The military advantage of an enemy's interior lines position can often be defeated by the effective simultaneous advance of exterior lines. The effect can be successful assuming the exterior forces outnumber the troops of the enemy.
superior generals
proportionality
Speed and the use of armor .
In the early stages of the US Civil War, the Union's generals and President Lincoln were astonished that the South's ability to use its interior lines to shift troops, often by railway, to areas where they were most needed. This is why, for example, the First Battle of Bull Run was a Southern victory. Via railroad, General Johnston's forces used the railroads to move to the Bull Run battle scene and reinforce General Beauregard's army. In order to offset this advantage the Union adopted a strategy of simultaneous advances into the South and thereby hampering the Rebel's defense by the use of its interior lines.
cause they feel like it
Many definitions of exterior and interior lines of operations are given by military writers, but it will be sufficient to say that "Interior lines are those of an army centrally situated acting against divided hostile forces; exterior lines are those adopted by divided armies acting against a centrally placed opponent."
Based the the large size of the Confederate territory, a persistent concern remained and a real one at that. The South still retained the advantage of having its interior military lines in tact. The North had a huge exterior line advantage, however, moving forces into the center of the Confederacy was frought with danger. In addition, General in Chief Henry Wager Halleck warned General Grant that the South was in fact expanding its advantage in interior lines by constructing a new railway between Richmond and the southwest.
General US Grant's initial tactics relied on the use of exterior lines. Generally speaking, exterior lines are at a disadvantage, especially against a general of the caliber of Robert E. Lee who had positions of interior lines. Military theory at the time, 1864, allowed Grant to explore the viability of his offensive based on the fact of his numerical superiority. As Grant's offensive began operations his armies numbering 118,000 troops had a distinct advantage of Lee's forces of only 64,000.
It was a southern advantage.
The major Dutch military advantage was their Navy. The Dutch are an ethnic people group of Germanic people that reside in the Netherlands.
superior generals
The major Dutch military advantage was their Navy. The Dutch are an ethnic people group of Germanic people that reside in the Netherlands.
proportionality
Basically it's about the scope of military maneuver on either Strategic or Tactical level. If you operate on Interior lines then you have set the width of the battlefront & will deploy your reserve within these parameters. Exterior lines is the opposite, having laid out your force in their dispositions you are then prepared to deploy outside the set boundaries of these dispositions. Take Napoleon in the Waterloo campaign as an example: he deploys 2 wings under Ney on the left & Grouchy on the right, keeping the Imperial Guard under his own control to support either wing. Interior lines in action, just a shame that neither Grouchy or Ney quite had the script! but then at Borodino (1812) Napoleon should have acted on External lines & he bottled it.....
More powerful weapons
Proportionality
Their horses