Denial (Military strategy)
Denial is a military defensive strategy where the defender makes it prohibitively difficult for an opponent to obtain a military objective.[1]
A denial strategy is different than a deterrence strategy. A deterrence strategy threatens reprisal. It attempts to changing the opponent’s mind about pursuing a certain course of action. On the other hand, a denial strategy does not seek to change an opponent’s mind. It merely makes an opponent’s objective impossible or prohibitively expensive, regardless of whether or not the opponent chooses to pursue it.[2]
A wall is an example of a denial measure. It hinders an opponent’s attacks without changing the opponent’s inclination to attack.[3]
"For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill." - Sun Tzu
