What would your view of America be if it isolated itself after WWII?

[Wolfang]

I accept Belgium got steamrolled, but at least we held out like 1/3rd of the time France did. Which either shows how bad France fails, or how awesome Belgium is. 

Well considering how you managed to lose the largest fort in the world by a force half the size of the garrison, I think it's just the former. 

Anyways, you put up a far better defense in WW1.

Considering they attacked it over one day before the war officially started, it can be likened to 'Pearl Harbour'.

They used technology specifically made for the capture of the fort, for the first time ever, for example; Gliders, which they towed over holland with planes and which then turned about to land coming in from the North West from Holland, which, at the time, wasn't much of a threat to anything or anyone, and towards which any sky watchers would not be 'watching', also take into account the engines make no noise (no engines), and Belgium is cloudy most of the year around.
They also used those special new anti-bunker bombs for the first time there, and built an exact replica in Tscheoslovakia of the fort on which to practice over and over again.
The German troops were also far more experienced having fought in many European countries before, German Paratroopers were very much superior, whereas the Belgian troops were just garrison troops who at most, had seen action in WW1 or in Africa.

 

[Aethelbert]

The previously north mexican states are the USA's falklands.

 

[Uhtred Ragnarson]

The US had no business siding with Texan aggression towards Mexico.

...Was that sarcasm?

no. It wasn't. Texas provoked Mexico into war because Texan settlers couldn't follow Mexican law, which included not owning slaves, while Texans (I really should say Americans I guess) brought slaves.

 

[Uhtred Ragnarson]

Its not only the manpower the Americans brought, but the new material. Fresh tanks, fresh weapons, fresh supplies blah blah blah.

"both the British and French armies provided the first arriving American troops with equipment and uniforms. The AEF was given French artillery guns (the 75 and 155mm) while the British provided mortars, machine guns, steel helmets and some uniforms."

The US couldn't supply it's own standing army, let alone the thousands of men it began to recruit for the war.

Hm... considering the episode of the Lusitania I don't think we had too many problems producing war material...

 

[Archonsod]

lolwut? What the hell does the Lusitania have to do with America's industry?

 

[Uhtred Ragnarson]

lolwut? What the hell does the Lusitania have to do with America's industry?

considering we were smuggling arms to Britain, a lot I think...

 

[Lord Burgess1]

You still didn't supply your army properly, your retort is utterly pointless.

 

[Uhtred Ragnarson]

You still didn't supply your army properly, your retort is utterly pointless.

doesn't really matter. What was arguably a stalemate in 1917 turned when the US entered the war, which was my point all along. 

 

[Dvalin]

what if...

 

[Winterz]

lolwut? What the hell does the Lusitania have to do with America's industry?

You mean..Portugal... 

Actually agreed, although there's some little things...Americans have their base in Terçeira Island (Lajes base), Azores and there they have their regular USAFE tasks, ofc there's the CIA black planes that land there and the base extreme strategic significance since WW2...

Maybe he's referring to the ships that pass here while entering the Mediterranean Sea(but that still is incorrect and they pass in Gibraltar, not here)....

We don't exactly export anything to the US....I really don't see how we make any difference to their industry ...

Maybe he's talking about the tungsten.. 

 

[Almalexia]

what if...

You didn't make pointless spam?

 

[Archonsod]

considering we were smuggling arms to Britain, a lot I think...

No. The US supplied industrial parts which went into artillery and similar, but as part of their usual global trade rather than any war effort. Plus they sold them equally to the Central powers too.

And I fail to see what that has to do with the Lusitania. She was a Blackball ship, not a cargo transport.

doesn't really matter. What was arguably a stalemate in 1917 turned when the US entered the war, which was my point all along.

Yes. In fact it turned before any US troops were actually deployed to the front. Germany's offensive of 1918 was very much a last ditch attempt, when it was defeated (primarily by the British and French forces, the Americans had only a single deployed group at that point) Germany was pretty much shafted - no manpower to mount another offensive, famine and civil unrest at home and mass desertions in what remained of their army. They started sounding out the Entente then for a possible ceasefire, France was adamant Germany be punished for their aggression though, and the deployment of US forces allowed the Entente to push for an unconditional surrender from Germany rather than a peace. The rest is history ...

 

[Almalexia]

No. The US supplied industrial parts which went into artillery and similar, but as part of their usual global trade rather than any war effort. Plus they sold them equally to the Central powers too.

How'd they manage that with the blockade? 

 

[Archonsod]

By insisting on payment prior to delivery.

 

[Almalexia]

By insisting on payment prior to delivery.

So technically they weren't supplying the Central Powers, only taking their money in advance before being turned away by the blockade?

 

[Archonsod]

Generally, when buying something from another country it isn't the seller who organises delivery.

 

[Uhtred Ragnarson]

No. The US supplied industrial parts which went into artillery and similar, but as part of their usual global trade rather than any war effort. Plus they sold them equally to the Central powers too.

How'd they manage that with the blockade? 

They didn't manage very well at times  hence the Lusitana, a passenger ship that was sunk while smuggling arms to Britain. The US cried foul that the Germans sunk the boat, while neglecting to tell the public that it was running war material...

 

[Almalexia]

They didn't manage very well at times  hence the Lusitana, a passenger ship that was sunk while smuggling arms to Britain. The US cried foul that the Germans sunk the boat, while neglecting to tell the public that it was running war material...

I was talking about the blockade around Germany, for Christ sake's.

Generally, when buying something from another country it isn't the seller who organises delivery.

Ah, so the German merchant fleet takes the materiels? That still runs into the same problem, but I'm probably being very thick right now, so excuse me.

 

[Archonsod]

They didn't manage very well at times  hence the Lusitana, a passenger ship that was sunk while smuggling arms to Britain. The US cried foul that the Germans sunk the boat, while neglecting to tell the public that it was running war material...

"She had aboard 4,200 cases of cartridges, but they were cartridges for small arms, packed in separate cases... they certainly do not come under the classification of ammunition. The United States authorities would not permit us to carry ammunition, classified as such by the military authorities, on a passenger liner. For years we have been sending small-arms cartridges abroad on the Lusitania."
—New York Times, 10 May 1915

It wasn't sunk while smuggling anything, the cargo was listed on it's manifest before it left port. The reason for the controversy had nothing to do with what she was carrying, attacking civilian shipping was and still is perfectly legal under the naval articles of war. The controversy arose because the articles specified that preceding such an attack, the commander of the attacking vessel was to announce his attention to the target and give time for the civilians and crew to abandon the ship, which the captain of U-20 failed to do.
Germany maintained that the auxilliary cruiser class were military vessels and as such no warning was needed (Lusitania carried deck gun mounts, but the guns weren't fitted). The British and US position was that as she was unarmed she could not be classed as a warship.

Ah, so the German merchant fleet takes the materiels? That still runs into the same problem, but I'm probably being very thick right now, so excuse me.

Germany had to make her own arrangements for delivery, which would usually involve chartering her own ships to do so. To bypass the blockade however they chartered the ships from a neutral nation to ship the supplies to a neutral port, then transported them overland.
The problem isn't getting them delivered, it's that the costs rapidly spiral upwards since every country that handles them wants a slice of the pie.

 

[FrisianDude]

lolwut? What the hell does the Lusitania have to do with America's industry?

You mean..Portugal... 

No, he meant RMS Lusitania.