Peloponnesian War Strategy

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Evolution of Strategy Throughout the Peloponnesian War
In the years leading up to the Peloponnesian War as described by Thucydides, Athens and Sparta formed a successful alliance defending Hellas from a Persian invasion. This alliance dissolved soon after leaving Athens, possessing a robust naval force, and Sparta, possessing a formidable military force, as independent city-states. Each developed policies that reflected their unique systems of government and defined the nature of relationships with their respective allies. These policies shaped the strategies that each city-state developed and implemented during the 27 year Peloponnesian war. This paper examines the evolution of Athenian and Spartan strategy using the ends, ways, and means …show more content…

Thus, Sparta and its Peloponnesian allies voted for war. Sparta envisioned a long war that could be won only with a strong naval force enabling Sparta to influence Athens’ distant allies to disrupt the flow resources that fed the Athenian navy. Lacking time and resources, Sparta decided on a simple strategy to discredit Athens’ highly capable military General, (ends), with a land attack on Attica within full view of Athens and its residents (ways). Sparta’s strategy used its existing strong military force and ensured military actions were completed prior to their harvest (means).
As the war progressed with minimal gains on either side, Athens and Sparta each evolved their strategies. Athens continued to allow Sparta and the Peloponnesians to attack Attica, increased its presence in Peloponnesus, and subdued revolting allies. Spartan meanwhile grew its allied naval capability which they used to counter Athenian attacks and promote insurrections among Athens’ …show more content…

While one might conclude that Athens did not evolve its strategy correctly, its failure was more the result of incorrect assumptions and bad intelligence than of faulty strategy. Athens wrongly assumed that it would receive significant support from new allies and that Syracuse would lack a capable force. Sparta’s strategic success in the defense of Syracuse was perhaps enabled more by accurate intelligence than on its own ability to plan. While Athens and Sparta each evolved their strategies throughout war, a comparison of the strategies at the point of the Sicilian expedition to the original visions expressed by Athenian and Spartan leaders at the start of the war may clarify which was more

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