Scorched earth

Scorched earth is a military tactic which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy whilst withdrawing from an area. The name refers to the practice of burning crops to deny the enemy food sources. The practice may be carried out by an army in enemy territory, or by an army in its own home territory, as in World War II Soviet/Nazi example. Contrary to popular opinion maintained mainly by the Tolstoy novel War and Peace, the tactic was first proposed not by Mikhail Ilarionovich Kutuzov but Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly.

Wars which have involved scorched earth tactics

• The Napoleonic Wars in Russia (see Patriotic War)
• The British used scorched earth techniques against the Afrikaners during the Boer Wars.
• During the American Civil War, General Sherman burned and plundered the countryside on his way from Atlanta to the sea.
• In skirmishes with Indian settlers in the Great Plains, American soldiers used scorched earth tactics to destroy Indian food supplies and territories.
• During World War II, the Soviets employed a highly effective scorched earth policy to counter the Nazi invasion (see Great Patriotic War).
• The Nazis used a scorched earth strategy against the Finns during the Lapland War, part of World War II.

• Total war