What is scorched earth strategy?
Scorched earth
destroy anything that might be useful to the enemy while it is advancing through or withdrawing from a location
A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy that aims to destroy anything that might be useful to the enemy while it is advancing through or withdrawing from a location. Any assets that could be used by the enemy may be targeted, for example food sources, water supplies, transportation, communications, industrial resources, and even the locale's people themselves.