Quote Originally Posted by Bob's World View Post

As I like to chide my new Brit friends (I've learned not to say "English" after a series of lectures delivered in Welsh, Scottish, and Irish accents...):

"The British Empire was disassembled one military victory at a time."

Feel free to quote me on that.
I'll certainly quote you. I collect such quotes as samples of fallacies.

Withdrawing from the British Empire was a plan. It was a strategy. We used force to ensure it happened on our terms. - The loss of Ireland in 1921 was merely a rejection of dominion status. We always planned to leave - as we had in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

We never intended to hold on to the Empire after WW2, and we made no real attempt to expand it, after the death of Queen Victoria. - the reasons are many and well known.

Successful military action generally ensured that we left in good order with a relatively stable government in place. We used force the create the political conditions demanded by the policy.
We withdrew from >60% of the empire without firing a shot.

What Americans seem incapable of learning from British Experience is the application of what is tactically feasible to support strategy. NOT applying a strategy with no clue as to what is tactically feasible.

- Thus you end up with the UK's failure in Basra, trying to operate in a huge city with only about 500 troops available on any one day! - same mistake now in Helmand. - Northern Ireland soaked up 27,000 troops at it's height!