User:Compassionate727/Drafts/Stalemate (war)

In terms of war, a stalemate is a situation in which two or more belligerents are unable or unwilling to get ahead of each other. Stalemates can occur on levels ranging from a single battle to an entire war, and they can occur for many reasons, including unwillingness to escalate or continue a conflict, or the inability to overcome an opponent.

Causes
Stalemates can occur for several reasons. One is the offensive strength of belligerents as compared to their defensive strength. One example of this is the Western Front in World War I. Although there is much discussion among scholars concerning the details, there is a general consensus that new defensive technologies were a significant factor.

Another reason can be the war weariness. In many democracies, it is very difficult for a belligerent to escalate or continue a war when a large portion of the population is opposed to it. This was a factor in the Korean War, where the United States was unwilling to commit additional soldiers to counter a successful Chinese offensive.