Cities have been targeted since time immemorial, evidenced by the plunder and pillage of ancient cities such as Carthage—one of the most powerful trading and commercial centers from 650 B.C.E. to 146 B.C.E.—that was razed to ground by Roman military forces. During the Thirty Years’ War (1614-1648), one of the longest in European history, the city of Magdeburg was sacked by the Imperial Army.
