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Posted by Backtothedarkplace (U2955180) on Friday, 3rd March 2006
Just been reading up on US Uk relations during the 19th century. For the life of me I cant see how war was avoided on several occasions.
Admittedly on one occasion it would have had to have started over a wandering pig. But it was still enough for us to ship troops in!
Any thoughts?
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I would think it was because both sides were expanding in different areas - the US was filling the land of North America while the UK was building its Empire around the rest of the world. Conflict usually - although not always - arises when two tribes are competing for the same area.
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, in reply to message 1.
Posted by Grand Falcon Railroad (U3267675) on Friday, 3rd March 2006
Hi there,
I think part of it must be as well down the fact that we only had a limited need to expand in the region as the previous poster said - we had Africa to look after and that took up a hell of a lot of resources and like the USSR say a big war had have kicked off then the US forces could have retreated to the interior and although we could have came from the North (Canada) the time we could have ran ops in that theatre would have been minimal.
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There were plenty of boundary disputes between the US and Canada, they were all set by arbitration fortunately.
I think there were several US governments who would have been perfectly prepared to go to war (could be wrong) but for various reasons GB was less so.
I imagine a major factor is that each side knew it was almost impossible to win overwhelmingly and much more was to be gained by peace and trade.
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, in reply to message 4.
Posted by Backtothedarkplace (U2955180) on Friday, 3rd March 2006
I was suprised to find a british governement behaving sensibly all though they did end up fortifying one end of an island over the wandering pig saga
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, in reply to message 5.
Posted by marduk-slayer of tiamat (U2258525) on Friday, 3rd March 2006
hey, its better than your countires leader having an I.Q roughly the equivalent of a year 9 secondary school student (13-14 yrs)
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, in reply to message 6.
Posted by Backtothedarkplace (U2955180) on Friday, 3rd March 2006
What! Tony Blairs a retard! Well guess that explains a lot.
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, in reply to message 7.
Posted by Backtothedarkplace (U2955180) on Friday, 3rd March 2006
Why his wife earns more money then him for a start.
Link to this forum: Why havent there been more wars with America
I think the war of 1812 came as a nasty shock to both sides. The US senate thought they could walk into Canada, it could be taken by a file of Kentucky militia according to one senator. Instead of which the invasion of canada was badly organised and the USA suffered some humiliating defeats including at the hands of Canadian militia. The USA was blocked, its trade ruined, it lost huge numbers of ships to the blocade and some of the New England states could have broken away. The British were able to land at will on the US coast and the army dfending Washington fled when attacked allowing the British to march in and burn the Federal buildings.
Against that the RN suffered a series of embarrissing defeats, particularly to the excellent USN 44 rated frigates, a lot ships were also lost to US privaters (Though not as many as the US lost) and the British counter invasion of the USA failed.
I think GB avoided war because they realised that the USA was growing ever stronger and even if GB won one war then the USA would win the next, also the USA had no colonies that we could filch, and I think the war of 1812 showed the USA that the empire was no pushover. Even if the USA had occupied Canada the cost of garrisoning would have been enormous and RN warships bombarding US east coast ports and a blockade would have been inevitable.
Vrtually the last act of the prince Regent before he died was to tone down the Gb letter of protest to the USA over them taking two confederate diplomats from a GB ship such that the USA could accept GBs demands without losing too much face and so precipitating a war.
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, in reply to message 9.
Posted by Backtothedarkplace (U2955180) on Friday, 3rd March 2006
Yes, its just theres other incidents. over the border in oregon a short lived attempt to invade by irish soldiers whould fought in the civil war. This is when the Empire is supposedly at its hweigt. Americas trade and industry is begining to pass ours and the Governments of the day seem to have been a lot more charitably inclined towards America than any other nation.
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