War And Conquest Short term

[kennyxx]

Paralus Hail


I thought i would starta a new threat in relation to your thoughts about Alexander getting out of India. I think its relative with all wars and conquest. Particulaly in the long term. Its nasty but the Israeli Lebanon stuff echos a lot of why wars are only won by bankers and big busness.

I think as you say the Indians were ready to revolt and I doubt the Persians had any real hold on the region. Alexander must have known you can keep hammering Guerillas and malitia and local resistance but they will and do keep comming back. The only real way to win and to be brutal is total genocide. So i guess Alexander as in a boxing match knocked them to the canvas but couldnt keep them down and I guess you were right he understood that. Just shear massacres for the hell of it on Alexanders part.

I doubt he would have wanted to return east. The more west he gets then I suppose the provincial governments etc can ina away be governed. Persia was beaten and I guess to replace the Persian overlords with Alexander wasnt too bad as long as the quite moderately towed the line.

Its fair to say Alexander was a warrior and in it totally for the personal glory. Western conquest would think continue the way he liked it Steady kingdoms of Arabia . Carthage and the Western countries he would have been more familiar with than those over the Hindu Kush.

The Israeli offencive can echo some of Alexanders tactics in Thebes and Tyre even to put fear into people to obey. Although I feel Israel has no choice how can any country accept Rockets been fired from fighetrs from another country that isnt even there own. We can only hope the Lebanise can get hold and put the snip on Hesbola. Its akin I guess to some organistaion Firing rockets into England from Scotland.

I really feel sorry for the Lebanese people and the name Tyre brings up Alexander. This country is been held hostage by fanatics.

Just to finish Paralus I would wager we cant name a Conquerer or Empire that ever won. Rome lasted for centuries but was eroded eventually. nor does terror tactics work. Maybe the Monghuls Terror tactics worked who knows?

Kenny

[Madog]

Hello!

Perhaps Empires can never last because they only deal with the short term. I have often wondered what would have happened if Alexander would have lived to an old age. Would he have carried on his wars of conquest? If he would have done it, there is probably no chance that the territories he had already captured would have remained in his hands. Continual violence will not work and sometimes it is better consolidate what you already have...but even then a new invader or a new threat will appear, threatening to destroy all that you have achieved.

Even so, the situation between Lebanon and Israel is terrible and I hope they find a quick way of settling their differances, although, let's face it, this will no doubt create a long term problem.

[kennyxx]

Maddog Hail

With your thoughts about Alexander living longer. I dont think we can argue that he would have gained a bigger empire and made great victories. But the end game would still be the same. It would fracture into pieces as it did.

The difference between Alexanders and maybe the Roman Empire is Alexanders was a one man band centred entirely on one man and his ideas then when he died the vultures feasted on the peices. The Roman way with many other more succesful Empires was based on the senate or the corpoarate mob. Like the Americans fair enough we have the Presidents and the Casars but its always the corpoarate money men who hold the keys. Roman Emeperors came and went but it was the senate that kept the Roman Empire for so long.

Secondly would it have done Alexanders fame any good to die and old man. Was it not better to go out in a blaze of Glory ratherthan to flicker away and die. I do believe Alexander had a good 10 years to make his legend even bigger and it was in his abilities but to die young was in the script from an early age.

We see even todays young superstars Paul Mcartney. Tony Curtis and Even Presley looking kinda rediculous and silly with older age. I deally I would have loved to see his measure Against the Romans and the Carthaginians although Alexander would have taken them both. But its kinda like wishing Cassius Clay had fought Rocky Marciano to prove who was the Greatest. but its impossible as they were from different eras. Yet we can speculate.

Regards

kenny

[Paralus]

G'day Kenny.

I don't think that Alexander will have returned to India anytime soon had he survived. His last recorded plans (or that which know as those plans) indicate anything but. As far as Alexander was concerned, he'd gone as far as the Persians - possibly further - and his dealing with the "provinces" thus created indicates a lack of interest generall: Poros and other Indial dynasts are essentially given their realms back and, whilst ostensibly under Macedonian overlordship, it took only the blink of an eye for these to become independent after his death.

His departure from the Beas was petulance personified. It was at this time that he will have gone on if ever. After he gave the army three days to change its mind - it self evidently didn't - he grudgingly trudged west. Henceforth, his ambition ranged elsewhere. Arabia and the west are the logical and likely correct assumption.

In the end, I know the army had no stomach for the slop, opressive heat, snakes and monsoons of India. Alexander's "last plans" would seem to indicate that so had he.