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Subject: Most Powerful Military of All Time in Terms of Global Percentage
Aeb4ever    1/13/2006 1:20:45 AM
What was the most powerful military of all time in terms of global share of military power? For example, the USA is currently ranked at having about 53% of total naval power. I am referring in terms of all branches vs the world. My votes would be either the Mongols at height, Romans at height, English at height, USA after WWII, or USA after Cold War. Can’t make a guess at each countries percentage though. Fell free to add your own list or make a guess at the percentages of mine.
 
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Alexis    A digression about the Hundred Years War - to Lizard King   1/16/2006 12:28:55 PM
Joan of Arc saved the French monarchy, therefore the condition for French unity of the time, at a time the Hundred Years War was almost won for the British. That was 1429-1431. After the critical, apparently desperate moment had been overcome, the war continued. Victory was largely thanks to artillery, which did just as much for the French as the long bow had done for the British before.
 
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paul1970    RE:Empire Building - to Paul   1/16/2006 12:36:02 PM
I never said they would be able to hold it... I just say they chose not to try after previous attempts to do so proved.... unwise... :-)
 
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Aeb4ever    Impact Of Nukes   1/16/2006 1:07:37 PM
While a case could be made that the dissemination of nuclear weapons was had global dominance a thing of the past (or will at some point) that was not true for the first nation to have the A-Bomb. After WWII every major, and most minor, powers were decimated. The Untied States was virtually untouched. Its closest competitor was the USSR. The USSR however, had just taken more losses in a conflict than any other nation in history having most of its city’s destroyed in the process. At the same time the USA was the only country to have Nuclear weapons. Yes, the USA is obviously stronger today than it was at the end of WWII, but so are all (or most) of the other countries of the world. If Nuclear weapons are great equalizers then the monopoly of them by one nation must allow for total dominance. What could any nation have done at the end of WWII to the USA? That is why I purposed that in terms of global percentages the USA after WWII might be the strongest nation of all time.
 
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Ehran    RE:Empire Building - Lizard King   1/16/2006 1:13:07 PM
the zulu's managed to obliterate a "modern" british force with assegai and ox hide shields. the ghurkas fielded a pretty modern army for the day and while they gave the brits a good run for the money they lost in the end. modern can be over rated.
 
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Ehran    RE:Spirit of 76 -- gf   1/16/2006 1:17:07 PM
Again GF, if World War 2 never occurred, what whould the UK have looked like in 1947? pretty much the same as it looked in 1937. if the british hadn't bankrupted themselves there is no pressing reason to think that they would have lost their empire that early or perhaps at all. it was after all india's role (largely unappreciated in the west) in ww2 that really gave impetus to their independance movement. without the war and the sense of empowerment that gave them the indians could well have been a generation later claiming their independance.
 
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The Lizard King    RE:Spirit of 76 -- ehran   1/16/2006 1:22:09 PM
"pretty much the same as it looked in 1937. if the british hadn't bankrupted themselves there is no pressing reason to think that they would have lost their empire that early or perhaps at all." I agree. Therefore, I believe Military Conflict, World War 2, brought down the British Empire. Or better yet, the Polish brought down the British Empire.
 
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The Lizard King    RE:Empire Building - Lizard King   1/16/2006 1:24:21 PM
"the zulu's managed to obliterate a "modern" british force with assegai and ox hide shields." In America, the Apaches were mighty warriors, but you can win when you bring a knife to a gun fight.
 
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TheArmchairCmd    RE:Spirit of 76 -- ehran   1/16/2006 1:24:21 PM
I agree. Therefore, I believe Military Conflict, World War 2, brought down the British Empire. Or better yet, the Polish brought down the British Empire. - TLK Or to be even more precise, it was Lichtenstein. :)
 
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The Lizard King    RE:Spirit of 76 -- tac   1/16/2006 1:25:19 PM
That's too funny...
 
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Hugo    RE:gf0012   1/16/2006 1:26:12 PM
Haven't read all of the posts since your Spirit of 76 so apologies if I'm proing repetitive. I disagree with you gf0012 on multiple counts. First the strength of British fighting power. At the height of their power they had serious trouble with the rightous fists in China requiring help from other European powers then had their nose broken and with it their prestige during the Anglo-Boer War at the end of Victoria's reign which many consider to be the pinnacle of British power. I also disagree that the UK gave up their empire willingly and peacefully. Their strength was strapped after the second world war and they had many of their African possessions passed to their new mortal enemy the USSR whilst others decided to sit on the fence (ie India). Simply because the UK had no fight left after 1945 except for her own defense doesn't suggest that she wouldn't have put one up for her Empire had she the chance. Britain was seriously worried about the loss of India resulting had the Germans captured the Suez surely you don't believe this was because she felt some moral obligation to release India from her own political grasp on her own terms. I think Greece, Palestine, India and a host of other losses are also a little too close to the end of '45 to presume they had nothing to do with that conflict.
 
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