A Real Exit Strategy

John Lawrence has the answer:

When Napoleon has his sights on England in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, England did not have an exit strategy. They were going to be conquered or they were going to defeat the aggressor. They succeeded in crushing Napoleon and the French as well as the Spanish. There was no exit strategy. In fact, when I consider such a thing in a battle such as this, an exit strategy would only be necessary for a nation unable to win or unwilling to crush its enemy.
When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941, I doubt that Admiral Yamamoto had dreamed up any other exit strategy than crushing the Americans and pounding them into submission. In 1812, when the Americans attacked Canada, their aim was to conquer us and expand their nation. Their 'exit strategy' for a lack of a better term, was victory. The fact that they were unsuccessful provided them with an alternate strategy; retreat.

It's the same today. Exit strategy or "redeployment" is a politically correct version of retreat, surrender, and defeat.