What is Strongpoint?
[[File:Monte Cassino Polish soldiers.jpg|thumb|250px|{{center|Soldiers of 2nd [[Poland|Polish]] Corps in the battle of Monte Cassino}}]] A '''strongpoint''' is a key point in a [[wikt:defense|defensive]] fighting position which the rest of the positions rely on.<ref>''Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms'', ed. Barry Leonard (Washington, DC: United States Department of Defense, 2001), p. 450</ref> Its primary requirement is that it should not be easy to [[wikt:defeat|defeat]] by the [[enemy]].<ref>{{citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T6T0LDe0WyoC&pg=PA121 |title=Combat Leader's Field Guide |author=Brett A. Stoneberger |publisher=Stackpole Books |year=2004 |isbn=9780811731959 | page = 21}}</ref> In general, high ground is preferred. But any good [[Military tactics|tactically]] important [[terrain]] can be used as a strongpoint.<ref>''Command and General Staff School Military Review'' (Fort Leavenworth, KS: Command and General Staff School, 1963), p. 55</ref> Examples from history include [[Battle of Thermopylae]], where 300 [[Sparta]]ns held off an entire [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian army]] at a narrow [[wikt:pass|pass]] in the [[mountain]]s.<ref>John M. Kistler, ''War Elephants'' (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2007), p. 143</ref> In the [[Battle of Monte Cassino]] in [[Italy]] in [[World War II]], the area around the [[abbey]] of [[Monte Cassino]] was used by the [[Nazi Germany|German army]] as a strongpoint until it was destroyed by [[United States|American]] [[bomber]]s.<ref>Rudolf Bohmler, ''Monte Cassino: A German View'' (Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military, 2015), p. 175</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} {{military-stub}} [[Category:Fortification]] [[Category:Military terminology]]