How effective was the Spartan military?

True, spartans had no intention of exporting their ideology or political system..

Actually they did tried to "export" an oligarchic/aristocratic political system that was far more favourable to Spartan's views and interests. It's just that it backfired and was extremely dependent on Spartan military help, too much for Sparta's sake and possibilities.

As for land reform, it's always possible but giving the fragile balance on which Sparta's power was based, it would certainly mean a crisis which would have been used by northern Peloponesian or Central Hellada polis and hegemonies, IMO.

Rinse, and repeat basically. It's their best way to not alienate everyone and still remain a hegemonic power.

Maybe with a shorter Peoloponesian War without Sicilian expedition but where Athenes still loose? It would make Sparta less incline to focus on Central Greece, and without real motive to keep foes and allies alike in check.

or at least take military-fit males back to Sparta to do so?
They did used subjugated peoples as military auxiliaries, but raising even some of them as Spartans would have given them ideas upside their condition.

Sparta really didn't need any more subjects/hilots/inner ennemies rebellions.
 
Could there be a realistic PoD where Sparta either widens the manpower net to include such disassociated classes?

They DID try this twice in the 3rd century BC, the second time successfully. It wasn't enough though, and in spite of early successes against the Achaean League they were defeated (mostly through the intervention of Antigonid Macedonia),
 

TinyTartar

Banned
Actually once the Allies learned not to dogfight Zeros the Japanese were in grave trouble. For the first 3-6 months they did very well. After that they were on the losing end of kill ratios. IIRC Calbear said that even Wildcats had a 2-1 kill ratio vs Zeros. Once Corsairs and Hellcats came in it got much worse.

The reason for the superior American kill ratios after Midway was because the Japanese Naval Aviator was an extremely well trained specialist who took years to train. The standards were actually a little bit ridiculous.

Once attrition took a good portion of their pre Pacific War aviators out of the equation, and the Solomon Islands Campaign rather than Midway really was what did this, the Japanese pilot quality became quite awful, leading to the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot in 1944.

While American Pilots did get better, and more importantly, got better equipment as you mentioned with the Hellcat, the US ruled the skies.
 
Actually they did tried to "export" an oligarchic/aristocratic political system that was far more favourable to Spartan's views and interests. It's just that it backfired and was extremely dependent on Spartan military help, too much for Sparta's sake and possibilities.

I ment their exact system of government and how top class was raised and operated.

As for land reform, it's always possible but giving the fragile balance on which Sparta's power was based, it would certainly mean a crisis which would have been used by northern Peloponesian or Central Hellada polis and hegemonies, IMO.

That's true. Plus it would face massive internal opposition by arch conservatives.
 
So even during the Spartan Hegemony there were no attempts to "assimilate" conquered villages or city states into the Spartan way of life?
or at least take military-fit males back to Sparta to do so?

Nope, slaves were slaves. A simple problem is that the average Spartan was also sort of a feudal lord; he was to provide for himself from his slaves and land. But given the inevitable fact that fortunes would wane over time, that Spartans would die and land would consolidate, and that they were unwilling to commit to land redistribution essentially placed a timer on the system from the start and no one was willing to press the reset button.

Also given the selective eugenics, the rough Agoge upbringing, the causalities of war, the possible systematic homosexuality, the Syssitia at age twenty that disowned some Spartans, the fact that the slaves are not under the same population pressures the Spartan army of Classical Greece was about 800 compared to the Archaic 9000 citizens.
 
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