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Washington Named Britain's Greatest Foe

Started by Faeelin, April 15, 2012, 05:38:17 PM

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PDH

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-Umberto Eco

-------
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CountDeMoney

Quote from: Sheilbh on April 15, 2012, 07:17:16 PM
Of those five:
Nappy
Ataturk
Collins
Rommel
Washington
But they're all very great.

I don't see any Boers on that list.

Sheilbh

Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 15, 2012, 07:36:56 PM
I don't see any Boers on that list.
I said of those five.

But the Boers deserve nothing <_<
Let's bomb Russia!

grumbler

Rommel's way over-rated.  He was a brilliant tactician, but didn't understand war at all.

George Washington understood war.  So did Napoleon (who considered Washington the only general superior to himself).

Ataturk was a genius at war but a much greater genius at peace. 

Yamashita was at war with the British for much too short a time to qualify as a "great foe."  He kicked ass in that short time, but the British would have been readily defeated by almost any competent commander.  The same short timespan thing could be said for Napoleon (bar the "kicked ass" part :) )
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Richard Hakluyt

I think the Boer war may well have been the most embarrassing war for Britain in those 3 centuries. An ultimate deployment of 250,000 trooops to deal with 50,000 enemy effectives  :hmm:

Not sure about Washington. Unless the Americans on the British side won it for us, it is hard to see a satisfactory outcome for that war from the British point of view. I suppose he could have lost it for the Americans though  :hmm:



Ideologue

Quote from: Sheilbh on April 15, 2012, 07:40:36 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 15, 2012, 07:36:56 PM
I don't see any Boers on that list.
I said of those five.

But the Boers deserve nothing <_<

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Sheilbh

Quote from: Richard Hakluyt on April 15, 2012, 07:47:15 PM
Not sure about Washington. Unless the Americans on the British side won it for us, it is hard to see a satisfactory outcome for that war from the British point of view. I suppose he could have lost it for the Americans though  :hmm:
True enough.  I think he managed time and again to withdraw while preserving the fighting strength of his army which is never easy and seems particularly rare in the 18th century.  That made him so effective against the British.

QuoteAtaturk was a genius at war but a much greater genius at peace. 
Agreed.  But my impression is everyone knows and admires his acts as President while how impressive the war of independence is has been forgotten - except in Turkey :lol:
Let's bomb Russia!

KRonn

I would agree about Washington, even though a bit surprised that he was voted the greatest antagonist. He had to do a lot more than win battles. He had to keep the army and revolution going. It was his force of will and leadership that time and time again kept the army intact and in the field. If not for Washington's perserverence and the will he instilled in the army, the revolution would have been lost quickly. He was also responsible for subordinate commanders in the different regions of the colonies. Some of them did exremely well, others not so much. But over all they did more than well enough to prevent a British victory.

Razgovory

Quote from: Admiral Yi on April 15, 2012, 07:03:15 PM
Quote from: PDH on April 15, 2012, 07:00:29 PM
Washington gets no love here.  The man kept an army in the field, and won battles with it, when others wouldn't have been able to.  The Trenton campaign alone is worth his stars.

He almost handed the whole army over a couple times during the New York campaign.

He also had little training to prepare himself as a senior commander of an entire army.
I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017

Razgovory

I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017

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CountDeMoney