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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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Herald1234    Question for SYSOPS?   2/8/2007 5:12:44 PM
Just a question out of curiosity, "Is there a reason why some postings become zombies, that self post again anywhere from 40 minutes to eight hours after the original post?" I don't understand that. I've never seen it happen with such regularity on any other BB.

In my case I would like to understand this phenomenon so that whatever I'm doing wrong I can stop doing it and creating those zombie post.

Herald

 
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french stratege       2/8/2007 5:25:19 PM
At this time, France was maybe small in superficy compare to ottoman empire of Suleyman but not its army.Turkish army peaked at 300 000 men was France armies at this time were from 150 000 to 200 000 (and reached 400 000 later, end of XVII century).So a similar magnitude .Later Turkish army peaked at 400 000 men during crimean war (while France was much above 650 000 in XIX century).
In 1630 Charles Quint army was 300 000 men exceeding those of Turkey.
So it is impossible to think that Turkish armies excedeed 15% of world power at its best since Spanish, French , Russian, Mongol and Chinese armies were also numerous at this time.
Suleyman invaded Bysance will 110 000 men, Turkish army reached 150 00 men at battle of Mohacs in 1526 and again 150 000 ay Battle of Hotin in 1621.
*ttp://www.ccds.charlotte.nc.us/History/MidEast/04/embree/embree.htm
 
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french stratege       2/8/2007 5:28:36 PM
Hop, soory for typo, in 1630 it was Philippe II but its army was still 300 000 men and was beaten by the French 18 years later ending Habsburg dominant power.
 
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kane       2/8/2007 6:49:45 PM
hey French it's getting funnier because we both are nationalists and trying to say "we are better"
The most funny thing is that(guess because of nationalism's blindness) I'm saying that THE OTTOMANS WERE THE MOST POWERFULL EMPIRE BETWEEN 1450-1650 after that they began to lose their power.Understand?
Really read it well!!!

And I wasn't trying to say numbers bring power all by itself.Quality is much more important.And if you insist on numbers well.....the current French army is made up of like 250 000 men while the Turkish army is like 600 000
DO NOT GET ME WRONG!!!
Since we're both nationalists we can discuss like this for days hurting each other

Just get what I'm trying to say
Ottomans were the most powerfull in between 1450s-1650s kk?


 
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Godofgamblers       2/8/2007 8:20:21 PM
I think I would have to choose Napoleon for a variety of reasons.
 
Let's face it: Europe is the World. The World is the child of Europe. Is there a single country that has not been occupied/colonized in the world by Europe? The world is merely an extension of Europe itself and Napoleon was the master of Europe, conquering every European power in his time. Time and time again he fought against coalitions of European powers and defeated them soundly. In fact, what historians call a 'defeat' for Napoleon was a battle in which the Allies and Napoleon suffered equal casualties.
 
What is unique about Napoleon is the power of one man. WHen Napoleon was not on the battlefield in rare battles when he took ill or had to leave, the French faltered. It was his genius and his genius alone that won the battles. Always outnumbered, always outgunned, he nevertheless managed to always find victory. Whether his armies were raw conscripts or veterns, it didn't matter. The allies even tried the tactic of attacking Napoleons marshalls separately to make them act independently of Napoleon, but to little avail.
 
Nazi Germany also managed to conquer Europe, but they lacked such a charismatic and visionary leader, but had Hitler who was instead a bad luck charm around the neck of Germany. Which is why I choose Napoleon's France as the Greatest Military.
 
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kane       2/8/2007 8:38:05 PM

I think I would have to choose Napoleon for a variety of reasons.

 

Let's face it: Europe is the World. The World is the child of Europe. Is there a single country that has not been occupied/colonized in the world by Europe? The world is merely an extension of Europe itself and Napoleon was the master of Europe, conquering every European power in his time. Time and time again he fought against coalitions of European powers and defeated them soundly. In fact, what historians call a 'defeat' for Napoleon was a battle in which the Allies and Napoleon suffered equal casualties.

 

What is unique about Napoleon is the power of one man. WHen Napoleon was not on the battlefield in rare battles when he took ill or had to leave, the French faltered. It was his genius and his genius alone that won the battles. Always outnumbered, always outgunned, he nevertheless managed to always find victory. Whether his armies were raw conscripts or veterns, it didn't matter. The allies even tried the tactic of attacking Napoleons marshalls separately to make them act independently of Napoleon, but to little avail.

 

Nazi Germany also managed to conquer Europe, but they lacked such a charismatic and visionary leader, but had Hitler who was instead a bad luck charm around the neck of Germany. Which is why I choose Napoleon's France as the Greatest Military.


Ottomans did scared the hell out of Europe.They reached Vienna
Russians also scared them
Both of these powers were never colonized by Europeans.They were not accepted as Europeans too
Turks have a lot common with Russians
 
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french stratege       2/8/2007 9:06:58 PM
Kane, I did not say Turk were weak circa XV century but they never get more than 15% at most , of world ground power.See my previous post.
French or German managed to get more than 30% and maybe 40% during few years of total war.
British then US managed to get 40/50% of world naval power.
On combination of both, I would say that (maybe )Spain (before invicible armada disaster) France (from 1690 to 1790) then Germany (1905-1918), then UK (1919-1930) then USA today and immediate post WW2, did managed to get an enormous value of combined ground and naval power.In the case of France and Germany, it was in the time were their navy was challenging the biggest naval power (UK) while retaining stronguest army, and in the case of UK and US, it was post war when their ground army was still great while their naval power was on zenith.
 
 
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Herald1234    You know a lot of people praise the military work of Napoleon.   2/8/2007 9:17:43 PM
But what about President James K. Polk? Or his best general, Winfield Scott?

Doesn't their work count for anything? They actually accomplished more that lasted longer than Napoleon ever did.

Not saying that we have Publius Cornelius Scipio and the Roman Senate versus Hannibal and Carthage here, but Mexico  and Santa Anna weren't exactly pushovers in 1847.

Herald

 
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Ehran       2/9/2007 2:39:56 PM

The most powerful country ever, in terms of overall military power, is the United States BUT that's only because it has weapons - such as nuclear bombs etc - that weren't invented when the British Empire was at its greatest in 1921.

 

But the most powerful and dominant country in history, in terms of how much powerful and dominant it was compared to all the other countries in the world at the time, was Britain during its empire. 

 

At the height of its powers Britain was much more dominant in the world than the US is now.  Britain was the world's first industrialised country, the first country in history in which the majority of its inhabitants lived in towns and cities and invented globalisation.  Britain produced over half of the world's coal, half the world's steel and the majority of its textiles, such as spun cotton.  In the 1890s, a massive 40% of all the world's exports were Britain's exports, meaning Britain exported almost as much as the rest of the world put together.   Britain became known as "The Workshop of the World." 

 

In the 1890s, Britain owned three-quarters of the world's ships and had a merchant navy that had more tonnage than the rest of the world combined.  In the early 1900s, Britain built 90% of the world's ships.

 

The United States today cannot beat any of those records.



another interesting point would be that the british invested a much higher percentage of their gdp in their colonies than is invested in the 3rd world now.
 
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Ehran       2/9/2007 2:49:42 PM

"they lost the biggest possible jewel in their crown in America to their numerically and qualitative inferior Army/Militia and the French"

 

Britain didn't care much of its colonies in North America.  Her other possessions, such as India, were considered far more valuable and important.  Queen Victoria called India "The Jewel in the Crown."

 

And remember that the British Empire was at its biggest - its zenith - in 1921, 150 years after America got its independence.  America was no great loss.



had the british known what was to come i expect they would have fought a lot harder to retain north america in toto than they did.  given how near run a thing it was it's likely the history would have been quite different.
 
 
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