History Main / MyDefenseNeedNotProtectMeForever

* The ultimate military example was provided by the [[UsefulNotes/PunicWars Second Punic War]]: Hannibal's army was practically undefeatable in battle, but, after the first defeats, the Romans realized it was too small to attack Rome directly or even ''come close'' to the city (as, no matter what route he choose he would have had to fight his way through the lands of one of Rome's closest and most loyal allies, the Latins, the Etruscans and the Umbrians, with the Etruscans being by far the largest people of Italy, the Umbrians living in easily defended mountains and the Latins being the second largest nation ''and'' controlling lands accessible only through either the Umbrians' lands or a small coastal plain) as long as most of their allies remained loyal ([[GenreSavvy something Hannibal knew well, and in fact had based his strategy into shocking the Italian peoples into changing sides]]), so Roman strategy was to launch guerilla attacks on him while taking down any Italian population that dared defect to Hannibal and what reinforcements Carthage tried to send him. It took them ''sixteen years '''and''' attacking Carthage directly'' ([[WeHaveReserves because Rome and their loyal allies had a much larger population from which to raise troops as necessary]]), but in the end Hannibal and what remained of his army after all those years left Italy.