Advancements and technology in the 21st century make winter combat a walk in the park.
AAaaahhh … yeah … right … I’ll throw that statement at a couple of vets I know, and when they get done laughing I’ll let you know what they say …
Before that, though, I want to point out that Nazi Germany was FAR more technically advanced compared to the Soviet Union, yet it was the “backwardness” of the USSR that gave it the advantage over the Germans, especially over the winter months. The Nazi guns frequently jammed in the cold because the lubricant used would freeze. The Soviets simply started using gasoline (petrol) instead, because it worked and didn’t freeze in the cold temps.
There’s also attitude to consider. It’s a truism that the Arab states can continue to lose wars to Israel time and again, but Israel only has to lose a war once to face annihilation. In like fashion, during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812, the common tactic worldwide was for the invading army to live off the captured land, taking what they needed from the residents. Russia, however, perfected what was later known as “Scorched Earth”. The Russian peasants, rather than live under the invaders, fled towards the east with only what they could carry. Anything else – chickens, pigs, cows, grain – both stored and in the field – they burned. The peasants made sure there was absolutely nothing that the invading French could use to survive.
The fact remains that it costs a lot more to field an army during winter months, even in “relatively” mild winters such as are in the Middle East. If nothing else, you to have train your army how to fight AND survive in that weather. The Arab states have shown a consistent lack of regard for the well-being of the common soldiers, so they’re not going to spend the money to do that. Not when, by combining their forces, they can force the Israelis into the sea in just a few weeks.
(Which is what the Arabs living in the land designated by the UN peace plan were told by the invading Jordanian forces during the War of Independence in 1948-1949. “Leave your homes behind so we can fight without worrying about you, and we’ll have all your land and more returned to you when we finish driving the Jews into the sea.” The Israeli leaders, on the other hand, begged for the Arabs to remain so they could join in building a new nation. Thousands of Arab-speaking people left for Jordan and Syria; the ones who stayed behind were branded as traitors by the invaders, and 50 years later the ones who left are still living in “refugee camps.” What other nation has accepted refugees and after 3 generations STILL refuse to integrate them into their populations?)
ray:t3: