Definition of War of Positions

Probably the most famous and commonly used terms (counting contexts other than military) about the different types of war that can be fought in a conflict, be the Blitzkrieg and trench warfare. Something close to the latter, although less known by the general public, is the so-called war of positions.

The war of position It consists of an armed conflict in which the participating armies seek to gain positions (fortresses, cities, towns, hills, etc.) strategic to the enemy one after another until obtaining the victory in the conflict.

Trench warfare as fought during the First World War it is, in fact, a war of positions in which these positions were protected by excavating a complicated and well-barricaded set of trenches.

This made it very difficult, almost impossible, to take the enemy's positions, which at times ended up leading to a war of attrition.

As well as trying to take positions defended by the enemy, the strategy of positional warfare also requires protecting one's own against their attacks.

This can easily lead to a stalemate and the war of attrition we discussed earlier. In addition, in the event of a rupture of the enemy front, it becomes difficult to exploit the advantage, since a large number of forces are required at other points on the front to hold positions fortified.

The war of position is considered totally outdated today, in which the doctrine that triumphs is that of the war in mobility heir to the blitzkrieg launched by the German army in 1939.

This type of combat requires rapid penetrations by breaking points of the enemy front, which implies vehicles (both armored attack, such as tanks, and transport of troops), something that collides head-on with the strategy defense of positions, which requires maintaining troops to protect their own fixed positions.

In addition, the increase in power in offensive weapons means that, to this day, the maintenance of fixed defensive positions is little more than suicidal, while mobile positions may fall back to adapt to a more easily defensive position, while reconverting to attacking forces when necessary.

How do you choose which position to attack or defend? For its strategic value.

It can be a communications hub from which to transport troops between various points in front and rear, a point at which to obtain resources to continue the war (oil wells, refineries, mines, factories) or to harm the enemy, or a position that offers a strategic advantage (a hill dominating the battlefield, for example).

Photos: Fotolia - Caryblade, Vitaly Usov