siege

Noun
  1. The action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place and isolates it while continuing to attack (synset 101077041)
    referred to in: armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation
    is a type of: blockade, encirclement - a war measure that isolates some area of importance to the enemy
    specific instances:
    • alamo - a siege and massacre at a mission in San Antonio in 1836; Mexican forces under Santa Anna besieged and massacred American rebels who were fighting to make Texas independent of Mexico
    • atlanta, battle of atlanta - a siege in which Federal troops under Sherman cut off the railroads supplying the city and then burned it; 1864
    • bataan, corregidor - the peninsula and island in the Philippines where Japanese forces besieged American forces in World War II; United States forces surrendered in 1942 and recaptured the area in 1945
    • dien bien phu - the French military base fell after a siege by Vietnam troops that lasted 56 days; ended the involvement of France in Indochina in 1954
    • lucknow - the British residents of Lucknow were besieged by Indian insurgents during the Indian Mutiny (1857)
    • orleans, siege of orleans - a long siege of Orleans by the English was relieved by Joan of Arc in 1429
    • petersburg, petersburg campaign - the final campaign of the American Civil War (1864-65); Union forces under Grant besieged and finally defeated Confederate forces under Lee
    • pleven, plevna - the town was taken from the Turks by the Russians in 1877 after a siege of 143 days
    • siege of syracuse, syracuse - the Athenian siege of Syracuse (415-413 BC) was eventually won by Syracuse
    • siege of syracuse, syracuse - the Roman siege of Syracuse (214-212 BC) was eventually won by the Romans who sacked the city (killing Archimedes)
    • siege of vicksburg, vicksburg - a decisive battle in the American Civil War (1863); after being besieged for nearly seven weeks the Confederates surrendered
    • siege of yorktown, yorktown - in 1781 the British under Cornwallis surrendered after a siege of three weeks by American and French troops; the surrender ended the American Revolution
    same as: beleaguering, besieging, military blockade

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