A redoubt is a shelter used in the military field.
Reducto is a notion whose etymological roots take us to reductus , a word that belongs to the Latin language and can be translated as "retired, separated." The original meaning of the term, according to what the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) stipulates through its dictionary, refers to the shelter or fortification that is developed in a military context to protect the forces.
Redoubts, in this sense, can be temporary or permanent. They have parapets that protect sidewalks (steps made of stone or earth), from where soldiers can shoot without putting themselves at risk .
The term parapet , for its part, can refer to a small embankment (that is, a gap created with earth) that is used in the military field to defend soldiers from enemy attacks. In its origins, the parapet was built of stone and pierced with loopholes (a narrow and very deep opening made vertically in defensive walls so that the arrows of those who take refuge in them can pass through), although the earth has proven to resist cannonballs more effectively, which is why it became the preferred material .
Characteristics of a redoubt
It is important to note that the construction of a redoubt varies depending on the duration that each army wishes to give it; For example, since a redoubt can be temporary or permanent, the materials and finish of each of its structures will not be the same in each case, especially if its creation takes place in the middle of a battle as part of a strategy.
Regarding its aspects and dimensions, there is a great variety, partly for the reasons just mentioned but also because of the functionality they wish to give it. They usually consist of three or more sides and, as explained above, parapets and sidewalks.
Redoubts are generally built on approaches, at the returns of the ditch and trench, and on ring lines. Approach, for its part, is of great importance in this context, since it is the general term that is attributed to any work carried out by a troop when it takes a square to approach it, and this includes the trenches , the shoulders, the shoes and batteries.
The word approach can also be used as a synonym for the terrain that must be covered to reach the enemy and attack him, which is why it is usually adjectived with words such as well defended, easy or impracticable, for example.
A security redoubt is one that a troop builds within a larger one or in the middle of a fort that it especially wishes to protect and that can serve as a resource if it becomes necessary to abandon the main position.
A fortification can be referred to as a redoubt.
The concept linked to shelter
Beyond this military concept, the idea of a stronghold is used in colloquial language to refer to a protected or sheltered place . A stronghold can also be a place that, for various reasons, only certain people have access to.
For example: “This neighborhood has become a stronghold for drug traffickers and criminals,” “Miguel's bar is the last stronghold in the city to drink a good vermouth,” “The team suffered the first defeat of the season in its stronghold.” , breaking an eight-game unbeaten streak.”
Take the case of a bar where young goths and the urban tribe known as emo usually gather. There they can listen to the music they like and share topics of common interest. In this way, it can be said that the bar in question is a gothic or emo redoubt .
The redoubt as a football stadium
It can also be considered as a bastion for a soccer team's stadium.
In this sense, it can be indicated that FC Barcelona 's stronghold is the Camp Nou , while Real Madrid 's stronghold is the Santiago Bernabéu .