Is Britain or the USA the most successful military nation in history?

America has been involved in more then ten wars or international conflicts. Hell, we were at war with one Indian "nation" or another for most of the sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries (and we didn't win all of those wars). America haters have tried to redefine "victory" to claim the US has a poor track record of winning conflicts. The US has almost always fought as part of a coalition, and the America-bashers claim this means we didn't win the war (we were just hanging onto the coattails of our allies). A bogus argument. In fact the side the US joined usually won because of the American intervention or involvement. The US has won (or been on the winning side) of almost every war it has ever fought.

However, Great Britain has been around a lot longer then the USA, and by the end of the nineteenth-century/early twentieth-century had conquered the largest Empire the world has ever seen. While the US is (and was for the second half of the twentieth-century) stronger militarily because of our resource reserves and industrial strength, the UK probably deserves the prize in this contest.

In History.

Rome by a country mile.

They had the most succesful military for longer than England has existed.

Benjamin, is talking tripe, Britain 200 years ago did not have a massive army, it was the Navy that was the backbone of Britain's military might.

USA is strong at the moment, however it has not been in existence long enough to compare, Historically where it would stand.

One could take snapshots of History and say such and such a State was stronger than USA, the Mongols swept through Asia and Europe, and if you were to ask in 1226 who was the greatest Empire in History then the Mongols would look to be the answer, ask in 1270s and you would be certain, yet by 1370 they were effctively gone.

Persian Empire anyone, okay no, but they were strong for Centuries, and the super power of their day, until the Greeks decided to stick two fingers up at them at Marathon.

However there have only been two States who knew how to run Empire, Rome and Britain.

And it is legacy of the battles that is the key to how Succesful a Military nation is, and with USA it is just too early to say.

USA does not have a good record of being succesful on its own, even where it wins the Battles.

War of 1812, USA won most of the battles, however it lost the War.

Vietnam, the Generals were asked to fight with one arm tied behind their back, so it was no good how well the army on the ground fought (and they were much better than the Viet-kong) they were going to lose the War.

The Politicians in Washington ensured that.

Britain was out to do trade, any wars were often against the French, so winning was the natural outcome lol.

But also we usually had a goal for the outcome, because we seldome went to war unless there was a definite purpose, and the purpose was usually peaceful and revolved around trade.

Afghanistan was quite easily winnable, but Washtington and Westminster ensured we lost, because they didn't go for Trade, infrastructure and rule of Law, they went to beat the Taliban.

Another point to success, the succesful make the rules, they don't fight by someone elses rules, that is what has happened in Afghanistan.

There is no real answer to your question becuase it is history in the making.

Hi high heels. As you are an Irish girl why should you express whether or not you take pride in Britain's achievements. Are you proud of the 1916 Dublin Easter uprising when Britain was fighting for its life against the Germans. What 800 year old war against the British are you talking about. Are you proud of the atrocity in Omagh or perhaps the bombing in Regents Park and numerous other murders. Perhaps they were carried out by Brits. For hundreds of years Irish people have at their first opportunity left Ireland for a better life. Even now they come to the UK looking for work. I have no problem with that but i do have a problem with this anti British crap some Irish people come out with. Best sweep in front of your own doorstep but not in high heels.

There is no denying the USA ended ww2 not something Britain could do. Britain has no potential capabilitya in space and without an empire and currently standing down (for which read laying off) her army, is unlikely to compete with the USA. On the other hand despite WW2 the USA has been good at starting wars and crap at finishing them. Britain on the other hand takes pains not to get into something like Vietnam and risk defeat by a bunch of Third World farmers in pjs.

Historically is a different matter. You don't get an empire the size Britain had by being wussy.

All out, no holds barred? whilst Israel has nuke features (probably) those are on intermediate variety delivery modules at ultimate. the united kingdom has a strategic sub fleet (4no. each and every with a achieveable 198 warheads) able to incredible from in fact everywhere. So Israel has to mount an helpful resistance after being hit by ability of 792 modest sized nukes. i've got faith there would be little left worth occupying...

"I read an article recently that said that Britain has the highest percentage wins in all wars it's entered and has only not invaded 22 countries in the world."

There do exist countries that have never lost one war. Take Canada, been in two world wars and has been invaded by the USA no less than twice [the country that is touted as 'most successful'] and the USA lost on both occasions. [good luck taking on the second largest land mass in the world].

A 'win' rate of 100%, no losses, no ties, no draws, no stalemates - from 1812 to The Boer War to WWI and WWII, etc...

'Successful' is subjective.

EDIT TO ADDRESS

Fine. Apparently zero losses has no bearing on a 'most successful' question - fair enough.

My apologies for not answering the question in the precise manner in which you demand, my regrets for any and all inconvenience this caused you :)

"At its height, the British Empire covered a quarter of the Earth's land area and comprised one fifth of its population" - given that it seems a relatively obvious conclusion.

Participated in 10 wars? Won only 2? Where do you get such information?

ALLIED VICTORY in American Rev, World War 1 & 2, Korea, Persian Gulf War, & Kosovo.

SOLO VICTORIES in Barbary War I (1803-1805), Barbary War 2 (1815), Mexican-American War, Indian Wars, Spanish-American War, & Panama (they declared war on US prior to US invasion so officially a "declared" war).

Military Interventions (undeclared wars) that can be called US wins since US either defeated its opponent(s) and/or got its way thanks to military force--Banana Wars (1898-1934 Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic); Border Campaign--1910-1919 unofficial war US vs Mexico (both Federal troops & Pancho Villa) & Germany fought in Southwest US & Northern Mexico; Lebanon (1958), Dominican Republic (1965); Granada (1983) Haiti (1994).

Also.......

War of 1812 can be considered a stalemate in that the treaty stipulated that US & Britain was to go back to prewar status quo & also because all 3 combatants got something from the other......US got the causes of the war settled in their favor. & embarrassed the Brits in sea battles.......Canada, with Britain's help, successfully thwarted the US' repeated attempts to conqueror Canada.........Britain humiliated the US in most land battles & was able to concentrate on the bigger threat----Napoleon with the unnecessary distraction that was the US. OFFICIAL RESULT--Prewar status quo, or technically a stalemate

Philippine-American War- 1899-1902---Philippines was a Spanish Territory. US defeats Spain in 1898 & takes over Spanish territory. Filipinos fought with US through mistaken belief or US lies that the US would liberate the Philippines they would be sovereign nation. When it didn't happen, the Filipinos fought a guerrilla war/insurgency against the US. SOLO VICTORY---Philippines remained a US territory until THEY (the US) decided, on their own, to give Philippines their freedom in 1946.

Vietnam----ummm, complicated. A Civil War between Communist North & Democratic South. US intervene due to the South's complete inability to defend itself. US won every single military battle. Got a peace treaty that guaranteed the existence of South Vietnam. However, considered a loss for the US, partly because of the huge political loss back home & because North Vietnam ignored the treaty, overran the South, & due to lack of political will in the US, the US did nothing to stop it.

Libya 1986---no US ground forces but retaliatory air strikes that successfully stop Libya from conducting terrorism or be a nuisance to the world for about 25 years.

So----not 10 wars/military actions but 22. not 2 victories but 10 solo victories & 8 Allied victories, of which at least 3 & perhaps 5 where the US was the dominant Ally & victory would have never been achieved without them. 1 Stalemate (War of 1812) . Not a bad winning percentage.

I put Korea as a win & not stalemate because, although technically the war is still ongoing, 1953 agreement was a cease fire agreement & not a peace treaty, US objectives were achieved---South Korea still exists & is a democratic nation. North Korea tried to overrun them & wipe them out of existence like what North Vietnam did to South Vietnam in 1975 after the North violated the 1973 peace treaty.

I would say since 1944, USA had the better armed forces, i suppose Britain is more nowadays focused on technological advancements, mainly by BAE systems whereas America is based on numbers.

The US has only won two wars? It's amusing that people still think the US lost the Iraq war. Do some research and you'll see that the US easily rolled over the Iraqi military. Where does this ignorance even come from? The only major war that you can truly say the US lost is Vietnam. It's the only major war that the US utterly failed to achieve their objectives in. Time will tell if Afghanistan ends up the same way.

American Revolutionary War : Win

War of 1812 : Stalemate

Mexican-American War : Win

American Civil War : The legitimate US government won

Spanish-American War : Win

WW1 : Win

WW2 : Win

Korean War : Stalemate

Vietnam : Loss

Cold War : Soviet Union is gone. US is not.

Gulf War : Win

Iraq War : Saddam and his goons are all dead or in jail. Iraq is still a democracy. The US destroyed the Iraqi military in a matter of weeks. From a military perspective I don't see how you can say that the US lost.

Historically speaking over the last 900 years the title must go to Britain!