High ground

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

High ground

High ground is a spot of elevated terrain which can be useful in military tactics

Military tactics

Military tactics are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an Enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics....
. Fighting from an elevated position is easier for a number of reasons. Soldiers will tire more quickly when fighting uphill, will move more slowly, and if fighting in formation will have little ability to see beyond the soldiers in front of them. Likewise, soldiers fighting on the hill won't get tired as quickly, will move faster, and will be able to see farther when in formation, aiding them in making smart tactical maneuvers.

Discussion

Ask a question about 'High ground'

Start a new discussion about 'High ground'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

High ground is a spot of elevated terrain which can be useful in military tactics

Military tactics

Tank

A tank is a Continuous track, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility and Military tactics Offensive and defence capabilities....
s and armoured personnel carrier

Armoured personnel carrier

Armoured personnel carriers are armoured fighting vehicles developed to transport infantry on the battlefield. They usually have only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortar ....
s, or in the past to cavalry

Cavalry

The Cavalry is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat, it represents the mobility and offensive power of the armed forces....
and war elephant

War elephant

A war elephant is an elephant trained and guided by humans for combat. Their main use was in charge s, to trample the enemy and/or break their ranks....
s. For example, in the Soviet war in Afghanistan

Soviet war in Afghanistan

The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year war involving Soviet Union Military of the Soviet Union supporting the Marxism People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan government against the Mujahideen#Afghanistan resistance movement....
, mujahideen

Mujahideen

A Mujahid is a person involved in a jihad. The plural is Mujahideen . The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad ....
guerrillas based themselves in the mountains of Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....
, thereby protecting themselves from the Soviet motorized divisions. This forced the Soviets to rely heavily on helicopter

Helicopter

A helicopter is an aircraft that is Lift and propelled by one or more horizontal plane Helicopter rotors, each rotor consisting of two or more rotor blades....
s to conduct the war, but the US gave the mujahideen FIM-92 Stinger

FIM-92 Stinger

The FIM-92 Stinger is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile developed in the United States and entered into service in 1981....
anti-aircraft missiles, which, arguably, combined with the defense of the mountains, was able to win the war for the mujahideen. The high ground and anti-air craft missiles made it possible for the mujahideen to use guerrilla warfare against the Soviets without being wiped out. High ground was also employed in the 1423 Battle of Horic

Battle of Horic

The Battle of Horice was fought on April 27, 1423 between the Taborite and Utraquist factions of the Hussites. The Hussites were led by Jan ?i?ka, while the Utraquists were led by Cenek of Wartenberg....
in Germany, where Taborite

Taborite

The Taborites were members of a religious community considered heretical by the Catholic Church. The Taborites were centered on the Bohemian city of T?bor during the Hussite Wars in the 15th century....
soldiers took to high ground, forcing the Utraquist cavalry to dismount to attack them, and also rendering their cannons ineffective. Taborite soldiers were eventually able to make a downhill charge and wipe out the remaining Utraquists. Here again, high ground played a crucial role in the outcome of the battle.

However, getting the high ground is not always advantageous. In Battle of Jieting

Battle of Jieting

The Battle of Jieting was a battle fought in 228 during the Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions#First expedition led by Zhuge Liang....
of the Three Kingdoms

Three Kingdoms

The Three Kingdoms period is a period in the history of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty emperors....
period of China

China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
, Shu Han

Shu Han

Shu Han , sometimes known as the Kingdom of Shu was one of the Three Kingdoms competing for control of China after the fall of the Han Dynasty, based on areas around Sichuan which was then known as Shu ....
forces occupied a hilltop, where Cao Wei

Cao Wei

Cao Wei was one of the empires that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Lu?y?ng, the empire was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid....
forces soon surrounded and isolated the Shu forces from water supplies and reinforcements. The Shu forces suffered a humiliating defeat, and the Shu northern expedition had to be aborted.

High ground

See also