Editing Dahomey (section)

=== Siege and engineering ===
In order to repress the navies of its neighbors, Dahomey built [[causeway]]s starting from 1774.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Coetzee|first1=DanielJ.M.|last2=Eysturlid|first2= Lee W.|title= Philosophers of War: The Evolution of History's Greatest Military Thinkers [2 Volumes]: The Evolution of History's Greatest Military Thinkers|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=DW2jAQAAQBAJ&dq=benin+armor&pg=PA353|year=2013|publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]]|pages=353|isbn=9780313070334}}</ref> During a campaign against [[Kingdom of Whydah|Whydah]] that year, Dahomey was able to force Whydah to fortify itself at an island called Foudou-Cong. Dahomey cut trees which were planted in the water to serve as a causeway and bridge the army's access to the fortified Whydah island. The causeway also obstructed the movement of a 700 canoe force belonging to Whydah. As a result, the Whydah army had to survive on the boats for months sustaining its forces with fish diet. According to [[John Thornton (historian)|Thornton]], Dahomey used this strategy of siege causeways again in 1776 against another opponent state where it built 3 bridges to connect the island housing the opponent forces.<ref>{{harvp|Thornton |1999|p=88}}</ref> 

Coastal belligerents opposing Dahomey allied with European forts against the state. Dahomey was able to capture Dutch and Portuguese forts in the 18th century through the use of ladders and [[sapper]]s. Thornton writes that in 1737, Dahomey used scale ladders against the Dutch fort in [[Keta]] simultaneously as its sappers built a tunnel under the fort's [[bastion]] causing it to collapse when its defenders fired an artillery round within the bastion. A similar tactic was employed against a Portuguese fort with 30 mounted guns at Whydah in 1743 as its bastions collapsed enabling the Dahomey infantry to enter the fort.<ref name="Thornton 1999 85"/> In 1728, Dahomey forces captured and destroyed a French fort at Whydah by blowing up the magazine that held the fort's ammunition and gunpowder.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Black|first=Jeremy|author-link=Jeremy Black (historian)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eUpGAQAAQBAJ&dq=Dahomey+captured+French+fort&pg=PA113|title=Europe and the World, 1650–1830|date=2013|pages=113–114|publisher=[[Routledge]]|isbn=9781136407659}}</ref><ref name="Thornton 1999 85">{{harvp|Thornton |1999|p=85}}</ref> Another tactic for attacking coastal forts was the burning of nearby villages during a [[land breeze]] in order for the wind to carry the flames toward the fort. This tactic was first revealed by a British commander at Whydah in 1728, who countered it by burning the nearby villages during a [[sea breeze]] to prevent the Dahomeyan army from burning the villages during a land breeze.<ref name="Thornton 1999 85"/> 

As a result of the threat posed by Oyo in the 18th century, the state built fortifications of its own with the help of a French officer from whom they learnt [[field fortification]] and artillery. According to a Dutch source in 1772, the king of Dahomey "has made deep [[ditches]] around his entire country as well as walls and batteries mounted with cannons he captured at Fida [Whydah]." Thornton suggests these fortifications were mostly built out of wood.<ref name="Thornton 1999 86"/>  Dahomey used a tactic of [[trench]] construction against Oyo where its forces withdrew into the trenches after confrontation with the Oyo force. Despite this, Dahomey was overwhelmed by an Oyo siege after the arrival of reinforcement.<ref name="Thornton 1999 86">{{harvp|Thornton |1999|p=86}}</ref> In the mid 18th century, Abomey was surrounded by a ditch accessible by bridges whiles in 1772 the royal residence was surrounded with a mud brick wall 20 feet high, "with [[blockhouse]]s on each wall."<ref>{{harvp|Thornton |1999|p=87}}</ref> 

Dahomey also built [[Agongointo-Zoungoudo Underground Town|underground chambers]] in Abomey which served varying functions including that of providing [[military installations]] for the army. These [[souterrains]] have been dated to the late 17th century.<ref>{{cite book|last=Monroe|first= J. Cemeron|title= The Precolonial State in West Africa: Building Power in Dahomey|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7DeNAwAAQBAJ&q=Dahomey+souterrain|year=2014|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|pages=137–142|isbn=9781107040182}}</ref> Wheeled vehicles are recorded to have been implemented in Dahomeyan warfare. In an operation against Abeokuta in 1864, Dahomey fielded three guns mounted on locally made carriages of which historian Robin Law adds that these weapons did not play an effective role in the battle.<ref name="Law wheel"/> Some references exist about the possible production of guns and gunpowder in Dahomey. In 1880, king [[Béhanzin]] informed a French mission that firearms were manufactured in the state. Amid the war with France in 1892, a French expeditionary force discovered tools and resources such as [[Cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]] cases, signal rockets and electric batteries which are necessary for making cartridges and repairing firearms.<ref name="RA_Kea. Firearms"/>