Fabian strategy

The result of all of this guerrilla warfare was that Hannibal ended up not being able to invade Rome itself and was just sort of stuck in Italy for about 15 years, eventually going back to Carthage after the Romans had managed to build up the size of their army whilst they were delaying the Carthaginians and then they marched down to sort of play them at their own game.

Anyway, the strategy of delaying and fighting that kind of war of attrition eventually came to be known, after that general, as a Fabian strategy.

Ah, the circle is complete.

we found ourselves back at the Fabian Society.

The Romans appointed Quintus Fabius as dictator to solve the problem, and his approach to Hannibal was not to fight him at all.

He shadowed Hannibal and avoided direct conflict, a strategy known as the Fabian Strategy.

But this approach did not sit well with Romans, who then attempted to fight Hannibal head-on.

In 216 BC, they amassed a huge army and fought Hannibal at the Battle of Cannae, where they vastly outnumbered the Carthaginians.

This almost destroyed the Roman Republic.

Hannibal could have marched on Rome, but for some reason, he didn't.

For several years, the Romans reverted back to the Fabian strategy while they licked their wounds and rebuilt.

The solution to the Hannibal problem, and the focus of this episode, ultimately came in the form of Publius Cornelius Scipio, later known as Scipio Africanus.

It's important also to look at the bigger picture and understand how the Patriots kept such full-scale battlefield clashes to a minimum.

Under Washington's direction, the Continental Army employed techniques associated with what is known as the Fabian strategy.

Named for the Roman commander Fabius Maximus, he avoided pitched battles whenever possible.

Instead, he wore down his opponents by attacking outposts, interrupting their supply lines, and capturing men out on scouting and foraging excursions.