Choke Point

“Choke point” is a term used in geopolitics and military geography to denote a narrow passage, either on land or water, through which a military force or economic resource is forced to pass, and that may be easily controlled by one or a few countries. Choke points can carry great military strategic importance, because the geography of such locations may be utilized by a smaller force to offset a disadvantage in size when facing a larger army. The classic example of a smaller force using a choke point to great advantage is at the Battle of Thermopylae, when a small army of Greeks, led by the Spartan king Leonidas, encountered a much larger Persian army led by Xerxes I. The pass at Thermopylae at the time of the battle in 480 BCE was extremely confined, wedged between the sea on one side and steep hills on the other. The Greek historian Herodotus described the passage as so restricted that only a single chariot could move through it at a time. Leonidas, recognizing the advantage the topography would give his outnumbered army, used this choke point to supreme advantage, stopping the advance of the Persian soldiers for several days, and allowing the Greek forces behind him to organize a defense against the invading Persians. Indeed, had it not been for the betrayal of a local herdsman who showed the Persians a path through the hills that enabled them to bypass the Greeks and attack them from the rear, Leonidas and his followers might have held the position for many more days. Considering that modern scholars estimate that the Greek fighters were facing an army that was likely 50 times larger, the strategic advantage offered by a choke point is obvious.