Originally
posted by
Pang:
I was down in New Orleans like 2 weeks ago. It's still very much there :p
Also, without the French America would still be using a U in Harbour. You owe them your freedom!
The American Revolution was merely a proxy war for France against Britain, I don't know why Americans are so high on themselves for it. The more I think about, the more you guys sound like a North American Taliban, right down to the religious fundamentalism.
Oh no, we're much more insidious than the Taliban could ever be. You see, the colonies knew a few things:
1. The longer an Army could be kept in the field, the more the British would be drawn in.
2. The more the British were drawn in, the more likely another European power (likely France) would be to take advantage.
3. Once other European powers were drawn into the conflict, Britain would have much bigger problems than the colonies.
4. As soon as the tide started favoring France and company, Britain would become eager to make peace with the colonies before France could win peace for the colonies.
5. Peace with Britain before winning the war alongside France would mean actual independence.
There was nothing proxy about this war between Britain and France. This was a world war between Britain and France/Spain. Battles were fought in the Pacific Ocean as a result of the opportunity created in British North America. The same thing that protected America until ~the Mexican-American War also gave America our independence. In a one on one fight, many European powers could defeat the United States, but they would never have the opportunity to face the US one on one. It goes back to what mrford said, logistics.
Historically, there has only been one country that has ever fought on two oceans, simultaneously, in an active conflict and come out on top. Even then, the United States did not fight alone, did not equally divide the resources (or even proportionally divide the resources), and did not have the problem of securing safe harbors in hostile lands.
World War Two would be a very different history if even one of these elements was not in place:
1. Britain fending off a Nazis invasion.
2. The Soviet Union sacrificing millions to combat Hitler in the Eastern fronts.
3. The US turning out a military-industrial miracle.
4. Australia/New Zealand holding off Japanese attacks and keeping their mainlands secure.
5. China keeping the fight going on the Asian mainland.
1-3 are basically co-equal top factors in the history of WW2. 4-5 are hugely important supporting factors.
Here's saluting getting off topic,
