Theres an old board game from the early 70s called USA and Britian WAR Any way I was wondering do you ever think it might happen? My response is very doubtful or not at all possible.
Sure a USA-Britain war is possible, but so is a Lichtenstein-Luxembourg war. A US-GB war is extremely improbable (<1X10E-9 for you mathematical types). Maybe before 1914, but since then the two have been like bickering brothers at worst. While they may disagree, even publicy, both would defend the other to the end.
A bit more background would be interesting. When is it set? Why would the two go to war at all? Who are the Allies of the various factions? Without a bit more information it's hard to say.
As I see it a war between the US and the UK was not at all impossible before WW1.I even think that should the US get into war with a european power before 1914, chances were great their foe would be Britain. Both countries had disputes about some Venezuela affair in the early 1900's. Generally the US was seen as a threath to Britain's global power. The 1902 allaince between Britain and Japan was of course primarily directed against Russia,but secundarily against the progress of US influence in China and Asia in general. It was only after Tirpitz started it's massive fleet buildup that Germany replaced the US and Russia as Britain's greatest threats.... [/quote] Well I doubt there was any kind of "special relationship" between the US and UK before 1941-42.I even think that such a special relationship was impossible as long as Britain was a power with global ambitions.... The US remained very anti-colonialist and as Britain was by far the most important colonial power there was an important potential conflict. Also I do not really see how both would "defend the other to the end". If so why did the US not join Britain in declaring war on Germany in 1939? Of course, the US had sympathies for the cause of Britain/France, and helped economically, but I don't think that qualifies as defending to the end.... So basically in the interwar years a war between UK and US was not impossible tough very less likely than before 1914. After 1945 such a war becomes of course more or less impossible, as both countries do not play in the same league anymore.... Both countries are now allies inside NATO. As I see it, the "special relationship" between the US and the UK dates from the Suez crisis in 1956 when the US, together with the USSR forced Britain and France to a humiliating retreat. Both Britain and France drew very different conclusions from that crisis. Britain concluded that in the future it should never again act internationally without the support of the US, and generally developed the policy of seeking a combined US-UK approach to international problems under any circumstances. France on the contrary tought that it should seek a policy of independence, and should avoid under any circumstances to be dependant to potentially unreliable allies.
The game is 1902. Its where Britian wants more control in the West Indies. And the Usa does not let them. Battles are naval mostly, island battles, and its amap of the Alantic Ocean with the esat coast of the USa and Great Britian also.
Castelot, The British opinion of the US started to change as a result of the US Civil War, the British may have realized that the US had the potential to be a world power bfore the US did. I think that there was a remote possibility of a US-GB war before 1914, but not aftewards. The British had have had more to lose than to gain from a war with US since 1815. The US and GB have had a "special relationship" at least since WWI, and arguably earlier. The major-minor realtionship between the two changed during WWII, not as a result of the Suez Crisis. The two countires have always had much in common culturally, politically and economically. While there have been, and still are, differences of opinion between the two countries, they have "been there" for each other for quite awhile. The British have never quite gotten the point that the US is not one their colonies.
I think the game would be more interesting if set in 1910 instead of 1902. And more tru to life if set against the Japanese Empire. By 1910 both navies were pretty far along with their new warships delivered. And since Japans navy at the time was almost entirely stamped "made in England" the British would be involved somewhat as well.
I mostly agree with that, however I would not say that a war between the US and the UK was totally impossible in the interwar years.I would call it very very unlikely, but not totally impossible. Well, I fail to see then what this "special relationship" was like before 1942. As I see it, the population and most politicians in the US were isolationist in the 1920's and 1930's.They certainly did not care a lot about Britain's problems, and if they did, they still tought that it was not worth to go to war to help Britain. More than once in WW2, Roosevelt dealt with Stalin at the expense of Britain. Britain's privilegied partner since 1904(and probably before) had been France.Both countries somewhat coordinated their foreign policy and their respective militaries cooperated closely. I would not go as far as to call the relation between France and Britain a "special relationship" but it certainly was much closer than the relation between Britain and the US at the time. True, however that is in no way an explanation for "special relationship". I mean, Spain has certainly a lot in common with Argentina or Mexico, yet those countries do not have a special relationship. Many french and italians consider their countries as "sisternations"but that did not stop Mussolini declaring war to us in 1940. The special relationship between the US and the UK is simply the result of political decisions in Washington, and especially London....
Very unlikely, highly improbable, however you want to say it I agree. It's hard to think of anything during the interwar years that would have been worth going to war over for either side, but there is no limit to the stupidity of politicians or of people in large groups. Anything is possible. The "special relationship" (I'm regretting using the term) is in the eye of the beholder. It certainly wasn't playing the "great game", as Britain did with France and Russia (until 1918). There is sometinhg of a mother-child, love-hate realtionship between the US and Britain. It doesn't mean that either is not looking out for themselves, or that they are always in synch. As you point out, Roosevelt was an anti-colonialist who wanted to see and end to Britain's (and other's) colonies. US isolationism is, I think, overplayed. The Europeans, including GB, did not want US involvement until rather late, a situation that suited the US quite well. It was as much internal US politics as anything else. There was a sizable anti-facist camp in the US, and even more saw US involvement as necessary. It's a matter of opinion, but I think the people on both sides have a major effect, and that it's not simply the governments. I think the US-GB relationship is much closer than France-Italy, or Spain-Mexico (still alot of hard feelings there), but it is a mtter of opinion and I could easily be wrong.
