The hedgehog concept (from the French hérisson) is a defensive military tactic in which a defending army creates mutually supporting strongpoints in a defence in depth, designed to sap the strength and break the momentum of an attacking army. The tactic was successfully used by the French against the Việt Minh in the Battle of Nà Sản during the First Indochina War (1946-1954). Later, the “hedgehog” concept was central in US Marines’ successful defence of Khe Sanh against the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) during the Second Indochina War (1955-1975).
