Double Envelopment

• The Double Envelopment is a military Tactic, also known as the Pincer Movement, and was famously used by Hannibal to defeat a larger Roman Army at the Battle of Cannae in 216 BCE.

Battle of Cannae (216 BCE)

• This was the earliest recorded Pincer Movement in History, narrated by Polybius the Greek Historian.
• Hannibal brilliantly deployed the Tactic of Double Envelopment or Pincer Movement.

Outnumbered by superior Infantry

• Hannibal was faced by a Roman Army twice the size of his Army, and with superior Infantry:
  • 80,000 Romans to his 47,000 Carthaginians.
• He did, however, hold a large cavalry force that was superior to the Roman cavalry:
  • 10,000 Carthaginian cavalry to 6,000 Roman cavalry.

Opening Move

• Hannibal advanced his Infantry centre, creating a crescent. This tempted the Roman cavalry to charge into his wings. His superior cavalry then met the charge and routed both the Roman Wings, pursuing and dispersing their cavalry behind the main mass of Roman infantry, leaving them unprotected.

The False Retreat

• Hannibal now ordered his own Infantry centre to fall back, luring the Roman Infantry to sense victory and press forward with their attack. As the Roman Infantry advanced, the Carthaginians closed in around them. They became compressed into a tunnel of Carthaginian infantry, and found themselves too close together to use their weapons.

Roman Strength becomes a Weakness

• Hannibal had converted the Roman strength into a weakness. The Romans had lost the protection of their cavalry wings, and the compressed Infantry were unable to use their weapons.

The Pincer closes

• The returning Carthaginian cavalry now joined up and attacked the Roman flanks and rear. The Roman Infantry was surrounded in the tunnel of Carthaginian Infantry.
• The mass of Roman Infantry was then surrounded and annihilated with 70,000 killed and 10,000 captured.