Essay on Alexander the Great The Campaign of Gaugamela

The combination of Logistics and Tactics permitted to Alexander III the Great to be successful during the campaign of Gaugamela. Prior to the battle, Alexander the Great decided to take the same route Darius took on his way to Issus. He knew that if he wanted to march toward Babylon, he couldnt go through the lower valley of Mesopotamia as there was not sufficient supplies available for his army and the daily temperature in summer is 49 º C.(tactic) He figured out that if Darius larger army and his very inefficient Logistics could achieve to march through the route, Alexanders smaller, lighter combined with a very found Logistics was certain to succeed. But as he marched into the region, he found that all the supplies were kept in the†¦show more content†¦(tactics) Many others followed from all over the empire. Also, the infantry was still clearly inferior to Macedonian foot troops but they had better weaponry. The number of Persian troops are often exaggerated by Macedoni ans historians and it goes from 200,000 infantry and 45,000 cavalry to 1,000,000 infantry and 400,000 cavalry. Darius understood that the limited space against Alexander at Irus was a factor against him. So,he chose a defensive tactic by setting camp between the river Bumelus and the Jabal Maqlub, the highest hill of many that intersect the Tigris and Zagros plain. He flatten the battlefield in order for his cavalry and chariots to have optimum maneuverability. But Alexander obtained a tactic advantage before the battle when he could occupy the slopes surrounding the plains of Gaugamela. He performed a detailed survey of the battlefield. Darius placed the Bactrian cavalry on the left, supported by Daae, Arachotians and a mix of cavalry and infantry. Further was the Susian and then the Cadusian forces. On the right, were the forces from the Lowland Syria, the Parthians, Sacae, the Tapurian, the Medes and the Hyrcanian. (site sur alex long) The center was composed of the King, , his e lite squadron and the royal guard. The tactic was to create gaps in the Macedonians lines. Alexander forces were formed in the usual pattern forming a compact line. Alexander knew he would be outflankedShow MoreRelatedThe Battle Against The Persian Empire1532 Words   |  7 PagesAlexander the Great is one of the most celebrated military leaders in history. His campaigns against the Persian Empire began in 336 BC, when he and the Macedonian army crossed the Hellespont and began their invasion of Asia Minor. The Macedonians were victorious in their first major engagement against the Persians at the Battle of Granicus River in 334 BC. 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