The world's best military ever

As in topic. What in your opinion was the best military ever? (I would create a poll but I don't know how).

Here are a few ideas:

Roman Empire
Medieval France
Medieval Arabia
Hohenzollern-ruled Germany
Today's US military

IMO it was the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was one of the largest countries that ever existed. Rome managed to conquer ALL areas ashore the Mediterreanian Sea and also Britain. Also, they - together with the Germanics - defeated Attila - this was Attilla's only defeat.

[edit on 15-7-2005 by AtheiX]

you got these.

alexander the great
genghis khan
acient chinese empire.
russian ww2 army
.

some others can't remember

Every time I heard foreign media talk about today's American military, they often refer to it as the greatest, and most powerful in history.

Originally posted by chinawhite
acient chinese empire.
russian ww2 army

Ancient Chinese empire? In the ancient era, China was raided by nomads and couldn't repel them.
Russian WWII? The USSR won only because of the winter and because of the help of the USA.
As for Alexander the Great, he was undefeated, but his empire collapsed immediately after his death. Whereas the Roman Empire has existed as an independent state for over 500 years - longer than any other empire.

[edit on 15-7-2005 by AtheiX]

Originally posted by AtheiX

Originally posted by chinawhite
acient chinese empire.
russian ww2 army

Ancient Chinese empire? In the ancient era, China was raided by nomads and couldn't repel them.
Russian WWII? The USSR won only because of the winter and because of the help of the USA.

search some history books. the chiense empire was just as big as the largest roman empire. what do you think wins the terrioty?

Won because of the winter.???

am i hearing to correctly. just use common sense. it affected the russians as much as the germans. as for american help. can you please post some information. or am i wrong about the 20,000 tanks 15,000 planes the USSR produced in one war.

Originally posted by chinawhite

search some history books. the chiense empire was just as big as the largest roman empire.

The territory doesn't matter if the empire loses against its enemies. The Roman Empire not only was one of the biggest empires ever, but also survived over 500 years as an independent, undefeated empire.
Apart from that, we are talking about what was the world's best military ever, not what was the world's biggest empire ever.

[edit on 15-7-2005 by AtheiX]

errr.. ancient chinese empire.. after or before Genghis?? Definitely NOT DURING Genghis!!

I would add imperial Japan to that list..definitely above..ancient chinese empire etc..

The US Military hands down currently.

However, Each era had its own version of this.

The Romans, The Persians, The English, etc etc. Each were dominant during thier time.

I would say the Roman Empire at its peak ...

Originally posted by AtheiX

The territory doesn't matter if the empire loses against its enemies. The Roman Empire not only was one of the biggest empires ever, but also survived over 500 years as an independent, undefeated empire.
Apart from that, we are talking about what was the world's best military ever, not what was the world's biggest empire ever.

[edit on 15-7-2005 by AtheiX]

here. over 400years.
en.wikipedia.org...

technically the chinese army had better equipment than the romans. im not to sure about organisation

the romans were a mixed group of ethnic groups while the chinese were of one race.

Originally posted by Daedalus3
errr.. ancient chinese empire.. after or before Genghis?? Definitely NOT DURING Genghis!!

I would add imperial Japan to that list..definitely above..ancient chinese empire etc..

?one fact that not many people know is that the Jin dynasty was fighting 2 enimies. the mongols and the sourthern song dynasty.

find any country in that year that could have beaten the mongols and the southern song

Originally posted by FredT

The English

The English? Are you joking?
Don't make me display British military history again.

Originally posted by chinawhite

Originally posted by AtheiX

The territory doesn't matter if the empire loses against its enemies. The Roman Empire not only was one of the biggest empires ever, but also survived over 500 years as an independent, undefeated empire.
Apart from that, we are talking about what was the world's best military ever, not what was the world's biggest empire ever.

[edit on 15-7-2005 by AtheiX]

here. over 400years.
en.wikipedia.org...

technically the chinese army had better equipment than the romans. im not to sure about organisation

the romans were a mixed group of ethnic groups while the chinese were of one race.

What weapons did they have and how were they organized?

I think that war between the two would have been titanic to say the least ...

LCKob

Originally posted by FredT


The Romans, The Persians, The English, etc etc. Each were dominant during thier time.

The romans never domianted anywhere other than europe and some areas of africa.

they were fighting barbaric tribes and not fighting another empie of equal strenght. i do not deny that they had a very well oragnized army and brilliant equipment. but they never faced a empire of eual strenght or close to it

Originally posted by chinawhite

The romans never domianted anywhere other than europe and some areas of africa.

You are wrong. They also took over the Middle East.

Originally posted by chinawhite
they were fighting barbaric tribes and not fighting another empie of equal strenght. i do not deny that they had a very well oragnized army and brilliant equipment. but they never faced a empire of eual strenght or close to it

They fought the Huns. They - together with the Germanics - managed to defeat the Huns. This was Attilla's only defeat.
They also defeated Cartagina which was an equal enemy.

[edit on 15-7-2005 by AtheiX]

Originally posted by chinawhite

Originally posted by FredT


The Romans, The Persians, The English, etc etc. Each were dominant during thier time.

The romans never domianted anywhere other than europe and some areas of africa.

they were fighting barbaric tribes and not fighting another empie of equal strenght. i do not deny that they had a very well oragnized army and brilliant equipment. but they never faced a empire of eual strenght or close to it

I wonder if anyone had done a hypothetical confrontation of the two ... does anyone have links or sources to this end?

Originally posted by AtheiX

You are wrong. They also took over the Middle East.

the middile east is more than israel and iraq

They fought the Huns. They - together with the Germanics - managed to defeat the Huns. This was Attilla's only defeat.
They also defeated Cartagina which was an equal enemy.

that is a very small time frame

Originally posted by AtheiX
They also defeated Cartagina which was an equal enemy.

I forgot that they defeated Cartagina before they became an empire.

Originally posted by AtheiX

I forgot that they defeated Cartagina before they became an empire.

yeah ok. cartagina. a very small empire.

I have to say the Ottoman empire. It grew large very quik compared to most other countries. Just look at the size difference between 1300-1400. They stopped several large crusades.
The mongols/turkish empire of djenghis khan grew larger quiker but they started with more. Whole central asia.
The roman empire altrough very powerfull had more defeats then the Ottomans had. The only big defeats the ottomans had were by the mongols around 1400 and then later 1683 against the poles. Leopanto was a defeat but they quikly regained strength. While the romans had Hannibal and several defeats because of the germanians.