He can defend at both position when they're a little smaller.
"They are very well defended right at the present time."
He did not defend his seat at the 1918 election.
He did not defend the seat at the next general election in 1895.
"He had nothing to defend himself with at this time, right?"
You must be prepared to defend yourself at all times.
It took a lot of money to defend you at your trial.
Which means the title was being defended at all times.
The world that he believed in was standing up and defending itself at last.
Thus such terrain had to be defended at all cost.