AUSTERLITZ
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Battle of Granicus 334 BC.
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Background:
Philip The one eyed,had successfully created in macedonia a powerful and centralized state,and subdued greece under him, intending to launch a campaign against persia in asia minor.He is however assasinated before he can set out.
On the wake of his death,many of the subject nations- the thracians,illyrians and the greek city states of thebes and athens rebel.His son and successor alexander conducts a lightning campaign in the north suppressing the northern tribes,then swings south and razes thebes to the ground.Athens is shocked into submission by the fate of thebes.
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After consolidating his position,alexander has himself elected leader of greeks for an expedition into persia.Leaving his father's experienced general antipater in charge as regent of macedon,he embarks on a 20 day march on the hellespont,and crosses into asia with perhaps 30,000 heavy and light infantry and 5000 cavalry.He then moves to achieve his initial aim-the end of persian rule over the greek cities of asia minor.
The Persian Response :
The Persian satraps[or regional governors] to whom darius III had entrusted the defence of asia minor had initially ignored the threat,only belatedly did they muster a force of 10,000+ cavalry plus 10,000 infantry.Almost the entire infantry component were greek mercenaries under Memnon of Rhodes.The persians had almost no infantry of their own has they didn't have time to complete mobilization.
Memnon proposes a scorched earth policy-to deny alexander's army forage.Macedonia was in serious financial trouble due to ceaseless wars and couldn't support a massive standing army plus pay mercenaries and the allied greek navy as well.Alexander had to make this campaign pay for itself.The persian satraps however reject this advice as they were suspicious of memnon's nationality and also they didn't want to devastate their own satrapies, and prepare to give battle.They choose to make their stand at the granicus-where the riverbank they believe would break up the cohesion of the macedonian army and negate the persians disadvantage in infantry.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
As alexander's army approached his scouts located the persian forces lined up for battle guarding the granicus.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Background:
Philip The one eyed,had successfully created in macedonia a powerful and centralized state,and subdued greece under him, intending to launch a campaign against persia in asia minor.He is however assasinated before he can set out.
On the wake of his death,many of the subject nations- the thracians,illyrians and the greek city states of thebes and athens rebel.His son and successor alexander conducts a lightning campaign in the north suppressing the northern tribes,then swings south and razes thebes to the ground.Athens is shocked into submission by the fate of thebes.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
After consolidating his position,alexander has himself elected leader of greeks for an expedition into persia.Leaving his father's experienced general antipater in charge as regent of macedon,he embarks on a 20 day march on the hellespont,and crosses into asia with perhaps 30,000 heavy and light infantry and 5000 cavalry.He then moves to achieve his initial aim-the end of persian rule over the greek cities of asia minor.
The Persian Response :
The Persian satraps[or regional governors] to whom darius III had entrusted the defence of asia minor had initially ignored the threat,only belatedly did they muster a force of 10,000+ cavalry plus 10,000 infantry.Almost the entire infantry component were greek mercenaries under Memnon of Rhodes.The persians had almost no infantry of their own has they didn't have time to complete mobilization.
Memnon proposes a scorched earth policy-to deny alexander's army forage.Macedonia was in serious financial trouble due to ceaseless wars and couldn't support a massive standing army plus pay mercenaries and the allied greek navy as well.Alexander had to make this campaign pay for itself.The persian satraps however reject this advice as they were suspicious of memnon's nationality and also they didn't want to devastate their own satrapies, and prepare to give battle.They choose to make their stand at the granicus-where the riverbank they believe would break up the cohesion of the macedonian army and negate the persians disadvantage in infantry.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
As alexander's army approached his scouts located the persian forces lined up for battle guarding the granicus.