Salami Tactics: How Modern Wars Are Won Slice by Slice

In the realm of military strategy, outright invasions are no longer the sole means of conquest. Instead, modern warfare increasingly relies on a method known as salami tactics—a strategy where gains are made incrementally, slice by slice, to achieve a broader objective without provoking an immediate, overwhelming response. This method, widely used in both military and geopolitical maneuvering, allows aggressors to expand influence and territory while avoiding full-scale war.

The term “salami tactics” originates from Cold War-era politics, where authoritarian regimes gradually undermined opposition by slicing away their power piece by piece. However, in contemporary conflicts, these tactics manifest in territorial disputes, hybrid warfare, and asymmetric engagements where one side slowly erodes the other’s position without triggering an all-out confrontation.

Russia’s war against Ukraine is a textbook example of salami tactics applied on a geopolitical scale. The strategy began well before the full-scale invasion of 2022. In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea under the guise of protecting ethnic Russians and strategic interests. Rather than launching an overt assault, Russia used unmarked troops—dubbed “little green men”—and staged a referendum that was widely condemned as illegitimate. The move was an early slice of territory taken without triggering an immediate, direct military response from NATO or the West.

Following Crimea, Russia fueled separatist movements in Donetsk and Luhansk, supporting local militias while denying direct involvement. Over the years, these regions saw creeping Russian influence, with Moscow issuing Russian passports to residents, integrating local economies, and eventually recognizing them as independent republics in 2022—just before launching its full-scale invasion. Even within the ongoing war, Russia continues to take small, incremental territorial gains in the Donbas region, fortifying positions, and expanding its military presence in a way that prevents Ukraine from reclaiming lost ground quickly.

While the Israel-Palestine conflict is long and complex, Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank is often cited as an example of salami tactics. The gradual construction of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory has been a slow-moving yet significant geopolitical maneuver. Since 1967, Israel has established settlements, often beginning with small outposts that later expand into larger, fortified towns with full military protection.

In recent years, Israeli authorities have continued this approach through land zoning changes, infrastructure projects, and increased military presence in contested areas. Each expansion is framed as a security or housing necessity, making it difficult for international bodies to push back without significant diplomatic resistance. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority faces continuous erosion of governance capabilities, as control over the West Bank is increasingly fragmented.

The ongoing Gaza conflict (2023-2025) has also seen elements of salami tactics, where Israel has systematically expanded military operations, applying pressure in incremental waves—escalating from airstrikes to full-scale ground incursions while maintaining a strategy that seeks to achieve long-term security objectives in small steps rather than outright annexation.

China’s Expansion in the South China Sea is another example. While not a direct war, China’s actions in the South China Sea showcase salami tactics in geopolitical competition. Through a series of incremental steps—building artificial islands, militarizing reefs, and enforcing maritime claims—China has steadily expanded its control over a strategic region, despite ongoing territorial disputes with nations like the Philippines and Vietnam.

Each action is small enough to avoid an immediate large-scale military response from global powers, yet over time, the cumulative effect has been a substantial shift in control over key trade routes and resources. China’s approach ensures that by the time adversaries recognize the full extent of its influence, reversing the changes becomes an enormous challenge.

The strength of salami slicing tactics lies in their ability to circumvent red lines. Instead of presenting a clear-cut act of war, each small step remains within a gray zone of conflict, allowing aggressors to achieve objectives gradually while opponents struggle to justify retaliation at each stage.

Salami tactics also exploit international hesitation. In today’s globalized world, major conflicts come with severe economic and diplomatic consequences, making nations wary of overreacting to minor incursions. By the time the world takes notice, the aggressor has already secured irreversible gains.

With the rise of hybrid warfare—blending cyber operations, disinformation campaigns, and covert military actions—salami tactics will likely become even more sophisticated. As seen in Ukraine, the West Bank, and the South China Sea, conflicts of the future may no longer erupt as singular large-scale wars but rather as prolonged battles of attrition, where each small maneuver shapes the larger strategic landscape.

In the popular BBC show Yes Minister, there is a brilliant scene where an expert explains to the new British Prime Minister how salami-slicing tactics work and why even a nuclear deterrent might fail. Watch it below.

Understanding these tactics is essential, as global powers navigate a world where wars are fought not just with armies but with patience, precision, and incremental control.