BobRyan said:
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1. At the time Ellen White dies (1915) the United States was not yet a super power
That’s a falsehood. The US had demonstrated its military capability with The Great White Fleet under Teddy Roosevelt, and in 1915 was the world’s most technologically advanced country in most industries, especially electrification and telephony, .
In 1915 it was a fledgling military power - with almost no Navy, a tiny army and no capacity to project power as compared to the other world powers.
"America did not have an economy that had been put on a war footing and such a transformation would take time – and the Allies did not have time on their side."
https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-one/americas-military-power-in-world-war-one/
"America had been the provider of many war parts for the French and British armies while it was neutral. Ironically, now
in war, both the British and French armies provided the first arriving American troops with equipment and uniforms. The AEF was given French artillery guns (the 75 and 155mm) while the British provided mortars, machine guns, steel helmets and some uniforms.
"The lack of speed with which the AEF was sent to Europe was later criticised by David Lloyd George. The 1st Division AEF landed in France in June 1917. The 2nd Division did not arrive until September and by
October 31st, 1917, the AEF only numbered 6,064 officers and 80,969 men. In roughly the same time span in 1914, the BEF had got 354,750 men into the field. Nine months after America declared war, there were 175,000 American troops in Western Europe. In the same time span of nine months from 1914 to 1915, Britain had put 659,104 men into the various theatres of war.
Therefore, in 1917, despite her strength
on paper, America played little part in the war activities of that year."
"America was all but starting from the beginning. In peacetime,
the American army only numbered 190,000 and they were spread across America. Now with the declaration of war, these men had to move to the eastern seaboard where many
camps had to be built to accommodate them before they sailed across the Atlantic. French ports had to be greatly expanded to handle the influx of men and the French rail network in the region had to be expanded."
"
when the Germans launched their great offensive of March 1918, there was only one American division in the Allied lines – with
three divisions in training areas. The series of German offensives from March to July 1918 posed great dangers to the French and British armies. Paris was threatened and on two occasions, the British were nearly driven into the Channel on two occasions. But in all of these attacks, the Americans played little part."
1. The idea that in 1915 America was the world's "superpower" does not pass the test of history.
2. the statement about America becoming the dominant world military and political power was not made in 1915 - it was made in 1884 (and I am looking for it in the 1850's.)
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su·per·pow·er
(so͞o′pər-pou′ər)
n.
A powerful and influential nation, especially a nuclear power that dominates its allies or client states in an international power bloc.
