Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!tellab5!laidbak!mcdchg!att!cbnews!military
From: nak%archie@att.att.com (Neil A Kirby)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Civil War technology => Scorched Earth
Summary: Scorched Earth? Assyria vs Babylon
Keywords: Ironclads, Civil War
Message-ID: <1990Oct17.011127.13242@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 17 Oct 90 01:11:27 GMT
References: <1990Oct11.050851.29295@cbnews.att.com* <1990Oct15.034315.14142@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military-request@att.att.com
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 24
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: nak%archie@att.att.com (Neil A Kirby)


From: nak%archie@att.att.com (Neil A Kirby)
In article <1990Oct15.034315.14142@cbnews.att.com>, woody@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Wayne Wood) writes:
> to the best of my knowledge napoleon never used scorched earth
> as an offensive tactic.  napoleon didn't try to destroy the
> economic base of the countries he invaded.  this is what i meant
> when referring to total war.  corrections welcomed.

When the Assyrians of Ninevah took the city of Babylon, they did more than
take the city.  They killed almost (If memory serves, less than a dozen
survivors) everyone.  They took the city apart so that no two stones were
left one on top the other.  They threw the topsoil into the Euphrates
river!  They were arguably more thorough in their destruction than the bomb
was to Hiroshima; Hiroshima had surviors, buildings partly intact, etc.

Neil Kirby 
...att!archie!nak

[mod.note:  And I'll mention the Roman destruction of Carthage after
that city's fall, so nobody else has to. 8-)  - Bill ]