In the study of
military tactics, a counter-offensive is a large-scale strategic offensive
military operation
A military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state, or a non-state actor, in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state or actor's favor. Operations ...
, usually by forces that had successfully halted the enemy's
offensive, while occupying
defensive positions.
The counter-offensive is executed after exhausting the enemy's
front line troops and after the enemy
reserves had been committed to combat and proven incapable of breaching defenses, but ''before'' the enemy has had the opportunity to assume new defensive positions. Sometimes the counter-offensive can be of a more limited operational maneuver nature, with more limited objectives rather than those seeking attainment of a
strategic goal. A counter-offensive as considered by
Clausewitz
Carl Philipp Gottfried (or Gottlieb) von Clausewitz (; 1 June 1780 – 16 November 1831) was a Prussian general and military theorist who stressed the "moral", in modern terms meaning psychological, and political aspects of waging war. His m ...
to be the most efficient means of forcing the attacker to abandon offensive plans.
[p.540, Briggs]
Counter-offensives can be executed not only on land, but also by the
naval forces and
air force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...
s. Strategic counter-offensives have been recorded by
military historians in many wars throughout
military history. Although not always known as such, because they are usually described by historians in conjunction with the defensive phase, such as the
Battle of Moscow.
A
counterattack
A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in "war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objectives typically seek ...
is the tactical and sometimes smaller operational equivalent of the counter-offensive.
Notes
References
* Briggs, Clarence E., (ed.), translated by
Oliver L. Spaulding, ''Roots of Strategy: 3 Military Classics : Von Leeb's ''Defense'', Von Freytag-Loringhoven's ''the Power of Personality in War'', Erfurth's ''Surprise'', Stackpole Books, 1991''
*
Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
(US);
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms Published by:
United States Government Printing Office
The United States Government Publishing Office (USGPO or GPO; formerly the United States Government Printing Office) is an agency of the legislative branch of the United States Federal government. The office produces and distributes informatio ...
, Washington, DC. Retrieved: 13 October 2008.
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Military strategy
Military tactics
Military terminology
Military theory