High ground
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High ground is an area of elevated terrain, which can be useful in combat. The military importance of the high ground has been recognized for over 2,000 years, citing early examples from China and other early-dynastic cultures who regularly engaged in territorial/power struggles. Later incorporated to be advantageous in architectural designs such as castles and fortresses which included towers and walls designed to provide structural advantages for positions of troops and weaponry which could be thrown or fired from above.
History
In Sun Tzu's The Art of War, military leaders are advised to take high ground and let the enemy try to attack from a lower position.[1] Fighting from an elevated position is said to be easier for a number of tactical reasons. Holding the high ground offers an elevated vantage point with a wide field of view, enabling surveillance of the surrounding landscape, in contrast to valleys which offer a limited field of view.[2]
General
Very steep and/or rocky terrain, like mountain sides, can be an obstacle to
However, getting the high ground is not always advantageous. In the Battle of Jieting of the Three Kingdoms period of China, Shu Han forces occupied a hilltop, which Cao Wei forces soon surrounded and isolated the Shu forces from water supplies and reinforcements. The Shu forces suffered a humiliating defeat, and the Shu northern expedition had to be aborted.[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ Tzu, Sun. The Art of War. Wikisource.
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- doi:10.1179/152991007791330319. Archived from the original(PDF) on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.