what made alexander great
Dr michael schmitz, University of Melbourne
Alexander the Great is still considered amongst the greatest military commanders in history. Alexander did the unthinkable. He attacked and conquered the kingdom of Persia with a little over 50,000 soldiers. He marched the army he inherited across 32,000 km and created the largest empire in the world at the time, spanning three continents.
Alexander was able to defeat an enemy that vastly outnumbered him because he was a skilled tactician and strategist, who exploited his advantages and capitalised on his enemies’ mistakes. This presentation will focus on factors that led to Alexander’s success and made him the great leader we remember today.
Dr michael schmitz, University of Melbourne
Dr Michael Schmitz is a military historian who specialises in ancient military technology and the costs and benefits associated with conquest in the ancient world. He is the author of three books, the most recent of which examines the Roman conquests along the Danube frontier. He is currently working at the University of Melbourne as a curriculum designer in the Arts Teaching Innovation (ATI) unit.
Hear Dr Schmitz speak about this H21 lecture below: