A Strategy of Attrition: Why General WestmorelandGeneral WestmorelandWilliam Childs Westmoreland (March 26, 1914 – July 18, 2005) was a United States Army general, most notably commander of United States forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968. He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1968 to 1972. Saxon, South Carolina, U.S.

What was the strategy of attrition?

Attrition warfare is a military strategy consisting of belligerent attempts to win a war by wearing down the enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and materiel.

Who started the war of attrition?

The conflict, launched by Egypt, was meant to wear down Israel by means of a long engagement and so provide Egypt with the opportunity to dislodge Israeli forces from the Sinai Peninsula, which Israel had seized from Egypt in the Six-Day (June) War of 1967. Shortly after the end of the 1967 war, Egyptian Pres.

Who won the battle of attrition?





Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War left the entirety of the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula up to the eastern bank of the Suez Canal under Israeli control.

What is the theory of attrition?

On the tactical level, in battle, both theories are present and complement one another. Attrition theory requires the physical destruction of an enemy force. Manoeuvre theory requires the psychological defeat of an enemy force before the start of battle. Both these extremes are, however, an illusion.

What is strategy of attrition in a war?

Attrition warfare is the term used to describe the sustained process of wearing down an opponent so as to force their physical collapse through continuous losses in personnel, equipment and supplies or to wear them down to such an extent that their will to fight collapses.

Why did the American strategy of attrition fail?



General Westmoreland’s strategy of attrition, in 1967, failed because it reduced security across the countryside, ostracized the people within South Vietnam, and did not affect the South Vietnamese communists.

Who used attrition ww1?

But Falkenhayn had overestimated the Germans’ ability to inflict disproportionate losses. Instead, his men found themselves in a battle of attrition that wore them down as much as the French. The Germans sustained around 330,000 casualties during the battle.



What does attrition mean in history?

a wearing down or weakening of resistance, especially as a result of continuous pressure or harassment: The enemy surrounded the town and conducted a war of attrition.

Who used war of attrition in Vietnam?

The Vietnam War is another key example of attrition warfare. North Vietnam (aided by China, the Soviet Union, and other communist nations) fought South Vietnam (aided by the US, South Korea, Thailand, Australia and others). Spread over Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, the war lasted almost 20 years.

Why was ww1 known as the war of attrition?

The First World War is often perceived as a war of attrition, a conflict in which each side tried to wear the other down by killing as many of its men as possible.

What is an example of war of attrition?



One of the best examples of a war of attrition is World War I on the Italian and Western Fronts. Both sides were drained until one side did not have enough men, horses, food and other military resources to continue. The term was often used to show a lack of imagination in simply throwing soldiers at their enemy.

How was war of attrition used in ww1?

The First World War is often perceived as a war of attrition, a conflict in which each side tried to wear the other down by killing as many of its men as possible.

How will you solve the problem of attrition?

If you want to reduce employee attrition, concentrate on employee engagement through meaningful work, goal-setting, and communication of worth. Respect and recognition are helpful too, but not just a pat on the back. Giving folks more responsibility and building their skill sets works even better.

What are the 5 modes of attrition?

There are five types of employee attrition that you need to know of:

  • Attrition due to retirement.
  • Voluntary attrition.
  • Involuntary attrition.
  • Internal attrition.
  • Demographic-specific attrition.



What is the purpose of attrition?

Sometimes, employees choose to leave an existing job to take a new one or because they’re retiring. An attrition policy takes advantage of such voluntary departures to reduce overall staff. Layoffs occur when a company is faced with a financial crisis and must cut its workforce to stay afloat.

What is an attrition policy?

The attrition clause



A contracted room block guarantees your group rate and availability while also putting into place restrictions that protect a hotel’s financial interests. The attrition clause is the percentage of your room block that you are required to fill by the cutoff date, which is typically 30 days out.

What type of process is attrition?

Definition: Attrition is an erosional process. Rocks and pebbles are carried in the flow of a river. They repeatedly knock into each other, which causes the rocks to erode or to break. As the rocks continue to collide, they erode more and more, getting smaller and smaller until they are only sediment.