Between the ancient Persian Empire and the rising kingdom of Macedonia, a decisive contest is about to begin. As the young and promising king of the Macedonian kingdom, Alexander the Great, with his brilliant strategy and heroic command, fought a legendary duel with the Persian army on the battlefield of Gaugamela. The outcome of this battle will directly affect the fate of the Persian Empire, and will Alexander be able to clear the resistance in one fell swoop and then conquer the east? How will he strategize and command to achieve the final victory in the face of being at a disadvantage in both manpower and material? Let's find out how Alexander, who was later regarded as the "greatest general", used his military genius in the decisive battle of Gaugamela.
The Persian Empire reigned supreme, and the Macedonian kingdom was eyeing the land
Beginning in 550 B.C., the Persian Empire gradually expanded its territory throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean with its powerful military power, becoming the largest and most powerful empire in the world at that time. The Persians, with their warlike character and steely discipline, made their armies invincible. Even during the reign of Philip II of the Macedonian kingdom, the Persian Empire stood firm and bullied the smaller neighboring states.
In comparison, the strength of the Kingdom of Macedonia is insignificant. Once upon a time, this small country in northern Greece was just a speck of dust in the eyes of the Persian Empire. However, in the hands of Philip II, Macedonia gradually got rid of its long-term internal and external troubles and began to gather strength. Philip II was the first to reform the Macedonian army, introducing new weapons and equipment to improve the mobility of the army. At the same time, he took advantage of the contradictions between the surrounding city-states and conquered them one by one, expanding Macedonia's territory in preparation for the future confrontation with the Persian Empire.
However, just as Philip II was preparing to unite the Greek city-states against Persia, a regret occurred - he was assassinated by his cronies, and his 20-year-old son Alexander was forced to succeed him. The original Alexander faced many internal and external troubles, not only to suppress the rebellion at home, but also to enlist the support of all sides to consolidate his dominance in Macedonia. Fortunately, Alexander was resourceful, and after quelling the turmoil in the country, he immediately began to carry out his father's plan to conquer Persia.
In the spring of 334 BC, the young Alexander marched south, leading 45,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry, through the Strait of Hellesponte into Asia Minor. This marked the beginning of a protracted contest between the Kingdom of Macedonia and the Persian Empire, with the armies of both sides engaging in the first skirmishes at the Granicus Pass. Despite his small numbers, Alexander's unexpected command talent led to the victory of the Macedonian army. The battle was small but significant, and it sent a voice to the Persian Empire – a new power was awakening and was bound to fight a life-and-death battle with the ancient Persian Empire.
Determined to go east, Alexander entered into a standoff with the Persian Empire
After his victory at the Battle of Granicus, Alexander did not stop there, but was determined to continue his father's legacy of crusade against the Persian Empire. Along the way, he continued to raid cities and land, and soon included the entire peninsula of Asia Minor under his command. The Persian governor in this region saw that the tide was turning, and he was unable to resist, so he had to retreat to Inner Asia with the remnants of his army.
Alexander's relentless offensive made the newly enthroned Persian king Darius III feel threatened like never before. Darius knew very well that if he wanted to completely eradicate the emerging Macedonian power, he had to go out himself. He ordered the requisition of troops from all corners of the Persian Empire and formed a large army in the interior of Asia Minor.
In 333 BC, the two armies met at the Issus Gorge in western Asia Minor. Despite the fact that the Macedonian side was severely undernumbered, Alexander's superior command skills allowed him to finally win in this narrow geographical environment. The Battle of Issus was undoubtedly a major breakthrough in Alexander's military career, as it shattered the Persian perception of the Macedonian army as "small".
However, even after the Battle of Issus, the main forces of the Persian army were not fully present. Darius did not give up, but instead decided to regroup his men and fight the Macedonian army to the death in another, more open spot. He believed that only in the case of a completely advantageous position could the numerical superiority of the Persian army be brought into play, and thus the Macedonians could be completely defeated.
After nearly a year of preparation, Darius finally chose a satisfactory battlefield - the Camura's plain in present-day Syria, which was flat and open, with almost no shelter, suitable for mobilizing the Persian army to advance for a long time. More critically, Darius also developed a new type of chariot with sharp blades inlaid on the wheels, designed to break through the phalanx of the Macedonian army and provide opportunities for the cavalry ranks.
It is worth mentioning that just as Alexander and Darius were in their second confrontation, a rebellion broke out in Macedonia itself, which put Alexander in a two-front battle. Fortunately, the rebellion was quickly suppressed, and Alexander was able to focus on the decisive battle with Persia.
Finally, in October 333 BC, the two armies came head-to-head on the Camurae Plain. Faced with the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Persian army, Alexander's generals suggested night raid tactics. However, Alexander insisted on fighting during the day, believing that the discipline and technical and tactical superiority of the Macedonian army could only be maximized in broad daylight.
The decisive battle of Gaugamela is imminent, and the two sides are carefully arranged
The Battle of Camura Plains was a crucial battle between Alexander and Darius III, the old enemies. Although the Macedonian army was far inferior in numbers to the Persian army, Alexander knew that his advantage lay in the mobility and tactical use of his army. Therefore, he set about reorganizing the corps.
First, Alexander reorganized the main force of the Macedonian army into a flat rectangular phalanx, which included infantry of various races, as well as shieldmen and pikemen. This form of formation can make the entire formation more flexible when marching and maneuvering, and it is also beneficial to resist the surprise attack of the enemy army.
Secondly, Alexander ordered the generals to arrange escort formations on both sides of the army. These formations consisted of elite cavalry and light infantry, and their task was to protect the flanks of the heavy infantry phalanx from being outflanked by enemy forces during battle.
Thirdly, Alexander deployed a large number of elite cavalry on the right flank of the entire formation. He personally commanded this cavalry and planned to launch a fierce assault at a critical moment to break the Persian front.
As for the Persian camp, Darius III was also well prepared. He placed tens of thousands of hoplites in the middle of the plain, forming an extremely large phalanx, with a large number of archers in the rear. The flanks were divided into the dreaded Diffuse Cavalry and Heavy Cavalry units, which also included scythe chariots specially designed to deal with the Macedonian heavy infantry.
As soon as the formation of the two sides was deployed, two "legion hills" confronted each other were formed. No one thought that this decisive battle would be so thrilling.
In addition to the formation, Alexander also made a crucial decision - to set up an ambush in the northeast of the Camurae Plain. He selected the most elite cavalry, the Macedonian Personal Guard, to be responsible for this task. Alexander hoped that when the tide of battle was balanced or reversed, he would command this ambush to launch a surprise attack and deal a fatal blow to the Persian army from the flank or rear.
Just as the armies of both sides began to prepare for a decisive battle, a piece of good news came that lifted the hearts of the Macedonian army - in Greece itself, the remnants of the rebellion in the Macedonian kingdom had been completely put down. As soon as Alexander was released, he conveyed this benefit to his army and once again called on his men to fight for the prestige of Macedonia.
After the final deployment of the two sides was completed, Camura's battlefield fell into an eerie tranquility. All the sergeants held their breath and waited for the orders of Alexander and Darius III. This moment finally came, and the formations of the two sides began to move slowly, gradually narrowing the distance between each other, and the war was about to break out...
The fierce battle of Gaugamela is in full swing, and Alexander God blocks the killing machine
The formations of the two sides began to approach slowly, and the horn of war was finally sounded. The first to attack was the Persian camp, where Darius III ordered the sharp chariots of scythes to charge at the Macedonian army.
These scythe chariots were the killer weapon of the Persian army, and the sharp blades on the wheels of the chariots were designed to break through the Macedonian army line. However, Alexander was prepared and ordered his archers to fire heavily at the convoy, employing a surprising tactic of splitting the heavy infantry diagonally to create gaps in the chariots and prevent the line from being torn apart.
After some hardship, Darius's scythe chariot finally broke through the front line of the Macedonian army. Just as the Persians were overjoyed, Alexander was taken by surprise again by leading the cavalry of the Macedonian Guards into a fierce attack on the flank of the convoy. Under the flanking of the cavalry, the scythe chariots were undoubtedly in trouble, and one by one they were destroyed or fled.
After this setback, the heavy infantry phalanxes of the two armies finally approached each other, and a great melee ensued. Although the Macedonian army was far inferior to the Persians in numbers, it finally gained the upper hand in the difficult tug-of-war with its elite combat qualities and tight phalanx, coupled with Alexander's excellent command.
The archers of the Persian army constantly fired arrows at the Macedonian phalanx, but could not pose a mortal threat. In contrast, the Macedonian army's spears and heavily armored elite were clearly superior. While the infantry on both sides advanced slowly, the cavalry units also launched a decisive charge on both flanks.
Alexander led the cavalry of the Macedonian Guards in a fierce charge, reaching the right flank of the Persian army. At the same time, Darius's scattered cavalry also launched an offensive on the left flank of the Macedonian army. For a time, the battlefield was full of horseshoes and horses, and the cavalry lines of both sides alternately occupied the advantage in fierce hand-to-hand combat.
At this juncture, Alexander himself rushed to the center of the Persian army and tried to storm the lair of Darius III. However, this action put him in a very dangerous situation, as he was surrounded by the Persian cavalry, with only eight guards to accompany him.
Like a wounded lion, Alexander fought his way out of the siege on horseback, rushing back and forth. This scene made the soldiers on both sides of the battlefield tremble. While Alexander was fighting alone, the Macedonian cavalry in the rear discovered his situation and immediately sent massive reinforcements, finally rescuing the young king.
Under the cover of the personal guards, Alexander continued to launch a fierce assault on Darius' camp. This time, the Persian heavy cavalry was finally defeated and crushed, and Darius III fled the battlefield in confusion. The Persian army was thus defeated, and the Macedonian army was finally victorious.
Macedonia marched eastward, and the Persian Empire nearly collapsed
At the Battle of Gaugamela, the Persian camp suffered a complete rout. After Darius III fled the battlefield in disarray, the Macedonian army won a landslide victory. But Alexander did not stop there, and immediately set out to conquer the heart of the Persian Empire.
Victory brought the hope of greater victory, and Alexander first conquered the entire region of Syria. He then arrived in present-day Lebanon in 351 and captured the city of Tyre. Immediately afterward, he marched his army to Egypt and quickly occupied the rich land.
During his time in Egypt, Alexander was extremely resourceful. Not only did he invite the local pharaoh to be the governor of Egypt, but he also made a pilgrimage to the temple of Siwa Aman in the west. Alexander succeeded in gaining the support of the Egyptians, and his army was well supplied with food and grass in this fertile land.
Alexander then continued northward, arriving in present-day Iraq in 331 BCE. The decisive battle took place on this ancient plain of Mesopotamia. Alexander garrisoned the city of ancient Babylon and prepared for a decisive battle against the heart of the Persian Empire.
This time, Darius led an army of 630,000 men. The two sides met near the city of Guge Gamera, and Alexander still used the tactics of a flat phalanx against the Persians' tactics of crowding. Soon, however, the Macedonian army's formation was crushed by the Persian cavalry charge.
At this critical moment, Alexander once again demonstrated his brilliant commanding skills. He personally led the Macedonian cavalry to storm the flanks of the Persian army, forming a pincer encirclement of Darius' position. Under the cover of cavalry, the Macedonian phalanx quickly regrouped and concentrated the pressure of the whole army on the battalion under the command of Darius.
A desperate battle unfolded under the city of Guggamera, and the infantry and cavalry on both sides were entangled with each other, and the scene was extremely tragic. Eventually, Darius was killed and wounded by the Macedonian cavalry, the camp fell, and the Persian army was crushed. Once again, Alexander defeated the Persian Empire, capturing almost all of the heartland of Persia.
Immediately after this battle, Alexander approached Susa, the heart of the Persian Empire. Susa, also known as the fortified city, was the last base of Persia and an important royal town. However, under the pressure of the Macedonian army, it did not hold out for long before it was lost. By the time Alexander's vanguard entered Susa, the once-opulent capital was now devastated.
end
With the fall of Susa, the Persian Empire had all but collapsed. Alexander took over a large amount of the wealth of the Persian royal family, including two palaces and royal collections, and the entire Persian Empire was lost to the Kingdom of Macedonia in an unprecedented state of glory. The Persian Empire, which had dominated the Middle East and the Mediterranean for centuries, came into decline.