Page 59 - All About History - Issue 18-14

10 Greatest Military Leaders

DAVID IV

The Battle of Didgori
12 August 1121, Georgia
The Georgian king delivers one of the unsung victories of the Crusades

n the tense peace between the First and Second An incredible force of approximately 400,000 Once the Turks had let them into the heart
Crusades, a small Christian kingdom on the men marched toward Georgia to put the upstart of their force and the generals were on hand to
ISeljuk Sultanate’s northeastern edge caused Christian monarch in his place. Fielding only accept their surrender, the Georgian strike force
concern among the Muslim kingdoms along the 55,600 men, David IV needed to seize the suddenly lashed out, cutting down the Seljuk
Mediterranean. As the Seljuk Turks spread into the momentum. After blockading the road behind leaders and soldiers who had gathered to watch.
Caucasus, Georgia’s young king David IV married them with logs to ensure retreat wasn’t an option, Simultaneously, the force on the high ground
himself into the tribal Cuman-Kipchak people, David IV split his army into two parts, quietly charged down into the camp’s unguarded flanks
settling them in his kingdom and converting them placing one force on the high ground near the while David IV’s force attacked from the front.
to Christianity. These formed the core of the new Seljuk camp, while leading the other personally. With their leaders slain and enemy cavalry and
army which David used to launch raids into Seljuk Then he sent 200 of his cavalry to the camp to act troops rampaging within their camp, the panicked
territoryasherefusedtopaytributetotheTurks. as though they wished to defect. Turks fled – the sheer size of the escaping foe
taking the Georgians three days to hunt down
“ David IV split his army into two parts, and slaughter at their leisure. Armenian historian
quietly placing one force on the high Mateos of Urfa recalled that: “terrible and savage
slaughter of the enemy troops ensued and the
ground, while leading the other” corpses filled up the rivers and covered all valleys
and cliffs.”

Was it genius?
David IV married political
strategy with battlefi eld
2 strategy, building an eff ective
fighting force for a sudden

and bloody victory that
reduced overwhelming odds
to nothing.

3
4

1

THE ENEMY ASSEMBLE DAVID SETS A TRAP THE BAIT IS TAKEN THE TRAP IS SPRUNG The site of
1 The forces of the Turkish 2 In a bold move, David IV 3 The smaller force rides out 4 While the Seljuk camp turns the battle is GEORGIANARMY SELJUKARMY
Seljuk Empire march into splits his already outnumbered to the Seljuk encampment, in on itself. Demetrius’ forces commemorated 55,000
Georgia from neighbouring army, sending a small force offering to defect. Well used attack the Seljuk flanks and today with a set 400,000
Armenia. Largely made up under the command of his to regional armies having David IV leads the rest of his of memorials Innovation:
of troops from local Islamic son Demetrius to hide in the second thoughts at the sight army in a furious charge at the
countries under the Seljuk nearby hills overlooking the of a vast Turkish army, the ill-prepared enemy. Leaving Boldness:
umbrella and led by Ilghazi, a Seljuk camp. Meanwhile, a Georgians are allowed into the only one direction left for the
veteran of the Crusades and smaller force is detached from heart of the camp to meet the enemy, they panic and flee the Prudence:
former governor of Baghdad, the rest of the army, which army’s commanders. There battlefield where they can be Planning:
they set up camp in the remains under the control of they suddenly attack, creating slaughtered by the pursuing
Didgori valley. the Georgian king. instant panic and chaos. Georgian cavalry.

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