![]() ![]() One of the clearest examples of attrition warfare is World War I, so much so that many historians refer to it as “the War of Attrition.” To understand attrition warfare, we can look at examples of how it works. Let’s examine two wars where attrition played a substantial role. By not scoring a decisive blow, the winners leave room for the losers to believe they can win the next time. And most of the time when you win, it’s only temporary. ![]() These methods tend to result in far fewer casualties, waste fewer resources and are a display of superior intellect, rather than just strength.Īttrition warfare is usually a last resort only. Traditional military theorists such as Sun Tzu (“Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting”) and Machiavelli (“Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception”) evangelized for clever tactics. Indeed, theorists are divided as to whether attrition is even a separate tactic, rather than a ubiquitous feature of all conflict. The International Encyclopedia of the First World War defines attrition warfare as “the sustained process of wearing down an opponent so as to force their physical collapse through continuous losses in personnel, equipment and supplies or them down to such an extent that their will to fight collapses.”Īttrition warfare is considered a somewhat dirty tactic, although necessary in some situations. ![]() “When you do as everyone else does, don’t be surprised when you get what everyone else gets.” - Peter Kaufman The best way out is to use a different approach - through tactics, strategy, or weaponry. It’s hard to see when you’re in it, but most people and businesses are in some form of attrition warfare. The winning side usually has a slight advantage in production capability or resources. ![]() When warring opponents use similar approaches and possess similar weapons, trench warfare becomes inevitable. ![]()
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