What is key to a superior army?

[thedonster]

Tactics/Leadership, without a doubt. I can't really separate the two as they are too closely interrelated.

The most well armed army in the world can be destroyed by a group of archaic armed savages if the savages have a large enough benifit in leadership and tactics. Have an utter lacking in leadership and tactics and you will never win in the long run. Even your victories will be losses because they will be prohibitively expensive ones.

THis has been proven time and again.

All the factors are important but leadership/tactics are the key. Without them nothing else matters nearly as much.

If this is the case then why did the South lose the Civil War? Why did the Germs lose WWII?
Modern wars (since 1860) are principally won by industrial power, also by weight of population, which is usually related to industrial power. This is why the North beat the South (despite mostly inferior leadership), and why the Allies beat the Germans in both World Wars. Vietnam was an exception, mostly because the Americans lacked the political will to bring their full might to the war.

 

[BeserkWraithlor]

The North in the Civil War had tons of industrial power. They had enormous amounts of people, and they had almost endless supplies. However, there soldiers lacked training, and they had very poor leaders.

The South had very expierienced soldiers, and superb leadership and tactics, plus they were fighing in there homeland, so they knew the land. However, there weakness was lack of men, and low on supplies.

The South lost, because the North had soo much men and supplies, so they basicly drowned the South with oceans of blood of northern soldiers.

 

[thedonster]

The North in the Civil War had tons of industrial power. They had enormous amounts of people, and they had almost endless supplies. However, there soldiers lacked training, and they had very poor leaders.

The South had very expierienced soldiers, and superb leadership and tactics, plus they were fighing in there homeland, so they knew the land. However, there weakness was lack of men, and low on supplies.

The South lost, because the North had soo much men and supplies, so they basicly drowned the South with oceans of blood of northern soldiers.

Exactly my point. Industrial superiority and a large population trump generals and tactics in the long run.

 

[{YBBS}Sage]

The Japanese were never lacking in spirit. Had it not been for the bomb. They would have fought on until many more thousands, perhaps millions of lives had been taken on both sides. So I guess in this case, technology and science could be considered the victor.

Ah, they were a very motivated force. However, can you honestly say the Allied forces they were up against were any less so? Admittedly, our men had a different view on surrender, but if you look at the actions of our soldiers and sailors in the Pacific, they had some very strong resolve to go kick the snot out of the Japanese. The attack on Pearl Harbor was maybe one of the biggest miscalculations ever. It made our entire nation more determined to win than it's been possibly since the Revolution, but definitely since the Civil War.

 

[BuddyLee]

The North in the Civil War had tons of industrial power. They had enormous amounts of people, and they had almost endless supplies. However, there soldiers lacked training, and they had very poor leaders.

The South had very expierienced soldiers, and superb leadership and tactics, plus they were fighing in there homeland, so they knew the land. However, there weakness was lack of men, and low on supplies.

The South lost, because the North had soo much men and supplies, so they basicly drowned the South with oceans of blood of northern soldiers.

Yea, the Confederates had something like a 2/1 kill/death ratio, but that made little difference after Sherman's Cavalry twisted the Souths railways into knots, and his Army burned the infrastructure to the ground.

 

[Tak]

Yea, the Confederates had something like a 2/1 kill/death ratio, but that made little difference after Sherman's Cavalry twisted the Souths railways into knots, and his Army burned the infrastructure to the ground.

Heh. I have aunts who still view talking about Sherman's marches as a sin. It's an unmentionable, like sex or drugs. They're ancient, but not by *that* much! I attribute it to how and where they were raised (in the middle of South Carolina). Just strikes me as funny how they still won't talk about it. Except for how horrible it is that the statehouse mentions his name on a plaque (there are bronze stars to mark where cannon fire from his armies hit the granite)

 

[User Name]

Ah, they were a very motivated force. However, can you honestly say the Allied forces they were up against were any less so? Admittedly, our men had a different view on surrender, but if you look at the actions of our soldiers and sailors in the Pacific, they had some very strong resolve to go kick the snot out of the Japanese. The attack on Pearl Harbor was maybe one of the biggest miscalculations ever. It made our entire nation more determined to win than it's been possibly since the Revolution, but definitely since the Civil War.

I never said our boys weren't determined. I was only talking about the Japanese forces. Even if we hadn't had the bomb. We would have continued fighting on until we had won the war. I was just saying the invasion of the Japanese home islands would have cost millions more lives. Regardless of who won. I was not putting down our forces and never meant for it to sound that way.

 

[King Ragnar]

The Key = It being British

 

[{YBBS}Sage]

I never said our boys weren't determined. I was only talking about the Japanese forces. Even if we hadn't had the bomb. We would have continued fighting on until we had won the war. I was just saying the invasion of the Japanese home islands would have cost millions more lives. Regardless of who won. I was not putting down our forces and never meant for it to sound that way.

I agree 100%. It just sounded like you were arguing that the Japanese were so motivated they should have won if motivation were the deciding factor.

The dedication of soldiers on both sides is what made that Theater so brutal.

 

[SnozzFartz]

tactics can be considered a bunch of the options including use of terrain, skill, leadership, etc.

 

[Zoring]

"The key to victory is discipline, and discipline is a well made bed. I'll have you practicing bed making until you can do it in your sleep!"

"You mean while were sleeping in them?"

"You won't have time for sleeping soldier! Not with all the bedmaking you'll be doing!"

 

[User Name]

"The key to victory is discipline, and discipline is a well made bed. I'll have you practicing bed making until you can do it in your sleep!"

"You mean while were sleeping in them?"

"You won't have time for sleeping soldier! Not with all the bedmaking you'll be doing!"

LOL! They should have never cancelled that show!