What does war of attrition mean

If by any chance you spot an inappropriate image within your search results please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly. Term » Definition. Word in Definition. Wikipedia 0. How to pronounce war of attrition? Alex US English. David US English. Mark US English. Daniel British.

Libby British. Mia British. Karen Australian. Hayley Australian. Natasha Australian. Veena Indian. Priya Indian. Neerja Indian. Zira US English. Oliver British. Given the enormous difficulty of moving even small numbers of such heavy guns and shells in ideal conditions, let alone those of a destroyed trench landscape, battles tended to be relatively static and to occur near key railway facilities: for it was only at such a place that the great quantities of manpower and materiel necessary to fight could be amassed.

As these places were fixed, it meant that an enemy could relatively easily predict where large attacks would happen and counter any buildup of materiel and manpower with a buildup of their own. In practice this meant that the Entente Powers possessed a distinct advantage as they outnumbered the Central Powers in men, resources, and industrial capacity and as such only a decisive blow might win the war for Germany.

The German offensives during the spring of should be thought of with the above in mind. Germany tried to break the deadlock of trench warfare because it was losing the attritional war. The supreme irony is that despite the great distances covered, and the large amounts of territory captured, it was the enormous attrition suffered by Germany during these offensives that contributed directly to the collapse of the army in August of Section Editor: Emmanuelle Cronier.

Murray, Nicholas: Attrition Warfare , in: online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. DOI : Version 1. Attrition Warfare. By Nicholas Murray. Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 Why Attrition?

Why Attrition? Nicholas Murray, U. One obsolete and early use of the English attrition referred to the breaking or crushing of tissue, and was used in medical contexts. The newer senses of attrition are little more than a century old.

The common phrase war of attrition refers to a sustained effort to steadily wear down the defenses of an opponent, with the result that they are rendered weaker and less effective. From this sense comes the still-later meaning that refers to a reduction in numbers by a gradual and natural "wearing down" of an organization's ranks through death, retirement, or resignation.

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'attrition. Send us feedback. See more words from the same century. Accessed 11 Nov. More Definitions for attrition.

Britannica English: Translation of attrition for Arabic Speakers. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. Save Word. Essential Meaning of attrition. Full Definition of attrition.