Valin Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 April 09, 2013 Event Summary In US foreign policy discussions, American grand strategy and the fundamental ideals that underpin it are often taken for granted. But where did US strategic thinking come from? In a Tuesday evening lecture at AEI, Eliot Cohen of Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies traced US strategic thinking back to America's colonial history and the battlefields of the Revolutionary War. Approaching the war from the perspective of the British high command, Cohen outlined several key reasons for Great Britain's failure, citing in particular British officers' underestimation of the American rebels' military strength. He explained that many colonial military leaders, emboldened by the cause of independence, had already fought two wars and were receiving aid from several European allies that were opposed to the British Empire. Cohen underscored how remarkable the British defeat was by noting that typically, when the "locals" went against the empire in the 18th century, the empire tended to win. He further pointed to the colonists' use of irregular warfare, which thwarted the conventional military tactics employed by the British. Cohen concluded that after the British were confronted with these challenges, they were eventually forced to relinquish the colonies, ending an era of British hegemony and sowing the seeds for America's rise. (Vid at Li9nk) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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