The battle of Cannae, between the Carthaginian general Hannibal and the larger Roman army under the command of consuls Lucius Aemilius Paulus and Gaius Terentius Varro, in 216 B.C., still serves as one of the most influential tactical battles in history. Two enemy forces were to face off using very different tactics. The Roman Empire had succeeded in amassing a staggering 50,000 or greater number of infantry troops and a disputed 6,000 cavalry troops. The Roman army was to use its vast numbers to subdue the smaller numbered forces of the Carthaginian army using sheer force. Hannibal’s army, though lesser in quality and quantity as compared to the Roman army was a mix of seasoned fighters. Hannibal used the fighting techniques to the Roman army against themselves. Hannibal was able to defeat the much superior army using the ability to maneuver and knowledge of the opposing force. The tactics Hannibal employed at Cannae were the down of the modern strategic army.
Hannibal, the eldest son of Hamilcar Barch was born in Carthage in 247 B.C. At the age of ten Hannibal followed his father to Spain, a region that his father had begun to conquer. Hannibal was elect commander of the Carthaginian army in 221 B.C., at the young age of 26 after his father’s death in 229 B.C. and the death of his brother-in-law in 221 B.C. (“Hannibal”). Prior to his father’s death Hannibal is said to have sworn to his father eternal hatred toward the Roman Empire (Lendering, 2008). Once in command Hannibal decided to expand the control of Carthage and its empire.
The battle took place at the Aufidius River, now the Ofanto River near the city of Cannae. The Roman army faced south. The Roman cavalry, numbering somewhere between 2,400 and 3,200,...
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...al technical intelligence requirements (United States, I).” As wars continue, we must remain open to apply new strategies and tactics that will keep us out front as one of the most strategically and tactically sound military forces.
Works Cited
Cavazzi, F. (n.d.). Illustrated history of the roman empire. Retrieved from http://www.roman-empire.net/army/cannae.html
Goodman, R. (1993). Molassia.org. Retrieved from http://www.molossia.org/milacademy /strategy.html
Lendering, J. (2008, March 15). Livius: Articles on ancient history. Retrieved from http://www.livius.org/ha-hd/hannibal/hannibal.html
Hannibal. (n.d.). History.com. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/hannibal
United States (2006). The Multi-service tactics, techniques, and procedures for technical intelligence, Army field manual 2-22.401, Washington, DC: Headquarters, Dept. of the Army.
Although a genius on the battlefield, where he used surprise and maneuver to overcome the relatively small size of his force, I do not believe that Hannibal was an ethical leader. He did not always exhibit the essential intellectual traits of critical thinking, nor did he always enforce ethical standards. To clarify, Hannibal’s vision was for independence for territories. But based on some of his actions, the concept of ‘freedom for all’ was not a part of that vision. Hannibal exhibited the trait of intellectual hypocrisy; he didn’t hold himself to the same standards that he fought for when he was faced the ethical dilemma of feeding, equipping, and paying his troops for their service; or selling Roman captives into slavery. In an effort to take care of his men, he succumbed to the latter, after the failed attempt to negotiate a ransom with Rome. And so, Roman captives were sold to a local slave trader (Commire & Klezmer, 1994). Perhaps, he fell prey to ethical relativism, using this ethical trap as a way to justify the inconsistency between his thoughts and his actions. Or maybe he didn’t care; but we’ll never know. What we do know is that this lack of intellectual integrity is opposite of the behavior that is required of an ethical leader (CF03SG, 2013, p. 7). Most assuredly, his actions confused his team of warriors, and affected their view of his professional character, especially since non-Roman captives had been released to their respective countries.
HQs, Department of the Army. Field Manual 5-0, The Operations Process. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 2010.
Hannibal was a Punic Carthaginian military commander, reputed to be one of the greatest in history and even a better tactician. Hannibal lived in a time of great friction in the Mediterranean where the Roman Republic dominated Macedon, Syracuse and the Seleucid Empire. He was a notable member of the Barca family, a noble family well known for being staunch antagonists of the Roman Republic. His father Hamilcar was a leading commander in the First Punic War, his brother-in-laws were Hasdrubal the Fair who preferred diplomacy to war and the Numidian king Naravas, and both his brothers, Mago (commanded Hannibal’s forces and made decisive pushes) and Hasdrubal (defended Carthaginian cities in Hispania as Hannibal left for Italy in 218 BC) assisted immensely in the campaign against the Romans . Unlike many other African warlords, not only did Hannibal and his forces protect their home territory but he was also the only African commander to invade Europe in turn. In other words, he did not only defend his town or lie in wait for further oppression but rather counter-attacked and took the fight to the oppressors.
(U) Background: Over the course of United States history the Army has made changes to how it engages its foreign enemies. These tactics techniques and procedures are the result of lessons learned during conflict, mistakes made under fire, and the results of a nation at war. As a result the IPB process has changed to accommodate a dynamic and often fluid battlefield. However this has not changed the core concept behind IPB, the four steps still remain an integral part of the Commanders Military Decision Making Process (MDMP), and are essential in war gaming. IPB assist in providing valuable Intelligence to the War Fighter throughout all phases of operations. This paper will cover each step of the IPB Process as well as discuss products associated with each of those steps and how these products can be an asset to the Commander and the War Fighter.
Force Special Operations Command.” Air Force Special Operations Command. U.S. Air Force, 2012. Web. 9 Feb. 2012. .
US Army. Field Manual 5-0 The Operations Process March 2010. Washington DC: Government Printing Office, 2010.
In Africa at the battle of Zama, is where Hannibal would meet his match. The same way Hannibal started the second Punic war- by luring the roman army to its allies under attack- is the same way he was lured into Africa by a series of calculated attacks on the Carthaginians homeland, all orchestrated by Publius Scipio. Publius Scipio, like Hannibal was a young and brilliant military commander and at the battle of Zama finally proved superior by defeating Hannibal and his forces, bringing Carthage to its knees. “In this battle Hannibal was defeated, and the Carthaginian army was annihilated.”(Morey, 1901)
U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Joint and National Intelligence Support to Military Operations, Joint Publication 2-01 (Washington, DC: U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, 5 January 2012).pg II-6
The first battle was fought entirely in Sicily, in 263BCE, and since the Romans were the superior fighters they took the ground battle and continued to prevail until 256BCE. After the victory over Carthage, the Romans began besieging Greek cities that allied with the Carthaginians. The Romans sacked these cities, which caused them to harden their resistance. Rome realized that to beat the Carthaginians they needed to build a fleet and in 261BCE they began building. To counter the Romans inexperience at sea they used a device called a corvus (a large gangplank with a spike on the underside).
Hannibal's first battle took place when he was only nine. He went on an expedition with his father, Hamilcar Barca, to conquer Spain. From the beginning Carthage’s push into Spain, Hannibal vowed eternal hatred for Rome; Hannibal became Commander in Chief of Carthage’s army when he was 26 after his father was assassinated. His conquest of the Roman town of Sagunto in Spain led to a new declaration of war by Rome; which started the second Punic War and Hannibal’s promise to visit Roman injustice back on Rome a hundred fold. For Carthage to take the town of Sagunto was completely within the rights of the Carthage and the treaty but Rome at the time was getting too big and becoming very imperialistic. All Rome could see was that they had to have all of the Mediterranean and the only thing that stood in their way was a single General and his men. The way in which the Romans were unconsciously straying from "mos maiorum" to manipulate the course of events was disturbing. Though these actions were not entirely the "evil" work of Rome. Hannibal from his earliest memories could recall nothing but hatred for Rome. Hannibal’s Father had instilled a horrifically self-destructive desire within Hannibal to see the fall of Rome.
Octavian’s victory over Mark Antony in the battle of Actium is labeled as the most important battle of Antony’s civil war. It directly led to Octavian’s final conquest over Rome and is labeled as the defining moment of the birth of the Roman Empire. Despite fairly evenly matched forces, an overwhelming lack of leadership on Mark Antony’s part and many brilliant tactical moves made by Octavian and his Admirals allowed this battle to be an extremely decisive victory in Octavian’s favor. This paper will analyze the tactical and leadership based decisions made by both sides.
During their time, the strategy the Roman’s employed was second to none. The success of their strategy started with the Roman’s separating their armies into smaller, more specific types. They used many different types of infantry throughout the years, but the main types they used were the velites, hastati, principes, triarii, and later the famous Legionaries were introduced (Roman Empire Wars). These infantry worked together on the battlefield to effectively eliminate the enemy and win the battle.
The Second Punic war, beginning in 218 BC, was the second major war between the Roman Empire and the Carthage. Around the same time, the Roman Empire deployed troops to the Northeastern peninsula of Spain to keep reinforcements, from the Carthaginian South, from getting to Hannibal’s armies in Italy to assist them. In A Histor...
Even before the war started, Hannibal knew what he was going to do. Since Carthage had no navy, there was no hope of going directly from Carthage to Italy over the Mediterranean Sea. Hannibal thought up a dangerous but ingenious plan. In order to get to Italy over land, Hannibal and his army would have to travel from Carthage-controlled Spain across the Alps and into the heart of the enemy. Hannibal left in the cold winter of 218 B.C. with 50,000 infantry, 9,000 cavalry, and 37 war elephants. While crossing the Alps, “Hannibal’s force suffered greatly from the elements and the hostility of the local tribesmen” (Beshara, 3). By the time they reached Italy, after only fourteen days, over 9,000 men had perished along with most of the elephants, but this number was soon replenished after 14,000 northern Gaul rebels joined Hannibal’s army. This group of 60,000 men proved superior to the Roman forces, and after at least three recorded major victories, the Roman senate was exasperated. An army of 80,000 Roman soldiers was sent to stop Hannibal’s army of now 50,000 once and for all. In July of 216 B.C., the Romans engaged the Carthaginians in “the neighborhood of Cannae on the Italian east coast” (Lendering, 2). Greatly outnumbered, Hannibal realized that he would have to win by strategy, and that is exactly what he did. As the two lines met, Hannibal’s cavalry gained the flanks and, moving up the sides, attacked the rear of the Roman line.
The Superiority of the Roman Army During Its Time The Romans amassed one of the greatest empires of all time. They were