Page 23 - History of War - Issue 05-14

Caesar’s CONQUEST OF GAUL

Caesar’s political campaigns had left him with huge debts, the most high-tech weapons available. Incendiary bombs impregnable. Caesar laid siege for 25 days, building a vast
and he identified unconquered Gaul as a means to repay fired from catapults, incendiary arrows and regular arrows siege terrace to overcome the defences. When the city was
those debts and make himself rich in the process. In 58BC, all rained down on the Gauls. As did the pilum – thousands finally taken, he sent his troops on a killing spree that saw
he invaded. of two-metre-long javelins that Caesar’s legionnaires were them slaughter some 39,000 men, women and children
From the start, he used terror tactics and targeted key so expert at throwing. His dispatches are filled with gloating inside. Just 800 were spared, and these were sent into the
strategic points as a means of conquering the country. references to how terrifyingly effective these spears were countryside to testify on the dangers of resistance.
One of the first was the hill fort at Bibracte, 60 miles west at ripping through the Gauls’ shields and skewering them. Caesar’s final victory came at Alesia a year later, where,
of Dijon. Standing on a hilltop 2,500 feet above sea level, By the time the fighting was over, some 238,000 Gauls had against incredible odds, he won his most daring victory.
it was the highest point for 150 miles and dominated the been killed or captured. Afterwards, he ordered that around 2,000 of the captured
landscape it watched over. It was held by the Helvetii tribe, By the winter of 51BC, Caesar was laying siege to warriors have both their hands cut off and sent back to
who attacked him as his army approached. Caesar later another key target – Avaricum, 150 miles south of present- their villages as a warning to other would-be attackers.
described them as the bravest of all the Gallic warriors. They day Paris. By now, the Gauls had employed a scorched- The Gallic leader Vertingetorix, meanwhile, was held captive
needed to be. In this early engagement, Caesar sent out a earth policy to deter Caesar’s army, but had left Avaricum for five years. He was then brought to Rome, paraded
clear message to anyone intending to fight back, employing and its huge grain supplies intact, believing the citadel through the streets and strangled before a delirious mob.

© MarkChurms.com 2012. All Rights Reserved Despite being initially surprised by

Belgic tribes at the Battle of the Sabis –
part of the Gallic Wars – Caesar turned
the tide to score a tactical victory

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