ccording to some writers, what has been
termed the urban battlefield made its appear-
ance with the Spanish Civil War and the
Second World War.
1
In an earlier era,
armies laid siege to cities but did battle
in the countryside. In recent decades, however, there
have been an ever increasing number of instances of
combat taking place in urban areas, to the point that
today the city and the battlefield have become insepara-
ble realities. Too long an a parte would be required to
explain the reasons for this change, but it is evident that
large cities are now key military objectives, even in
third world countries, because that is where one finds
the major centres of population, wealth, transportation,
mass media and warehousing of goods. Moreover, the
military strength of western countries, especially the
US, makes it all but impossible for an unsophisticated
‘enemy’ to hope for victory on a traditional battlefield.
This notable shift has required important adjust-
ments in thinking on the part of armies. One might
indeed ask whether or not combat doctrine in western
armies has kept pace with this new situation. The same
question could, of course, be asked about troop training,
but doctrine is the key since it is the foundation of mil-
itary training and action. As for the Canadian Army, is it
a step ahead in the field of urban combat as a result of
its experience during the Second World War in Italy and
in North-West Europe?
Autumn 2000
●
Canadian Military Journal 39
by Dr. Roch Legault
THE URBAN BATTLEFIELD AND
THE ARMY:
CHANGES AND DOCTRINES
Canadian War Museum CN 12261
Charles Comfort’s painting entitled Chiesa di San Tomasso, Ortona depicts a typical scene of destruction in the built-up area of the Italian port
town in which Canadian troops fought such vicious battles in December 1943.
Dr. Roch Legault is a professor in the Department of History at
Royal Military College.
A
