Most powerful military in history?

[Himalia]

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?"

Two things at the time of the peak of the British Empire it was said that the entire worlds navy combined could not defeat the English fleet. Controlling the seas then was just about everything. As for the USA and USSR alliance how about the fact that the three countries you oput them up against are nuclear powers. Looks like a stalemate to me. Look we have nuked India, China and the UK we win, opps they had nuclear subs looks like a draw sir.


The worlds power share is an important factor to this, its all relational you cant compare a modern army to an ancient one as the modern one would always win. (Unless there tanks attack there spearman of course) . At its peak the British Empire was the biggest in history thats got to count for something. At there peak they could just about take on any alliance no one would of dared at there peak. PEAK being the key word to all this.

 

[YNCS]

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.

I seem to remember that Germany was unable to defeat both the French and the British pre-1918.

 

[Gelion]

Britain never fought a war on her own - she always had alliances. I would not consider them best army of their time. Yes navy was perhaps the best, but as we know Brits are good fighters when their supplies are stable.... but not the best fighters there ware.

 

[privatehudson]

Well we don't all have millions of men to expend every time we want to win a war

 

[Dreadnought]

I seem to remember that Germany was unable to defeat both the French and the British pre-1918.

Well I think Germany could defeat one and then the other (the defeated the French...twice! )

 

[Dreadnought]

Well we don't all have millions of men to expend every time we want to win a war

nice one

 

[Gelion]

No you don't..... thats why you preferre to use ships so noone can get to you with millions of men. Anyways what can a nation that seldom experienced an invasion say about fighting for independance and exitance?

 

[Dreadnought]

No you don't..... thats why you preferre to use ships so noone can get to you with millions of men. Anyways what can a nation that seldom experienced an invasion say about fighting for independance and exitance?

American Revolution...?

 

[privatehudson]

No you don't..... thats why you preferre to use ships so noone can get to you with millions of men. Anyways what can a nation that seldom experienced an invasion say about fighting for independance and exitance?

Been there done that, only difference is we did that a while ago.

 

[Gelion]

Been there done that, only difference is we did that a while ago.

I know..... still a while ago means "a while ago"...

P.S. American Revolution is a good point (assuming you are American), but was too long for people to "feel" it.

 

[privatehudson]

know..... still a while ago means "a while ago

Your point being what exactly? A military cannot be effective if it's ground troops have not been defending it's own soil recently?

I would have thought that the point is that a really sucessful military shouldn't need to defend it's own soil, it makes the enemy fight on theirs.

 

[JohnRM]

Well I would say the U.S. Military 1944 to 1949. The American Military was the largest in history, 15,000,000 men Also largest in terms of just about anything else: planes, ships, nuclear bombs, ect. We most certainly were not a country to be messed with then

Can't argue with that...

America it is...

 

[Gelion]

You can't fight a defensive war on somebody else's soil. At least from the start. I know your like your pre-emptive strikes but to me they are no different than normal agressions.
My point is that your American mind can never understand the type of society that Russia has, the mentality behind the wars that we fought in the last century and teh feelings that our granfathers had when they rose up in a frontal assault... with one rifle... for 3 people .... been sent to the front line by the state and feeling of love for motherland.... trying to do something good in the situation the state and enemies brought you.... and survive if you can.

You never fought a defensive war on your soil, you never watched your towns burned and your people enslaved, you bombed other nations and made them suffer how can you understand the sacrifices that people make for their land? That is my point and I brought it after you jokingly said about millions of our people dying..
you think we can't fight? Remember defence of Brest, Sevastopol, Leningrad (both wars)... have you endured the same loses? been in the same grave that we have? Your country and your wars are totally different from what we experienced....

 

[Princeps]

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...

Yes, it did, the republic stood for many centuries.

 

[Gelion]

True, but China is at least 6000 years old... compared with 2000 Roman years

 

[Xia]

True, but China is at least 6000 years old... compared with 2000 Roman years

CHina is by far the oldest civilization, but I think its more like 5,500 years

 

[privatehudson]

You can't fight a defensive war on somebody else's soil. At least from the start. I know your like your pre-emptive strikes but to me they are no different than normal agressions.

Who's talking pre-emptive strikes? I'm talking about a competent military being able to protect it's borders from outside agression.

My point is that your American mind can never understand the type of society that Russia has, the mentality behind the wars that we fought in the last century and teh feelings that our granfathers had when they rose up in a frontal assault... with one rifle... for 3 people .... been sent to the front line by the state and feeling of love for motherland.... trying to do something good in the situation the state and enemies brought you.... and survive if you can.

I don't have an "American mind" since I'm not American, therefore your following points are not all relevant to my country.

Keep guessing my nationality and assuming things if you like

 

[communism]

You can't fight a defensive war on somebody else's soil.

Then why did you use Eastern Europe as a buffer? B.S

At least from the start. I know your like your pre-emptive strikes but to me they are no different than normal agressions.

Haha!!! Says a Russian who's country suppressed 14 nationalities and half of Eastern Europe, then tried to enforce its version of 'society' onto Afghanistan and countless other third world countries around the globe. Give me American Imperialism anyday of the week!

My point is that your American mind can never understand the type of society that Russia has

Backwards and oppressive is pretty much what the society was.

the mentality behind the wars that we fought in the last century and teh feelings that our granfathers had when they rose up in a frontal assault... with one rifle... for 3 people .... been sent to the front line by the state and feeling of love for motherland.... trying to do something good in the situation the state and enemies brought you.... and survive if you can.

Only because your leaders were too stupid to percieve a war against a country which was pretty much polar opposities of your ideology. And because the leadership knew it could waste lives in the cheap to buy time, pretty standard Russian concept.

You never fought a defensive war on your soil, you never watched your towns burned and your people enslaved, you bombed other nations and made them suffer how can you understand the sacrifices that people make for their land? That is my point and I brought it after you jokingly said about millions of our people dying..

Americans have never had to experience the countless millions shot, beaten, thrown into the Gulag and pretty much enslaved to modernise the country all in the name of Socialism.

Millions of people dying because of stupidity doesn't make you a great power, it makes your country a country which doesn't give a damn how many people get killed in order to stop them from removing the regime they want to protect.

you think we can't fight? Remember defence of Brest, Sevastopol, Leningrad (both wars)... have you endured the same loses?

The fact you would of had fewer losses if your Georgian dictator had been willing to listen cancels out the bravery of the millions dead. Stalwart defence of these cities could of been avoided if Stalin would of been willing to listen to strategic planning from his general, oh and shooting them too is kind of a moral downer.

been in the same grave that we have? Your country and your wars are totally different from what we experienced....

The Americans haven't because they're not stupid. And because the leadershp does actually care about how many of its people get killed, where any Russian conscript is merely going into the meat grinder.

 

[Dreadnought]

you think we can't fight? Remember defence of Brest, Sevastopol, Leningrad (both wars)... have you endured the same loses?

Half of the losses were from Officers shooting their own men

 

[Princeps]

CHina is by far the oldest civilization, but I think its more like 5,500 years

I've heard it's about 5000... in the CHINA history forum...