Greatest Army in the World

[Hand of Nergal]

This will be very hard to decide on, yes? I think for modern times the Isreali Defense Force. Never defeated; in the Yom Kippur war, and others, they fought several countries simultaneously on multiple fronts with significantly smaller forces. Even in ancient times they had a knack for success with less (Jacob, the Maccabees, Masada, etc).

In the ancient world the Roman army: superior discipline, flexible legions, good soldier training, the ability to adapt and improvise on the move. The Romans always learned from their mistakes and the battles they lost and would improve. Your thoughts?

"Vine, vide, vice" (I came, I saw, I conquered) Julius Caesar

[Celsius]

You know why? The U.S. gave them the weapons to defend themselves

[Hand of Nergal]

The weapons do not make an army victorious, thats a gross misconception.
The Israelis frequently made use of very outdated tanks and aircraft and still defeated their better armed enemy.
Its the way you use them, herr Field Marshall.

"ALIQUANDO BONUS DORMITAT HOMERUS" (sometimes even good Homer nods)

[Oglethorpe1983]

The weapons do not make an army victorious, thats a gross misconception.
The Israelis frequently made use of very outdated tanks and aircraft and still defeated their better armed enemy.
Its the way you use them, herr Field Marshall.

"ALIQUANDO BONUS DORMITAT HOMERUS" (sometimes even good Homer nods)

True weapons themselves dont make an army great....but when fighting against a second rate army...you dont need top of the line weapons

The U.S. which has the greatest army in the history of the world... We have fought against powerful opponants time and time again.... The British (twice) the Germans (twice).

The United States army is the greatest becuase of the soldier not (just) becuase of the equipment.The United States soldier is the best trained, and best equipped fighter in the world. this combination of equipment and training is what makes the US soldier great

[Lord Consul]

US Armed Forces, definitively. They have the best equipment, most modern military doctrine, intensive and elite training. The IDF is a joke compared to the American armed forces.

However, I fear I have no other course of action at my disposal other than laugh at Oglethorpe's incredulously outrageous claim that the US Army is the greatest army in the history of the world.

[Rapax]

The United States army is the greatest becuase of the soldier not becuase of the equipment.The United States soldier is the best trained, best equipped fighter in the world

Notice anything?

[D.B. Cooper]

Israelis? Templars? Leonidas's 300? Caesar's 13th legion? Charlemagne's Paladins? Mongols? Napoleon's Old Guard? Stonewall Brigade? 442nd Regimental Combat Unit? How exactly can you compare these forces? I'm going to go with Caesar's 13th legion, no any Roman legion. The Roman Empire expanded with their march, nothing could resist their advance for long.

[Niles Crane]

The U.S. which has the greatest army in the history of the world... We have fought against powerful opponants time and time again.... The British (twice) the Germans (twice).

Remember when the British burned your capital? And when you entered World War One in the last year against an opponent that was just about crippled?

As for the greatest army, that's an impossible question to answer.

[Bremneristan]

The Germans wernt about to be crippled. and the reason why we entered at the last year is because we pushed them back into germany within a year.

[Rapax]

The Germans wernt about to be crippled. and the reason why we entered at the last year is because we pushed them back into germany within a year.

Both of which is nonsense the way you wrote it.

[Niles Crane]

The Germans wernt about to be crippled. and the reason why we entered at the last year is because we pushed them back into germany within a year.

Both the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance were absolutely exhausted from the war. The second part is absolute nonsense too. Clearly your education is not up to standards.

Admittedly, the United States Army is very good at present. But it's not the 'greatest army in the World', including in the past.

[ray243]

This is going to be such a huge dick wavering thread again...I mean come on, why the hell are you discussing the US military in a history thread?

Is the US armed forces history? Last I check, they are still around...

[Niles Crane]

This is going to be such a huge dick wavering thread again...I mean come on, why the hell are you discussing the US military in a history thread?

Is the US armed forces history? Last I check, they are still around...

Are you stupid? History does not always mean something has to have disappeared from the world to be history. The British army is history and it is still around.

[Medicus]

Both the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance were absolutely exhausted from the war. The second part is absolute nonsense too. Clearly your education is not up to standards.

Ah, this old debate.

Frankly, I think that it was the United States' entry into the war that brought down the Central Powers. Germany still had a lot of fight left in it, had just annexed a huge amount of Imperial Russia, and had bled France to the point where its Army could no longer go on the offensive. Britian, alone, had little chance of defeating Germany. It was the United States, which, by 1918, was the undisputed global power (even if Europe refused to recognise this) that brought Germany to the peace table.

Greatest Army in the world? Hmm... I'll go with the Swiss.

[Rapax]

Frankly, I think that it was the United States' entry into the war that brought down the Central Powers. Germany still had a lot of fight left in it, had just annexed a huge amount of Imperial Russia, and had bled France to the point where its Army could no longer go on the offensive. Britian, alone, had little chance of defeating Germany. It was the United States, which, by 1918, was the undisputed global power (even if Europe refused to recognise this) that brought Germany to the peace table.

The USA was a power, but not THE undisputed global power, that's ridiculous. That wasn't gonna be the case until the collapse of the soviet union.
Consider that the british naval blockade effectively starved germany to death, there was nothing its land army could do about it and nothing that russia's defeat changed. Entry of the US shifted the balance massively in the entente's favor, but even before that the german army wasn't able to achieve a breakthrough and exploit it, which meant the only thing it could do was hold the line until it was completely starved of resources.

[Niles Crane]

Ah, this old debate.

Frankly, I think that it was the United States' entry into the war that brought down the Central Powers. Germany still had a lot of fight left in it, had just annexed a huge amount of Imperial Russia, and had bled France to the point where its Army could no longer go on the offensive. Britian, alone, had little chance of defeating Germany. It was the United States, which, by 1918, was the undisputed global power (even if Europe refused to recognise this) that brought Germany to the peace table.

Greatest Army in the world? Hmm... I'll go with the Swiss.

Um no. The United States wasn't a global power until after World War Two. Great Britain wasn't economically destroyed in the Great War. Even by 1939 its military was roughly on par with Germany.

[Garrigan]

It depends what the criteria is, I imagine that the US army could roundly trounce any ancient army.

[dogukan]

well taht changed from time to time isn't it?
Ancient:Romans
Medieval: Mongols
Close to reneissance: Ottomans
after 1600s: Spanish?
1800s:France
blablabla Third Reich blablade and now
USA

[jackwei]

Um no. The United States wasn't a global power until after World War Two. Great Britain wasn't economically destroyed in the Great War. Even by 1939 its military was roughly on par with Germany.

I am not sure if that is true since they had a very powerful fleet leading up WWII in which they could deploy everywhere, but still the Royal Navy was number 1 until late 1945.

The British were in Economic depression since the 1870s with the Rise of German Empire and the USA in the 1880s where our industries and economics were surpassed. We were in bad economic troubles after WW1 and borrowed many loans from the United States. The United Kingdom wasn't economicallly strong as it use to be after the Great War, because of the United States Industries dominating the world and with the Return of Germany too further crippled British trade. Nonetheless we could cope alright just WWII was the end for Britain once and for all.

Our Military was strong indeed, but Germany was the strongest of all European Powers in WWII and there is no question about that.

[Medicus]

The USA was a power, but not THE undisputed global power, that's ridiculous. That wasn't gonna be the case until the collapse of the soviet union.

Notice what I put in the brackets. The U.S. wasn't recognised as the dominant power it was. Britain held that position for the interwar period, despite the massive debts it owed to the U.S., as well as the military and material aid it offered during both wars.

I have no doubt, if the U.S. Senate had elected to join the League of Nations, by 1939 its international standing would be equal to that of the U.K., if not superior.

Consider that the british naval blockade effectively starved germany to death, there was nothing its land army could do about it and nothing that russia's defeat changed. Entry of the US shifted the balance massively in the entente's favor, but even before that the german army wasn't able to achieve a breakthrough and exploit it, which meant the only thing it could do was hold the line until it was completely starved of resources.

"Starved of resources"? Not so. Heard of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

In all, the treaty took away a third of Russia's population, half of her industry and nine-tenths of her coal mines.

Germany would have held out to 1919 at the least. And it's worth noting how strung out the Allies were. Like I've mentioned, the French Army had lost any ability it had to go on the offensive, and Britain was entering dire straits. How much longer would it be until the BEF experienced a French-style Mutiny? How much longer until British citizens demanded their sons and husbands came home?

Um no. The United States wasn't a global power until after World War Two. Great Britain wasn't economically destroyed in the Great War. Even by 1939 its military was roughly on par with Germany.

Except for, y'know, the Blitzkrieg into the Low Countries and France, right?