I very much enjoyed the "U-Sank my Carrier" and whilst the legitimate aspect of the thread had probably run its full course, it did lead into areas, which although Off Topic, were very interesting and touched on a broader problem, of which, the previous topic was really just a symptom.
The area of interest to me, I described as "The Arrogance and Vanity of Superpowers" and it is this area, with which I wish to continue. In keeping with the title I will use the British Empire; the worlds previous superpower, as an example of how over confidence can blind a superpower to potential danger. This is a line of discussion which is relavent to the USA; the worlds current superpower and I hope, of interest to US forum members.
I think few people would wish to question the power and achievement of the British Empire, over two hundred years it conquered a quarter of the Globe, created the worlds first truly global economy and laid the groundwork and framework for todays Free Trade based Global economy, achievements which include the foundation of two of the worlds great Financial/Trade centers in the far east, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Since the defeat of Napoleaon, Britian had enjoyed a centuary of near uninterrupted success. Its military was state of the art, indeed it defined the cuting edge. This formidable war machine was kept busy dealing with a succession of local uprisings in the colonies, and performed its tasks with ruthless efficiency, crushing one insurgent rebal after another. On the High Seas the Royal Navy ruled supreme keeping the Sea Lanes of the Oceans open, certainly for its own trade, if not everybody elses.
Where their were hiccups, The Crimea and South Africa, the line from HM Goverment was "that lessons must be learned" and "We are stronger for it" Indeed the Crimea led to a realisation that the Officer Corps must be proffesionalised and that Military Medicine could greatly increase the fighting ability of Expedetionary Forces. South Africa was a victory of spin, with thew Zulu's dealt with and the prolonged resistance of the Boers attributed to covert assistance from Bismarks Germany.
On the face of it nobody in their right mind would want to have engaged in combat with early 20th centuary Britain, so what actually happened when a real fight came, was a very rude shock.
In some ways the contest between Germany and Great Britian has some interesting parrallels between the "Strategic Competiton" between China and the USA. (These parallels only go so far and should not be pushed beyond the boundaries).
Germany like China was a country that seemed to appear out of nowhere. The Bismark revolution was every bit a seismic as Mao's, and significantly altered the balance of power, as Prussia united the Germanic states into a new major European country, turning a series of rural backwaters into a thrusting Industrial Giant.
When Germany started the arms race to build as many Dreadnaughts as the Royal Navy, many Britains were outraged by the Impudence, but few really beleived that the German navy had any chance of seriously challanging the Royal Navy, after all, Britian had centuries of Naval Excellence, whilst Germany was a novice.
This of course is why Jutland was such a shock. It had been intended as a Haymaker, but the Germans ran off with a Black Eye and left the Royal Navy with a very bloody nose. Whilst as Yimmy reminds me it was a strategic victory, it was one that came at a high cost. The Royal Navy still had to remain in its North Sea positions to check any further venture from the High Seas fleet, no operations or landings into North Germany were possible by the British and, most importantly, a lot of RN ships were prevented from entering the Atlantic to counter the Germans highly effective U Boat Atlantic War, which was causing Industrial and Food Shortages in Britian.
On land the shock was just as bad, High Explosive Artillery Shells and Machine Guns, obliterated in weeks, two hundred years of militart tactics and tradition. Any notion of the Gallant Cavalryman and the Thin Red Line was quickly drowned in the mud of Flanders.
Britian was ultimatly a victor in WW1 and WW2 but the shock of the new turned Britain from Hero to Zero in little more than Fifty years, the Empire Heamorraging before its very eyes. Today it is a sattelite trying to decide which body to orbit.
Time restraints prevent me from elucidating further, but I hope my point is made.
The area of interest to me, I described as "The Arrogance and Vanity of Superpowers" and it is this area, with which I wish to continue. In keeping with the title I will use the British Empire; the worlds previous superpower, as an example of how over confidence can blind a superpower to potential danger. This is a line of discussion which is relavent to the USA; the worlds current superpower and I hope, of interest to US forum members.
I think few people would wish to question the power and achievement of the British Empire, over two hundred years it conquered a quarter of the Globe, created the worlds first truly global economy and laid the groundwork and framework for todays Free Trade based Global economy, achievements which include the foundation of two of the worlds great Financial/Trade centers in the far east, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Since the defeat of Napoleaon, Britian had enjoyed a centuary of near uninterrupted success. Its military was state of the art, indeed it defined the cuting edge. This formidable war machine was kept busy dealing with a succession of local uprisings in the colonies, and performed its tasks with ruthless efficiency, crushing one insurgent rebal after another. On the High Seas the Royal Navy ruled supreme keeping the Sea Lanes of the Oceans open, certainly for its own trade, if not everybody elses.
Where their were hiccups, The Crimea and South Africa, the line from HM Goverment was "that lessons must be learned" and "We are stronger for it" Indeed the Crimea led to a realisation that the Officer Corps must be proffesionalised and that Military Medicine could greatly increase the fighting ability of Expedetionary Forces. South Africa was a victory of spin, with thew Zulu's dealt with and the prolonged resistance of the Boers attributed to covert assistance from Bismarks Germany.
On the face of it nobody in their right mind would want to have engaged in combat with early 20th centuary Britain, so what actually happened when a real fight came, was a very rude shock.
In some ways the contest between Germany and Great Britian has some interesting parrallels between the "Strategic Competiton" between China and the USA. (These parallels only go so far and should not be pushed beyond the boundaries).
Germany like China was a country that seemed to appear out of nowhere. The Bismark revolution was every bit a seismic as Mao's, and significantly altered the balance of power, as Prussia united the Germanic states into a new major European country, turning a series of rural backwaters into a thrusting Industrial Giant.
When Germany started the arms race to build as many Dreadnaughts as the Royal Navy, many Britains were outraged by the Impudence, but few really beleived that the German navy had any chance of seriously challanging the Royal Navy, after all, Britian had centuries of Naval Excellence, whilst Germany was a novice.
This of course is why Jutland was such a shock. It had been intended as a Haymaker, but the Germans ran off with a Black Eye and left the Royal Navy with a very bloody nose. Whilst as Yimmy reminds me it was a strategic victory, it was one that came at a high cost. The Royal Navy still had to remain in its North Sea positions to check any further venture from the High Seas fleet, no operations or landings into North Germany were possible by the British and, most importantly, a lot of RN ships were prevented from entering the Atlantic to counter the Germans highly effective U Boat Atlantic War, which was causing Industrial and Food Shortages in Britian.
On land the shock was just as bad, High Explosive Artillery Shells and Machine Guns, obliterated in weeks, two hundred years of militart tactics and tradition. Any notion of the Gallant Cavalryman and the Thin Red Line was quickly drowned in the mud of Flanders.
Britian was ultimatly a victor in WW1 and WW2 but the shock of the new turned Britain from Hero to Zero in little more than Fifty years, the Empire Heamorraging before its very eyes. Today it is a sattelite trying to decide which body to orbit.
Time restraints prevent me from elucidating further, but I hope my point is made.