AUSTERLITZ
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Ok so here is one for war elephant fans as asked.
Battle of Ipsus 301 BC
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BACKGROUND -
As Alexander lay dying in 323 BC,he was asked who should succeed him,he reportedly said -'the strongest'.
His generals would not disappoint.For 20 yrs his former comrades in arms and companions,the now called 'diadochi ' or successors have waged relentless warfare over the corpse of his empire.
Over the course of four round of wars Antigonus the one eyed and his son Demetrius have come to dominate affairs,with their powerbase in the rich heartland of anatolia,asia minor,greece and syria .
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Cassander has been driven back to the original macedonian lands,while ptolemy holds egypt and lysimachus thrace.Seleucus has acquired control over persia and mesopotamia and moves east to recover his eastern provinces from the rising mauryan empire in india and capture war elephants for his army.He is however defeated,and cedes 2 eastern provinces and enters a matrimonial alliance with chandragupta in return for 480 indian war elephants with their mahouts and staff. These would play an important role in the coming conflict.He then returns west.
The others understand that they must stand against antigonus united or fall one by one.
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Seleucus Nicator,he led the elite hypaspist[shield bearer] foot guards during alexander's persian campaign.At hydaspes he was in charge of the phalanx tasked with halting porus's war elephants.
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Antigonus The one eyed at the battle of gaugamela vs the persians.Antigonus had served under both philip and his son alexander and was 81 years old by the time of ipsus.He was still feared for his experience.Command was shared between him and his son demetrius.
Movements-
Lysimachus crosses over from thrace and unites with reinforcements from cassander and captures several cities,he is however soon contained by antigonus who pursues.Antigonus however soon recieves word that seleucus has returned from the east at the head of a large host.He recalls his son demetrius and his forces from greece and they link up even as lysimachus and seleucus unite their forces.Ptolemy waits and watches in egypt.
Both sides have good reasons to offer battle-
For the allies it represents their chance to defeat antigonus before he crushes them seperately.
They also can't afford to stay away too long from their power centres in thrace and babylon and must settle the issue quickly.
For the antigonids,it represents a chance to destroy his enemies at one stroke.
More importantly they wish to crush the allies before ptolemy can join them .
Battle is now inevitable.At Ipsus.
Next-Armies and tactics.
Battle of Ipsus 301 BC
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
BACKGROUND -
As Alexander lay dying in 323 BC,he was asked who should succeed him,he reportedly said -'the strongest'.
His generals would not disappoint.For 20 yrs his former comrades in arms and companions,the now called 'diadochi ' or successors have waged relentless warfare over the corpse of his empire.
Over the course of four round of wars Antigonus the one eyed and his son Demetrius have come to dominate affairs,with their powerbase in the rich heartland of anatolia,asia minor,greece and syria .
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Cassander has been driven back to the original macedonian lands,while ptolemy holds egypt and lysimachus thrace.Seleucus has acquired control over persia and mesopotamia and moves east to recover his eastern provinces from the rising mauryan empire in india and capture war elephants for his army.He is however defeated,and cedes 2 eastern provinces and enters a matrimonial alliance with chandragupta in return for 480 indian war elephants with their mahouts and staff. These would play an important role in the coming conflict.He then returns west.
The others understand that they must stand against antigonus united or fall one by one.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Seleucus Nicator,he led the elite hypaspist[shield bearer] foot guards during alexander's persian campaign.At hydaspes he was in charge of the phalanx tasked with halting porus's war elephants.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Antigonus The one eyed at the battle of gaugamela vs the persians.Antigonus had served under both philip and his son alexander and was 81 years old by the time of ipsus.He was still feared for his experience.Command was shared between him and his son demetrius.
Movements-
Lysimachus crosses over from thrace and unites with reinforcements from cassander and captures several cities,he is however soon contained by antigonus who pursues.Antigonus however soon recieves word that seleucus has returned from the east at the head of a large host.He recalls his son demetrius and his forces from greece and they link up even as lysimachus and seleucus unite their forces.Ptolemy waits and watches in egypt.
Both sides have good reasons to offer battle-
For the allies it represents their chance to defeat antigonus before he crushes them seperately.
They also can't afford to stay away too long from their power centres in thrace and babylon and must settle the issue quickly.
For the antigonids,it represents a chance to destroy his enemies at one stroke.
More importantly they wish to crush the allies before ptolemy can join them .
Battle is now inevitable.At Ipsus.
Next-Armies and tactics.