"Today, we're going to talk about the only super empire in the world, yes, a super empire!"
"To describe the power of a nation, I think the word 'empire' is most appropriate."
"Although many powerful countries in today's world have shed their imperial cloaks, their imperial behaviors have not changed at all."
"The British Empire, though it's like the setting sun, can still beat up African countries and kick Scotland!" Zhu Wencong explained in detail.
"This super empire is none other than America, an entity we've all longed for!
"America's history is a unique and singular existence in world's history, achieving in a hundred years what others took a millennium to accomplish!"
"You cannot imagine how a primitive tribe could become today's superpower, this land is truly magical."
"The progression of human civilizational history is: primitive civilization, agricultural civilization, industrial civilization, information civilization!"
"The Roman Empire was buried in agricultural civilization; the Qing Dynasty was the same, unable to progress any further."
"Are there any empires that moved from agricultural civilization to industrial civilization? Of course! The British Empire! The Russian Empire!"
"Then, are there any empires that transitioned from industrial civilization to information civilization? Only one: the American Empire!"
"Where did America's rise begin? It all started with France, which set itself on fire to illuminate the world!
"The war of American independence might as well be called the Anglo-French War because America, preparing for independence, had no chance of winning."
"How to defeat England and achieve independence? At that time, the only great power capable of contending with England was France."
"Because at that time, America's generals were so thoroughly defeated that they were completely outmatched!"
"Remember an event: the morning of April 19, 1775, the gunfire at Lexington.
"Three shots in history were incredibly loud, giving birth to three super empires—one from the East, one from Russia, and the last, the gunfire in Lexington, North America.
"In 1775, the Qing Dynasty was still sleeping in the dream of Qianlong's prosperous era, with the Han ministers practicing the art of kowtowing before mirrors."
"Under the oppression of the British Army, America's elites united; Patrick Henry delivered his famous speech at the Virginia Convention, 'Give me liberty or give me death!'"
"On June 7, 1776, due to excessive pressure from England, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia.
"This congress was different from the first; there was no longer any room for compromise. They created a provisional central government to coordinate and oversee the independence of the North American colonies."
"Not only did they establish a government, but they also formed the Continental Army to fight the British Army, which was also the earliest US Army."
"The 'Declaration of Independence' is one of the most important documents in American history, most of which you are familiar with, and some of it bears similarities to Nuerhachi's 'Seven Great Hates.'
"What does it say? Mainly that the King of England was corrupt, the system outdated, bureaucrats corrupt, and so on; in short, they wanted to establish a better country."
"An interesting point is that those so-called Founding Fathers were all slave owners, while slavery had already been abolished in mainland England."
"Although their motives weren't pure and they were ambitious, this is America's style and culture."
"Next, we need to focus on the character of Washington, who is quite similar to Liu Bang—failed countless times, succeeded once.
"Who formed the earliest US Army, which I just mentioned? Washington!
"In his life, he had no outstanding military achievements, but he turned a band of militiamen without any combat strength into a complete army.
"Initially, the leader was Peyton Randolph from the Southern Faction, but after his death, the chairmanship of the Continental Congress passed to Hancock of the Northern Faction."
"However, Hancock did not want to be chair of the Congress; instead, he wanted to be the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army to fight a decisive battle against the British Army."
"The delegates from Virginia of the South strongly opposed, because Hancock had no military experience, and they wanted to take the position of Commander-in-Chief for themselves."
"The Northern Faction consisted of capitalists, merchants, and lawyers, while the Southern Faction was a group of farm owners, the origin of the militia."
"Hancock himself lacked the courage and determination to fight the British Army, and after a bit of bluster, he gave up command when faced with opposition."
"There was also no military talent on the Southern Faction's side, all small figures who thrived on petty strife.
"If Washington's brother Lawrence had not died, he would have been the most suitable candidate for commander, supported by both the North and South."
"Washington was the backup plan, bearing the title of war hero with experience commanding militia but no victories to his name, just full of bombastic slogans that amounted to firing blanks."
"In the early stages of the war, the Continental Army actively invaded Britain's Canada and was predictably defeated.
"The British Army immediately attacked New York, a stronghold of the Northern Faction and a commercial hub for them."
"William Howe led 32,000 troops (including 9,000 foreign mercenaries) to land on Staten Island, and the Continental Congress ordered Washington to defend New York with 10,000 men.
"Just like the national football team, the earliest US Army would surely lose every battle they encountered.
"Unable to win, Washington chose not to fight to the death; that was his style of warfare, defeated time and again, until one victory."
On September 26, 1777, Philadelphia was lost, and at the time, the Continental Army couldn't even defend their "capital."
For the fighting to reach this point was actually quite normal, considering England was the foremost world superpower at its zenith!
Washington was consistently defeated, but he wasn't obstinate; he waged guerrilla warfare against the British Army, appearing to fight them on equal footing.
Not until British General Burgoyne got greedy for greater victories and made the mistake of rash advancement did Washington seize the opportunity and create the great victory at Saratoga, which was also the turning point of the war.
This victory was somewhat exaggerated, as America was still unable to change its inevitable demise, and England remained a colossal entity.
In February 1778, France signed a military alliance with America and subsequently declared war on England.
The enemies of England, Spain and the Netherlands, quickly joined in, and they too declared war against England.
These three adversaries were sworn enemies! It's well known that the English Navy defeated the Spanish Invincible Armada and seized naval supremacy.
The English Navy then defeated the Dutch fleet, formally establishing a Maritime Empire. That New York was a Dutch colony, which, after defeat, was also ceded to England.
France and England were age-old enemies, from the Hundred Years' War to the Seven Years' War; both nations had consistently undermined each other.
They originally thought America would fall easily, unable to resist England's onslaught, and would be destroyed within three months—yet the outcome was unexpected.
America not only withstood England's offensive but also achieved victory, giving France, Spain, and the Netherlands hope.
In the 18th century, England had the world's premier navy, while France had the preeminent army. With the entry of France, the thirteen states of North America rose up completely.
Washington was promoted from Commanding General of the Continental Army to Commander-in-Chief of the Franco-American forces, which was a demotion in disguise, as the actual command lay in the hands of French generals.
It wasn't that Washington lacked prestige, but that the Continental Army was always behind on pay, while France provided consistent funding."
"Why? The Northern Faction were capitalists; freeloading and PUA were essential skills for them, and evading taxes was their unchanging principle, so expecting them to pay up? Dream on!
The Southern Faction were farm owners, slave owners, unrivaled in their methods of exploitation and oppression.
Previously, the Continental Army was always defeated in battles, not only due to military incompetence, but also due to persistent mutinies and desertions within its ranks.
It wasn't until the later Civil War that the Northern Faction created Continentals, US Dollars, and won with redemption, or faced investment failure if they lost.
Under such circumstances, it would have been a miracle for the army to have combat effectiveness, especially given that wars require a vast amount of resources and funding.
The thirteen states of North America couldn't achieve this, but France could, with the capacity and financial power they brought along."
"America's independence was a gamble between France and England; it was a showdown between sea power and land power, a continuation of the Seven Years' War!
At that time, France was the Gallo-Roman cock, confident they could replace England and become the true empire upon which the sun never set.
After France entered the war, the Continental Army received pay, munitions, and world-class army officers.
Louis XVI, seeking to avenge past humiliations, invested money, people, and effort, and even risked his own head to help America defeat England.
The result, as everyone knows, is that Louis XVI regained face for the Royal Family but was also pushed toward the guillotine by the people.
In their latest showdown, England suffered heavy losses, the French monarchy collapsed, and America emerged fully!
England managed to defeat France in the Seven Years' War mainly because they had an ally in the Kingdom of Prussia. During the American Revolutionary War, England fought alone.
On September 3, 1783, representatives of England and America signed the Treaty of Paris at Louis XVI's Palace of Versailles, and England formally recognized the independence of the thirteen states of North America (America).
Without France, there would be no America; Louis XVI won the war but lost the world.
By the way, the Seven Years' War and the American War of Independence are related; France ceded the entirety of Canada and the eastern banks of the Mississippi River, and withdrew from India at the time.
This is why Louis XV lost the people's support, and though Louis XVI won the war 13 years later, he still had to pay the price.
The entire cost of the war was borne by the people of the thirteen states of North America (the colonies); 13 years later, the American War of Independence erupted!
England has always been inhumane; the subsequent costs of the war of independence were ultimately borne by the people of India.
It's a pity that while America succeeded, India failed, and for the rest of its life, it was England's milk cow—always something to squeeze out!"
"After its successful independence, America entered a phase of vigorous rise, advancing from a primitive to an agricultural civilization.
In a short period, it achieved the goals of an agricultural nation, with territorial expansion, land distribution, and becoming an agricultural powerhouse!
From 1783 to 1865, in a total of 82 years, it completed the entire journey of an agricultural civilization and officially stepped into the industrial age!
We... took thousands of years, other countries also took hundreds of years. It can be said that America had no historical burdens, always traveled light, sprinting at full speed.
From 1865 to 1894, in just 29 years, America surpassed England and became the world's leading industrial nation, with its GDP occupying the top spot in the world.
It took America a total of 111 years from complete independence to becoming the number one in the world, coinciding with the beginning of a dynasty's decline in our part of the world.
In a hundred years, it covered the ground that took hundreds or even thousands of years; to the uninformed, it might seem like science fiction, unbelievable as it may be."