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Why England Lost the American Revolutionary War

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  This was an existential war for the rebellious Americans. If they lost, leaders would be hung, Tories (loyalists) would retaliate, English rule would be harsh and revengeful. On the other hand, England could sail away and still remain a global power. The Americans did not have to win battles to win the war. They just had to continue to exist until the British decided that the war could not be won and had become too expensive. Opposition to the war in England rose rapidly after 1780. King George’s cabinet was forced to resign and Parliament passed a bill trying to limit George’s unilateral power to fight wars (sound familiar?). England had an average of over 30,000 troops but they had to fight in an area of about 100,000 square miles. England gave up Boston early. Later in the war, English troops could not hold Philadelphia after defeating the Americans and occupying the city. England also could not hold isolated garrisons throughout the colonies, which were exposed to attacks by ...
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India and the Geopolitics of the Indian Ocean

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    INTRODUCTION   Geopolitics looks at geography and history as inputs into the relations among nations. A corollary is that countries have “natural” opponents and allies. But how this works out depends on the domestic and foreign policies of the leaders and governments of the countries. The history of long-distance Eurasian trade highlights the crucial role of India and the Indian Ocean. For over 2,500 years, the Indian Ocean was the vital route of trade between Europe and the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and China. India was the transshipment center of this trade. Today, 85% of global trade in goods goes by sea. Over 40% is oil. There are three major "choke-points" in seaborne trade - the Red Sea/Suez Canal, the Persian Gulf/Strait of Hormuz, and the Strait of Malacca. Ships from the first two enter the Indian Ocean; the Malacca Strait is the Indian Ocean exit to east Asia.       The theme of this essay is the current and possible future the role...
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The English East India Company (EIC): Trade with India and Asia

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The Mughal emperor Shah Alam hands a scroll to Robert Clive, the governor of Bengal, which transferred tax collecting rights in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the East India Company.  Illustration: Benjamin West (1738–1820)/British Library INTRODUCTION   The English East India Company (EIC) was an innovative new type of corporation. It was a model for the modern limited-liability, stockholder-funded modern corporation. The EIC also the prototype for the modern multinational corporation created to develop global trade. THE EIC: STRUCTURE AND STRATEGY The East India Company (EIC) was chartered in 1600 by Queen Elizabeth I to promote and monopolize English trade with Asia. England, a poor country in the 1600s but with colonial ambitions after defeating the Spanish Armada in 1588, outsourced its colonial ambitions to the East India Company and other private companies.    The East India Company was originally privately funded by 218 merchants and other investors. It was the ...
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