“United States Army and Navy in the late 1920s and early 1930s to estimate the requirements for a hypothetical war with the United Kingdom”
England tried in 1812 and in 1860 to undo the American independence. Then in WWI we were neutrals. While we hear all about the Lusitania and German subs attacking US ships trading with Britain, we are never told how the Royal Navy absolutely warned us that any American ship proceeding to Germany would be sunk.
Britain made all kinds of hostile demands on us during WWI. Then when we entered they wanted direct control over US soldiers and intended to use them as replacements in the British Army. Thankfully Pershing said that was not going to happen.... period.
In the naval treaty of the 1920s, Britain insisted on superiority over the US. No, despite all the special relationship talk, the UK does not have a deep abiding respect for American independence and freedom. They have undermined it at every chance.
In the 1920s the Brits absolutely saw us as an adversary. The dirty truth about WWI is that the Germans were not the bad guys. The Brits were flatout evil and fighting to preserve the economic empire. And the French were beaten to death in a fight for survival.
Its a common mistake to assume the Germans of WWI were the Germans of WWII. They were polar opposites in innocence and guilt. One think now widely known. The average German soldier had the right to vote. The average British soldier could not. “Making the world safe for democracy”....sure.
The “Special Relationship” was an outgrowth of the Atlantic Charter put together by Churchill and FDR just prior to WWII.
Ever since then the Brits have been about as rock-solid an ally as they come.
>>Britain made all kinds of hostile demands on us during WWI. Then when we entered they wanted direct control over US soldiers and intended to use them as replacements in the British Army.
The language barrier alone would have made that suboptimal . . .
German repraisals in Belgium during WWI were swift & brutal. So like in WWII it depends a lot on the theater & circumstances (and changing sensibilities about rules of war).