Campaigns of Alexander the Great. The conquests of Alexander the Great and the creation of a world power The campaigns and conquests of Alexander the Great briefly

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In the spring of 334 BC. Alexander began a campaign to the East, unprecedented in its audacity. By the beginning of the campaign, Alexander managed to provide his army with food for only a month, since he had almost no money left in the treasury. Any failure at the beginning of hostilities threatened the death of the Macedonian army. Alexander understood the risk of the planned campaign: it had to lead either to complete success or to the inevitable death of Macedonia. The troops of the Persian satraps took up a convenient position on the steep bank of the Granik River, through which the Macedonians were not supposed to cross. Alexander's generals unanimously opposed the offensive, but he ignored all advice. Some of the Macedonian commanders believed that Alexander was leading his troops to certain death. And yet, the frantic attack was crowned with success: part of the cavalry, led by the king, got out to the wet and slippery opposite bank. While the Macedonian cavalry, fighting a dangerous battle, held the captured section of the coast, Alexander’s infantry began to cross here. Under her blows, the enemy cavalry fled. The victory at Granik opened the way for the Macedonian conqueror to Asia Minor. One after another, the Greek cities of Asia Minor surrendered to Alexander without resistance. Only the rich and powerful Miletus and Halicarnassus, which enjoyed great advantages under Persian rule, did not want to surrender. These cities were taken by storm. Meanwhile, news arrived that the Persian king Darius with a huge army moved against the Macedonians. Both troops met near the Syrian city of Issa. The Persian army was more numerous, but Darius failed to take advantage of this advantage. The Persian army was completely defeated. A huge Persian convoy and all the designated servants fell into the hands of the winners. Among the prisoners were Darius's mother, wife and two daughters. The huge booty allowed the winner to generously reward the troops and send great wealth to friends and family back home. Having defeated the Persian king, the troops of King Alexander occupied the countries lying on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea: Syria, Phenicia and Palestine. Most of the coastal cities submitted to the Macedonians without resistance. Only one Phoenician city of Tire, whose inhabitants controlled the maritime trade of Persia and received great benefits from it, did not want to submit to Alexander. The siege of Tire lasted more than six months (332 BC). The successful siege of Tire opened the way for him to Egypt, and in the winter of 332-331 BC. The Greco-Macedonian phalanxes entered the Nile Valley. The population of the countries enslaved by the Persians perceived the Macedonians as liberators. To maintain stable power in the captured lands, Alexander took an extraordinary step - declaring himself the son of the Egyptian god Ammon, who was identified by the Greeks with Zeus, he became the legitimate ruler (pharaoh) in the eyes of the Egyptians.

Another way to strengthen power in conquered countries was the resettlement of Greeks and Macedonians, which contributed to the spread of the Greek language and culture over vast territories. Alexander specifically founded new cities for the settlers, usually bearing his name. The most famous of them is Alexandria (Egyptian).

After carrying out financial reform in Egypt, Alexander continued his campaign to the East. The Greco-Macedonian army invaded Mesopotamia. Darius III, gathering all possible forces, tried to stop Alexander, but to no avail, on October 1, 331 BC. the Persians were finally defeated at the Battle of Gaugamela (near modern Irbil, Iraq). The winners occupied the ancestral Persian lands, the cities of Babylon, Susa, Persepolis, and Ecbatana. Darius III fled, but was soon killed by Bessus, satrap of Bactria; Alexander ordered the last Persian ruler to be buried with royal honors in Persepolis. The Achaemenid state ceased to exist.

After the assassination of the Macedonian king Philip II in 336 BC. e. his son Alexander was proclaimed king. Upon ascending the throne, Alexander first dealt with the alleged participants in the conspiracy against his father, and at the same time with other possible rivals. At the news of Philip's death, many of his enemies tried to take advantage of the situation. The Thracian and Illyrian tribes rebelled, opponents of Macedonian rule became more active in Athens, and Thebes and some other Greek city-states tried to expel the garrisons left by Philip. However, Alexander quickly took the initiative into his own hands. As Philip's successor, he organized a congress in Corinth, at which the previously concluded treaty with the Greeks was confirmed. The agreement declared the full sovereignty of the Greek city states, their independent decision of internal affairs, and the right to withdraw from the agreement. To guide the foreign policy of the Greek states, a general council was created and the post of Hellenic hegemon with military powers was introduced. The Greeks made concessions, and many policies admitted Macedonian garrisons.

In the spring of 335 BC. e. Alexander set out on a campaign against the rebel Illyrians and Thracians. No more than 15 thousand soldiers went on the campaign. First, Alexander defeated the Thracians in the battle of Mount Emon: the barbarians set up a camp of carts on a hill and hoped to put the Macedonians to flight by derailing their carts. Alexander ordered his soldiers to avoid the carts in an organized manner. As a result of their victory in the battle, the Macedonians captured many of the women and children whom the barbarians had left in the camp and transported them to Macedonia. Soon the king defeated the Tribal tribe, but their ruler Sirm, along with most of his fellow tribesmen, took refuge on the island of Pevka on the Danube. Alexander, using the few ships that arrived from Byzantium, failed to land on the island. Soon the king noticed that troops of the Getae tribe were gathering on the other bank of the Danube. The Getae hoped that Alexander would not land on the shore occupied by soldiers, but the king, on the contrary, considered the appearance of the Getae a challenge to himself. Therefore, on homemade rafts, he crossed to the other side of the Danube and defeated the Getae. Soon Alexander concluded alliance treaties with all the northern barbarians.

However, while Alexander was settling matters in the north, in the south, under the influence of a false rumor about Alexander’s death, a rebellion broke out in Thebes, the Greek city most affected by Philip. With rapid marches, Alexander transferred his army from Thrace to Thebes. In just 13 days, the Macedonian army completed this transition. The rebel city was offered peaceful terms of surrender, but the Thebans refused. At the end of September 335, the assault on the city began. Macedonian troops occupied the city walls, and the Macedonian garrison opened the gates and helped surround the Thebans. The city was captured, plundered, and the entire population was enslaved. All of Greece was amazed both by the fate of the ancient city, one of the largest and strongest in Hellas, and by the quick victory of the Macedonian weapons. Residents of a number of cities themselves brought to trial politicians who called for a rebellion against Macedonian hegemony. Almost immediately after the capture of Thebes, Alexander headed back to Macedonia, where he began preparing for a campaign in Asia.

Alexander the Great was a great commander who dreamed of conquering the whole world and uniting all the famous peoples of Antiquity under his rule. In 5th grade, you may have already listened to a report or read in a textbook about his father, Philip, who prepared the most modern army at that time in Macedonia, which was supposed to crush enemies during the campaigns of Alexander the Great.

Campaign of King Alexander the Great against the Persians

Alexander's father Philip conquered Greece and united the Balkans. He was going to defeat the Persians as well, but the death of the king could have disrupted the upcoming campaign if the young 22-year-old Alexander had not decided to continue his father’s work.

Rice. 1. Bust of Alexander the Great.

In order not to leave rebellious cities behind him, Alexander first suppressed the rebellion in Thebes, where his father was killed, and then in 334 he began crossing to Asia Minor in the place where the legendary Troy had previously been located.

The Macedonians formally chose the burning of their sanctuaries in Asia Minor by the Persians as the reason for the war. Some time after the landing, Alexander's army, numbering 50,000 people, was met by Persian troops numbering 40,000 soldiers near the Granik River. During the battle, the Persians lost about 11 thousand people, and the Macedonians lost only about 150 soldiers. This victory dramatically changed the balance of the war. It was clear that the Macedonian army was vastly superior to the Persian. The campaign objectives were revised. Instead of conquering a small piece of land, Alexander decided to completely conquer Persia.

Alexander himself led the army into battle at the Battle of Granicus. He showed incredible courage and even killed Darius III's son-in-law during the duel.

Having crossed the Granicus, Alexander in September 334 BC. captured Halicarnassus and ordered its complete destruction. The Persian fleet was stronger than the Macedonian, so he decided to destroy the Persian naval bases, depriving the fleet of ports. In the winter of 333 BC. The king occupied the city of Gordion, where, according to legend, he cut the famous knot, thereby declaring his ambitions to become the ruler of all Asia.

Rice. 2. Map of the empire of Alexander the Great.

Darius III gathered troops in Northern Syria to give a decisive battle to Alexander. It took place in November 333 BC. 40 thousand Macedonians met with three times superior forces of the Persian army near the city of Issa. Alexander personally led the attack on the right flank, and in the center he used the phalanx, which forced the Persians to falter. Soon Darius's army was defeated, and Darius fled. The Persians lost more than 50 thousand people, while Alexander's losses were a hundred times smaller.

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Asia Minor lay at Alexander's feet. In the south, only Egypt remained among the famous powers, where he rushed. Darius at this time was gathering a new army, already not far from Babylon.

Entering Egypt, the priests greeted him as a liberator and proclaimed him pharaoh, for which the king returned their former privileges. He stayed in Egypt for 6 months, founding the city of Alexandria in the Nile Delta.

On October 1, 331, the Battle of Gaugamela took place. 47 thousand Macedonians met with a 100 thousand army. The Persians, having already learned from previous battles, waited for Alexander's attack and waited for an attack for a day. The Macedonian king himself again led the people into battle and again won. For 1,200 of his soldiers killed, the Persians lost about 35 thousand people.

Although Darius managed to escape again, the Macedonians soon occupied the capital of Persia - Babylon, and death still overtook him. Alexander was ready to pursue him throughout Asia, but Darius was poisoned by his own servants.

By 327, Alexander suppressed the last pockets of resistance in the vast and multimillion-dollar Persia.

Indian campaign

In the spring of 326 BC. Alexander crossed the Indus and invaded India, the conquest of which he had been dreaming of for two years. Having conquered Kashmir, he moved on and in May of the same year his battle with Raja Pore took place on the Hydaspes River. During the battle, 40,000 Macedonians defeated the 35,000-strong Indian army, again costing 10 times less losses.

This battle was Alesander's last major battle. Porus became Alexander's vassal and they moved further east.

Rice. 3. Alexander the Great and Porus.

But his troops were tired of 10 years of war. Many have already grown children or have new ones in the vast empire. The army he relied on convinced him to end the campaign and return to Babylon and rule a huge empire from there.

What have we learned?

Alexander was a great commander who subdued the major powers of Asia and united many states under his rule. But he was more of a warrior than a politician, so his power was not allowed to last long.

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After the death of King Philip II, his son Alexander took the throne. The news of the change of ruler spread throughout the suburbs very quickly, after which the authorities in Athens, Thebes and some other large cities tried to expel the Macedonian garrisons. In addition, the Illyrian and Thracian tribes began to rebel.

The young heir had to react very quickly to the current situation. Initially, he dealt with the participants in the conspiracy against his father, then got rid of potential contenders for the throne. And after this, serious foreign policy activities began, which included diplomatic negotiations, small campaigns and major military actions.

The conquests of Alexander the Great began with diplomatic negotiations in the congress in Corinth. Here the old agreements with the Greeks were clarified, according to which the latter were allowed to exercise self-government in cities, and military garrisons should be located to ensure order and security.

Descriptions of the campaigns of Alexander the Great usually begin with the war with the northern tribes. No more than 15 thousand people were involved, which was enough to defeat the Thracians at Mount Emon, the Triballi and Getae at the Danube River. After this, the rest of the barbarians concluded peace treaties with him. At this time, unrest began again in the south, because a rumor was spread that the young king had been killed. In 13 days, Alexander transferred troops to Thebes, as a result of which the local residents themselves brought to justice the politicians who incited the riot.

In the early spring of 334 BC. the young commander, on behalf of the entire Panhellenic League (except Sparta), announced the start of a campaign against Persia. The official reason for this was the desecration of Greek shrines, although the king adhered to the desire to seize all of Asia under his control. By the end of summer, the entire west of Asia Minor was liberated from the Persians, as well as Pamphylia, Perge, Sagalassos, Kelen, Gordium, Cilicia and the small state of Lycia, including the city of Xanthus.

The destruction of Syria occurred in the shortest possible time, because King Darius III decided to take advantage of the situation and bypass his enemy. As a result, the Syrians went behind the Macedonians and killed all the sick and wounded in the city of Issus. The next day after the commander's encouraging speech, his army defeated the enemy and captured his family. As a result of the battle, all Syrian lands quickly came under the control of the new king (only the fortress - the city of Tyre - decided to resist and remained under siege for 7 months).

In Egypt, only the city of Gaza offered resistance, as a result of which the siege lasted 2 months, and then a quick assault managed to achieve results. All other cities opened their gates to the new ruler and welcomed him as a deliverer from the Persian yoke. For this they received garrisons for protection and the opportunity to engage in self-government.

The fifth great campaign of Alexander the Great allowed him to gain complete power over the Persian Empire. The Battle of Gaugamela became one of the most interesting in the history of mankind, because the maneuver of the great commander made it possible to defeat an enemy army that was 20 times larger in number. After this, only Persepolis offered little resistance, and other cities surrendered without a fight.

The conquest of Central Asia (Bactria and Sogdiana) dragged on for 3 years, during which they managed to achieve dominance in these territories. Local nobles did not want to join the new king, which is why they had to prove their superiority everywhere with the help of troops. As a result, a vast territory was captured, and Alexander got a wife, Roxana, who was the daughter of Oxyartes (Sogdian nobleman, head of the fortress on the top of the mountain).

The campaign in India lasted 3 years, as a result of which the country was completely under his control. The conquest of local tribes and the descent along the Indus and Hydaspes rivers allowed him to gain unprecedented power, which his ancestors had never dreamed of. But already in the summer of 323 BC. As a result of a short illness, the king died without leaving any information about his heirs.

The campaigns of Alexander the Great in the ancient world are considered one of the most significant events, which scientists argue about to this day. Despite his short political activity, this king managed to achieve enormous influence throughout the world, and also made noticeable changes in the culture of most peoples.

His successor Alexander dealt with internal affairs. Then the famous campaign begins - a very important event of global historical scale. But his merits are not here. Alexander the Great never thought ahead. We crossed over and immediately won a victory over the Persians. The Persians had 15 thousand Greeks. mercenaries, and Alexander - approx. 30. Then another victory. Then Alexander ran out of money for Greek. mercenaries - half the army. Only with an amazing accumulation of facts did this story not end in tears. Alexander was looking for a battle with the Persians and wanted to take away the convoy (he succeeded, he paid off the mercenaries). Reached Egypt. Even in Tyre they built a dam and took the city. He was proclaimed a god in Egypt. Further to the East. Alexander was very active, and the Persian king Darius III was very calm (though he massacred all his relatives when he came to power). He often fled from the battlefield, first all the auxiliary troops fled, then the selected units and the Greeks retreated, although they were stronger. Alexander himself did not expect such successes, then he captured Babylon, Persepi - he burned it (why? Then he regretted it). Then Darius was killed. Alexander decided to proclaim himself his heir and create a unified Greco-Persian state. The Persian officials were now throwing themselves on their faces in front of Alexander, and this bothered the Macedonians, then they were forced to throw themselves too. Alexander even executed several of his associates. We reached the north of India and the horse drowned. His soldiers mutinied and had to return. He died soon after.

It is important that Alexander walked, and the Greeks followed him, and built cities built according to the Greek. principles. The Greeks were driven there, building their own little world inside someone else's world. The Greeks received a lot - flows of information, cultural, etc. The Greek appeared. ecumene.

The first stage of the Eastern Campaign (334–331). in spring 334 Alexander with a tiny army to conquer the world (35 thousand) crossed the Hellespont and met at the river Granik in the first battle with the army of the Persian king Darius III, having defeated him. Darius himself did not participate in the battle: Greek mercenaries took his side. the king also maintained local self-government in non-Greek regions, only placing it under the control of the Macedonians; did not raise taxes, respected the customs and traditions of the conquered population. This policy gained him great popularity.

For the second time the king met with the Persians near the city Iss V 333 g., Alexander inflicted a crushing defeat on him. After Issus, all Syrian and Phoenician cities went over to the side of Alexander, who for a long time besieged only Tire, which was considered impregnable.

V 332 g. entered Egypt, where he was again greeted as a liberator from the Persians. He founded Alexandria, who later played a large role in the history of the Hellenistic world, and made a pilgrimage to the temple of Amun, west of Egypt, where the priest recognized him as the son of god and pharaoh, after which Alexander introduced the deification of his person.

The second stage of the campaign (331–329). From Egypt, Alexander headed northeast, to northern Mesopotamia, where he met Darius III for the third time near the town Gaugamela, or Arbela(331 ). After the defeat, Darius fled further to the East, and Alexander, following him, entered Babylon ( 331 ), and then to the capital of Persia Persepolis(330 ). Having taken the city, he went northwest, towards Mussels, and captured its capital Ecbatana(330 ), pursuing Darius, who eventually died at the hands of one of the satraps. The original idea of ​​the campaign - revenge on the Persians - had finally exhausted itself, and Alexander already considered himself as the successor of Darius, the supreme ruler of Persia and the avenger of his death, as a sign of which the traitor satrap was executed.

A conspiracy arose among the Macedonian nobility, who considered themselves to have their rights infringed upon in relation to the conquered eastern aristocracy. He was quickly suppressed, however, later Alexander began to focus more on the local nobility as a support for his own power. The king moved on, occupying the Caspian regions and Parthia.

The third (329–327) and fourth (327–324) stages of the campaign. The army entered Central Asia, into the territory of modern Uzbekistan. Alexander entered into a dynastic marriage with the daughter of the Bactrian king Roxana.

IN 327 The final stage of the campaign began. Alexander invaded Punjab, in northwest India, and crossed the Indus River. The Macedonians encountered war elephants for the first time in open battle, but nevertheless defeated the local king Porom. The great conqueror called on the warriors to go further to the East. However, such brilliant, dizzying plans did not excite the weary army: the soldiers forced Alexander to turn back. Before retreating, he founded several outposts, in particular the city Bucephaly, in honor of the beloved deceased horse.

The army headed south to the Indian Ocean and returned to Babylon in two detachments: one by land, the other by sea. The hike ended by 324 G.

Creation of a great power. As a result of the Eastern Campaign, a huge power arose, which was impossible to maintain with the help of the Macedonians alone, so Alexander, giving preference to his fellow tribesmen, did not shy away from cooperation with the barbarians and involved the local aristocracy in the management of the regions. He sought to combine Eastern and Greek-Macedonian culture. Newly founded cities with a mixed local and Greek-Macedonian population became strongholds for the spread of Greek influence in the conquered areas: the king provided the highest positions to both the Macedonians and the local nobility.