Gunboards Forums banner

Which Conflict Interests you the most?

12K views 131 replies 74 participants last post by  5Star 
#1 ·
A casual poll if you will, which conflict do you find most interesting?


For me it's the American Civil War or War Between the States.
I can't say I'm a expert by a long shot. Too many people with the same type names to follow...;) but I do like reading about it and especially looking at modern photos of the battlefields.


yours?
 
#5 ·
The Eastern Front of WW II has captivated me. While the U.S. involvement was considerable, the Russians carried the land combat load for four years.

One conflict I'd be interested with reading/hearing more about was the U.S. military involvement with quashing a communist inspired uprising in the Dominican Republic in 1965. That conflict has completely fallen off the historical radar, yet network TV news in 1965 gave it as much air-time as Vietnam back then.

Tens of thousands of Marines and other U.S. military forces were sent there in support of the Domincan government and put down the uprising.

Much to my surprise the U.S. military intervention force sent to the Domincan Republic, in 1965, has all been forgotten.
 
#73 · (Edited)
The Eastern Front of WW II has captivated me. While the U.S. involvement was considerable, the Russians carried the land combat load for four years...QUOTE]

On some of the other forums this topic has been brought up on it is often accompanied by anti U.S remarks, usually by some punk european kid that has never worn a uniform in 'it's' life.
You didn't make any of these type remarks and I'm not trying to stir up any stuff either with my reply.

I'd just like to point out that other than the U.S. none of the other of the major powers involved projected their naval and air forces across two vast oceans at the same time eventually taking control of the sea and air space nor did they send and supply land forces on different continents under the same circumstances.

The Soviets taking the brunt of the "land combat load" was mostly a result of them being invaded and having a huge land mass to fight on and also not choosing to have alternatives available such as a large strategic airforce or the need to project their forces across oceans.
One could say the Soviet experience was largely a result of their EurAsiancentric view, circumstances and Stalin and Hitler.

As far as my interests go, I have a broad general interest in most conflicts from the point of view of the typical "grunt" involved. I especially have gotten interested in guerilla type warfare and winter campaigns, how the individual soldier coped and fought in such circumstances. WWI has always been a huge punctuation mark for me as far as being a nearly useless waste of life and serving no purpose, why, why? It could have so easily been avoided.
The "Auld ones" growing up were of the WWI generation and all of them lost family and friends and it marked them all.
 
#16 ·
I've joined you.

I started as an American Civil War junkie by the age of five. Then World War II, and finally (for the last four years) I've been devoted to WWI, even though I still dabble with anything new I find on the Eastern Front and Pacific Theater of WWII.

Many forays along the way though into areas like the Winter War and Boer Wars - which led to my "lost years" studying the Victorian era wars of empire.
 
#9 ·
The American war between the states, especially the trans-Mississippi or western part. Which probably makes sense since I live in Indian Territory and have a relative that fought with the Cherokee's and then Clarkson's Battalion.

His records show he went on detatched duty in Indian territory and never returned.
 
#10 ·
World War II ..... for personal reasons (I am named after my Uncle KIA on Guam July 1944), and as one of the first Baby Boomers (April 1946) grew up hearing about it and learning about it.
Also: After that war, America emerged as the World's Super Power ! (soon to be challenged by the USSR)
 
#11 · (Edited)
As the son and nephew of many WWII vets, it's definitely that one by far. More and more, the economic aspects of that war interest me almost as much as the purely military aspects. Also, there's the Roman campaigns of the Gallic War and modern Special Operations.
Pat
 
#13 ·
Undeclared Wars

The "Banana Wars", Haiti, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Panama, & Cuba. Many of the leaders of the Marine Corps in WWII cut their teeth in these conflicts.

Gravel, I am also interested in the 1965 Intervention in the Dominican Republic. I spent a lot of time in that country in the 80's and a lot of the buildings around town still showed the scars of that Civil War. Very interesting history.
 
#14 ·
The French-Indochina War and the French-Algerian War of the mid-20th century. Always have been captivated by tragic history and those two episodes played out like ancient Greek tragedies.
 
#15 ·
Napolionic wars in Germany. I am not sure whether he was simply one of the many, up and then arising, megalomanic maniacs or the bearer of revolutionary ideas of enlightenment in a world of smallstate feudal oppression. Soever, he helped Germany to become one nation.
Wolf
 
#17 ·
I don't know that I can identify a war that "interests me most". I have probably spent more time (and have more books on) WWII, with more emphasis on the Pacific than other aspects, but the fact of the matter is all wars interest me. Especially the aspects of how technology impacts the way the campaigns are planned and fought. Have to give the matter some thought.
 
#98 ·
I can't say a specific one in particular, but rather the process of the development into war like revolutions, esp. the successful ones, but mostly peaceful and not.
Consider the millions killed by Lenin and Stalin to consolidate their power both post civil war and post WWII.

What was the Spanish Civil War? Why did Stalin support it, not quite enough to succeed but certainly enough to pull in his international socialist/communist rivals and actively purge them by local sympathetic forces, or passively by ensuring their defeat by the Nationalists. The Nationalist were aware of how the reds won in Russia, and had to contend with how not to lose to the same in Spain. What did Stalin get, consolidated control over the Cominterm.

Vietnam was the start of many 'military won' wars for the US that resulted in political 'loses', one would think we'd learn, but 50 years later, we defeated the nation of Iraq in functionally 7 days (certain places held out longer) but LOST the nation in the next 6 months.
 
#18 · (Edited)
My intrests are mainly on how the technology changed, and how long it took tactics to catch up. Everything from uniforms to weapons had an effect on the tactics and the use of each of these changes. And the difference in the same changes between the countries, and even between services of the same country!
Covers a lot of ground!

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas
 
#20 ·
I would have to say WW1 myself. I grew up interested in WW2, but as I've learned how the events of WW1 led to WW2 and events after it, I find myself reading about it more and more. Also, after spending so much time in Spain while in the USAF, I've found myself reading more and more about the Spanish civil war as well. Still on the look out for a SCW Mosin-Nagant, if I can ever find one in decent shape.
 
#28 ·
+1. War of The Running Dogs has been on the Marine Corps Reading List for years. Spencer Chapman's book The Jungle is Neutral is also a favorite.
 
#22 ·
I'm kind of a "broad range of interest" guy, but I've been reading up on Japan's invasion and occupation of China and Korea, the Soviet attack on Japan right at the end of the war, and the whole range of US operations in the Northern Pacific, the Alaska campaign, Attu and Kiska Islands, that area.

I'm also starting to get into the campaigns of the French and Indian War.
 
#23 ·
My main interest is in the American Civil War with a very close second the Eastern Front in WWII.
 
#24 ·
I guess that I would have to say WWII; specifically the European theater although Rommel in Africa has always intrigued me. I imagine that WWII is of such interest to me because I was born shortly after it ended (just prior to the official baby boom) and many of my relatives served and I grew up on WWII war movies.
 
#29 · (Edited)
The Winter and subsequent Cotinuation War
The Finnish Civil War
WW 1
The Israeli Arab Wars
Zulu War of 1879
The Spanish Civil War
The Russian revolution / Civil War
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top