To what extent was the War of Independence won by the American colonists, and how much was it lost by Britain?

American forces alone would have struggled to complete a victory against the British so it was vitally important the colonists had international support. This came in the form of the French who despite agreeing with the American cause were eager to seek revenge for their loss of the seven year war. This rivalry was motivation enough for French soldiers but as well as this committed support the French also provided experienced generalship which could aid Washington in his bid for victory. It is undeniable that both the quantity and quality of French reinforcements played a large role in the winning of the war. The engineering of this relationship was down to American effort, they managed to persuade the French to get involved and used them to their own full advantage, as was seen in the renewed effort after retreat to Canada in the early years of the war.

The terrain of the northern states suited the Americans far more than the British and it was planned meticulously that battles would commence where it best suited the Americans. This disadvantaged the British dramatically who were unable to quickly adapt to conditions and it could be said that the terrain tipped the balance in American favour in many cases. Another geographical factor in the war was the sheer distance from home that the British were fighting. Supply lines were 3000 miles long from Britain; also communication lines especially those from Britain were too long for immediate action. It was found that only too often responses to military situations were sent and only arrived once that situation had passed making many communications and reactions to the ongoing war situation obsolete.

But overall it could be said that many found that American commitment and motivation to the cause was matching that of some of the greatest military nations in history.

Many although respecting of the American strengths blame the failings of the British for the result of the war. For example accusations were levelled at General Howe of the British army that he consistently failed to take advantage of opportunities to really decimate the American forces. It was this type of mistake that allowed Americans lifelines and the chances to restructure, reorganise and mount further offences.

A further criticism of the British military forces in general was their underestimation of the potential and realised power of the colonists. It was believed by many within the British army that the colonists were a small rabble of restless men who could be stopped within a matter of weeks rather than years. It was this arrogance that led to mistakes especially in the early parts of the war being made.

During the 18th century British military domination had been down majorly to the strength of its Navy, yet during the entire conflict in the American colonies the Navy was never used to its full potential. Despite the opportunity of controlling the entire coastline the choice was taken not to commit the Navy to the effort. With the addition of this destructive power it could be argued that the result of the war may have been very different.

In conclusion it must be recognised that despite the numerous ways in which the American forces created their own victory such as their leadership from Washington and their commitment, that they were helped by British failings. The involvement of the French and the lack of involvement of the British navy could be cited as two highly influential factors that if reversed may have resulted in a different outcome. Overall it was a balance of both successes and failings that created then outcome that occurred, and with different actions there may well have been different consequences.