Which Modern Country really has the Greatest Military Tradition: Part 3

Final Round!!!! Ranked from most to least votes in last rounds

  • United Kingdom

    Votes: 64 49.2%
  • United States

    Votes: 27 20.8%
  • Germany and Austria

    Votes: 13 10.0%
  • Japan

    Votes: 6 4.6%
  • France

    Votes: 12 9.2%
  • Mongolia

    Votes: 5 3.8%
  • China

    Votes: 2 1.5%
  • Italy

    Votes: 1 0.8%

  • Total voters
    130
  • Poll closed .
The last time a war was fought on British soil was the 1745 Jacobite rebellion. Since that time we have always thought it was polite to go and fight on our opponents territory. Saves them the bother of travelling:D

My local County regiment can trace its history back to 1689 through various different names and amalgamations. It gained its 1st battle honour in 1704 going on to claim 204 battle honours.

http://www.qlrmuseum.co.uk/

Well technically the last time were were actually invaded was in 1797 when the french landed at Fishguard. Although in all fairness it was a somewhat shambolic affair and not even a real battle as such. Some French troops were even forced to surrender by a pitchfork-wielding Welsh washer woman - the message: You may hhave god on your side but we have the Welsh;).

Russell
 

Beer

Banned
Hi, Commander Spangler!
Your poll is interesting, but it´s wording is not so well, exemplified by the Brit- and USwank here. (I have nothing against both nations, but some declarations here make my eyeteeth grow)
It would be better if the question is separated on branches: army, airforce and navy.
My choices would be:
Army: das Heer (Germany, Austria and their antecessors) wins hands down, followed by France, GB, Turkey, USA, Russia, Sweden, Japan

Air Force: Luftwaffe and RAF tied (Germany / GB have the oldest air forces), followed by USAF, Armee d´Air, Russia

Navy: Royal Navy (Honor where it has to be given), followed by USN, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Japan
 
Hi, Commander Spangler!
Your poll is interesting, but it´s wording is not so well, exemplified by the Brit- and USwank here. (I have nothing against both nations, but some declarations here make my eyeteeth grow)
It would be better if the question is separated on branches: army, airforce and navy.
My choices would be:
Army: das Heer (Germany, Austria and their antecessors) wins hands down, followed by France, GB, Turkey, USA, Russia, Sweden, Japan

Air Force: Luftwaffe and RAF tied (Germany / GB have the oldest air forces), followed by USAF, Armee d´Air, Russia

Navy: Royal Navy (Honor where it has to be given), followed by USN, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Japan
Welcome to AH.com, if you haven't been welcomed yet. :)
(commandant, not commander! Sorry, I had to say this! It's a Malcolm in the Middle Reference. You're not the first to make that mistake)

I perhaps explained it better in the earlier polls, (But I may not have also, I don't remember how I explained it :eek:) which presumably took place before you registered. I'm looking for what you think is the best for all of them combined, thus Military rather than Army, Navy, or Air Force, while looking at their historical track record as well. How much emphasis put on anything is up to you. Maybe I will make seperate them one day, but for now I'm looking at them as a whole.
 

jose1357

Donor
US is undoubtedly the modern marvel for tradition, but come on most UK army units are older than most nations, and HMS Victory is older than this country, and they had the first independent air force so...
 
Not to start a flame war or belittle anyone, but the choices seem rather flawed IMO.

Take America....It only won its war of independence due to foreign support (freedom fries indeed). Then it faced bow and arrow wielding "savages" (wow, what an opponent. Every indigenous people lost out to gun wielding westerners so little glory there). Subsequently, they mucked about for 4 years against each other, came very late into WWI and WWII and picked fights with 3rd world nations such as Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. With rather patchy records regarding actual success, I might add. They're still in those last 2 countries and will be for a long time.
A powerhouse of military excellence and tradition??? I think not.

The Israeli's??? Just whom have they beaten??? The Egyptians? The Jordanians? The Syrians? Unarmed Palestinian civilians? I am sure the Israeli army is a well trained, well equipped, professional force but beating their rather lacklustre neighbours hardly qualifies them for greatness in my book.

England? They had an excellent army under Wellington and a joke under Raglan. So which tradition do you want to honour? During WWI, they were consistently inferior to the Germans and repeated that performance during WWII. If not for copious amounts of Commonwealth assistance, let alone American aid, they would still be stuck on their island glaring at Nazi-dominated Europe.

Simply put, for all these super duper warrior nations, one can find a very different view on their supposed superiority.

Well this is anglophone forum, and 90% of members comes from USA or UK - just look into Political Chat subforum, and all these boring Brown/Cameron, Obama/Republicans topics. ;)
 
Even if i usually feel obligated to vote for my home country, I'll have to give this one to the UK.
As mentioned above, some units in the British Armed Forces are a lot older than the US (which had to create a lot of "traditions" from scratch or steal them from somewhere, having that very short history and all :p), and the Bundeswehr/Bundesheer are somewhat out of competition, being such young entities that took out of history only the parts they liked best.
 
I'm here to remind you that you've got less than 24 hours to vote! :eek:

Though, it'd be a shocker to see anyone but the UK win at this point.
 
Well, end results...

UK destroyed everyone, they get the title of "Modern country that has the greatest military tradition"

US came easily in second, but far behind

Germans edged out the French for 3 by one vote
 

glowjack

Banned
I'm thinking that military tradition meant systems developed and perserved over time that produced efficient armies with what the nation had. So they are usually losing nations and nations at constant war and therefore would be ranked:


The United States (been at constant war big and small for the last century for various geo-political reasons> no resolution in sight)


Vietnam (poor but well done soldier effectiveness:GDP ratio )


Isreal (constant low-level war> no resolution in sight).
 
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