Alexander the Great's Success [Discussion Thread]

[Azrael]

What strikes me as strange as how probably one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful and richest empire on Earth during the time collapse and become conquered by a petty semi-Hellenized kingdom whose armies were far much smaller than that of Persia's. It is common fact that the imperial Persian military in general were composed of poorly trained light infantry conscripts meshed with a small minority of professional troops. Not only with this measure, they could amass thousands of other men all over the known world serving as mercernaries in the Persian Empire due to their enriched treasury.

[Alaude Drenxta]

Same way Hitler beat the Russian back so far with less than half his military forces. General superiority.

[Square Ninja]

Originally Posted by Alaude Drenxta

Same way Hitler beat the Russian back so far with less than half his military forces. General superiority.

So how'd that winter invasion go?

[Alaude Drenxta]

Not well in the end, but all things considered if it was Russia against the Germans, the Nazis would have won.

The Russian deaths were roughly three times greater than German casualties. They, unlike Alexander, had other places to focus their attention than right in front of them.

[Square Ninja]

PROTIP: Mass infantry is a legit military tactic if you have the manpower.

[Alaude Drenxta]

Absolutely, but when evaluating a win at the end of the day, the dead would probably all like to be counted as just as much a person as the enemy dead.

My point is, Alexander marched in one general direction, tearing through lands that had far inferior soldiers to his own, and generally taking advantage of anything he could. They really don't make military genius like that any more.

[Square Ninja]

Originally Posted by Alaude Drenxta

Absolutely, but when evaluating a win at the end of the day, the dead would probably all like to be counted as just as much a person as the enemy dead.

Whatever that means.

Originally Posted by Alaude Drenxta

My point is, Alexander marched in one general direction, tearing through lands that had far inferior soldiers to his own, and generally taking advantage of anything he could. They really don't make military genius like that any more.

It wasn't his soldiers, it was his skillful command that won him his campaigns.

[Azrael]

Originally Posted by Square Ninja

Whatever that means.



It wasn't his soldiers, it was his skillful command that won him his campaigns.

'Tis was his father who led the re-organization of the Macedonian army into a competent and superior military and established the base of Alexander's finances, food and soldiers in the Balkans.

[roxasisamazing]

it was his battle strategy

[Shadow Soldier]

Originally Posted by Alaude Drenxta

Absolutely, but when evaluating a win at the end of the day, the dead would probably all like to be counted as just as much a person as the enemy dead.

What?

[Azrael]

I don't understand as well.

[Alaude Drenxta]

It means that by his reckoning simply because Germany withdrew it is not a good example for a stronger military force. Each soldier dead is a single soldier, no matter which side. If the Germans fought the Russians on the Arabian peninsula the Germans would have won. The death toll for Russia was immense compared to that of Germany, and it should speak for something regardless of the outcome.

Superior forces can overtake superior numbers with skill and yes, good leadership. However, seeing as most of the Persian forces were untrained conscripts, even slaves meagerly armed, it would be an easy feat for a well-planned attack executed by well-trained soldiers to slaughter masses.

It isn't like Alexander only had 300 soldiers either, though. A movie that does history no justice. Spartans weren't gods.

[Azrael]

Originally Posted by Alaude Drenxta

It means that by his reckoning simply because Germany withdrew it is not a good example for a stronger military force. Each soldier dead is a single soldier, no matter which side. If the Germans fought the Russians on the Arabian peninsula the Germans would have won. The death toll for Russia was immense compared to that of Germany, and it should speak for something regardless of the outcome.

Superior forces can overtake superior numbers with skill and yes, good leadership. However, seeing as most of the Persian forces were untrained conscripts, even slaves meagerly armed, it would be an easy feat for a well-planned attack executed by well-trained soldiers to slaughter masses.

It isn't like Alexander only had 300 soldiers either, though. A movie that does history no justice. Spartans weren't gods.

He was both blessed with luck and was an excellent leadership although one could imagine knowing how Alexander planned on attacking the Mauryas of India, Carthage, Rome, the Gauls...who knows when Alexander could stop