[GZG] Colonial wars was Re: [OFFICIAL] GZG: FREEBIE OFFER

John Atkinson schrieb:

> One might even (if we drag the topic back to GZG for a moment) suggest
> that if the majority of the combat in the 3SW involves largely
> professional armies fighting on colony worlds, then the apathy would
> be magnified by an order of magnitude.  This, along with the lack of
> real-time or near-real-time media coverage would permit wars to drag
> along inconclusively for years rather than being driven by electoral
> politics.  Even autocratic governments can't fight forever without
> something to show the population for a result--just ask Nicky II.
> 
> John

It took me some time to realize who you meant by 'Nicky II' - Zar 
NIcholaus II, I guess ?

Imterestingly for the argument about the effect of electoral politics on

wars, the Russian participation WWI didn't last exactly 'forever'. 2 1/2

years until the Zar fell, 3 years until the Bolshevik revolution. All 
the participating democracies lasted longer.

Also, colonial wars led by democracies are not neccessarily short. Some 
wars lost by the outside power that lasted longer than the Russians in
WWI:

Dutch / Indonesia. Early 1946 - 1949
French Indochina. 1945 - 1954
Algeria 1954 - 1962
US troops in Vietnam 1965 - 1973

Not a lost colonial war, but a long-drawn out fight:
The US Philippine war lasted ofiicially from 1901 until 1902 when the US

declared victory, but fighting against scattered opponents lasted until
1913

Maybe the main difference between a war led by a democracy and a 
dictatorship is that the debate about how to lead the war is in the open

rather than behind closed doors ?

Greetings
Karl Heinz

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