Like our previous showdowns (Canada v Australia, Germany v France), we want you to tell us who you think has the better military heritage:
Spain! Conquered the New World, ruled the seas for 100 years, and have some bad-ass troops around the globe today...
Italy! Rome, the Bersaglieri, and indigenous attack helicopters...
Sound off in the comments below!
By: Brant
20 September 2011
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3 comments:
overall, the Roman heritage gives Italy a great advantage.
However, since the fifth century, the place has been overrun so much that it is no longer Roman. Modern day Italy just occupies the same territory and has the same capitol city as the Roman Republic and Empire.
Considering their lack of success following the first efforts of the Risorgimento, their military heritage is pretty slim. Even the Austrians were able to beat them on a regular basis, and it took Prussia's success during the Seven Weeks War to break the Austrian hold on Venice and northern Italy.
Spain is screwed up in its own way, being so regional and resistant to a central power.
However, their military heritage is generally very positive.
Since the defeat of the Moors and the reconquista has generally been upwards.
They were seriously derailed by the New World wealth, and due to maladministration, and the incredible inflation of all that wealth, the country has been depressed for centuries.
They could build fine ships, but never managed to build a great navy. The army became better at colonial wars than defending the country.
All in all, very little to choose between the two.
However, I would give Spain a bit of an edge because of the Caudillo's sagacity. Generalissimo Francisco Franco very quickly recognized Spain would lose any kind of a war against anyone else. So he made noises and blustered, but always sat on the fence.
Mussolini should have been so wise.
Rome conquered more of the world. Spain discovered more of it.
Still, Rome had a greater land empire. Spain got over-run by Morocco at one point. People live on land, not on the waves, so Rome/Italy wins this one.
Plus, they play better than Spain in Civ III :-D
Spain conquered 2 continents! Plus, they used biological warfare to wipe out a few civilizations...
I give it to the Spanish, (unclean) hands down
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