- 01 Dec
- 2024
ANACONDA STRATEGY
The Anaconda Plan was the nickname attached to Lieutenant General Winfield Scott‘s comprehensive plan to defeat the Confederacy at the start of the American Civil War (1861–1865). Scott called for a strong defence of Washington, D.C., a blockade of the Confederacy’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and a massive land and naval attack along the Mississippi River aimed at cutting the Confederacy in two. Although United States president Abraham Lincoln immediately instituted a naval blockade, he bowed to political pressure in 1861 and shelved the rest of the plan. In retrospect, Scott’s strategy seems broadly prescient, although it aimed at political conciliation and did not anticipate the hard war fought in Virginia and elsewhere.
- It refers to a military strategy with the primary objective to suffocate the Confederacy economically and militarily, similar to how an anaconda snake coils around and asphyxiates its prey.
- It was proposed by Union General Winfield Scott during the early stages of the American Civil War.
CURRENT CONTEXT
- China's 'anaconda strategy’ against Taiwan reportedly involves a mix of military manoeuvres, psychological tactics, and cyber warfare to eventually weaken Taiwan's defences. The ultimate goal appears to be to force Taiwan into submission without engaging in a full-scale invasion.
- China is encircling Taiwan by both sea and air, increasing the number of air incursions to Taiwan Strait, and employing its ships to operate around the country in what appears to be an effort to tire out Taiwan’s navy and air force.
- It could be the prelude to a more violent showdown in the future.