Welcome Readers !
I am Sheerapthi Ramiya, 2nd Year MBA from Amrita School of Business, coming back with this week's read ! Hope my readers are doing well and I hope you enjoy :)
An army's logistics system has always been crucial to its success and Alexander's conquest to conquer the largest empire in ancient world was no different. His great conquests would have never have been possible without the skillful organization of his forces throughout his campaigns. In this week's blog we shall cover the the logistics behind Alexander's Conquest.
Map during Alexander's Period
Our story starts with the logistics of the Greek armies of the Ancient World. When fighting fellow city-states, the armies usually followed certain policies. They would leave their home city and travel to an agreed battleground suitable for phalanx warfare. They would then engage warefare with their enemy , before returning home. The armies were not expected to stay out in the battlegrounds for long durations. Thousands of non-warriors, attendants, women and slaves travelled with them which wer more than the number of soldiers. That dramatically reduced the speed and mobility, and every follower meant an extra mouth to feed. Furthermore, the Greek armies used oxcarts and wagons and this inevitably obstruct the army's speed and mobility further. The throat and girth harnesses severely injured the animals and rough terrain easily constrain the carts.
Oxcart and Wagons
This system was therefore designed only for the short distances and slow movement. Philip II of Macedon (King of Macedon, Father of Alexander) understood that things needed to changed and hence developed a Macedonian logistics system. He aimed to create a system that prioritized his army's sustainability, mobility and speed. Luckily for him, Philip had a suitable example in the Greek commander Xenophon who decided to burn his wagons to reduce the load of his army during the march. This greatly improved the speed and mobility of his force and was critical factor to the success of his march. Using Xenophon's success as an example, Philip also forbade the use of ox-carts and wagons in his army. Instead he used horses as the main pack animal - the first time a western commander had done this. It soon provided profits as it gave his army more mobility. Philip also increased the amount of supplies carried by his men on the campaign. This included arms and armor - possibly even the sarissa, which could be detached into two pieces to ease its portability. Each Soldier would also have to carry rations, utensils, blankets, road-building tools, medical supplies, a thirty-day supply of flour and any personal possessions in a pack. All together this would have weighed around 36 Kgs !
A Sarissa - Long Greek Spear
To further reduce his baggage train, the Macedonian king drastically reduced the number of non- warriors accompanying the army. Woman were forbidden while the number of servants was also drastically reduced. Each cavalrymen would have one servant, while the infantry had one servant. These participants would carry hand mills that were used for grinding grains, guy ropes for both bridge building and rock climbing, bedding and rations. Not only was Philip's army now able to move quicker and inflict 'lightning strikes' on enemies, but he could also sustain his army in the field noticably longer than his mainland Greek counterparts. And so just as with his infantry, cavalry and siege craft, Alexander was inherited and made use of a logistics system that had been transformed into the most efficient of its time. In 335 BC for instance, to crush a Theban revolt, his army marched form Lake Lynchnitis to Boetia, 804 km away, in 13 days catching the Thebans rebels completely off guard.
With this newly improved and efficient logistics system supporting and supplying his army, Alexander set forth for Asia in 334 BC. Yet fighting in Asia was a different scenario from fighting in Europe. Alexander therefore soon adapted the logistics system into his new battlefields. One such area that gradually experienced improvement and change was the baggage train. Crossing the Persian Empire meant that Alexander needed to guarentee his baggage train was well organized and efficient. Therefore, a transport officer, a skoidos, was placed in overall charge of the baggage train. The skoidos would look after the baggage train's defenses, marching order, the welfare of the pack animals and distributing supplies.
The most important factor for a successful baggage train was the welfare of the animals. Although infantry or servants carried many items in Alexander's army, they could not carry equipment such as tents, firewood, loot, and perhaps each man's sarissa when they did not expect to be fighting. This made pack animals essential. Horses and mules remained the main pack animals in Alexander's army. He also incorporated other animals to carry supplies depending upon the region eg. In Syria or Egypt, the camel played a critical role in Alexander's conquests. While the horse or a mule carried 90kg of supplies over a long distance, camels were able to carry 136kg of supplies. Camels are well-suited for crossing arid terrain, having barely any constraints on what they could eat and drink if necessary. Camels became the ideal baggage animals for Alexander's march into the Persian heartlands and also beyond lands where the need for speed across harsh deserts was important. Through his campaigns, horses, mules and camels remained the vehicle of choice for Alexander's baggage train. Their speed and tolerance were much greater then oxen and this suited his desire for light, fast marches across difficult regions. He would recruit these animals throughout his campaign. They were then spread throughout his army to supply the men with animals being attached to every dekas units.
Data of Unit, Troop Total and Commander Name
This was not for long as Alexander could not maintain this highly mobile baggage train during the whole campaign. Want to know why ? Stay tuned to the second part of the story which is due next week!
What do you think led to the downfall of Alexander's campaign ? Give your guesses below :)
If you want to know more about the logistics of the Kurukshetra War, click the link below !
- Sheerapthi Ramiya
ASB Coimbatore
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