Breakthroughs Without Exploitations

Comparing 20th Century Breakthroughs to today--the gap is massive.

We have a bit of a linguistic problem in this war—one which often leads to mental associations with earlier wars which distort more than help. Arguably the most problematic linguistic problem is the “breakthrough” which has been used breathlessly and repeatedly for the past few years. Most recently it was used during last week’s Russian advance towards Ocheretyne.

This kind of reporting has happened regularly. Maybe the first time the idea of a “breakthrough” leading to a dramatic military event occurred after the Russian full-scale invasion was in May 2022, when the Russians supposedly broke through at the Ukrainian town of Popasna. Here was how it was reported by Le Monde.

Three months after the start of the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian air force is intensifying its operations. The increase in the number of flights and the use of new tactics may have played a crucial role in the Russian army's breakthrough, since mid-May, in eastern Donbas, in the town of Popasna.

Breakthrough is a redolent word in 20th century military history. It usually is used as a prelude to a dramatic military reverse and indeed often a major collapse in the force which has been broken through. That is because it is how the word has been used in history.

Breakthroughs in World War II