An overarching theme among ancient strategists on ending the siege.

Sun Tzu on Siege #

Let’s dive into ancient military tactics. What is the recommended way to end the siege? #

Ending a siege in ancient military tactics involved a combination of strategic, psychological, and logistical measures. The recommended ways to conclude a siege effectively depended on the specific circumstances, including the resources available, the strength and resolve of both the besiegers and the besieged, and the broader strategic context. Here are some of the primary methods used to end a siege:

1. Starvation and Deprivation:

Blockade: The besieging force would cut off all supply lines to the besieged city or fortress. By preventing food, water, and other essential supplies from reaching the defenders, the besiegers could force a surrender through starvation and thirst.

Destruction of Resources: Besiegers might destroy crops, contaminate water supplies, and burn food stores within reach to accelerate the deprivation process.

2. Assault and Breaching:

Direct Assault: If the besiegers had sufficient manpower and resources, they could mount a direct assault on the fortifications. This might involve scaling walls with ladders, using battering rams to break down gates, or employing siege towers to deliver troops over the walls.

Siege Engines: Devices such as catapults, trebuchets, and ballistae were used to bombard and weaken walls and other fortifications, eventually creating breaches through which troops could enter.

3. Mining and Sapping:

Tunnels and Mines: Besiegers could dig tunnels underneath the walls to collapse them. This technique, known as sapping, involved undermining the structural integrity of fortifications.

Counter-Mining: Defenders often countered by digging their own tunnels to intercept and combat the besiegers’ sappers.

4. Psychological Warfare:

Demoralization: Besiegers would employ psychological tactics to weaken the defenders’ resolve. This could include spreading rumors, showcasing captured prisoners, or demonstrating the futility of continued resistance.

Bribery and Betrayal: Besiegers might bribe key individuals within the besieged city to betray their comrades and open the gates or sabotage defenses.

5. Diplomacy and Negotiation:

Negotiated Surrender: Offering terms of surrender that allowed the defenders to avoid massacre or enslavement could lead to a negotiated end to the siege. Terms might include safe passage, retention of certain rights, or even integration into the besieging power’s domain with favorable conditions.

False Promises: Sometimes besiegers would promise favorable terms to induce surrender, only to renege on those promises once the city was captured.

6. Use of Fire:

Incendiary Weapons: Utilizing fire to destroy fortifications or create chaos within the besieged area. This could involve firing flaming projectiles or sending in incendiary devices.

Greek Fire: In later periods, substances like Greek Fire (a flammable liquid weapon) were used effectively to terrorize and devastate defenders.

7. Use of Disease:

Biological Warfare: In some instances, besiegers would use disease as a weapon, either by catapulting diseased corpses over the walls or contaminating water supplies with pathogens.

8. Relief Forces and Counter-Siege:

Arrival of Reinforcements: The besieged might be saved by the arrival of relief forces that could either break the siege or force the besiegers into a defensive posture.

Counter-Siege: Occasionally, a besieged force might launch a counter-siege if they had the means, trapping the besiegers between the city and an external army.

The optimal method to end a siege depended on a nuanced understanding of both one’s own capabilities and the weaknesses of the enemy. Commanders needed to be adept in both martial and psychological tactics, often employing a combination of methods to achieve victory. In many cases, the decision on how to end a siege would involve a careful calculus of the costs and benefits, balancing the desire for a swift victory with the potential risks and long-term strategic implications.

Oh, I meant from the perspective of those under siege? #

Defending against a siege is a complex endeavor that requires a multifaceted approach combining military strategy, resource management, psychological resilience, and diplomatic acumen. Here are the recommended methods for those under siege to end the siege effectively:

1. Fortification and Defense:

Strengthening Defenses: Reinforcing walls, gates, and other fortifications to withstand attacks. This might include building secondary walls, constructing obstacles such as ditches and spikes, and repairing any damage quickly.

Effective Deployment: Placing skilled soldiers at key points, such as along walls and at gates, and using lookouts to spot any incoming threats early.

2. Resource Management:

Rationing Supplies: Implementing strict rationing of food, water, and other essential supplies to ensure they last as long as possible. Proper storage and distribution are crucial.

Utilizing Local Resources: Making use of any resources available within the besieged area, including urban agriculture, rainwater collection, and scavenging for food.

3. Counter-Siege Tactics:

Sorties and Raids: Conducting surprise attacks (sorties) against besiegers to disrupt their operations, destroy siege equipment, and gather intelligence or supplies.

Sabotage: Sending out small teams to sabotage siege equipment, undermine the besiegers’ camp, or attack their supply lines.

4. Psychological Warfare:

Maintaining Morale: Keeping the defenders’ spirits high through regular communication, rewards for bravery, and ensuring that leadership is visibly active and engaged.

Deception and Propaganda: Using misinformation to confuse the besiegers about the defenders’ strength and resolve. This could involve fake messages, false rumors, and demonstrations of apparent strength, such as parading soldiers or showcasing plentiful supplies.

5. Diplomacy and Alliances:

Negotiation: Opening lines of communication with the besiegers to explore terms of surrender or truce that might be acceptable and minimize loss.

Seeking External Help: Sending messages to allies or friendly neighboring powers requesting relief forces or supplies. This might involve secret messengers or using signal fires to communicate distress.

6. Engineering Solutions:

Counter-Mining: Detecting and countering enemy tunnels with defensive tunnels or by flooding them if possible.

Water Management: Ensuring that wells and other water sources within the besieged area are protected from contamination and that rainwater is effectively collected and stored.

7. Utilizing Geography:

Natural Defenses: Making the most of the natural terrain, such as rivers, cliffs, or dense forests, to make the besiegers’ task more difficult and reduce the number of directions from which they can attack.

Environmental Manipulation: Using the environment to your advantage, such as by flooding areas around the walls to create a moat or using the terrain to set ambushes.

8. Innovative Defense Tactics:

Chemical and Biological Defenses: Although rare and risky, defenders might use substances like quicklime or boiling oil to repel attackers, or in desperate situations, even consider contaminating the battlefield with disease (though this is ethically and practically fraught with danger).

Creating Escape Routes: Preparing secret tunnels or routes for evacuation if the situation becomes untenable, allowing key personnel and civilians to escape.

9. Relief Efforts:

Coordinating with Relief Forces: If there is hope of a relief force arriving, defenders need to coordinate with them for a synchronized attack to break the siege from both inside and outside.

10. Endurance and Attrition:

Outlasting the Enemy: Sometimes, the best defense is simply to endure. If the besiegers are poorly supplied or vulnerable to disease and desertion, a well-defended city might outlast them until they are forced to retreat.

Defending against a siege requires a combination of robust physical defenses, strategic ingenuity, psychological fortitude, and effective use of resources. The ultimate goal is to outlast or repel the besiegers, either through direct military action, strategic countermeasures, or negotiations that preserve the defenders’ lives and autonomy. Each situation is unique, demanding a tailored approach that leverages the defenders’ strengths and exploits the besiegers’ weaknesses.

Wow, so much detail, but fair enough, I did ask about tactics. Strategy-wise, was there any ancient theorist claiming that an end to siege is not simply an enemy withdrawing, because that would give them a chance to regroup and try again? #

Yes, there were ancient theorists and strategists who argued that ending a siege effectively was not merely about forcing the enemy to withdraw but ensuring they were decisively defeated to prevent future threats. One notable figure who emphasized this approach was Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese military strategist and author of “The Art of War.” While Sun Tzu’s work is broad in scope, it contains several principles applicable to the conclusion of sieges and the comprehensive defeat of enemies.

Sun Tzu’s Perspective on Siege and Decisive Victory #

• Complete Destruction of Enemy Forces: - Sun Tzu advocated for the complete destruction of the enemy’s ability to wage war. In his view, merely repelling an enemy could lead to them regrouping and launching another attack. He believed in strategies that would lead to a decisive and total victory, rendering the enemy incapable of further aggression.

• Psychological Warfare: - Sun Tzu emphasized the importance of breaking the enemy’s will to fight. This could be achieved through psychological tactics that demoralize the enemy forces and undermine their resolve, ensuring they do not return with renewed vigor.

• Strategic Use of Intelligence: - The effective use of spies and intelligence was crucial for Sun Tzu. By gathering detailed information about the enemy’s plans, strengths, and weaknesses, a commander could plan operations that not only repel but also decisively defeat the besieging forces.

• Decisive Engagement: - Sun Tzu suggested that commanders should seek to engage the enemy in situations where they can achieve a decisive victory. This could involve luring the besieging forces into a trap or attacking them when they are vulnerable and least prepared.

• Destroying the Enemy’s Supply Lines: - Another key strategy was to attack the enemy’s logistics. By cutting off their supplies and reinforcements, the besieging forces could be weakened to a point where they are not just forced to withdraw but are annihilated in their retreat.

Other Historical Perspectives #

Thucydides and the Peloponnesian War

• Total Annihilation: - Thucydides, in his account of the Peloponnesian War, provides examples where Greek commanders sought the total annihilation of their enemies to prevent future conflicts. The Sicilian Expedition is one such example where Athens aimed to decisively defeat Syracuse to prevent it from posing a future threat.

Roman Tactics

• Scorched Earth Policy: - Roman commanders often employed scorched earth tactics to ensure that the enemy could not regroup. This involved destroying crops, settlements, and infrastructure, leaving the enemy with no resources to sustain another campaign.

• Relentless Pursuit: - Romans were known for pursuing retreating enemies to annihilate them. After breaking a siege, Roman legions would often chase down fleeing forces to ensure they could not regroup.

The overarching theme among ancient theorists and strategists was that simply ending a siege by causing the enemy to withdraw was insufficient for long-term security. Effective strategy required ensuring the enemy could not return, either through total military defeat, psychological demoralization, or the destruction of their resources and capabilities. Sun Tzu’s principles, along with historical practices of Greek and Roman commanders, illustrate a comprehensive approach to achieving lasting victory by preventing future threats from besieging forces.