Alexander's Generalship

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  • Created by: ekmad
  • Created on: 11-06-15 14:02

Alexander's Generalship

Advantages

  • Inherited a powerful and efficient army from his father, Philip II, most notably the unique Companion Cavalry a force of shock-troopers that were the Hammer in the Hammer and Anvil strategy.
  • Showed a natural leadership and wisdom around morale. His campaign in Thrace and Illyria in 336/5 was built on rebounding successes. Equally at the Granicus River in 334 he took the initiative and attacked straight away rather than wait and potentially give the morale to the enemy.
  • Alexander showed his proficiency in siegecraft at Tyre, constructing a mole into the coast to be able to reach Tyre's walls on foot. The defection of the Phoenician navy helped him in this regard
  • Battle of Hydaspes in India 326, Alexander showed guile in crossing the river at night and the next day pincering Porus inbetween his two forces and the river.
  • Alexander showed great personal courage, always leading his men from the front. He often sustained wounds and was almost killed at the Granicus as well as suffering a near-fatal wound by the Malli in India 325

Disadvantages

  • Alexander was aided in his Persian conquest by Memnon's death in 333. Memnon successfully advocated a scorched Earth policy that delayed Alexander at Halicarnussus as well as fermenting a plot to turn Old Greece against the Macedonians in revolt. This was reversed by Darius.
  • Antigonus' heroic victories in Southern Anatolia prevented the link-up of Persian forces left after Issus in 333 which threatened Alexander's rear.
  • Darius was a poor leader who refused to take the initiative after Alexander's detour towards the Siwah Oasis. Allowing Alexander to cross the Hellespont was also a great misjudgement
  • Showed a tenacity for ruthlessness and Arrian says Alexander enjoyed war and fighting more than any other pleasure. His campaign after the Mutiny at the Opis in 325 where he entered a bloody campaign towards the mouth of the Indus is a good example.

Evaluation

Alexander was no doubt a great general, he showed all the tactical knowledge needed to conquer vast swathes of territory. However he was undoubtedly helped by the inheritance of perhaps the greatest Army in Europe at the time as well as deficiencies in his enemies tactics. He personally also showed himself to be a little reckless in the fight as well as having an unnecessary mean streak

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