Reasons Behind the Military Success of Alexander the Great

Reasons Behind the Military Success of Alexander the Great

Introduction

It can be seen throughout history that leaders like Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Trajan, Attila, Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler conquered many territories and have won countless battles n (Abbott, 2012). Researchers debate that what led them to achieve such success? Some people claim that self-confidence, their ability to innovate techniques and tactics, their incredible adaptability in decision-making, planning and delivery of orders, glaring leadership allowed them to achieve what they wanted to have.

There is no doubt about the fact that these skills are necessary for a military commander or any leader, but the real key to Alexander's victories was the motivation and loyalty of his armies and their ability to build strong alliances with their enemies (Fox, 2004). Imagine a situation in which several soldiers were killed in the battlefield against an unexpected enemy attack. The survivors are in desperate search of an escape route, the rows begin to crumble and uncertainty pervades their minds doing doubt his victory. General and commanding officers redefine strategy. His leadership is now more than ever the key to success.

Discussion

Alexander, recognized as one of the most famous military commanders in history, was born in July 356 BC, and died in June 323 BC conquered most of the known world at that time, coming from ancient Greece to the banks of the Indus in India. During his life and after his death, inspired a literary tradition in which it appears as a legendary hero (Kurke, 2004).

Alexander the Great, was the son of King Philip II of Macedonia and his fourth wife who was Olympia. Being small was educated by Aristotle, the great philosopher of the West, who taught rhetoric, philosophy, medicine, and science. It is also essential to know that when the father of Alexander the Great took his fifth wife, there was a family dispute about the legitimacy for the young Alexander could ascend the throne after his father had died, which meant he had to leave Macedonia with his mother and sister (Kurke, 2004). Subsequently Macedonia's army seizes power over Greece, and soon after Philip II is assassinated, so Alexander is named king of Macedonia. Once in power, must conquer the cities of Thebes and Athens, which rebelled against Macedonian army, after achieving these gains, the unit of Greece. This allowed the legendary warrior traverses the Dardanelles (Hellespont formerly) with an army estimated at 42,000 men, mainly from Greece and Macedonia, to conquer the Persian Empire led by Emperor Darius III. In 333 BC, manages to defeat the Persians at the Battle of Issus, which involved the army break into the Persian Empire.

Alexander, between 332 BC and 331 BC, enters Egypt as a liberator and founded the city of Alexandria, which was the capital of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Once conquered Egypt, faces and finally defeat the Persian army led by Darius at the Battle of Gaugamela in Assyria, which allowed Alexander leave and take the city of ...