Quote Originally Posted by Sheogorath View Post
I have never disagreed that the British were the ones who financed the Napoleonic Wars and did a good job of keeping the alliance together. Politics and economics are the strong points of the British, they play their enemies off against each other, organize alliances, and ensure that the people who support them are well paid. It's how they won India.

But the argument that the British are the superior military force in the world from 1700 to WWII which seems so prevalent is just silly. The British certainly had high quality soldiers, but they lack manpower.
Well, speaking as a Brit, you are entirely right. If anything, you've been a little too generous in allocating us strong points, but I would probably add the Royal Navy into the list. It was a much more important factor in our 18th/19th century power than our army, and even it was destined to suffer in comparison to the USN, which had seamen just as well trained but much better treated than ours (with the better morale you'd expect following from that).