Identification and Evaluation of Sources The purpose of this investigation is to answer the question: To what extent did the military tactics and empire-building strategies of Alexander the Great influence the culture and later rulers of Europe? This source is a video about Alexander the Great from Youtube, a video sharing website, that is part of the Crash Course World History video series. It was produced by author John Green and written by historian Raoul Mayer. Since the script is written by a historian and the show is produced by a reputable author, the information presented is fairly reliable, unbiased and trustworthy. However, since the video is a secondary source, most of the information is being presented is the writer’s interpretation,
…show more content…
Alexander the Great, born as Alexander III of Macedon, was a King of Macedon who was known as one of the most brilliant military generals in history. He created a vast empire stretching throughout Europe and Asia. He lived from 356-325 B.C.E., and during that short time, was able to create a nearly unstoppable military force that never lost a battle while Alexander was alive. The son of Phillip II, he was able to continue his father’s mission to make Macedon into a powerful military and economic force. (Walbank, 2016) The conquests and empire-building of Alexander the Great changed the history and culture of Europe, with his battle tactics being used by many future military leaders, as well as Hellenistic influence being spread throughout …show more content…
Alexander’s army relied heavily on lightly- armored phalanx formations with long pikes, called sarsissas, that were up to 20 feet long, special “wedge” formations to increase the volume of troops in order to be more effective in combat, and a strong cavalry that consisted of two different units, including a unit that fought with Alexander himself. After the death of his father, Alexander made the Macedonian army much larger and made it into a main focus of Macedonian culture. He also commissioned engineers to develop and create new siege weapons. All of his troops were also equipped with very light armor to help them with mobility and allowed Alexander to make adjustments to his formations easily. (Mishkov, 2015) Many European military leaders, such as Napoleon and the Roman general Pompey made use of many of these tactics in their own battles. For example, Napoleon’s main unit of troops was cavalry, just like Alexander’s, and Roman soldiers often used formations similar to that of Alexander’s Macedonian phalanxes. These military leaders respected Alexander the Great and often looked to him for inspiration in their battle planning. (Morelock, 2015) (Green, 2012) These tactics, which helped Alexander the Great create a military powerhouse, also helped later generals and leaders win
Alexander the Great, born as Alexander III of Macedon, was a King of Macedon who was known as one of the most brilliant military generals in history. He created a vast empire stretching throughout Europe and Asia. He lived from 356-325 B.C.E., and during that short time, was able to create a nearly unstoppable military force that never lost a battle while Alexander was alive. The son of Phillip II, he was able to continue his father’s mission to make Macedon into a powerful military and economic force. (Walbank, 2016) The conquests and empire-building of Alexander the Great changed the history and culture of Europe, with his battle tactics being used by many future military leaders, as well as Hellenistic influence being spread throughout …show more content…
Alexander’s army relied heavily on lightly- armored phalanx formations with long pikes, called sarsissas, that were up to 20 feet long, special “wedge” formations to increase the volume of troops in order to be more effective in combat, and a strong cavalry that consisted of two different units, including a unit that fought with Alexander himself. After the death of his father, Alexander made the Macedonian army much larger and made it into a main focus of Macedonian culture. He also commissioned engineers to develop and create new siege weapons. All of his troops were also equipped with very light armor to help them with mobility and allowed Alexander to make adjustments to his formations easily. (Mishkov, 2015) Many European military leaders, such as Napoleon and the Roman general Pompey made use of many of these tactics in their own battles. For example, Napoleon’s main unit of troops was cavalry, just like Alexander’s, and Roman soldiers often used formations similar to that of Alexander’s Macedonian phalanxes. These military leaders respected Alexander the Great and often looked to him for inspiration in their battle planning. (Morelock, 2015) (Green, 2012) These tactics, which helped Alexander the Great create a military powerhouse, also helped later generals and leaders win