Alex+G.+-+American+Revolution+&+Afghanistan+Essay

Alex Gotz Period 6 10/23/09 Department of Education President’s Advisory Board on Historical Affairs ** __Afghanistan War Historical Relations__ ** Our current war in Afghanistan is in many ways similar to the American Revolution. In this illustrious war, the British Empire, with a far superior army, lost to the small, untrained American Continental Army, which for the most part was short of supplies. The British Army made some severe mistakes in fighting this war, and it is very important that you, Mr. President, do not make these same mistakes while fighting in Afghanistan.
 * // For Mr. President //**

The British made some key mistakes that led to America’s victory in the Revolutionary war. The most important factor that led to our victory was there failure to cope with our strategy of guerrilla warfare. According to History Alive, “[American General] Green led [British General] Cornwallis’s troops on an exhausting chase through the southern backcountry.”(96). This strategy was a new frontier in wars, in which soldiers hide and surprise the enemy, instead of open-field formal battles.

Another mistake made by the British was that the war didn’t have enough support. In History Alive, it states that, “The longer the war dragged on, the less happy British taxpayers were about paying its heavy takes.”(89). The British just weren’t motivated enough. We had enough motivation because we were striving for independence, but the British were just settling a rebellion in one of their many colonies.

The third important problem that Great Brittan had in fighting this war was that they had many generals. This was difficult for the soldiers because they constantly had to learn new tactics and strategies. This led to confusion and a loss to the Americans.

In the time of the American Revolution, it would not of prevented our victory if the British sent more troops. This might have extended the war, but would have been just delaying the inevitable. The British just didn’t have it in them. According to Suite101.com, “Yorktown, the final major battle of the war, can also be deemed a British defeat by virtue of utter lack of command coordination. Lord Cornwallis received conflicting orders…waited to long to send much needed naval support.” Today, in Afghanistan, we are fighting a very tough enemy. They are motivated in the name of their God, and will not stop until they please him. New ways of battle, such as roadside bombs, and suicide bombers have devastated our forces there. In a recent article by the Associated Press, it states that, “ There are already more than 100,000 international troops in Afghanistan working with 200,000 Afghan security forces and police. It adds up to a 12-1 numerical advantage over Taliban rebels, but it hasn't led to anything close to victory.” This shows that we don’t need to send more troops, but improve our tactics, train more against the ways of warfare displayed by the Taliban, and stick with one commander, so that the soldiers are getting used to the strategies they are using.

If, Mr. President, you are to send in more troops, you can’t make the same mistakes the British did during the American Revolution. As explained in paragraphs 2, 3, and 4, the British made many mistakes while fighting in America. You need to prevent history from repeating itself, by learning from Brittan’s mistakes. One of these mistakes was failure to defend against Guerrilla warfare. In our war in Afghanistan today, many new tactics are being used, such as roadside bombs and suicide bombing. It is important to train all the troops how to defend against these problems.

Already, people in America are tired of the war in Afghanistan, as the British were tired of the American Revolution. In an article by CNN, it reads that, “ A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Tuesday morning indicates that 39 percent of Americans favor the war in Afghanistan, with 58 percent opposed to the mission. Support is down from 53 percent in April, marking the lowest level since the start of the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan soon after the September 11, 2001, attacks.” If action isn’t taken fast, the popularity of this war is going to go even farther down, and this will probably lead to protests, riots, and poor motivation from the soldiers.

The last important point to consider if you send in troops is to keep the same generals. In the American Revolution, the British switched between many generals, which led to confusion and unpreparedness from the troops. In the war in Afghanistan, it is very important to keep our current general, so that the troops are accustomed to their tactics and strategies.

The decision is yours, Mr. President, but there are many things that you can learn from the past in the major upset when the powerful British Army lost to the scrawny American Continental Army. After fighting in Afghanistan for eight years, not much progress has been made. In many ways this war is different from the American Revolution, with the Taliban believing that it is honoring Allah to be a suicide bomber or to kill Americans. These Taliban also blend in to the civilians, unlike the American Revolution, in which each side had brightly colored uniforms. It is a camouflaged enemy. Another difference is the technology. Back in the time of the Revolution, the British had more accurate, and longer shooting guns. In current times, the Taliban has the ability to purchase almost any type of weapon on the planet.

Even though the war in Afghanistan is very different from the American Revolution, it is similar in many ways, too. We can learn from the mistakes the British made, and defeat the Taliban. We can train our soldiers against roadside bombs and suicide bombers, we can motivate America to support this war, we can stick with one general to maintain the same strategies, and finally, we can prevent history from repeating itself.