Classical Warfare 31 Jan 06

EARLY /CLASSICAL WARFARE: 

EARLY /CLASSICAL WARFARE BATTLES OF THE GREEKS AND PERSIANS

OBJECTIVES: 

OBJECTIVES Comprehend the Phalanx Know how the Greeks and Persians differed in their warfare based on terrain, society, etc. Know the key battles and leaders of the 600-200 BC period Be able to discuss the differing weapons and tactics of Greece and Persia.

Map of Area: 

Map of Area

Rise of Civilization: 

Rise of Civilization Warfare was unknown before the advent of civilization Two roots Cultivation of grass seeds (Agricultural) Domestication of animals (Pastoral) Agricultural – Nile Valley and the “Fertile Crescent linking Palestine to the upper Euphrates to the Persian Gulf Pastoral – Caspian Region

Rise of Civilization: 

Rise of Civilization Agricultural – rise of the village, fenced in areas to protect stores of food Pastoral – domestication of the horse and the invention of the wheel and wagon From this rose the settled and the wondering who have been in conflict ever since.

Rise of Civilization: 

Rise of Civilization Villages grew into walled cities for protection from the wagon folk. Defense was the stronger form of war Weapons dictated the form of the military organization Causes of war: Bigger herds and flocks required more grass-lands Larger cities required more food and the land to grow the food

Assyrians : 

Assyrians Think Conan 1161 – 612 B.C. First great military power First to coordinate all elements Terror as a weapon “PsyOps”

GREEK SOCIETY/WARFARE: 

GREEK SOCIETY/WARFARE Greece has rolling hills and few open spaces. Terrain is tight. Economy in 500 BC was agrarian. As a result, cavalry is not really used. Heavy infantry is the staple Principle weapon was an 8-10’ pike Develop missiles (javelin, sling, and bow) Javelin is widely used due to low cost and low skill level needed to employ it. Spartans had best individual military skills, organization, and legendary discipline.

3100 - 600 B.C.: 

3100 - 600 B.C. Mass Infantry- Phalanx and maneuver Not Standing Armies Spear and Shield Chariots – Elites Flat, open ground Missilemen and Calvary not well organized

Greek Army Organization: 

Greek Army Organization Bulk of Army composed of spear men Archers more highly organized than other nations Stronger Bows Iron tipped Arrows Main striking force was corps of horse-drawn, two-wheeled chariots

Army Organization: 

Army Organization Bulk was Mass Spear men Slow, but faster than enemies Culminated the attack Archers Better organized Iron tips Stronger bows Created confusion for cavalry and chariots

Greek Army Organization: 

Greek Army Organization Cavalry was the smallest element of the Army, but best trained and equipped The Greek Army was the only one of its time to coordinate all arms in battle

PHALANX: 

PHALANX 4-50 Deep. Very wide Only front ranks fight Middle ranks use spears, rear ranks just act as replacements. Drifted right due to shield on left side Unable to maneuver or subdivide formation

Formations: 

Formations

Slide15: 

a phalanx of Greek hoplites on the run holding their thrusting spear in their right hand and shield in their left. A player on the right is providing martial music.

Weapons’ Categories: 

Weapons’ Categories Shock Phalanx Chariots Missile Archer Javelin Slings

Missileman/Light Infantry: 

Missileman/Light Infantry Archers 15-20 for a range of 80-100 yards Little penetration on Hoplites armor Less Cost for equipment/man was expensive Fought individually – not coordinated No Armor/more mobile

Misslemen/Light Infantry: 

Misslemen/Light Infantry Slings Hard to train and took a lot of space. Javelins Short distance Took Less skill Could only carry a few, but could recover them easily Prominent light infantry in Greek Army

Calvary : 

Calvary No stirrups made them less effective Could fight: With Javelins at a distance With Spears at a short distance Dismounted Man on foot could outfight them Had mobility and intimidation

Chariots: 

Chariots Driver/Javelin/ Bowman/Spear Two-wheeled Shock force smashed into infantry

HOPLITE: 

HOPLITE Greek Soldier. Carried Hoplon (shield), helmet, sword, and spear Personal vice “unit” property Peltast Not a professional (except Spartans) Used Phalanx for mental comfort, bravery. Human dimension

PERSIANS: 

PERSIANS Iranians today. Evolved on wide open plains Heavy use of cavalry (initially chariots) and light infantry. Heavy use of Composite bow (300M range) Used combined arms to create dilemma.

Persia: 

Persia Reflected the social and political organization of the empire Core were Persians Best Infantry – Immortals of the Persian Royal guard or the Medes and Elamites who were regular professional troops Bow was basic weapon. They also carried daggers and short spears

Persia - Tactics: 

Persia - Tactics Launch arrows from distance from behind wicker shields planted in the ground. Very little protective equipment Calvary – land owning aristocracy Medes, Elamites, Bactrains and Sakai Bow with little armor Fix the enemy so the infantry could destroy

Greco - Persian Conflicts: 

Greco - Persian Conflicts Persian Major Problem: Land power lines of communication thousand of miles long harassment by land and sea Greek Major Problems: 1. City states Complex Economics dependent on overwater trade Unity of Command (10 Generals)

Greco - Persian Conflicts (cont): 

Greco - Persian Conflicts (cont) 2. Defense Depended on Trireme Fleet Expensive in treasure Required highly trained crews

Wars Causes: 

Wars Causes 550 B.C. - Lydia Annexed Coastal States 512 B.C. - Greeks Urged Revolt of Ionia 510 B.C. - Ionian revolt Squashed by Darius 499 B.CC. Athens Supports Another Ionian Revolt 494 B.C. - Revolt Collapses 493 B.C. - Darius Prepares to Conquer Greece

MARATHON 490 B.C.: 

MARATHON 490 B.C. Persians want to pull Greeks away from Athens. Sought to encourage revolt vice battle w/ Athenians. Initial difficulty due to 10 generals; Miltiades built consensus and developed plan. Persian actions divulged their real intentions. Lack of Persian Cavalry allows Greek heavy infantry to rush Persians and destroy them (backs to the sea). “They were the first of the Greeks… who introduced the custom of charging the enemy at a run” Herodotus

Marathon: 

Marathon 6400 Persian KIA; 192 Athenians TERRAIN is key (Tight terrain fits Greeks) SEA MVT is key (Persians unable to bring enough Cav) Leads to belief that heavy infantry always wins. Confidence builder for Greeks “Birth cry of Europe”

Leuctra, 371 B.C.: 

Leuctra, 371 B.C. Thebans (6,000) vs. Spartans (11,000) Thebans use mobility and “sacred band” to attack Spartan right and destroy them weighted “main effort” Spartans were shocked by new tactic; some broke without making contact. End of the line for Spartans; beginning of Theban era

Philip of Macedon: 

Philip of Macedon Created standing (full-time) army Introduced decisive maneuver in the form of heavy cavalry. Linked heavy cav and heavy infantry (phalanx) with light infantry on flanks Introduced the arm of decision: artillery in the form of ballistas and… the catapult Conquered Greece.

Slide34: 

The ballista dart in flight (it's the horizontal line, just in front of the trébuchet's beam). The dart fired by a ballista is a wooden shaft, around five feet long. Brass flights keep the flight straight and an iron head penetrates armour.

Alexander the Great: 

Alexander the Great Son of Philip of Macedon, conqueror of Greece. Led from the front Frequently wounded; regarded as invincible, like his cousin, Achilles. Knowing he would be unable to defeat the Persian navy at sea, he seized their ports Advanced empire and Greek culture as far as India

Battle of Arbela, 331 B.C. : 

Battle of Arbela, 331 B.C. One of 15 decisive battles in history??? First documented use of reserve Posted light cavalry and infantry on flanks to prevent envelopment. Persians attempted to maneuver, but created a gap in their lines. Alexander personally led cavalry charge Darius fled; panic spread from the center to the whole army.

Review: 

Review Describe the Greek system (weapons, formations, etc) Discuss the Battle of Marathon “ “Arbela Underline the evolution in Greek military tactics introduced by Philip and Alexander.

Map of the Area: 

Map of the Area

Marathon Background: 

Marathon Background Darius’ Plan (backed by Hippias) Attempt to prevent the Greek states from further helping their sister communities of the islands and eastern coastline of the Aegean Sea. 1. Subdue Eritrea for psychological reasons 2. Land at Marathon to draw out the army from Athens and then attack Athens. Attack by sea at two locations (Marathon and Phalerum) Lacked the logistics needed to bring their entire force to bear on the Greeks. Subdue Eretria

Greek Situation: 

Greek Situation 1. Lack of unified command (City States) 2. Plan to defend at Athens 3. Plan to attack at Marathon 4. Miltades: Ruler of Athens but not backed by the Alcemaeonidae who wanted to reinstate Hippias

The Battle (490 B.C.): 

The Battle (490 B.C.) Persians attacked Eretria (Pheilippides to Sparta 150 miles in 48 hours) Carneian Festival (10 more days) Persians crossed Euboean Channel to Marathon Greeks (Athenian Army/Plataeans) controlled the high ground (Sat for 8 days) Miltiades determined no Persian overland attack Eretria fell requiring action and Athenian army Attacked (Miltiades developed the plan) Athenian center thinned (4 and 8) to make flanks stronger

The Battle (490 B.C.): 

The Battle (490 B.C.) Bulk of Persian Army were archers Hoplites could easily break the Persians front if they could get to it rapidly Athenians advanced and ran through the beaten zone.

The Battle 490 B.C. (cont.): 

The Battle 490 B.C. (cont.) Miltiades attacked Lighter Persian wings crushed by hoplites Athenian center fell back Double envelopment ensued Persian were routed Athenians returned to Athens defense Casualties: Persians - 6400, Greeks – 192 First time Greeks beat the Persians on land

Xerxes (son of Darius) Invasion: 

Xerxes (son of Darius) Invasion Called for Earth and Water from Greek States (Except Sparta and Athens) 200,000 man force Spartans urged abandonment of Northern Greece (Isthmus of Cornith) Athenians refused Themistocles strategy adopted (Control the land and make the Persian Navy Fight) 335 ships sent to NW coast of Artemisium (Euboea) 8000 hoplites sent to Thermopylae

Thermopylae 480 B.C.: 

Thermopylae 480 B.C. King Leonidas controlled the pass 1000 hoplites covered the one track around in the forest Xerxes camped for 4 days on the Milian plain Psychological and waiting for fleet On day 5 and 6 Xerxes attacked Greek traitor told Xerxes of a pass in the forest Xerxes sent his “immortals” to the pass Surrounded, many Greeks surrendered Spartans fought to the death

After the Battle: 

After the Battle Defense was with the fleet now Stockaded and garrisoned the Acropolis, evacuated Athens and Attica and sent families to Aegina, Salamis and Troezen. Xerxes attacked and captured Athens Themistocles still had the fleet and they withdrew to Salamis. Had to draw in the Persian Fleet near Salamis.

Salamis 480 B.C.: 

Salamis 480 B.C. Burden of defense now rested with fleet Greek fleet withdrew to Salamis Thermistocles won approval not to fight on open seas Xerxes marched on Athens Faint message to Xerxes that the Athenian fleet was weak and if he attacked now, they would not be albe to offer much resistance Persian moved onto the Channel 7 hr battle on equal terms

Salamis 480 B.C.: 

Salamis 480 B.C. Athenian fleet fought “fleet” on one ship at a time Without his now defeated fleet, Xerxes could not support his land forces and they were then defeated at Plataea in 479. Greece was not invaded from Asia until the 15th Century A.D. World’s first decisive naval engagement

Battle of Arbela (Guagamela): 

Battle of Arbela (Guagamela) After seizing Tyre, Alexander moved South and West seizing Egypt and completing his control of the Eastern Mediterranean Seaboard Learning of Darius’ assembling army in Mesopotamia, Alexander marched to meet him near Nineveh, about 70 miles west of Arbela Darius’ Forces - about 200,000 Alexander’s Forces - about 47,000

Battle of Arbela - Darius’ Plan: 

Battle of Arbela - Darius’ Plan His best troops, the Greek Mercenaries, had been almost destroyed at Issus. He was now relying mainly on his cavalry, chariots and elephants He drew his forces up in two long deep lines with cavalry on each flank

Battle of Arbela - Darius’ Plan: 

Battle of Arbela - Darius’ Plan Numerous Scythe chariots lined the front of the entire army, with 15 elephants in front of the center Darius had the plain to his front leveled, in order that his chariots could maneuver (Gaugamela)

Battle of Arbela -Alexander’s Plan: 

Battle of Arbela -Alexander’s Plan Use the foundation his father established All forces are part of one instrument Infantry clinches and holds, cavalry maneuvers and strikes a decisive blow.

Battle of Arbela -Alexander’s Plan: 

Battle of Arbela -Alexander’s Plan Due to reconnaissance, Darius’ groundwork was noted; Alexander deduced the reason for it and planned to reduce the Persian advantage One of his generals recommended a night attack. Alexander, apparently aware of the difficulties concerned, refused Reserve

Battle of Arbela: 

Battle of Arbela Darius attempted to shift his forces to the left, at the same time launching some of his cavalry. This created gaps in the Persian line Persian wings swept in to envelop the Macedonian flanks but were met and repulsed by Alexander’s flank reserves

Battle of Arbela: 

Battle of Arbela Alexander noticed a gap near the left center of the Persian line and led his companions in a charge, followed by his Hypaspists. He smashed through the Persian line. Darius, in the path of Alexander’s charge, fled.

Battle of Arbela: 

Battle of Arbela Panic spread from the Persian center, all along the left, and these forces crumbled Alexander’s left flank was hard pressed, so he immediately returned to the scene and routed the Persian forces

Battle of Arbela: 

Battle of Arbela Alexander now led his forces in a vigorous pursuit of the fleeing Persians Alexander’s losses - 500 killed and about 5,000 wounded Persian casualties were at least 50,000