It is commonly called a "scorched earth" policy. Hitler ordered Albert Speer to institute a scorched earth policy near the end of the war. Without telling Hitler, Speer ignored the command (he revealed this to Hitler only a few days before Hitler committed suicide). Speer's refusal to, literally, "burn Germany to the ground" is part of why when he was tried at Nuremberg, he got 20 years instead of life or execution.
William Tecumseh Sherman was known for his strategy of "total war," which aimed to destroy not just enemy forces but also the resources and infrastructure that supported them. His famous "March to the Sea" during the Civil War involved a scorched-earth policy, where he and his troops dismantled railroads, burned crops, and targeted civilian property to diminish the South's ability to sustain the war. This technique was designed to break the will of the Southern populace and expedite the end of the conflict. Sherman's approach emphasized mobility, surprise, and a relentless pursuit of the enemy, contributing significantly to the Union's success.
It wrecked the Confederate economy and starved the troops in the field.
Destroying everything that the enemy could use - food supplies, crops, buildings, factories, bridges, etc
german's provisions and weapons were destroyed by soviets troops
General Sherman destroyed everything in his path. It was a scorched earth strategy.
The scorched earth strategy
' Scorched Earth '
Scorched earth.
economic infrastructure
Yes
The term "scorched earth policy" originated from military strategy where, during a retreat, all resources and infrastructure that could be useful to the enemy are destroyed or removed. The goal is to leave nothing of value behind for the advancing enemy, essentially leaving behind only scorched land.
The scorched earth policy basically states that a retreating military army should destroy any food or supplies that would be useful to the opposing side when retreating. The scorched earth policy not affects armies but civilians as well.
Union General William T. Sherman
Scott's Anaconda Plan proved to be the blueprint for the Union victory. The blockade of the Southern ports and the capture of the Mississippi River eventually led to the starvation fo the military and civilian population, especially when coupled with Sherman's scorched earth policy during his March to the Sea.
During the US Civil War, Union generals Grant and Sherman employed what was called total war and /or scorched earth tactics.
The Battle of Atlanta and Sherman's March to the Sea.