A supporting unit is lending its strength to another unit. If, however, the supporting unit is attacked, successfully or unsuccessfully, it is considered too busy defending itself to support another unit, and its support order is invalid.

In the situation pictured one sees our now familiar battle over Belgium, but now the French have a fleet in Kiel which is moving to Holland. This single-strength attack on Holland fails, but the German fleet in Holland is too busy defending itself to support the defense of Belgium. This support is said to be cut. Without the support the army in Belgium is defeated.

Because Kiel is not adjacent to Belgium, the French fleet in Kiel could not legally support Burgundy's move into Belgium, but the support cut allows it to influence the battle just as effectively.

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