Capitaine Vengeur Posted April 6, 2017 Posted April 6, 2017 On 6 April 1917, the Congress of the USA approved the declaration of war against the German Empire - and prepared to take an active part into the most terrible war Europe had ever known then, far away from the coasts of Western Atlantic. Except for a few small-scale operations before (Mediterranean, Philippines...), it was the first time that this young nation, seemingly so isolationist and stuck to the Monroe Doctrine, planned to commit large numbers of troops out of the North American continent. Almost untrained and unequipped at that time, the Doughboys finally took a decisive part in the conflict by the sheer numbers of fresh and motivated troops they brought onto an exhausted Old Continent. This gave to President Wilson a prominent role in deciding what new Europe should look like. A quarter a century later, the States were as isolationist and the US Military (Navy excepted) as understrength and unprepared as they were in 1917. Yet 1917 had been a decisive precedent, and a first milestone in the USA taking an ever growing (somehow intrusive) interest in the rest of the World. 1 Quote
+Erik Posted April 6, 2017 Posted April 6, 2017 We're making up for all that in one election cycle. See you on the backside. Quote
+Geezer Posted April 11, 2017 Posted April 11, 2017 (edited) We're making up for all that in one election cycle. See you on the backside. Agreed - but the gradual process that led us to our current situation started decades ago. Mark Twain once wrote that history does not repeat itself, but it DOES rhyme. For those who enjoy thinking about the lessons of history, this recent video about Julius Caesar is food for thought. Rome began as a small, vigorous republic with robust laws and conscientious citizens. It succeeded beyond anyone's expectations and grew into a mighty empire. Rome outgrew the institutions designed for a small republic, and was gradually paralyzed by governmental gridlock. In particular, the Senate had become hopelessly corrupt and no longer served its purpose. Sound familiar? Caesar was not the first Roman to realize the system need overhaul, but he was one of the first to implement changes - but few Romans liked them. Hence, he was assassinated. Edited April 11, 2017 by Geezer Quote
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