The Battle Of Savannah, 1778
Between 19 September and 7 October 1777, two major battles at Saratoga, New York exposed the weakness of the British army in North America. For the past half century, most historians have considered this victory by American General Horatio Gates over his counterpart, General John Burgoyne, as the 'turning point' in the war. After Saratoga, it has been claimed, the British campaign to subdue its recalcitrant colonies was destined for defeat..
The Battles of Saratoga
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It is easy to understand why many historians subscribe to this view. Although outnumbered on the battlefield (by a ratio of 7:6 in the first battle and 4:3 in the second battle), the redcoats had superior training, firepower and leadership. In fact, the British army was the greatest fighting force in the world. At the conclusion of the two battles, the British suffered 440 killed, 695 wounded and surrendered 6,222 to the American army. By contrast, Gates' forces sustained only 90 dead and 240 injured. It was a clear and overwhelming defeat for George III, but was it a 'turning point'? If so, neither the British government nor the British military got the message. For them, it was but a setback to a mission that would eventually be accomplished.
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Taking The War South
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After the debacle in upstate New York, British military leaders devised a new plan. Believing the southern colonies to be more loyal to the preservation of the crown, the British decided to focus their operations south of Virginia - an area considered to be the weak link in American defenses. From there, a classic divide and conquer strategy was to be executed whereby British forces would separate New England from the South and slowly strangle the life out of the rebellion.
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One year after Saratoga, a British force under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell was ordered to deploy by General Sir Henry Clinton in New York City. As the supreme commander of British forces in North America, Clinton had every confidence in the 'Southern Strategy'. If able to win in the South, morale and momentum would shift away from the colonists.
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In 1778, Georgia was a developing economy. Of its relatively paltry population of 40,000, approximately 50% were slaves. Indeed, many slaveholders were suspicious of the aims of the 'revolution'. Why shouldn't they have been? Even Thomas Jefferson, a major slaveholder, had spoken of 'the peculiar institution' (a popular euphemism for slavery) derisively.
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Sizing up the situation, Campbell decided to launch an attack on the Georgia coastal town of Savannah on 29 December (1778). Although he was advised to wait for a secondary force to join him prior to engagement, Campbell opted to go immediately into battle after reviewing intelligence reports on the diminutive size of his opposition. Despite knowing his numbers to be inferior, Robert Howe, the American General, and a 'war council' chose to fight a well-trained British army of 3,500 with a force of approximately 850 men. Why the Americans deemed a stand at Savannah to be necessary at any price remains an outstanding question to this day. The outcome, however, leaves no room for interpretation. In a word, the colonists were completely routed. Howe lost more than half of his army, and the British gained a valuable southern port and a base to launch invasions into the Carolinas for the next four years.
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The victory at Savannah buoyed British hopes and threatened to permanently reverse the gains made by the rebels. It also prolonged the war and made a shattering defeat of British forces necessary to save the revolution. Hence, while Saratoga was a considerable achievement both militarily and socially (the colonists had won as 'Americans'), it was neither a seismic turning point nor a harbinger of an inevitable British defeat.
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Memorial Day, 2010
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History is not hindsight. History is made day by day and hour by hour. It is made by fallible men and women who are constrained by economic, social and political realities. The defeat of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in WWII was not a product of inevitability or fate. It was the result of the sacrifices of tens of millions of people worldwide, both on the frontlines and in the factory lines, that ensured the victory of liberty over tyranny. In the case of the American Revolution, five more years of sacrifices were needed to gain independence after Saratoga.
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Far more than a day off for cooking out, Memorial Day is a day to remember those around the world who have sacrificed for the cause of 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness'. For their service, we are truly in debt.
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(Picture: A famous image of the American Revolution)
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J Roquen
We can rebuild it
You guys, it turns out I can't restore that barn after all. I was all full of piss and vinegar yesterday so I called a local contractor to get a quote for my building restoration project. The guy came out and he was really friendly, but he repeated the same thing that our dads and everyone else has told us: tear it down. And here's the thing: I kind of already knew that was what we had to do. I guess I just needed to hear it from an expert to accept that answer.The building has simply been neglected for so long that there's not enough left to save. It's a damned shame. The best we can do is start fresh and try to preserve the bricks for re-use on the new exterior. And we WILL rebuild it--some day--but my pygmy goat dreams have been deferred by several years.
Not to be stymied, I planted our modest kitchen garden this morning. The bushy plants and lone iris were already there and we left them alone when we pulled all the weeds. I put in Home Depot-brand tomato and bell pepper seedlings and the strawberries we kept from the old house. Then I spread seeds for cucumbers, pumpkins, and carrots. Yum... I'm already getting hungry!
Just do one thing
Western Decay, originally uploaded by kodama (home)
I had a sort of epiphany while delving dungeons in Torchlight (which is awesome) last night. I realized that I can spend my precious free minutes goofing around on the computer--and the result is that I will have wasted a hours upon hours playing video games--or I can invest my time in projects, with the outcome of actually achieving an amazing life.
It's one of those head-slappingly obvious concepts that, nevertheless, we sometimes need to be reminded of. This talk by Gary Vaynerchuk was good motivation too. Need more time? "Stop watching fucking LOST!"
I can build a chicken coop; I can organize our home; I can restore that barn. But nothing will happen until I put down the remote control and get to work. So I'm resolving to complete at least one task on my to-do list every day. As long as I keep plugging away, the projects will eventually be finished, one step at a time.
Get to Work
Leitz Leica hand tools, originally uploaded by XOques
My parents visited this weekend to help around the house. We discovered an overgrown garden plot full of good black soil which my mom spent the day weeding. I helped my dad hang a door on our master bathroom.
Work is slow. We're getting things done, though, and progress is victory. My parents have moved many times so they are experts at this kind of thing. They recommend allowing yourself three years to really start to feel comfortable at home, but to view the list of projects as never-ending.
It can be frustrating to walk around the house and see so many unfinished tasks. I'll look at something and think, "that would only take a minute to do." Then I remember we have hundreds of jobs that will take "just a minute," plus all the big projects, which we have to balance with limited free time and one--sometimes two--toddlers running around the house. I'd say we're doing pretty well.
Quo Vadis ("Where are you going")
Now that the core of the Seleucid / Macedonian Army is complete, I now have to think as to what I'm going to work on next.
1) Finish off all the remaining Seleucid units (Theuropohoroi, Hoplites, elephants, scythed chariots)
2) Make a concerted effort to get the Gallic Army into something like a fit state to take the field as I have lots of BG's that are half-painted and can try some chariots!
3) Get the Parthians done - all those lovely horse archers and kataphracts!
4) Do the Spanish Army (as some units are already in place but means painting hundreds of scutarii).
5) Finish off the remaining scenery.
I'm tempted to do 5) so its all done and we can fight any battle then - as we should have a few Persian / Macedonian battles ahead. But I'm also wanting to finish the Seleucids to open up a wider opportunity for battles (possibly Carthage vs Ptolemaic Egyptians or the Successor states vs Rome).
But those Gauls have been crying out to be finished for months...and those lovely Steve Barber Parthians look so good that I should start knocking them out. And the Spanish have been 'waiting' the longest.
Perhaps I need another option and then can just roll a dice and let fate decide!
1) Finish off all the remaining Seleucid units (Theuropohoroi, Hoplites, elephants, scythed chariots)
2) Make a concerted effort to get the Gallic Army into something like a fit state to take the field as I have lots of BG's that are half-painted and can try some chariots!
3) Get the Parthians done - all those lovely horse archers and kataphracts!
4) Do the Spanish Army (as some units are already in place but means painting hundreds of scutarii).
5) Finish off the remaining scenery.
I'm tempted to do 5) so its all done and we can fight any battle then - as we should have a few Persian / Macedonian battles ahead. But I'm also wanting to finish the Seleucids to open up a wider opportunity for battles (possibly Carthage vs Ptolemaic Egyptians or the Successor states vs Rome).
But those Gauls have been crying out to be finished for months...and those lovely Steve Barber Parthians look so good that I should start knocking them out. And the Spanish have been 'waiting' the longest.
Perhaps I need another option and then can just roll a dice and let fate decide!
After The Tulip Revolution
As the world continues to focus on the Greek and Spanish financial crises and the spate of recent belligerent maneuvers by North Korea, a small republic in Central Asia may hold a significant key to geopolitics not only regionally but also in the contours and wider aspirations of global affairs..
After gaining independence on Christmas Day 1991, Kyrgyzstan, which is surrounded by three other former Soviet republics (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan) and China, has struggled to achieve sound governance and a core identity.
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The Tulip Revolution (2005)
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In a nation of 5.4 million, politics is centered in the capital of Bishkek. As leaders sought to diversify the economy and expand markets subsequent to the collapse of the Soviet Union, financial and political corruption became rife by the the turn of the millennium. In 2005, three ministers of parliament were assassinated in a brazen campaign of intimidation by organized criminals. In fact, the government was already being compromised by cronyism and malfeasance under President Askar Akayer.
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When substantive allegations of ballot box tampering surfaced in the parliamentary elections that year, the people of Kyrgyzstan revolted. A series of protests, which began in February, spread around the country ultimately led to Akayer's departure one month later. A round of fresh elections brought Kurmanbek Bakiyev into power with a clear electoral mandate. It was a significant accomplishment by a grass-roots effort in a nation with almost no democratic traditions. The people's victory, however, proved to be short lived.
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The April Revolts (2010)
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Last month, riots broke out around Kyrgyzstan with demands that Bakiyev resign. His five-year tenure had indeed been fraught with controversy and turmoil. While questions still remain over his government's relationships with large corporate interests, it was Bakiyev's simultaneous stiff posture toward the US and courtship of China that seemed to unnerve a sizable segment of the population. Reports of electoral fraud in the 2009 election, which awarded him another term, further undermined public support.
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Bakiyev, now in exile in Belarus, has been supplanted by a transitional government under the stewardship of Roza Otunbayeva - a former leader in the Tulip Revolution. As Ms. Otunbayeva (b. 1950) is a female politician, she is the epitome of change in a society where women are seldom seen in professional positions. In this respect, the April 'riots' or 'revolts' can be said to be truly revolutionary.
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Power, Influence and Stability
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The new government of Kyrgyzstan faces a number of daunting challenges ahead. First, it must act to stabilize the economy by taking measures to reduce the gap between prices and wages. Secondly, Ms. Otunbayeva will have to prudently negotiate with three powerful nations vying for influence in the region - Russia, China and the US. By allowing Washington to keep an air base in the country, the interim government possesses the leverage to deal with the economic demands of Beijing and the security concerns of Moscow. Thirdly, a plan must be devised to ensure equal access to education and jobs among all ethnic groups to mitigate tensions (currently between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks) and to forestall potential paralyzing unrest in the future.
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A great geopolitical game is being played out across the world between the US, China and Russia, and no nation, not even tiny Kyrgyzstan, is immune or unimportant in its outcome.
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(Photo: A Scene from The Tulip Revolution, 2005)
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J Roquen
Careers in science
Natalie's cousin Anika with our Pug Lola
As you know, I started in a new position in April. On the same day that my promotion was announced, Jenna was laid off from her job. We've known this was coming--it was obvious that the company was not doing well--so we had been waiting several years for the axe to fall.
It always sucks to lose a job, but the timing is actually fortuitous. For one thing, since we knew it would happen sooner or later, Jenna was relieved to finally be done with it. Plus she didn't have to worry about moving her home office utilities to the new house. They let her keep all the stuff, though; a desk, computer with dual-screen monitors, and super nice printer!
The best part is that our new house is only 10 minutes away from her sister Holly, who just returned to her job, and needed someone to look after her kids. Jenna started our "family daycare" service this week. Natalie gets to spend more time with her cousins, and Lola gets all the attention she could ever want!
