Attrition Warfare
War of Attrition
A military strategy in which a belligerent party attempts to win a war by wearing down the enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and material.
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Origin
The German term Ermattungsstrategie (strategy of exhaustion) emerged from Prussian military theory, contrasting with Niederwerfungsstrategie (strategy of annihilation). While Carl von Clausewitz described exhausting adversaries' will and capability in On War (1832), attrition warfare became prominent during World War I, where Erich von Falkenhayn infamously attempted to "bleed France white" at Verdun (1916), resulting in enormous casualties with minimal strategic gains.
Updated February 22, 2026