Theatre (warfare)

In warfare, a theatre or theater is an area where there are many battles. Theatres are bordered by peaceful areas.

Some wars, such as the Franco-Prussian War, are fought in one theatre. Many wars, for example the Seven Years' War have been fought in many different theatres. There were many theatres in World War I and World War II. The Napoleonic wars were the first multi-theatre war in modern times. The use of the word "theatre" for war was first seen in the book "On War" by Carl von Clausewitz.

Theatre of operations

A Theatre of operations (TO) is a sub-area within a theatre of war. The boundary of a TO is defined by the commander who is orchestrating or providing support for specific combat operations within the TO. It means the territory, including adjoining sea areas and air space, in which a war was conducted.