Alexander The Great Manipulation

He is one of the greatest military tacticians, a charismatic leader who is no stranger to the art of manipulation, and an unstoppable force which conquered the majority of the known world. All this describes the man among men, Alexander the Great. He started as the simple King of Macedonia, but soon began conquering areas of renown such as, the lands of Asia Minor, Greece, and becomes the pharaoh Egypt as well as the King of Persia in a short time span. It is also said there were plans to circumnavigate Africa planned, but it was not carried out due to his early death at a young age. (Taking Sides 37) He was highly revered, even to the point that he was even worshiped as divinity by notable leaders such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Julius Caesar.

(Taking Sides 23) Alexander’s wit in battle, his manipulation and social policy, as well as his charisma and ability to inspire loyalty were all factors which built his empire to the state of brilliance that put any being in awe to this day.

Alexander the Great was an unmatched General and Strategist. In a battle of the minds he would somewhat always prevail. There are even countries and empires which Alexander the Great has conquered and beat, where he did not lose a single battle or suffer a single defeat. Talk about flawless victory, battles in places such as Syria and Egypt were a mismatch for the infallible Alexander the Great. Like a chess master, Alexander the Great is capable of thinking several steps ahead of his opponents. At the battles of Gaugamela and Hydaspes, “He foresaw precisely the sequence of moves by his own units and the compulsion it would place on his enemies” Even when situations were unsure, Alexander the Great always seemed to know the right course of action

to take regardless of the event. (Taking Sides 27) It was because of his brilliant and sound mind that he was able to achieve victory in even grim looking matchups. Armies which far exceeded his own army by even 4 or 5 times in numbers still faced a crushing defeat at his hands. When facing hardships including, lack of numbers, horrid terrain, and even freezing weather, he still found a way to walk the path of victory. Adolf Hitler, the man who single handedly brought Germany out of depression and conquered much of Europe with limited troops and supplies, in his conquest of Soviet Russia still fell prey to the harsh winters of Russia and was defeated. Alexander the Great’s styles and strategies are still taught to this day in Business and Military academies to give students the edge that they need in their own conquests. (Team Trek) More than military prowess is necessary in building an empire however; Alexander the Great was also skilled in manipulation and instating social policy.
Alexander the Great’s empire consisted of many cultures and beliefs, to have these coexist in one empire, he had to pander to each and every one of them. With each area Alexander took over, he adopted part of their culture. He was also never too proud to bow down to their gods. In doing this he faced less resistance when annexing a nation into his own. He seemed to intend for his empire to become a melting pot, he instated policies to try and merge cultures. In 324 BCE, he hosted a mass wedding in Susa where he attempted to create a Macedonian-Persian Elite, 80 Companion Calvary members took 80 Persian Brides while 10000 noblemen took 10000 brides as well. Alexander also began adopting Persian clothing styles and practiced Persian derived activities such as meditation. He actually seemed to favor the Persians over the Macedonians and this caused a shaky relationship between Alexander The Great and the Macedonians. Alexander was incredible at manipulating others to do exactly what he wanted them to do.
Skilled at imposing his will on others, one example of manipulation was stirring up support for the Persian War. His father King Phillip wanted to invade the lands of Persia first, however, he ended up being killed by unknown circumstances. Therefore, it was up to Alexander, his heir to take over the will of his father, he needed a way to get the people on his side and he attributes the death of his father to the Persians. He was able to manipulate the soldiers and citizens to back him for a seemingly impossible victory against the Persians. In another event, Alexander used his skills of manipulation against his own Macedonian soldiers in (324 BCE). These soldiers were worn and tired and thinking of ending their service, and their anger at Alexander for adopting “barbarian” customs did not help either. Alexander saw this and instated a policy saying that, any soldier who feels they are unfit for service may be discharged. The Macedonians saw this as an insult thinking that Alexander was trying to get rid of them in favor of the Persians and many decided to stay. This also led to the Opis Mutiny, where soldiers openly spoke out against him. This gets to the last of his policies, when efforts of non-violence don’t work, he would take out any who did not support or agree with him. Thirteen of the most troublemaking soldiers were arrested and soon executed; many did not dare to speak out against Alexander again. These policies were a very effective way to nip any problems in the bud. He was not only a well-respected as well as a feared ruler because of his brilliance, social policy and ruthlessness; he was also very charismatic and inspired the loyalty of his followers.
Alexander the Great believed the he had come from the gods to be the reconciler of the universe. He believed that he was invincible and it fell upon him to unite the world under one ruler through the force of arms if necessary. (Taking Sides 29) This belief of invincibility and of divine will is what enabled him to be able to take to the front lines of battle fields. There were times he was the first over city walls and was never prepared to make his men do anything he wasn’t prepared to do himself. This “leading from the front” is the kind of motivational leadership that inspired his men to follow him and not lose heart. He also gives pre battle speeches which “inspire his men to even greater pinnacles of achievement.” (World of Alexander)
This is an excerpt from a speech Alexander used to increase the morale of his men before a battle against King Porus.

“I could not have blamed you for being the first to lose heart if I, your commander, had not shared in your exhausting marches and your perilous campaigns; it would have been natural enough if you had done all the work merely for others to reap the reward. But it is not so. You and I, gentlemen, have shared the labour and shared the danger, and the rewards are for us all. The conquered territory belongs to you; from your ranks the governors of it are chosen; already the greater part of its treasure passes into your hands, and when all Asia is overrun, then indeed I will go further than the mere satisfaction of our ambitions: the utmost hopes of riches or power which each one of you cherishes will be far surpassed, and whoever wishes to return home will be allowed to go, either with me or without me. I will make those who stay the envy of those who return.” After hearing this speech, be sure that his men were prepared to jump into an active volcano if it were by his command. Before this speech the men were did not have the will to fight another battle after battle for years upon years. (Word Press) You are able to see elements of Alexander’s speeches even in modern ones like in the “I Have a Dream Speech” by Martin Luther King, or in the inaugural address of John F. Kennedy. (Team Trek) Alexander the Greats leadership abilities seem beyond

human.
Alexander without a doubt lives up to his exalted historical reputation. He has earned the “Great” that comes after his name. Some may argue against this because of his quick tempered personality and recklessness, which caused him to do regrettable things such as endanger the lives of his soldiers trying to cross the desert (Taking Sides 31-32) or, run his friend Cleitus through with a spear during a drunken fit.(Taking Sides 28) However, this does not undermine all he has accomplished throughout his lifetime, he had achieved much more than any of his predecessors before him and the majority that came after him. Alexander the Great might just be the most successful and influential leader throughout all of history.