TFSmith121
Banned
Except that:
The threat of a European alliance was ALWAYS arrayed against Britain...
The problem in waging a military campaign by any of the European powers in the Western Hemisphere against a local power with the capability of fighting at a technological and organizational level akin to the Europeans (as opposed to the "native" powers in the Western Hemisphere) is, as always, time and distance.
There is a reason the British, French, Spanish, and Portuguese all ended up losing their empires in the Western Hemisphere (or, conversely, all the American republics gained their independence); 3,000 miles is too far to sustain military forces of a size that can maintain control of a rebellious countryside in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries.
Add in the fact the European powers always had more at stake in Europe - and always had neighbors looking to gain an advantage in an era of great power politics - and there's just no way for the European power to generate enough forces to control a "developed" Western Hemisphere society without the consent of the Americans (north and south).
It would cost too much, and for what? The Western Hemisphere nations were all always willing to trade...
Best,
Its unrealistic to think that Britain would make peace with the Americans without the threat of a European alliance arrayed against them. People can argue that the US could win their independence on their own, but the truth is we could not. Without France, Spain and to a lesser extent the Netherlands adding pressure to London and tying down resources the British could easily devote more and more troops to the Colonial rebellion. I just can't see how a few early American victories would make a large difference without the European powers intervening.
The threat of a European alliance was ALWAYS arrayed against Britain...
The problem in waging a military campaign by any of the European powers in the Western Hemisphere against a local power with the capability of fighting at a technological and organizational level akin to the Europeans (as opposed to the "native" powers in the Western Hemisphere) is, as always, time and distance.
There is a reason the British, French, Spanish, and Portuguese all ended up losing their empires in the Western Hemisphere (or, conversely, all the American republics gained their independence); 3,000 miles is too far to sustain military forces of a size that can maintain control of a rebellious countryside in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries.
Add in the fact the European powers always had more at stake in Europe - and always had neighbors looking to gain an advantage in an era of great power politics - and there's just no way for the European power to generate enough forces to control a "developed" Western Hemisphere society without the consent of the Americans (north and south).
It would cost too much, and for what? The Western Hemisphere nations were all always willing to trade...
Best,