Choke point In military strategy , a choke point ( or chokepoint ) is a geographical feature on land such as a valley , defile or a bridge , or at sea such as a strait which an armed force is forced to pass , sometimes on a substantially narrower front , and therefore greatly decreasing its combat power , in order to reach its objective . A choke point would allow a numerically inferior defending force to successfully prevent a larger opponent because the attacker would not be able to bring their superior numbers to bear . Historical examples . Some historical examples of the tactical use of choke points are King Leonidas ' s defense of the Pass of Thermopylae during an invasion led by Xerxes I of Persia , the Battle Of Stamford Bridge where Harold Godwinson defeated Harald Hardrada , William Wallace ' s victory over the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge ( Wallace had around 2 , 300 men against the English army of about 9 , 000 to 12 , 000 men and the bridge collapsed during the battle ) , and the Battle of Agincourt , where Henry V of England decisively defeated the French when they were forced to attack his smaller army through a narrow gap in the Agincourt Woods . It was the suitability of the Caribbean as a chokepoint that attracted pirates and buccaneers during the 17th century . The Spanish treasure fleets leaving the Americas would need to pass this way in order to pick up the strong , prevailing , westerly winds that would take them back to Spain . The most important naval choke points were first identified by John Fisher in his defense of continued British colonialism ( important colonies in parentheses ) : The Fulda Gap was seen as one of the decisive bottleneck battlegrounds of the Cold war in Germany . Royal Navy choke points . In the 18th , 19th and early 20th Centuries , the sheer size of the Royal Navy meant they had control over much of the world ' s oceans and seas . Choke points were of huge importance to the British Empire , which often used them to control trade in British colonies and , to a lesser extent , for defense . Choke points have also been a source of tension , notably during the Suez Crisis . Post - British Empire , the Royal Navy still deems its choke points as strategically vital . Indeed , the importance of choke points were first recognised by British Admiral John Fisher . Major British choke points today : These choke points carry significant strategic importance for the Royal Navy to this day . The GIUK gap is particularly important to the Royal Navy , as any attempt by northern European forces to break into the open Atlantic would have to do so either through the heavily defended English Channel which is also the world ' s busiest shipping lane or through one of the exits on either side of Iceland . When also considering British control over the strategic fortress of Gibraltar at the entrance to the Mediterranean , Spain ( northern coast ) , France ( Atlantic coast ) and Portugal are the only mainland European nations that have direct access to the Atlantic ocean in a way that cannot be easily blocked at a choke point by the Royal Navy . The GIUK gap was also a strategically important part of the Cold War as the Royal Navy were given the responsibility of keeping an eye on Soviet submarines trying to break into the open Atlantic . Importance . Choke points remain a prominent issue today in the global economy and shipments of goods , particularly oil . Twenty percent of the world ' s oil is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz , which has seen previous conflicts such as the downing of Iran Air Flight 655 by American missiles in 1988 . The Suez Canal and Sumed pipeline carry a day , while the canal carried a total of 7 . 5 % of world trade in 2011 . The canal was closed for eight years after the Six Day War in 1967 . In many instances , alternate routes are non - existent or unpractical . For example , an alternate to the Suez / Sumed route required an additional around to Cape of Good Hope . The Royal Navy also deem their choke points to the Atlantic as strategically important to this day .