The War of 1812 and the Civil War are clear examples. Had American forces not expelled the British from US territory in the first, and had Abraham Lincoln and the Union not prevailed in the second, the country would have been balkanized and unable to become the dominant power of the twentieth century.
我们研究了美国历史上的分水岭。1812年战争和内战是显著的例子。如果美国武装未能在一开始就把英国人驱逐出美国领土，如果林肯和联邦未能在内战中获胜，那么美国早已分崩离析，绝无可能成为20世纪的超级大国。