No war is by intention a war of attrition; rather, the aggressor almost invariably expects a swift victory ([[Germany]] invading [[Belgium]] and [[France]] in 1914, Germany invading the [[USSR]] in 1941, the Allies invading [[Italy]] in 1943, [[Iraq]] invading [[Iran]] in 1980, [[terrorists]] attacking the [[United States]] in 2001), and it is only once such hopes are disappointed that a war takes on an attritional character. | No war is by intention a war of attrition; rather, the aggressor almost invariably expects a swift victory ([[Germany]] invading [[Belgium]] and [[France]] in 1914, Germany invading the [[USSR]] in 1941, the Allies invading [[Italy]] in 1943, [[Iraq]] invading [[Iran]] in 1980, [[terrorists]] attacking the [[United States]] in 2001), and it is only once such hopes are disappointed that a war takes on an attritional character. |