Sunday, July 5, 2009

British.

This is coolbert:

Here is a very interesting web site. Deals with the many small wars the British have fought since the end of World War Two [WW2]. Anecdotal accounts from participants and a lot of graphics.

"Britains-Smallwars".

The British, since the end of WW2, have become a medium world power. But still have a very good military and continue to be militarily active to some degree as it was during colonial times and the era of the British Empire.

Indeed, it came even be suggested that the English are the MASTERS when it comes to fighting the "war of the flea"!

Since 1945, the list of small-scale wars as fought by the British includes:

Britain's Small Wars:

* British Mandated Palestine.
* Malaya.
* Korea.
* Cold War.
* Kenya.
* Suez Canal.
* Cyprus.
* Aden.
* Borneo.
* Oman/Dhofar.
* Vietnam. [?]
* Northern Ireland.
* Falklands.
* Gulf War I.
* Bosnia.
* Kosovo.
* Sierra Leone.
* Afghanistan.
* Gulf War II.
* Various sundry episodes of violence of much lesser nature.

Military engagements most of the time [but not all the time] on the scale of what is normally called low-intensity conflict.

Comments:

* Britain since the end of the colonial period has had to drastically reduce the size and capability of their armed forces. This has not always been such a bad thing. National Service [conscription] has been done away with a long time ago, the British relying upon a voluntary force of high quality.

* The English make for good allies when paired with the military forces of other nations. During the Cold War, the British could be relied upon to give a very good account of themselves in case of a "hot war" with the Soviets.

* Please note that with just a few exceptions, these small-wars were fought in areas of the world that had previously been British colonial possessions. The English have not totally forgotten their role as "masters" and feel a degree of obligation [self-interest too?] to those ex-colonies that remain within the British Commonwealth!

* Also, many of these small-wars were contested in areas of the world that many years prior had been identified by Admiral Sir Jackie Fisher as naval "choke points" absolutely vital to English mastery of the seas and British dominance. Areas to include:

* Falklands.
* Cyprus.
* Suez.
* Aden.
* Oman/Dhofar.
* Malaya.
* British Honduras [Belize]. Not necessarily violence and combat but an armed presence with the ever-present threat of warfare.

* Too, read the section of the web site that deals with Vietnam. The question has been asked - - were there British troops in Vietnam during the Second Indo-China War? As an American who did his active military service during the Vietnam era, I find this to be very interesting!

coolbert.

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