Macedonian Army led by Alexander the Great http://members.tripod.com/~Kekrops/Hellenistic_Files/Alexander_and_His_Army.html
No mention of the Mongols? Like maybe the baddest asses ever. I mean I'll still choose the USA if its army v army but genghis and co. might be the last mofos you wanna see coming to town.
Thanks to Bob Finn for mentioning Alexander the Great's armies. Hard to beat such a record. That said, I think armies since the 1800's have an advantage because of the rise of nationalism and the influence it has on not just the military, but the civilian populace as well. For instance, the Russians who lifted the siege of Stalingrad and drove the Nazis back to Berlin under General Zhukov didn't do it primarily for communism or for Stalin... they did it for "Mother Russia." (And a little hatred of the Nazis certainly didn't hurt.) I also don't think physical superiority is absolutely critical. Didn't Hobbes say that all men are created equal because the weak man can sneak up on a sleeping strong man and bash his head in with a rock? Man for man, we were probably much larger and stronger than the Vietnamese. Regardless of what you think of that war, there's no disputing that the Vietnamese fought bravely and with considerable smarts.
Wait, I remebner theres only have been two countries that havent been sucsecfully takin over. ever, thats going ot be AMERICA!!! and Scotland/Ireland? i dont' know which one. But the iRdish are tough people man! I work witha bunch of Irish, or scottish people im not sure, eh? they all are the same to me, i can't tell. sorry red.
The mongols were perhaps the best light cavalry of all time - but that's more of a technological advantage. It's kind of like the advantage cultures with chariots had over pure infantry armies. I don't know how the mongols were in hand-to-hand, but I suspect that most of the time they faced a demoralized and disrupted force by the time they got to that point. The Scottish were historically one of the most fierce nations in hand-to-hand combat (even the Romans built a wall to keep them out), but they couldn't defeat the English heavy cavalry. Again, they lost because of technology (and lack of unity). It's hard to find a single case in wars where the battle was decided purely because of physical superiority. Most of the time one army had a technological advantage, be it tactics, discipline, better armour or better weapons. Technology is the greatest enabler of victory.
Actually, Cromwell succesfully invaded Ireland (the b*stard The British came in and have never left 1649 Cromwell invades Ireland. 1653 Cromwell's opponents stripped of land under the Act of Settlement. 1689-90 Deposed James II flees to Ireland and is defeated at the Battle of the Boyne. 1704 The Penal Laws enacted: Catholics are barred from voting, education and the military. 1775 American War of Independence instigates Irish unrest. 1782 Grattan's Parliament persuades English to declare Irish independence, but in name only. 1795 The Organge Order is founded. 1798 Uprising by Wolfe Tone and the United Irishmen is crushed. 1801 Ireland becomes part of Britain under the Act of Union. 1829 Catholic Emancipation Act passed after Daniel O'Connell elected as MP. 1845-49 The Great Famine claims over 1 million lives through starvation and disease. Emigration over the next 10 years results in departure of a further 1 million people.
