Byzantine Empire (330 a.d.- 1453 a.d.) : Byzantine Empire (330 a.d.- 1453 a.d.)
Learning Objectives: Learning Objectives Identify some of the key leaders of the Byzantine Empire
Understand Byzantinian Military Philosophy and the Treatises
Identify the Byzantinian Military Organization
Identify the Military Innovations of the Byzantine Military
The Dawn of a New Empire: The Dawn of a New Empire 306 a.d.- Constantine I takes power of the Roman Empire
312 a.d.- Christianity is adopted as religion of the State
Constantine I lets the Church become involved in State affairs
330 a.d. -After the invasion of Rome, Constantine I moves the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantines. He re-names it Constantinople (modern day Istanbul, Turkey) and the Byzantine Empire begins
The new Empire is very prosperous and is concerned with defense rather than expansion
Knew that their survival depended on military strength
BYZANTIUM: SURVIVAL OF THE EAST: BYZANTIUM: SURVIVAL OF THE EAST THE CHURCH HAD CLOSE TIES WITH THE STATE
BYZANTIUM WAS ECONOMICALLY PROSPEROUS
A CENTRALIZED, AUTOCRATIC RULE WAS MAINTAINED
THERE WAS WISE LEADERSHIP OVER THE LONG TERM
A SENSIBLE MILITARY ORGANIZATION AND PHILOSPHY PREVAILED
JUSTINIAN: JUSTINIAN RULED FROM 527-565 A.D.
EGO-HEIR TO THE CEASERS AND CHURCH HEAD
SUPPRESSED THE ARIAN HERESY
Denies that Christ is one substance with the Father
His wars took on the character of crusades, lead the heathen peoples into the Christian fold.
UNDERTOOK THE RECONQUEST OF THE WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE
Successful in Africa and Italy
Excellent weaponry, mobility and shock of his horse archers
Brilliant leadership of Belisarius and Narses
Belisarius: Belisarius 529-549
Age 27, he was Justinian’s bodyguard
Chosen to lead the main Army
Dara 530 A.D.
Ad Decimum 533 A.D.
Tricameron 533 A.D.
Byzantine Empire in 330 a.d.: Byzantine Empire in 330 a.d.
Daras 530 A.D.: Daras 530 A.D. Persian Frontier
Persians had 40,000
Belisarius had 25,000
Counted on Persian aggressiveness and built trenches around the fortress of Daras
Persians entered the trenches and were trapped!
Belisarius’s infantry and cavalry destroyed the Persians
Ad Decimum: Ad Decimum Carthage Daras
Ad Decimum: Ad Decimum Africa 533 A.D.
Justinian wants Carthage for Political and Religious reasons
Belisarius lands 15000 troops in Africa
Vandal King Gelimer attempts to ambush Belisarius at Ad Decimum -Plan calls for 3 simultaneous ambushes
Ad Decimum Cont..: Ad Decimum Cont.. The attacks did not go on time
Gelimer had success on one of the fronts, but did not exploit it
Belisarius rallied his troops and dispersed the Vandals
Tricameron 533 A.D.: Tricameron 533 A.D. Carthage Ad Decimum
Tricameron 533 A.D.: Tricameron 533 A.D. After taking Carthage, Belisarius is harassed by Gelimer’s remaining forces
Gelimer retreats 18 miles west of Carthage at Tricameron
Belisarius marches on Tricameron
Gelimer retreats
Gelimer finally surrenders to Belisarius in 534 A.D.
Retaking Rome: Retaking Rome 551 A.D.-the Empire had marginal success in Italy for 5 years
Goths had control of Italy
Justinian decided to send Narses into Italy
Taginae: Taginae Taginae
Taginae: Taginae Narses lands in Italy with about 20000
Gothic forces are about 50000
Narses let the Goths attack
Narses formed a solid phalanx and reinforced the flanks with archers
Goths attempted to push through the phalanx with cavalry
Archers picked off the Goths on the flanks
Taginae Cont..: Taginae Cont.. Goths take heavy losses
Italy is retaken under Justinian
Last major battle under Justinian’s rule
MAURICE (582-602 A.D.): MAURICE (582-602 A.D.) SELECTED AS HEIR TO THE THRONE
STRATEGIKON AUTHOR
Handbook for Field Commanders
Weapons
Armor
Daily life on the march or in camp
Clothing
Food
Military law
Tactics
MILITARY REFORMS UNDER MAURICE: MILITARY REFORMS UNDER MAURICE SIX TO EIGHT NUMERI WERE GROUPED INTO THE EQUIVALENT OF A BRIGADE
THREE SUCH BRIGADES FORMED A SMALL DIVISION OF 6,000-8,000
USE OF UNEQUAL NUMBERS SO ENEMY COULD NOT CALCULATE THE NUMBERS OF THE WHOLE ARMY
PLEDGED OBEDIENCE TO THE REALM
HE APPOINTED ALL OFFICERS ABOVE THE RANK OF CENTURIAN (NUMERUS)
THIS TOOK AWAY THE POWER OF PARTRONAGE FROM THE GENERALS
Maurice Reforms: Maurice Reforms Cut the size of the standing army
Deployed it as a central reserve and units for the frontier provinces
Added to the frontier fortresses
Divided the empire for purposes of recruiting and defenses into military provinces known as themes.
Maurice Reforms: Maurice Reforms Themes
Subdivided into districts called Turmae
Turmae divided into defense stations called Clissurae
Clissurae had outposts (key terrain)
During an attack the theme would use Fabian tactics until other themes would arrive to reinforce them
Maurice Reforms: Maurice Reforms Navy
Strong, control the Byzantine trading centers and sea routes
5 permanent fleets
Ships were small, fast galleys with two banks of oars, two masts and two sails
Oarsman were trained to fight
Each vessel has a small group of Marines
Larger ships had revolving turrets and mounted war engines
Bow tubes with greek fire (mixture of naptha, sulphur and quicklime)
Cibyrrhaeots theme provided half the forces
Maurice Reforms: Maurice Reforms Army
Cavalry was the main arm
Carried a bow, long lance, boradsword, dagger and sometimes as ax.
Armor; conical helmet, chain mail gloves, gauntlets, small round shield on left arm, steel shoes and some horses had armor on their heads.
Training: charging cavalry shooting arrows and follow it up with the lance.
Maurice Reforms: Maurice Reforms Army
Numeri of the cavalry formed lines of 8-10 horsemen in depth.
Infantry was a secondary arm and divided into heavy and light
Heavy – much like the cavalry
Light – mostly archers, some javelin. Carried little armor for better mobility
Highly disciplined. Records of night attacks
Maurice Reforms: Maurice Reforms Army
Engineers
Medical – Doctor, surgeon and stretcher bearers
Signal service
Messengers
Signal flares
Chaplains – priests or monks
Officer were trained early in life
Fall of the Empire: Fall of the Empire After constant attacks from the Persians and Slavs during the 6th century, the military is weakened
Islamic attacks in the 7th and 8th century also hurt the military
Basil I (867-886) and Basil II(985-1025) neglect military
1063 Turks attack
Fall of the Empire Cont.: Fall of the Empire Cont. 1068- Romanus Diogenes takes control
Former General
Drove Turks back in the Battle of Manzikert
Was betrayed by one of his officers and the Turks enveloped him and killed the Romanus’s Byzantine force
1453-Mohammed II takes Constantinople to end 1100 years of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire over the Years: Byzantine Empire over the Years
MILITARY ORGANIZATION AND PHILOSPHY: MILITARY ORGANIZATION AND PHILOSPHY SURVIVAL ORIENTED AS OPPOSED TO EXPANSIONIST POLICY
NATIVE-BORN SOLDIERS
STILL HAD TO USE SOME MERCENARIES
MUCH MORE SO THAN THE WEST
RUSES USED, NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE MORALITY OF WAR
MILITARY ORGANIZATION AND PHILOSPHY (CONT): MILITARY ORGANIZATION AND PHILOSPHY (CONT) WARFARE WAS CAREFULLY STUDIED AND ANALYZED
THE CATAPHRACT (DISCIPLINED HEAVY CALVARY)
SYMBOLIZED THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE THE SAME WAY THE LEGION REPRESTED ROME
WELL TRAINED AND DRILLED
GREAT EMPHASIS ON ARCHERY MARKSMANSHIP AND CONSTANT PRACTICE IN THE USE OF WEAPONS
SCARCE RESOURCES FOR WAR CREATED AN EMPHASIS ON GOOD GENERALSHIP
Military Tactics: Military Tactics Employed a Standard Tactical Doctrine
Doctrines Emphasized: 1. Coordinated Action: -Between Weapons Systems (ie-missiles and shock) -Between Armies (ie-infantry and cavalry) 2. Envelopment-Preferred the Left Flank
3. Retaining Fresh Reserves
Military Tactics Cont.: Military Tactics Cont. Had no Code of Honor -Guile and Fraud used whenever possible -Bribery and Trickery were used to Coerce the Enemy -Used Psychological Warfare on Enemies -Used False Propaganda to Raise the Moral of own Troops
Relied Heavily on Native Troops vice using Mercenaries
Military Inovations: Military Inovations Cavalry
Stirrups
Greek Fire
Military Study
Good Generalship
Baggage Train
Battle of Manzikert, 1071 Background: Battle of Manzikert, 1071 Background 7th and 9th Century Byzantium
Outlying territories lost but main bastions were intact
Basil I (867 - 886) and Basil II (985 - 1025)
Ragained some of the lost territories
Immunity from danger
Neglect of the army and navy
Rise of the Slejuk Turks in 1063 caused a need to rearm.
1068 Romanus Diogenes made emperor
Set out prematurely against the Turks
1069 Successes
Battle of Manzikert, 1071: Battle of Manzikert, 1071 Alp Arslan; Twice beaten but learned
Offered negotiations but was refused
Romanus advanced in single cavalry line
Turks retreated and attacked the flanks
Killed many horses
Riders still have bows but little skill
Romans pursued and were ambushed
Romanus went to far, ran out of water and it became dark
Battle of Manzikert, 1071: Battle of Manzikert, 1071 Romanus orders his forces to halt.
Commander of his reserve refused to halt which separated his forces
Turks enclosed the separated army
Turks routed the Byzatines, killed or captured every man
Heavy Cavlary can not cope with light cavalry
Battle of Manzikert, 1071: Battle of Manzikert, 1071 Cost the empire Asia Minor, recruiting area for the army and much wealth.
Turks, steppe light cavalry, archers.
One spare horse
Move all over the battle field and avoid close combat
To counter: Foot bowman near the cavalry
Never let the army disperse