What Were The Military Factors That Contributed To The American Victory

The American War of Independence saw the defeat of the most professional army in the world at the time to the inexperienced American army. It was a war in which colonists fought for independence from a country that was imposing taxes on them, despite that fact the colony had no representation in the British parliament. It saw the army of well- trained soldiers and experienced generals suffer defeat to a country which had no national army or navy at the time. There are many military factors that contributed to the American victory. However the main military factors that led to and caused this win will be explored in this essay. Military factors including assistance from overseas, distance, the advantage of ‘home field’ fighting, the different
Distance was a major drawback for the British. Britain was 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean away, with the only means of transportation being ships. Ships were often poor quality and the transportation of supplies was weather dependent. The cost of the journey, a minimum of two months, added to Britain’s disadvantages. Thus this supply chain was often disrupted, inconsistent and could never allow sufficient supplies to be built up in America. Compared to the Continental Army the system was poorly managed and inadequate. The Continental Army had the home field advantage and gained much benefit from their knowledge of the terrain. The Continental Armies strategy was very effective. George Washington developed a strategy of ‘avoiding large-scale confrontations with the royal army (which) made it impossible for the British to deliver a knock-out blow.’
Tactically the Americans were more successful. Both sides employed a regimental tactic, which was used in the Seven Years War. The two armies stood in linear lines and marched towards each other. Alongside this the Americans began to use a guerrilla tactic. This involved minutemen staying on the move, ‘hiding and shooting from behind walls and trees at the naïve British who remained in the exposed open.’ This proved effective as it surprised their attackers and more often than not lead to them attacking weak lines in the British
The French did not immediately assist in helping the Americans in their fight for independence. However after much persuasion from the likes of Benjamin Franklin, the colonial victory at Saratoga and the opportunity to get revenge at the British after their win of the 7 Years’ War, the French decided to get involved. The Treaty of Alliance was the formal treaty that established co-operation between the two countries. As article 2 of the treaty states ‘the essential and direct End of the present defensive alliance is to maintain effectually the liberty, Sovereignty and independence absolute and unlimited of the said United States’. To achieve this France provided the continental army with food, uniforms, weapons, financial aid and most significantly men, both naval and troop support. This boosted the morale of the colonists and ultimately gave the colonists that extra support that they vitally needed. The surrender of the British at Yorktown in 1781 may not have been possible without the assistance of the French. It was the French naval fleet that initially defeated the British navy and then protected the shoreline, preventing any aid from reaching the land. On shore the British were surrounded by the French army and the Americans. The surrender of the British was crucial as they were now willing to negotiate the end of the war and led to the final