The Middle East and Europe (the latter perticularly) were weak from the Crusades. And how many soldiers were dead in Japan against the divine wind?

 

[Bugfatty300]

Mongols dominated warfare under Khan.
According to votes US is the most powerful military. In 20th century? There is still was USSR. China grew powerfuful day by day. Britain was still in play. And how many soldiers were dead in Vietnam, Korea against primitive armies.

I wouldn't call them primative.

The North Vietnamese had access to latest Soviet SAMs, the latest MiGs and got ahold of the best assault rifle in world at the time. The North Vietnamese Regular Army and Airforce was a relatively professional and modern.

Although hardly a match for US forces in combat. Still, North Vietnam eventually defeated South Vietnam, invaded and conquered Cambodia and even repeled a Chinese invasion.

 

[Xia]

I dont usually compare militarys by which military could defeat the other, because otherwise America would always be the strongest because they are he most modernized. I compare how outstanding the military was in its time and what great achivements it made. Thus, I vote for the Khan empire because of its domination of Central Asia, the Middle east, and eastern europe

 

[Nobody]

France Pre1954

i dont get this, why pre 1954, they were pretty big in napolean days but why say pre1954. or do you mean the french military golden age of 1939-45

 

[silver 2039]

The Romans lasted for what... 400 years? Empires don't last very long, and you really can't measure an empire's power for its length. Considering that the Roman Empire only lasted 400 yrs yet it encompassed a great deal of land, while the Byzantine Empire lasted for 1000 years, yet it did not gain much territory during that period of time.

The Roman Empire lasted 1000 years and the Byzantines were an offshoot of the Roman Empire and they were even considered the sme thing as the Roman Empire at the time so it could eaisly be said that Rome was the longest lasting and most powerful Empire the world has ever known. Tell me a single nation or Empire that even comes close to that?

 

[Gelion]

Errr.... China?

 

[silver 2039]

Errr.... China?

Which Chinese dynasty do you refer of? Often there were many at the same time they rose aand fell waxed and waned. There was never one stable contionous Chinese government as there was in Rome for over a 1000 years.

 

[stormbind]

Depends how you measure "power".

Pit the British military (at it's peek) against the US military (at it's peek) and... a single nuke trumps however many dreadnoughts.

However, if you calculate the world's power share, British military power was greater than the USA & USSR combined.

 

[Gelion]

Which Chinese dynasty do you refer of? Often there were many at the same time they rose aand fell waxed and waned. There was never one stable contionous Chinese government as there was in Rome for over a 1000 years.

I mean China as a state. Rome never had a government system that stood long, in comparison with the nations of old (Egypt). Rome was famous for military coups and power struggles so at least it takes place alongside China... and China exists today...

 

[Princeps]

Mongol army (athough i voted for Rome).

Mongol army was the first Modern army.

 

[Pyotr Veliky]

However, if you calculate the world's power share, British military power was greater than the USA & USSR combined.

Sorry, but France, the USA and Germany combined could have defeated Britain quite easily. I can't think of any coalition of 3 nations that could have even dented an alliance of the USA and USSR.

"Comrade General Secretary, the Indians, Chinese and Britons have declared war on us."

"Ah well, let the Yanks nuke the British, we'll burry the Indians, and with some of the left overs we together will flatten China. Anything else?"

 

[blindside]

Depends how you measure "power".

Pit the British military (at it's peek) against the US military (at it's peek) and... a single nuke trumps however many dreadnoughts.

However, if you calculate the world's power share, British military power was greater than the USA & USSR combined.

What do you consider Britain's military peek? Before World War I right? Well the Germans pretty much could have defeated both the French and the Brits. On the other hand if you look at the US during the Gulf War period it really was number 1. The USSR was over and Russia alone is not powerful. Nor is China.

 

[Dreadnought]

I wouldn't call them primative.

The North Vietnamese had access to latest Soviet SAMs, the latest MiGs and got ahold of the best assault rifle in world at the time. The North Vietnamese Regular Army and Airforce was a relatively professional and modern.

Although hardly a match for US forces in combat. Still, North Vietnam eventually defeated South Vietnam, invaded and conquered Cambodia and even repeled a Chinese invasion.

I agree. They weren't 'primitive'. Same with N. Korea. They were kicking the UN's army's butt until we landed in Inchon.

 

[sydhe]

The British peaked relative to the rest of the world in the period 1815-1871, then Germany united and started catching up, while the USA passed them in potential military strength.

I'm not convinced Rome was stronger than Han China.

 

[Princeps]

reality check. Rome was never number one.

Yes it was.

 

[Dreadnought]

The Roman Empire lasted 1000 years and the Byzantines were an offshoot of the Roman Empire and they were even considered the same thing as the Roman Empire at the time

Rome lasted more than 1000 years, but the empire lasted over 400 years and the republic lasted about 700. The Byzantine Empire, though, did last 1000 years.

 

[mastertyguy]

Mongols, definitly. They defeated armies twice as big as theirs, they took cities from horseback (but soon discovered the power of artillery). Genghis Khan took more lands than anybody else.
Look at that: Rome didn't even conquered Europe after 1200 years. USA, if it decided to contol the world, would lose, since lots of poeple would not like it. The Mongols, altough, took nearly all of Asia (how would they conquer all of Siberia?), entered Europe, all that in a few lifetimes. Temujin started in a poor little abandonned family, and became the greatest Emperor of all Emperors.