How does a city fall?

[MrsJackRackham]

I'm watching the news coverage of the brave people of Kyiv defending their city. Maybe I'm missing something but how does a city actually 'fall'? Is it when the defending troops retreat and stop fighting? Does the attacking army take over key government buildings? Then what do they do?
I hope this isn't in bad taste but I'm trying to imagine a similar scenario where my nearest city would be under attack and at what point it would fall.

It must be when they take the main exits in and out of the city, the government buildings and army base, no? I don’t think invading forces focus on one building, they must think strategically about how they can defend themselves once they are there.

I keep asking myself the same question.

Oh and the media, I guess - National broadcasters.

I base this simply on watching films - I’ve no real military knowledge 🙂

By taking over and controlling all Government infrastructure and removing the current holders of Government posts and installing themselves/their puppets.

By controlling the population through fear and and intimidation and unleashing brutal reprisals on anyone who speaks out against them or attempts to stop them.

A city has fallen when the attacking forces have de facto control of it.

So even though there might be pockets of resistance, the previous government does not hold the ground, and all policing and security functions are carried out by the occupiers.

An example of a city that didn't fall is Sarajevo which was besieged from April 1992 - February 1996. Encircled, with some suburbs taken, and regular arillery and sniper attacks, the attackers could not actually move the front lines and so could not control the seat of government, the state broadcaster etc. The defenders could not push them back, but they also prevented them from entering further.

Had they not been able to hold them back, then the city would have fallen when the defenders held no territory or only very small pieces that could not function as anything other than the place from which last ditch actions could be attempted

In Afghanistan, there was no resistance once the Taliban advances gained momentum. Cities fell because their leaders surrendered and the new occupiers took over all civil and security functions.

My nearest city is Glasgow. Main broadcaster is BBC at the river and seat of government presumably City Chambers in George Square. Maybe a mile apart? So that would be the targets? No army base. But what do they do? They'll not have any passwords to access any government files so are they just controlling the building? I'm so sorry I sound really dense about this but I'm not understanding the practicalities.
I work in a government building, unless you have access to the computer system it's just a building with desks and unusable computers.

I wonder if I’d notice.

How long would it take you to give up your passwords if someone was pointing a gun at you?

The strategy includes taking control of the civilian population.

Controlling key access points. Bridges. Main roads.
Key points like the electricity, water supply, gas, phone companies

Control the infrastructure and you have a grip on a city

Some cities have held out for ages and it's been fierce hand to hand fighting. I suppose it's how desperate people are to hold a city and how desperate an invader is to take it.

Sadly a city can resist for ages - but can face devastation.