Reno said:
Not even. If they couldn't even take over Northern part of China back then for more than a century (If my history knowledge is correct, correct me if I'm wrong.), what makes you think they could get as far as even Afghanistan?
Most powerful military in history?
- Thread starter Bizon77
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Not even. If they couldn't even take over Northern part of China back then for more than a century (If my history knowledge is correct, correct me if I'm wrong.), what makes you think they could get as far as even Afghanistan?
The End Is Nigh
Repent!!!
In my humble opinion, most of you are not counting correctly.
The US may very well have had some 15 million troops right after WWII, but there were 4 billion people living on this planet.
Comparing the US Army (this is only one example) to the Roman which existed during times when there were fewer than half a billion on this planet in both unfair and incorrect.
Army size, military advances, etc., must be evaluated in accordance with each era. In other words what was available at each era and how it was used by the powers of that era.
Considering that the Roman Empire controled most of the known world of the time (more that 1/4 which Britain controlled once upon a time), I think it is fair to say that it was the most powerful military in history. It also made good use of all known technological advances of that era.
The US may very well have had some 15 million troops right after WWII, but there were 4 billion people living on this planet.
Comparing the US Army (this is only one example) to the Roman which existed during times when there were fewer than half a billion on this planet in both unfair and incorrect.
Army size, military advances, etc., must be evaluated in accordance with each era. In other words what was available at each era and how it was used by the powers of that era.
Considering that the Roman Empire controled most of the known world of the time (more that 1/4 which Britain controlled once upon a time), I think it is fair to say that it was the most powerful military in history. It also made good use of all known technological advances of that era.
Whether the Romans controlled "most" of the known world is dependent upon how you define known. If you cite that as your reason for choosing them, you're effectively saying that they had the most powerful military in history, but only because they never bothered to send explorers to follow the Silk Road. Besides, was Rome really that much more powerful than the Han Dynasty in China? I would guess China's population was similar, and they were pretty well-organized and technologically advanced, as well.
Military power can´t be compared. How can you compare a group of swordsmen to a bunch of riflemen and tanks?
And what do you define as "military powerful"? Numbers? equipment? training? tactics? supplies? WHAT?
And what do you define as "military powerful"? Numbers? equipment? training? tactics? supplies? WHAT?
The End Is Nigh
Repent!!!
magritte said:
I agree completely with what you are saying. I am just taking the US and ancient Rome as two examples. I am not sure myself as to which power was the greatest of all.
The point I am trying to make is that it is difficult to compare ancient era superpowers with today's. Can you compare battleships with trimeres? Because that wouldbe the equivalent. Howitzers with catapults?
I do not know much about ancient/medieval China, which I know is a shame. That is why I chose Rome.
Didn´t you read my post?The End Is Nigh said:
Anyway, the only half-comparable thing between modern armies and ancient ones is the artillery, and only half since then they were countered with walls, now they´re countered with trenches, mounds of earth and running like hell.
Nowadays there is also submarines and aircraft, those weren´t even thought of in ancient/medieval times.
Superkrest
Hero of the Soviet Union
im not really sure why some of you are so down on rome....considering the times, to have an area so large...so unified and actually controlled from a central government..i find that amazing...and i would challege those who think that the mongol horde vs. umm..lets 120ad roman army would have been decimated...i know some will explode in a fury on me for that but in all honesty...the same argument that people are giving about russia not counting because its big and mostly empty....think about how much the mongols conqured that was really a bunch of nothing...not to mention dark age countries and kingdoms with no central organization or real regional power. Rome gets my vote...conqureing and rising to power in the golden age of ancient civilizations....if we had held on to the techs of the ancient world and not regressed to the dark ages...we would be alot better of now...and alot of that is thanks to Roma!
kutlu
Chieftain
american army?????????????????
bah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
american army only lies........
they bobed pentagon and towers by themselves,
and they're in a hilarious position in ıraq now!!!!!
the arms and weapons aren't everything in wars, heart is absolutely needed!!!!!!!!!!!
bah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
american army only lies........
they bobed pentagon and towers by themselves,
and they're in a hilarious position in ıraq now!!!!!
the arms and weapons aren't everything in wars, heart is absolutely needed!!!!!!!!!!!
Heretic_Cata
We're gonna live forever
I certainly cannot decide - all of the above were the most powerfull in their time.
We cannot compare them now because strength doesn't lie in numbers as some stated ... the roman army was the strongest because of it's organization, britain - naval power , Mongolia - speed ...etc.
We cannot compare them now because strength doesn't lie in numbers as some stated ... the roman army was the strongest because of it's organization, britain - naval power , Mongolia - speed ...etc.
YotoKiller
Warlord
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kutlu said:
Yes, very hilarious indeed.
Just like your little 9/11 theory there.
MobBoss
Off-Topic Overlord
kutlu said:
Ya know, I saw Aragorn kill your brother troll in the Lord of the Rings..but he wasnt nearly as big as you....
Anyway, I assume the idea is to come up with the most powerful army in its time period (i.e how dominant it was)?
In that case I would have to vote Rome hands down. The gladius and pilum were the "secret weapons" of the day back then and were terribly effective at what they did. Plus, the Romans were masters of logistics, which is essential for any powerful military to exist and project its power.
France has fought more wars than any other European country. Besides a few, almost every European country has been at war with France. Yet France is still among the largest countries in Europe. It had a Worldwide Empire only second to the British.RichardMNixon said:
France dominated Europe during Charles in the Middle Ages, duing the late 1500s, the 1600s and early 1700s, and during Napoleon.
In WWI, France fought well against Germany, and in WWII France fought just as good as everyone else faling victim to the German Bliztkrieg. Britain only survived because of the Channel, and the Russians because of the endless steppes and cold winter.
I just checked out the polls.. less than 4% voted china? wow In less than 20 years they will by far exceed the manufacturing capability of any other nation. Their ballistics program is still coming along but they do have nuclear launch capabilities. ( if not as much as the US has or the former soviet union had then still enough to steralize most of the earth and how much more than that do u really need?) As far as military goes they arn't to the technalogical level of say the US or UK but they're not that far behind either and what they lack in science they make up for in sheer numbers. I know that annoys a lot a people "quantity is no replacment for quality" and all that but in a lot of ways it is, especially when the quality differences arn't that large. (Ask McArthur in korea what he thought of the chinese "human wave" tactic)
In short, China pwns right now and if this is poll is about what nation had the best chance in history of taking over the world if the mood struck them theres no contest.
In short, China pwns right now and if this is poll is about what nation had the best chance in history of taking over the world if the mood struck them theres no contest.
Secular said:
Ur right in some way, but i really dont want to see China heading into that direction. If only they can evolve as a minimum defence power with the world largest economy. that will be so much prefer than having the strongest army and keep invading others countries, bringing death everywhere.
Dark Ascendant
Darkness Ascending...
ANDL33 said:
The Mongols under Ghengis Kahn took over the Jin in Northern China and conquered Central Asia. Forget Afghanistan, try the Caspian Sea.
Arms Longfellow
Warlord
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Despite popular belief, China really did not have a big numbers advantage in the Korean War. If you add up the South Korean with the US's and the rest of the United Nations forces, and put it up against China and North Korea's numbers they are almost exactly equal. China just used very clever tactics to hold their own against the extremely better armed Americans, when they themselves pretty much only had rifles and almost no heavy weapons or air power.
Bugfatty300
Buddha Squirrel
Arms Longfellow said:
Your ignoring the fact that the UN forces were over stretched at the time of the Chinese attack. They were in no way concentrated nor were they prepared for such an assualt while the Chinese came in in full strength and pretty much all at once.
So at begining of the Assault the Chinese did outnumber the troops it was attacking. Kind of like the battle of the Bulge.
And their tactics were pretty much to encircle fleeing pockets of enemy and then use human wave attacks to wipe them out. Nothing special.
Once they had regrouped and rallied, the US and UN forces stopped them dead in their tracks and the Chinese casualties were massive due to their human wave tactics.
Secular said:
Thats rich.
China is about a generation behind the US and Russia in terms of 'military technology'.
In a straight up war against the US, China would not stand a chance. This 'manufacture capacity' you speak of can be destroyed by US' Air superiority in a matter of weeks. Oil pipelines would be a cutoff.
Now, it would be suicide to land invade China, because it would be impossible to occupy the country due to it's vast landmass. But they would be dominated in the Air and Sea and be set back another 50 years or so. Which, will ineviatably happen in the future, there is no way the US and/or Russia/Japan let China become so powerful where they would be able to 'take over the world'.
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