![]() Notably, civilians accounted for more than half of the casualties suffered by American forces. The October 1993 defeat of Ranger troops at the hands of armed youths in Mogadishu served as a sobering lesson. Somalia also revealed the limitations of relying solely on superior firepower. For instance, the older 7.62mm bullets can penetrate walls better than the more modern NATO standard 5.56mm rounds. In fact, some older technologies may prove more effective. These episodes demonstrated that having advanced military technology doesn’t guarantee success against local armed groups in dense, unfamiliar urban environments. However, events in Mogadishu, Somalia, and the Chechen capital of Grozny challenged this perspective. The 1990s gave rise to the myth of conventional military superiority. ![]() Significant confrontations took place in Hue in 1968 and Suez in 1973. Anti-colonial uprisings compelled conventional forces to craft strategies for urban counterinsurgency. 18th-century Prussian general and military strategist Carl von Clausewitz viewed war as a continuation of politics, a concept rooted in the Greek word “polis” meaning city-this same root gave rise to terms like “cosmopolitan” and “police.” Aristotle perceived politics as the affairs of the city.ĭuring the Cold War, urban guerrillas escalated operations in various Latin American nations, meeting resistance from police and military forces. In 1453, the fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Byzantine Empire. Ancient Athens resisted three Persian invasions and the Punic War concluded with Rome destroying Carthage. As far back as 1274 BC, the Hittites and Egyptians clashed near Kadesh in modern Syria. Urban WarfareĬities have long been at the heart of military campaigns. ![]() Battles such as Hue in the Vietnam War and Fallujah in the Iraq War demonstrate that achieving victory in an urban conflict does not necessarily translate to success in the larger war. Multiple examples of past urban warfare prove that technological military superiority doesn’t necessarily ensure victory. Throughout history, wars have frequently revolved around city sieges and defenses, with large open-field battles being comparatively less common. ![]()
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