Page "Battle of annihilation" Paragraph 30

Since World War II, the paradigm of armies maneuvering in the empty countryside for weeks and then meeting in a battle lasting ( usually ) a single day no longer applies ( at least to wars between major powers ).

Instead, armies are deployed in more-or-less continuous lines stretching perhaps hundreds of miles.

Thus, the battle of annihilation may be considered to be mainly of historical interest, except for secondary campaigns.