9th May 2004, 9:01 PM
Spain... I mean, they had a major intercontinental empire! How in the world could you call them a complete failure militarially? And they forced out the Muslims once France stopped them at the Pyrrenes (sp). And united their nation into one (excepting Portugal), finishing when Columbus left -- recall Ferdinand and Isabella married to unite Aragon and Castille. Yes, after the 1500s or so they started slipping and were in full decline by the 1800s, but they were once great.
Austria, same thing. How in the world does a "failure" conquer most of South-Eastern Europe???
You're just looking at their weak points and calling them a failure for it. If that's the standard we are going to set, then the Roman Empire was also a MISERABLE failure. After all, they were CRUSHED in the Tannenburg Forest, permanantly stopping their expansion into Germany, and then several hundred years later collapsed! What more proof could I possibly need to know that they were a pathetic great power?
In short, you are using fundamentally flawed logic. Not that that's too surprising...
Austria, same thing. How in the world does a "failure" conquer most of South-Eastern Europe???
You're just looking at their weak points and calling them a failure for it. If that's the standard we are going to set, then the Roman Empire was also a MISERABLE failure. After all, they were CRUSHED in the Tannenburg Forest, permanantly stopping their expansion into Germany, and then several hundred years later collapsed! What more proof could I possibly need to know that they were a pathetic great power?
In short, you are using fundamentally flawed logic. Not that that's too surprising...