Page 60 - All About History - Issue 18-14

10 Greatest Military Leaders

ALEXANDER THE GREAT

TheBattleofIssus 5 November 333 BCE, Turkey

ThePersianEmpirecrumblesunderthehammerofAncientGreece

efore Alexander the Great, the last independent Amanus on their right. Over 100,000 Persians tightly drilled Macedonian phalanx, a tank-like
city states of Greece had been encircled spread out before them, the number and make-up wall of spears and shields, kept them safely pinned
BholdoutsagainstthemightofthePersian of the rank and file troops purposefully obscured down while Alexander led his shock troops on the
Empire.Afterthegreatmilitaryleaderthey became by a line of cavalry. right, scything into the weaker Persian left flank.
thecentreofanempirethatstretchedfromthe Greek archers advanced through the foothills The lightly armoured soldiers on the left crumbled
mountains of his Macedonian homeland to the on the right to pepper the Persian lines. Unable under the hooves of the Greek cavalry’s advance
sweltering jungles of northern India. to simply sit idly under a needling rain of arrows, and Alexander swung his charge down the Persian
Before this though, Persian control over Anatolia the Persian cavalry withdraw, exposing the ranks lines, spooking Darius who fled on his gold chariot.
(modern-day Turkey) had to be broken. It all hinged behind them. Now Alexander knew exactly what With the emperor on the run, panic quickly spread
onthecoast,wherethepowerfulPersianfleet they planned – to focus their attack on through the army – fleeing infantry were even
couldstillturnthetideagainsttheGreeks.Persia’s the Greek left and prise them off trampled by their own cavalry as the
EmperorDariusIIIledthearmyhimselfwiththe the shoreline – and he reinforced Was it genius? Greeks gave chase. The Persian Empire
intentionoflinkingupwiththenavyaroundthe the line in readiness for Darius’s If Alexander had a signature had lost Anatolia, soon it would lose
Gulf of Issus. Alexander’s force of 40,000 gathered eventual assault. move it would be holding down its Babylonian heartland. Eventually
on the banks on the Issus with the Mediterranean The Persians may have had the enemy with his spear-tipped it would lose everything – Alexander
phalanx and then hitting their
ontheirleftandthejaggedmountainsofthe strength of numbers, but the flanks, but at Issus its success the Great made sure of that.
hinged on him being able to
PULLING DOWN THE CURTAIN work out exactly what his
1 Greek skirmishers sneaking through the As Alexander’s flag is a subject opponent planned and then
foothills goad the thin line of Persian cavalry of debate, we have included the acting accordingly.
with arrows. With their numbers whittling modern Greek flag here
away under the scattered fire, they’re forced to
withdraw revealing the full Persian line-up to
Alexander.
THE PERSIAN HAMMER STRIKES
2Aping Alexander’s tactics for hammering
thesides,thePersianheavycavalryattacks 4
the Greek flank to try and prise them from
thecoast.ReinforcedbyAlexander,thetightly
drilledspearmenoftheMacedonphalanxhold 1
the attackers off. 3
GREEKARMY PERSIANARMY
ALEXANDER ATTACKS 35,000 50-100,000
3Leading his fast-moving Hypaspists on foot,
Alexander’s versatile skirmishers charge across 5,850 11,000
theriverbedandhitthePersianleftflank,
Innovation:
punching a hole through the enemy lines.
Boldness:
RIGHTINTHEHEART
4Alexander saddles up and rides through the 2 Prudence:
gap opened up by his elite Companion cavalry.
They charge directly at the Persian emperor Planning:
and Darius panics, fleeing the battlefield in his
chariot and abandoning his troops.

Expert opinion Adrian Goldsworth

Who would be What do you think the key Who do you think is underrated? Who is overrated?
your pick for qualities are in a great tactician? These days, even many people with In some ways you could say
the greatest The ability to understand his own an interest in military history often Alexander the Great, who tends to

military and the enemy’s strengths and know little about the ancient world, be given the benefit of the doubt by
strategist? weaknesses and ensure that he so I cannot help naming a Roman. modern historians, even though
The Duke of Wellington, as he was can either negate the former – or It would be easy to choose several, the fullest ancient sources for his
always closely aware of the political exploit them to his own advantage as but I will plump for Scipio Africanus, campaigns date to four centuries
context of every war and shaped Hannibal did at Cannae – and make who won Spain for the Romans, after his death. He was certainly an
policy and strategy accordingly. He the most of the latter. The principle invaded Africa and ended the long, incredible motivator of men, a skilled
made mistakes, but he never lost is very simple; putting it into practice drawn-out carnage of the Second tactician and able strategist – and
a war, even though he fought with is the hard part, especially when Punic War by beating Hannibal at of course he kept on winning.Yet
limited resources. Having said that, the enemy is trying to do the same Cannae. Scipio Africanus had never he failed to consolidate his
Two new
similar things can be said about many thing. The tactics is one thing [to commanded an army before he conquests and his empire books by Adrian
others. The Romans used the ultimate consider], but we should remember arrived in Spain, and yet within a year fragmented as soon as he
criterion for success. The best general the organisation, training and he had captured New Carthage in a died – which could easily Goldsworthy, Augustus:
was the man who won the most preparation, leadership and sheer carefully executed, well-timed and have happened earlier given From Revolutionary To
battles – Julius Caesar in their case. good luck needed. very bold operation. his recklessness in action. Emperor and Run Them
Ashore, are published
by Weidenfeld &
Nicolson
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