Strategy of the central position

The strategy of the central position was a key strategy used by Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars. It involved attacking two cooperating armies at their hinge, swinging around to fight one until it fled, then turning to face the other. The strategy allowed the use of a smaller force to defeat a larger one. However, the strategy, while successful at the battles of Ligny and Quatre Bras, failed at the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon was defeated because he wasn't able to prevent the joining of the British and Dutch forces by the Prussian forces.

Central position also describes the overall strategic situation of Frederick the Great during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War in the Eighteenth Century where, although Prussia was surrounded by enemies, Frederick was able to use his central position to maneuver and attack each enemy separately despite being vastly outnumbered overall.

In World War II, Rommel maintained a central position on the Mareth Line between allied forces in Tunisia and Libya.