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Alexander the Great and the art of adaptation

Lonsdale, David

Authors

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Dr David Lonsdale D.Lonsdale@hull.ac.uk
Senior Lecturer/ Programme Director, BA War Studies/ Programme Director, MA Strategy and International Security



Abstract

Alexander the Great campaigned successfully for twelve years, across the range of military operations, against a wide range of opponents, and within many varied geographical environments. This article argues that this remarkable record of success can be partially attributed to Alexander's ability to adapt at the tactical, operational and strategic levels. Alexander was also capable of operating beyond the bounds of his cultural normative framework. After a brief discussion of Macedonian warfare, this article analyses Alexander's art of adaptation through the exploration of important strategic moments. These moments are his operations in the Balkans, defeat of the Persian navy, counterinsurgency in central Asia and the battle of Hydaspes.

Citation

Lonsdale, D. (2013). Alexander the Great and the art of adaptation. Journal of Military History, 77(3), 817-835

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date 2013-07
Deposit Date Nov 13, 2014
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal Of Military History
Print ISSN 0899-3718
Publisher Society for Military History
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 77
Issue 3
Pages 817-835
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/470228
Publisher URL http://www.smh-hq.org/jmh/jmhvols/773.html