What is a sound defense strategy?

Question

what is a sound defense strategy?

Answer 1

The best defensive strategies involve utilizing your resources and intelligence, and knowing your enemy.

Utilizing a hill or higher position is an advantage, since you will be able to see farther than your enemy and can use gravity to your advantage.

One of my personal favorites involves covering a field in flamable materials (such as oil, etc....) then falling back. When the enemy advances through the field, light it on fire using a flare, flaming arrow, or lit stick throw into the field.

It also depends on what you are trying to defend and are willing to conceed  ----Russia has had one of the most successful defensive histories ever thanks to their scortched earth defense.  When enemy troops would approach, they would burn everything and fall back. The closer troops would get, the farther they are from supplies from their own country.  Many military commanders have to plan this into their battles - when they plan to take a town, they assume that they will lose a certain number of men and be able to pillage food and supplies from the town they capture. With russia's strategy, the enemy would end up with not enough food far from home. Then when winter came, they would starve to death, start fighting amongst themselves, and/or die of disease from the bad conditions.

Many other strategies also involve terrain:

In the Battle of Thermopylae, Greek forces were able to deal devastating losses to a much larger persian army (estimated at 5,283,220 men) because the width of the area they were defending was only about that the pass was only 100 meters (about 109 yards) wide and the waters came up to the gates. You could only fit so many people in the opening.

The pass still is a natural defensive position to modern armies, and British Commonwealth forces in World War II made another defense against the n**i invasion meters from the original battle field.

Yet another strategy involves digging ditches  to prevent vehicles from advancing beyond a certain point.

Hannibal of Carthage used strategy to surround the enemy, and win many battles where he was out numbered. His men would start out fighting in a straight line (as was the custom of the time). He would then have the middle of the line gradually fall back, forming his forces into a V shape. Then he would close the end surrounding his enemy.

Being that you posted this in Military, I am guessing that you mean sound defensive military strategies.

Answer 2

A super strong Leader and a strong well equipped Military

Answer 3

I agree with Gumpus

Answer 4

walk sofly and carry a big stick.  

Answer 5

know your terrain and know it well. if you are not strong, make yourself appear strong. make your enemy divide his force. defend where the enemy does not expect a defense.

Answer 6

One that serves your interests and is agreeable to your citizens/constituency.  But it depends on facts and circumstances, not the least of which is the spending level you are willing to maintain.

Some popular classical strategies that work under certain circumstances are Measured Deterrence, Massive Retaliation, Hegemonism, The Creation of Buffers and Defensive Isolationism.  

Citizens in a Democracy will not ordinarily vote for a war, unless convinced that it is a just and defensive one, so it is up to the Generals and Politicians to manipulate them through the media if an aggressive forward strategy is desired. Citizens in an authoritarian nation are not ordinarily consulted, so their opinion doesn't matter.