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He is ruthless, determined, and deadly.
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He is one of the greatest military
tacticians the world has ever known.
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A brilliant strategist, he leads men who
gladly kill for him and die for him.
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All for the greater glory of Greece.
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He is Alexander the Great.
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In the 4th century BC, Alexander rules
more than half the known world. But it's
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not enough.
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He wants more.
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Hungry to expand his empire, Alexander
looks forward to his newest conquest,
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India.
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All that's preventing the Greek leader
are two immense rivers and three
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of a million Indian soldiers.
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331 BC, the Battle of Arbella.
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Nearly 50 ,000 Greeks fight their long
-time enemy, the Persians.
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For hundreds of years, these two
superpowers have spilled each other's
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The Greeks are outnumbered two to one.
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But on this October day, they emerge
victorious.
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and change the course of history.
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Credited to the tactical brilliance of
the 25 -year -old commander, Alexander
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the Great.
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It's his time now.
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Alexander has a kind of larger -than
-life aura about him.
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He's handsome with a muscular build, and
he's extremely charismatic.
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His troops pretty much worship him.
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In less than five years, he had managed
to carry out a major strategic plan from
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Greece to invade Persia and destroy the
Persian Empire.
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In five years, he managed to suppress
his own domestic opposition.
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and then finally was able to force a
cataclysmic battle in modern -day Iraq
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the plains of Arbela, where he destroyed
the last remaining Persian army, and
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then by right of conquest became emperor
of all of Persia.
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Some say Alexander's pedigree destined
him for greatness.
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They believe he's a descendant of
Hercules on his father's side and
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his mother's.
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Alexander's empire now stretches from
Greece to Egypt to modern -day
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Afghanistan, one of the largest in the
history of the world.
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But Alexander's appetite for power and
glory is insatiable.
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Five years after he defeats the
Persians, Alexander is ready to take on
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opponent.
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He stands with his 32 ,000 battle
-tested soldiers along the banks of the
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River.
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poised for his next conquest, India.
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It's been a busy eight years for
Alexander, who's not even 30 years old
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He's now emperor of Persia after
defeating the mighty Persian empire in a
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bloody campaign.
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He's pharaoh of Egypt.
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Didn't even have to raise a sword there.
They just gave up. Now he's knocking on
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India's door.
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From a geographic and tactical
perspective, the problem is to get to
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have to cross two major rivers, the
Indus and the Hadassah River.
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For most armies, these rivers would be
too great to overcome.
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But not for Alexander, whose foresight
and planning are legendary.
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A couple of years in advance, two years
in advance, he ordered shipwrights to
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come from the coastal area of Syria and
to build boats to ferry his troops
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across the Indus River.
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Once Alexander crosses the Indus, he
must contend with King Ambi, ruler of
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Taxila.
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Taxila is the capital of the country of
Punjab, which sits between the Indus and
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the Hadaspis rivers.
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Ambi can do one of two things.
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He can fight.
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and see a city annihilated and probably
get strung up.
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Alexander was known to have made
examples out of opposition leaders with
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painful, very public deaths.
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Or he can play ball, preserve his city,
and maybe even save his throne.
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Alexander crosses the river and easily
commandeers Toxilla, turning it into a
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base of operations for Indian invasion.
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The next hurdle is reaching and crossing
the second river, the Hidaspis.
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It's 100 miles away, but Alexander has
anticipated this as well.
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The army can't carry entire boats 100
miles across India to the Hidaspis, so
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they break them into parts and haul them
piecemeal.
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What they were were these kind of
collapsible boats where the frames could
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built and the skins transported and the
buckets of tar individually, and then
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when you're going to cross the river,
you assemble them a couple of days in
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advance.
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It takes two months for Alexander to
reach the Hadaspis River.
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He leads 23 ,000 infantry and 9 ,000
cavalry, a loyal, committed army.
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Many have been with Alexander from the
beginning.
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drawn by the power of his personality
and his dreams of glory.
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They fought for honor and individual
glory. And all their myths were of great
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warriors from Agamemnon a thousand years
before to Achilles and Hercules. All of
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these are great warriors.
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They get everything because they're
great warriors. So essentially, being a
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for Alexander, being a professional
warrior, perpetually seeking more and
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glory, I think psychologically became
what amounted to a way of life.
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Alexander's adversary, once he crosses
the Hadaspis River, is an equally proud
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and brave warrior, the Indian king,
Porus of Puraver.
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Porus descends from a long line of
soldier kings.
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Well over six feet tall, Porus is a
giant by 4th century BC standards.
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In his usual style, Alexander first
tries conquest by diplomacy.
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He sends for Porus and invites him to a
meeting.
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Alexander's basically offering him a
chance to avoid destruction if he pays
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tribute and gives up his throne
peacefully.
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Horace doesn't just refuse to surrender.
He actually challenges the legendary
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Alexander the Great to fight. He says,
yes, I'll meet you on the battlefield.
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Horace is prepared to defend his kingdom
at any cost.
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Horace has under his command about 30
,000 infantry troops.
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2 ,000 cavalry, and 300 chariots. But
he's got one thing that neither
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nor the Greeks have ever seen.
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He has 200 war elephants ready for
battle.
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The elephant was a highly developed
instrument of war in the Indian Army. It
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took about 10 years to train the
elephant, and they were exceedingly well
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trained. They responded to name calls,
they responded to whistles, and they
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fought.
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So, if we imagine what's going on now,
you have Porus on the far eastern side
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the Hadespis River, ready to oppose
Alexander's crossing.
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On the western bank, you have
Alexander's army.
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And in between flows a fairly wide...
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fairly deep, and fairly rapid, Hadespas
River.
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Alexander is faced with a great
challenge.
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How to get his 32 ,000 -man army across
the raging river while maintaining the
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critical element of surprise.
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But how? If he just crosses right under
Porus's nose, his troops are going to be
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sitting ducks.
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The Indian army will easily pick them
off with their arrows midstream or when
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they try to reach the other side.
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So Alexander needs... a tactical plan.
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And he puts into motion what would be an
unbelievable game of cat and mouse with
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Porus. When in doubt, deceive and
dissemble. And he begins with the simple
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of ordering up grain from his logistics
supply lines. Grain shipments begin to
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arrive. And the reason for this is
psychological.
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It's late spring, early summer.
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What you conclude is that they have no
intention of crossing until later in the
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campaign season, when the river's
current and depth are lowered.
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Now that Porus is convinced that the
crossing won't take place until the next
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season, Alexander mobilizes his men.
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The second piece of deception was to
begin to move his elements of his army,
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mostly cavalry, but some infantry. He'd
march them up and down the riverbank,
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upstream, downstream, upstream,
downstream.
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Initially... What does this tell you if
you're Porus? He's looking for a place
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to cross. He may use it in the future,
but he's looking for a place to cross.
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This is good. I'll find out where he's
going to cross, and what I'll do is I'll
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deploy my forces against it. So Porus
takes his army and starts following
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Alexander on the opposite bank.
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Porus mirrors the Greek troop movements
with his entire force.
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And this goes on for a week or two, and
Alexander always returns to camp.
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At which point, Porras concludes that
this is pointless.
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He may be looking for a place to cross,
but in any event, there's no need for me
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to move my entire army up and down the
field. So what he does is instead of
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doing that, he just posts pickets on the
other side of the river.
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This is exactly what Alexander wants.
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Next, he commands his men to initiate
step two in his well -planned campaign.
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Their mission, light fires, make noise,
draw attention to themselves every
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single night. What Alexander's doing,
again, is he's conditioning Porras' army
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to the noise along the riverbank.
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Alexander has now achieved a very
important tactical advantage. What is
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The ability to move his army around on
his side of the riverbank without
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provoking a major tactical response on
the part of the enemy. In essence, he's
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low it.
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lowered the anxiety level, lowered the
attention level of Porus and his army.
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Finally, after two months, under cover
of darkness, Alexander leads a
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of troops away from camp.
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Because of how he's been conditioned,
Porus hardly notices.
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Alexander never intended on waiting to
cross the river. Everything he's done up
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until now is to set up a scenario to
cross the river without alerting the
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Indians and thereby gain the tactical
advantage.
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It's absolutely brilliant.
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He already knows exactly where he's
going to cross, and he's going to cross
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night. What he does, he takes a force of
some 10 ,000 infantry and about 6
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,000 Greek cavalry and another 1 ,000
horse archers, light cavalry, and moves
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up the bank 17 miles.
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But Porus will not be the only one
surprised by the crossing tonight.
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For Alexander, the Hadaspis River is
about to reveal some surprises of its
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Midnight, 326 B .C.
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Alexander the Great is about to lead
nearly 20 ,000 soldiers across a raging
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river in India.
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It's a surprise two months in the
making.
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Hours earlier, Alexander had led his
force 17 miles away from his main camp,
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the Hadespis River. This is where he
will cross.
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Alexander's army is a well -oiled,
experienced fighting machine.
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For the better part of a decade, they
have been improving and modernizing with
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each military encounter.
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One of their greatest challenges was
three years earlier against the Central
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Asian nomads.
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The battle rages near Batria and
Sagdiana, modern -day Afghanistan and
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provinces in the far east of Alexander's
empire.
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Alexander's problem with the provinces,
the furthest provinces into the east, is
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that they're essentially not really
nation states. What they really are is
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conglomerations of tribal, ethnic tribal
units that are at each other's throats,
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much as they are today in modern -day
Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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And so he sets out to essentially put
down these revolts.
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The Central Asians are nomadic pastoral
tribes from around the Caspian Sea.
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They're excellent marksmen and they're
tough. You have to be just to survive in
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the rugged mountains of Afghanistan.
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They are masters of hit -and -run
cavalry.
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But Alexander and his men are neither
trained nor equipped to handle this kind
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of attack.
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00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:16,440
The Greeks' style had always been to
move in unison in a phalanx, several
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of interlocked warriors.
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But this new enemy, these Central Asian
tribal guerrilla fighters, include
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archers on horseback.
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who deliver lightning -fast arrows of
death.
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Everything about these horsemen is light
and mobile.
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They harass the enemy with volleys of
arrows or javelins, then they quickly
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retreat. To combat this new threat,
Alexander restructures his army and
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these light cavalry archers into his
force.
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So in the end, he basically reconfigured
his army, basically from Persian
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sources, making it much lighter, using
Persian light infantry, some heavy, but
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00:14:54,740 --> 00:14:57,620
mostly light infantry, and light
cavalry.
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This battle -tested, more mobile force
is what Alexander now leads to conquer
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India.
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00:15:05,130 --> 00:15:09,210
At the end of a two -year guerrilla war
in the eastern provinces and having
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achieved the modicum of success,
Alexander now turns his covetous eyes
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east to India.
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But he knows he's facing a formidable
opponent.
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The army of the Indian king Porus has a
long and bloody history.
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India at the time is divided into 16
regional kingdoms, each constantly
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the other for dominance.
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War was the normal state of affairs.
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As soon as a king gained power, he would
begin attacking his neighbors.
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India's tradition of warfare may go back
more than a thousand years, to the
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arrival of the Aryan tribes of central
Eurasia.
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This is one of the great migrations of
history.
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00:15:53,580 --> 00:15:57,180
And if you really want to see what these
people look like, turn on your
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television set and look at Afghani
tribesmen.
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That whole northern tier of mountains
has had no genetic dilution at all since
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the 18th century. So that's what the
Aryans looked like. They were big, dark
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-eyed, bearded people who had the horse
and the chariot.
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And so they made short work of
conquering India.
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Much about the Aryans is still debated
among scholars.
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00:16:22,620 --> 00:16:25,840
We do know that they were fierce
warriors and that they're the ones who
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00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:28,640
introduced the horse and the chariot to
the Indian subcontinent.
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00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:32,180
Chariots bring mobility and speed to the
battlefield.
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00:16:32,700 --> 00:16:36,080
They enable the Aryans to conquer much
of the subcontinent.
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We also know that for about a millennium
after the Aryans invade, India is ruled
225
00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:45,900
by a warrior class whose tribes are
constantly at war with each other.
226
00:16:50,990 --> 00:16:55,090
India possesses rich gold and metal
deposits, so they have the resources and
227
00:16:55,090 --> 00:16:58,330
skills to produce weapons as
sophisticated as any army of the time.
228
00:16:58,590 --> 00:17:05,210
In the Ramayana, an Indian epic from the
first few centuries BCE, the villain,
229
00:17:05,390 --> 00:17:10,750
Ravana, is pictured carrying 18
different weapons in his many hands.
230
00:17:11,109 --> 00:17:15,490
He's got a javelin, sickle sword, three
different kinds of battle axes.
231
00:17:15,690 --> 00:17:16,950
You name it, he's got it.
232
00:17:17,450 --> 00:17:21,710
And that arsenal is representative of
what the various Indian armies actually
233
00:17:21,710 --> 00:17:22,869
used at the time.
234
00:17:23,410 --> 00:17:27,329
The ancient Indian kingdoms had really
perfected the art of war.
235
00:17:28,369 --> 00:17:30,470
It's an art Porus has mastered.
236
00:17:30,870 --> 00:17:36,350
Now he waits to defend India against the
latest outside invader, Alexander.
237
00:17:37,410 --> 00:17:41,470
Porus believes he still has time to
discover when Alexander will cross the
238
00:17:41,470 --> 00:17:43,570
Hadaspis. But he's been duped.
239
00:17:45,949 --> 00:17:49,250
Alexander is crossing now 17 miles
upriver.
240
00:17:53,730 --> 00:18:00,130
10 ,000 Greek infantry, 6 ,000 heavy
cavalry, and 1 ,000 light Asian horse
241
00:18:00,130 --> 00:18:03,170
archers all throw themselves into the
wild river.
242
00:18:03,790 --> 00:18:07,090
It's storming. It's the middle of the
night and it's cloudy, so it's pitch
243
00:18:07,090 --> 00:18:10,350
black. And they're just plunging into
these violent waters almost blindly.
244
00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:12,100
Absolutely terrifying.
245
00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:17,080
The raging current tosses the Greeks
flimsy collapsible boats.
246
00:18:18,360 --> 00:18:22,760
Some soldiers use goatskin bags filled
with straw to stay afloat.
247
00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:28,280
Horses would either swim after you or
being led after you by their range.
248
00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:33,560
And it's at night. And so it's a night
crossing of a river. And it's a pretty
249
00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:35,720
difficult maneuver. Worse, it starts to
rain.
250
00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,420
And a wind starts to blow. There's a
tremendous thunderstorm going on, which
251
00:18:39,420 --> 00:18:43,740
really to Alexander's advantage because
it keeps the noise down and it keeps
252
00:18:43,740 --> 00:18:44,840
Porus's pickets undercover.
253
00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:49,940
Alexander's certain he's chosen his
crossing point wisely.
254
00:18:50,780 --> 00:18:55,420
But what he thinks is the far bank of
the river is actually an island that
255
00:18:55,420 --> 00:18:56,420
bisects the river.
256
00:18:57,390 --> 00:19:02,810
He crosses the river, gains the island,
crosses the island in a narrow defile
257
00:19:02,810 --> 00:19:07,350
where he can hide his troops from Porus,
and discovers to his horror that's not
258
00:19:07,350 --> 00:19:08,350
the other bank.
259
00:19:08,390 --> 00:19:10,950
It's not the far bank. It's just another
island.
260
00:19:11,530 --> 00:19:15,390
Hidden behind the first island, they
discover another island.
261
00:19:15,750 --> 00:19:21,190
The Greeks still have two more crossings
ahead of them, and time is running out.
262
00:19:22,670 --> 00:19:25,470
Alexander has made one of the few
tactical errors of his career here.
263
00:19:26,010 --> 00:19:30,550
When he scouted the crossing point, he
didn't send swimmers all the way across.
264
00:19:31,010 --> 00:19:34,470
He just saw an island and the far bank
behind it.
265
00:19:34,690 --> 00:19:40,270
It turned out that what he saw was not
the far bank, but simply another island.
266
00:19:40,919 --> 00:19:42,980
So now, God, what are we going to do?
267
00:19:43,980 --> 00:19:48,120
It's too deep. So we go up and down the
island until they find a place to cross
268
00:19:48,120 --> 00:19:49,760
where the water is chest deep.
269
00:19:50,220 --> 00:19:55,460
And they cross chest deep water,
swimming, dragging their equipment to
270
00:19:55,460 --> 00:19:59,780
island, and then finally to another
island. But by dawn, you know, cold,
271
00:19:59,940 --> 00:20:02,500
and soaking wet, they gain the other
bank.
272
00:20:06,330 --> 00:20:10,950
A very short time, the pickets pick it
up, and a rider is sent to Porus, and
273
00:20:10,950 --> 00:20:14,830
Alexander has successfully made the
crossing, and he's moving in force
274
00:20:14,830 --> 00:20:17,810
you. Now Porus faces a dilemma.
275
00:20:18,450 --> 00:20:23,130
His scouts say Alexander had crossed the
Adaspas, but across the river from his
276
00:20:23,130 --> 00:20:25,230
camp is a large Greek force.
277
00:20:26,690 --> 00:20:30,290
Cleverly, Alexander had divided his
troops the previous night.
278
00:20:30,510 --> 00:20:35,770
Some 15 ,000 crossed the river, but 12
,000 stayed back at the camp.
279
00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:39,080
This is called a fixing or a pinning
force.
280
00:20:39,340 --> 00:20:43,980
It keeps Porus in place because he has
no idea whether Alexander is the main
281
00:20:43,980 --> 00:20:45,540
force or a feint.
282
00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:50,160
If he moves to deal with this feint,
then the main force crosses right in
283
00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:51,820
of him, catching him between a hammer
and anvil?
284
00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:53,920
Or is this the main attack?
285
00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:58,000
Faced with this dilemma, Porus makes his
decision.
286
00:20:58,580 --> 00:21:02,480
He only launches a small force to
confront the Greeks who have crossed the
287
00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:03,480
river.
288
00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:08,080
By keeping its main force in place, he's
basically hedged his bet into thinking
289
00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:13,240
the main Greek force is still right in
front of him across the river, and
290
00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:15,180
coming is a smaller force.
291
00:21:16,360 --> 00:21:22,680
Porus only sends 2 ,000 of his 4 ,000
heavy cavalry and 200 of his 300
292
00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:24,260
north to meet the enemy.
293
00:21:26,500 --> 00:21:31,760
That force is commanded by Porus' son,
also named Porus.
294
00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:38,880
At the same time, Alexander musters his
exhausted men and charges south, leading
295
00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:43,800
with his heavy cavalry. Behind them are
light Asian horse archers. The infantry
296
00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:49,320
follows. But as soon as Alexander sees
Porus's advanced force of heavy cavalry
297
00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:53,800
and chariots, he stops, and under the
immense pressure of the battlefield,
298
00:21:54,120 --> 00:21:56,620
reconfigures his troops on the fly.
299
00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:02,900
Alexander is brilliant at knowing
exactly how and when to change his
300
00:22:02,900 --> 00:22:04,580
defense at a moment's notice.
301
00:22:04,780 --> 00:22:10,780
He sees how Porsche's army is configured
and immediately withdraws his heavy
302
00:22:10,780 --> 00:22:16,540
cavalry. Heavy cavalry against chariots
and other heavy cavalry does not give
303
00:22:16,540 --> 00:22:17,540
him the best advantage.
304
00:22:18,100 --> 00:22:22,320
What would be better tactically is to
send his light cavalry to harass and
305
00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:23,340
the movement of the army.
306
00:22:24,030 --> 00:22:24,969
That's what he does.
307
00:22:24,970 --> 00:22:29,030
He sends in his Iranian horse archers.
It's a trick he learned from fighting
308
00:22:29,030 --> 00:22:32,470
these very same people in the eastern
approaches of the Persian Empire.
309
00:22:33,770 --> 00:22:37,510
Alexander's light cavalry collides with
young Porus's small force.
310
00:22:38,730 --> 00:22:42,330
And with that, the Battle of Adaspis
River begins.
311
00:22:54,409 --> 00:22:59,870
326 BC, the Battle of the Adaspis River,
one of history's most brutal battles,
312
00:22:59,970 --> 00:23:00,970
has begun.
313
00:23:01,630 --> 00:23:05,650
Alexander the Great's light infantry
showers the approaching Indians with
314
00:23:05,650 --> 00:23:06,650
arrows.
315
00:23:07,370 --> 00:23:11,330
The Greek archers strike with a light,
high -tech composite bow.
316
00:23:11,910 --> 00:23:16,270
Crafted from animal horn, the bow is
layered with sinew from the legs of wild
317
00:23:16,270 --> 00:23:17,430
deer or antelope.
318
00:23:18,350 --> 00:23:22,850
The M .O. for Alexander's horse archers
is hit and run, hit and run. They don't
319
00:23:22,850 --> 00:23:26,510
wear armor. They don't really need to.
They don't get close enough to the enemy
320
00:23:26,510 --> 00:23:30,010
to need it. And here they actually don't
need it because the Indians don't have
321
00:23:30,010 --> 00:23:31,010
archers.
322
00:23:32,010 --> 00:23:34,250
Thick cotton turbans protect their
heads.
323
00:23:35,650 --> 00:23:39,750
Their torso is protected by a
surprisingly strong wilted armor.
324
00:23:40,570 --> 00:23:45,670
It was probably like a modern -day flak
jacket, which you would imagine.
325
00:23:46,360 --> 00:23:52,380
You know, two layers of cotton, perhaps,
or even wool, and in between those
326
00:23:52,380 --> 00:23:55,440
layers would be raw, unprocessed cotton.
327
00:23:55,700 --> 00:23:59,740
Well, believe it or not, the fibers of
raw, unprocessed cotton are sufficient
328
00:23:59,740 --> 00:24:01,400
stop an arrow.
329
00:24:02,780 --> 00:24:06,620
Alexander's horse archers stop the
Indian force and strip them of their
330
00:24:06,620 --> 00:24:07,620
mobility.
331
00:24:07,820 --> 00:24:12,960
Their object is to take the steam out of
the Indian cavalry attack and force
332
00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:13,879
them together.
333
00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:15,380
That's exactly what happens.
334
00:24:15,930 --> 00:24:20,250
Once they're gathered together, almost
immobile, that's when Alexander commits
335
00:24:20,250 --> 00:24:26,370
his heavy squadrons of heavy Greek
cavalry, and they just smash right
336
00:24:26,370 --> 00:24:29,130
the gathered Indian cavalry, scattered.
337
00:24:34,370 --> 00:24:36,970
The copus is designed for slaughter.
338
00:24:37,210 --> 00:24:41,830
It has a forward -sloping blade for
maximum impact on a downward strike.
339
00:24:42,070 --> 00:24:44,950
Once a butcher's tool, it works well on
meat.
340
00:24:45,290 --> 00:24:46,290
And enemy.
341
00:24:47,430 --> 00:24:52,190
The Indian chariot archers release a
torrent of arrows against Alexander's
342
00:24:52,190 --> 00:24:53,190
infantry.
343
00:24:53,650 --> 00:24:57,850
But a small wooden shield covered with
bronze protects the Greek infantry.
344
00:25:00,130 --> 00:25:02,530
The Indian arrows take their toll.
345
00:25:02,730 --> 00:25:05,870
But the conditions of the battlefield
favor Alexander.
346
00:25:07,390 --> 00:25:11,010
The rain the night before makes the
battlefield a mud pit.
347
00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:15,420
These heavy, heavy chariots cannot
maneuver their iron -shod wheels.
348
00:25:15,740 --> 00:25:18,320
They're absolutely useless in the mud.
349
00:25:20,420 --> 00:25:23,720
The Indians are outnumbered and
outmaneuvered.
350
00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:30,840
Close to 500 Indian cavalrymen are
killed.
351
00:25:38,380 --> 00:25:42,400
The chariots apparently never got into
the battle, or if they did, they were
352
00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:45,600
completely ineffective. And they would
be ineffective, essentially, against
353
00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:47,840
cavalry that could ride around it.
354
00:25:48,620 --> 00:25:50,680
Among the dead is young Port.
355
00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:10,620
So Alexander is essentially now
destroyed and brushed aside that
356
00:26:10,620 --> 00:26:12,760
force that Porus has sent.
357
00:26:12,980 --> 00:26:16,120
The survivors retreat back to the senior
Porus's camp.
358
00:26:16,540 --> 00:26:20,960
They tell him his son is dead and that
Alexander is indeed leading the main
359
00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,660
force. And they're heading this way.
360
00:26:24,820 --> 00:26:29,940
By now, Porus understands that the Greek
contingent across the river is just a
361
00:26:29,940 --> 00:26:32,300
fixing force meant to paralyze him.
362
00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:37,960
What Porus does at this point, he...
still in danger of a cross -river
363
00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:43,040
So he leaves a strong rear guard there
to deal with that attack if it comes.
364
00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:48,260
He pulls the rest of the army out of the
camp and starts to move it upstream to
365
00:26:48,260 --> 00:26:49,260
meet Alexander.
366
00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:52,800
About three hours later, they stop at a
good battle site.
367
00:26:53,420 --> 00:26:56,300
What the techs say is that a place
where...
368
00:26:56,700 --> 00:27:02,060
He found the first firm ground is where
Porras deployed his army. Why would he
369
00:27:02,060 --> 00:27:05,220
be looking for firm ground? Well, there
were two reasons. One is he had 200
370
00:27:05,220 --> 00:27:06,560
chariots at his disposal.
371
00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:08,860
The second thing is elephants.
372
00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:12,840
Elephants are heavy, and you don't want
them slipping and sliding all over the
373
00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:13,840
battlefield.
374
00:27:14,420 --> 00:27:17,440
Porras positions his army a few miles
north.
375
00:27:17,740 --> 00:27:22,880
Alexander picks up reinforcements.
Before he crossed the Hydaspis,
376
00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:27,060
addition to splitting his forces, had
also stationed a reserve force midway
377
00:27:27,060 --> 00:27:29,540
between his main camp and the crossing
point.
378
00:27:30,120 --> 00:27:33,140
So he hadn't divided his army into two
the night before.
379
00:27:33,460 --> 00:27:35,820
He divided it into three forces.
380
00:27:36,020 --> 00:27:41,800
And these reserves of about 4 ,500
infantry and 3 ,000 cavalry are fresh
381
00:27:42,120 --> 00:27:46,260
They've gotten some sleep. They've
marched half as far as Alexander's
382
00:27:46,670 --> 00:27:48,290
and they haven't seen combat yet.
383
00:27:49,530 --> 00:27:53,830
The reinforcements cross the river and
join Alexander's contingent.
384
00:27:54,150 --> 00:27:58,990
So now when you look at the force
strength that Alexander commands,
385
00:27:58,990 --> 00:28:03,610
the vicinity of 8 ,000 cavalry and
somewhere in the vicinity of perhaps 15
386
00:28:03,610 --> 00:28:04,810
or 16 ,000 infantry.
387
00:28:05,630 --> 00:28:11,430
But Alexander's men are too spread out.
The cavalry is in front, with the
388
00:28:11,430 --> 00:28:13,830
exhausted infantry dragging ours behind.
389
00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:18,780
So as Alexander approaches the
battlefield, sees Porus's army,
390
00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:24,520
he's in a situation where he has to
delay the battle. How do you do that? He
391
00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:30,800
takes his Iranian horse archers and
throws them forward. And they begin
392
00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:32,780
up and down the line, shooting arrows.
393
00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:41,540
Now is the time when Porus should have
attacked.
394
00:28:41,900 --> 00:28:43,180
Maybe he wasn't ready.
395
00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:48,560
Maybe he wasn't in an aggressive frame
of mind. We don't know. But it looks
396
00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,980
he was going to accept the battle that
Alexander presented.
397
00:28:52,460 --> 00:28:57,120
Porras has allowed Alexander the time
for his infantry to arrive and to study
398
00:28:57,120 --> 00:28:58,780
the formation of Porras' troops.
399
00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:04,640
In front, a line of 200 battle -tested
war elephants.
400
00:29:06,180 --> 00:29:10,720
Behind the elephant, an even longer line
of 30 ,000 infantry troops.
401
00:29:11,230 --> 00:29:15,290
and on each wing a brigade of a thousand
cavalry to protect the flank.
402
00:29:16,830 --> 00:29:20,790
Alexander's infantry is outnumbered two
to one, so what he wants to do is turn
403
00:29:20,790 --> 00:29:23,530
this into a cavalry fight rather than an
infantry fight.
404
00:29:23,730 --> 00:29:24,950
There's one problem.
405
00:29:25,650 --> 00:29:26,650
Elephants.
406
00:29:28,050 --> 00:29:30,830
Roman historian Curtius captures the
scene.
407
00:29:31,270 --> 00:29:36,450
The beasts, stationed between lines of
armed men, at a distance look like
408
00:29:36,450 --> 00:29:37,450
towers.
409
00:29:38,220 --> 00:29:43,200
While Porus himself had almost exceeded
the measure of human stature, the beast
410
00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:48,120
on which he rode seemed to add to his
height. The Greek Macedonians had never
411
00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:52,420
seen them in large numbers. Now, the
individual fighting men wasn't too much
412
00:29:52,420 --> 00:29:53,760
a problem. It was the horses.
413
00:29:54,260 --> 00:29:59,820
The horses had no exposure to these
elephants, and the smell and sound
414
00:29:59,820 --> 00:30:03,820
them panicked the Macedonian cavalry.
415
00:30:06,310 --> 00:30:11,950
Alexander must revise his tactical plan
to make effective use of his cavalry, or
416
00:30:11,950 --> 00:30:16,090
this battle and his best chance to
conquer India will be lost.
417
00:30:24,110 --> 00:30:28,450
Alexander has accomplished a difficult
night crossing of the Hadassus River.
418
00:30:35,020 --> 00:30:37,700
He's defeated a small Indian advance
force.
419
00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:53,660
And now he's about to launch his attack
against the full might of the Indian
420
00:30:53,660 --> 00:30:54,660
army.
421
00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:59,140
The Indian infantry is twice as large as
the Greeks.
422
00:30:59,660 --> 00:31:03,920
Alexander knows his strength as cavalry,
where he outnumbers Porus four to one.
423
00:31:04,510 --> 00:31:07,930
So the game is now how to fight a battle
that's not an infantry battle.
424
00:31:09,150 --> 00:31:15,250
Alexander had a phenomenal ability to
very quickly read a battlefield and
425
00:31:15,250 --> 00:31:17,890
formulate a strategy to gain the
advantage.
426
00:31:18,950 --> 00:31:24,730
Alexander deploys his 4 ,000 -strong
cavalry squadron toward Porus's left
427
00:31:25,850 --> 00:31:31,530
Porus only has a total of 2 ,000
cavalry, 1 ,000 on each wing.
428
00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:37,020
Porus orders his cavalry on the right
wing to pull out of position, ride
429
00:31:37,020 --> 00:31:39,420
the battle line, and reinforce the left.
430
00:31:40,940 --> 00:31:44,040
And that's the mistake Alexander's been
waiting for.
431
00:31:46,380 --> 00:31:51,800
Now Alexander orders Conus, one of his
commanders, and 2 ,000 of his cavalry
432
00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:56,760
that had been heading for Porus's left
flank, to change direction and attack
433
00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:57,760
defenseless right.
434
00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:03,980
The 2 ,000 horsemen arrive on the right
wing. There's nobody to fight.
435
00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:07,500
They turn the corner and ride all the
way behind the Indian positions.
436
00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:11,920
It's a bizarre situation that's all but
been brought about by Alexander's
437
00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:12,960
tactical brilliance.
438
00:32:13,180 --> 00:32:18,880
As Conus and the 2 ,000 cavalry ride
behind the Indian line, Alexander orders
439
00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:23,740
his horse archers to bombard the Indian
cavalry with volley after volley of
440
00:32:23,740 --> 00:32:24,740
deadly missiles.
441
00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:31,620
Alexander then leads his elite brigade
of 2 ,000 cavalry on a furious ride,
442
00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:35,720
swinging wide right and out past Porras'
left flank.
443
00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:41,640
What Porras does is he did what any
commander would do. He tries to extend
444
00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:47,240
left flank. So he takes his left wing
and he says, redeploy further to the
445
00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:51,240
which means they come out of their
positions, they turn in column of march,
446
00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:55,000
they begin to move out to the left to
prevent the envelopment.
447
00:32:55,880 --> 00:33:00,420
As the Indians begin to march to the
left, and with Conus also on the move,
448
00:33:00,900 --> 00:33:03,020
Alexander changes direction again.
449
00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:08,900
Instead of sweeping around Porus's left
flank, he suddenly turns inward and cuts
450
00:33:08,900 --> 00:33:11,320
off the left wing from the main body of
the army.
451
00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:15,800
At the same time, Conus, who was ridden
all the way around the battlefield,
452
00:33:16,060 --> 00:33:20,520
arrives at what we call the schwerpunkt,
or the critical point in the battle,
453
00:33:20,620 --> 00:33:24,340
and bang, slams into the left wing of
Porus's army.
454
00:33:25,370 --> 00:33:30,550
Now chorus is exactly where Alexander
wants him. His left wing shattered.
455
00:33:31,190 --> 00:33:32,430
Cavalry destroyed.
456
00:33:35,130 --> 00:33:39,590
Alexander always seemed, whenever every
battle that he fought, always seemed to
457
00:33:39,590 --> 00:33:43,250
be at the crucial point where the
tactics shifted.
458
00:33:43,790 --> 00:33:47,390
The crucial point where instead of going
out, he turned in, where he went
459
00:33:47,390 --> 00:33:52,010
through the gap instead of around the
gap. How you do that and at the same
460
00:33:52,010 --> 00:33:55,530
be right out there with your guys is a
rare talent.
461
00:33:57,810 --> 00:34:02,890
Alexander now moves his heavy infantry
against the Indian center, but Porras is
462
00:34:02,890 --> 00:34:03,990
not about to give up.
463
00:34:04,770 --> 00:34:06,990
He orders his archers to attack.
464
00:34:09,639 --> 00:34:13,440
The Indian bow is six feet of strong,
flexible bamboo.
465
00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:18,900
To extend it fully, the archer must
anchor the bow in the ground and steady
466
00:34:18,900 --> 00:34:19,900
with his foot.
467
00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:23,380
Tremendous size gives it unparalleled
firepower.
468
00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:29,500
Its arrows, with sharp bone or metal
tips, can penetrate any armor.
469
00:34:31,060 --> 00:34:34,199
But because of the weather, the archers
are ineffective.
470
00:34:36,909 --> 00:34:41,350
It was raining the night before, and all
those thousands of horses and men and
471
00:34:41,350 --> 00:34:43,530
elephants, they turned the ground to
mud.
472
00:34:43,770 --> 00:34:46,830
The Indian army wasn't used to fighting
during the rainy season.
473
00:34:47,290 --> 00:34:49,170
Its archers couldn't anchor their bows.
474
00:34:49,590 --> 00:34:53,510
Huge blow to Porus. He'd lost one of his
most powerful weapons.
475
00:34:54,210 --> 00:34:59,770
With his left wing destroyed, Porus's
army is reduced to his infantry, his war
476
00:34:59,770 --> 00:35:02,050
-trained armored elephants, and their
archers.
477
00:35:03,790 --> 00:35:05,190
You didn't just fight the elephant.
478
00:35:05,870 --> 00:35:09,650
The elephant on top was what they call a
hauda, which was an archer or spear
479
00:35:09,650 --> 00:35:13,370
platform. But they deployed with a squad
of 13 infantry around them, the same
480
00:35:13,370 --> 00:35:15,290
way we'd use infantry to protect tanks
today.
481
00:35:16,310 --> 00:35:20,030
But the elephants do have one soft spot,
their eye.
482
00:35:20,370 --> 00:35:23,570
The Greek infantrymen attempt to secure
their target.
483
00:35:24,350 --> 00:35:28,730
I can imagine what would happen if an
elephant's blinded in the eye. I mean,
484
00:35:28,730 --> 00:35:31,910
just goes crazy. I mean, an elephant's a
seemingly big animal.
485
00:35:32,940 --> 00:35:37,880
Through the chaos, Alexander pummeled
the Indian center and pulverized its
486
00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:38,880
flank.
487
00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:45,340
Despite being trapped in a deadly two
-sided attack, Horace fights on.
488
00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:54,180
The center is collapsing on itself into
a giant gaggle of 10 ,000, 12
489
00:35:54,180 --> 00:35:59,940
,000 men, animals, chariots, donkeys,
horses, whatever. It literally can't
490
00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:02,020
and the infantry is pressing against
them.
491
00:36:02,490 --> 00:36:03,910
Cavalry is prepping from the side.
492
00:36:04,730 --> 00:36:09,470
In these kinds of battles, as long as
you're maneuvering on the open plain,
493
00:36:09,470 --> 00:36:15,530
don't take a lot of casualties. But when
you close into close combat, it gets
494
00:36:15,530 --> 00:36:17,730
horrifically bloody because you can't
maneuver.
495
00:36:17,950 --> 00:36:21,250
You can't even run away. I mean, the
problem at the Battle of Hedospis, you
496
00:36:21,250 --> 00:36:22,250
couldn't get away.
497
00:36:24,650 --> 00:36:26,270
Brutal man -to -man combat.
498
00:36:26,670 --> 00:36:30,270
Animals hacked to pieces. The Battle of
Hedospis.
499
00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:32,280
turns into a gruesome massacre.
500
00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:41,180
Alexander and his Greek killing machine
are destroying the Indian army at the
501
00:36:41,180 --> 00:36:42,620
Battle of the Hadaspis River.
502
00:36:43,620 --> 00:36:48,600
Alexander commits what's left of his
cavalry and orders it into a circle
503
00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:51,760
this mass of quivering, frightened men.
504
00:36:54,300 --> 00:36:56,700
Horace's army is caught in a death trap.
505
00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:58,240
It cannot maneuver.
506
00:37:01,930 --> 00:37:07,330
10 ,000 human beings pressed by another
8 ,000 human beings in a cauldron of
507
00:37:07,330 --> 00:37:08,330
slaughter.
508
00:37:23,759 --> 00:37:28,060
Screams of animals, the trumpeting call
of a wounded elephant, for example, the
509
00:37:28,060 --> 00:37:30,360
whinny of a horse in pain.
510
00:37:30,620 --> 00:37:34,320
And remember, if you fell down, if a
horse slipped and went down or was
511
00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:39,500
if a man fell off a, there were no
saddles, but fell off the horse, he
512
00:37:39,500 --> 00:37:40,500
to death.
513
00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:52,840
Human beings being stabbed, being hacked
at.
514
00:37:53,180 --> 00:37:56,220
The noise and the screams and the
battlefield becomes quickly covered with
515
00:37:56,220 --> 00:37:59,460
blood, gore, and entrails, pieces of
human flesh.
516
00:37:59,820 --> 00:38:00,820
And the smell.
517
00:38:01,020 --> 00:38:05,340
The smell, the smell, the smell. I mean,
you know, elephants, when wounded, like
518
00:38:05,340 --> 00:38:06,800
many animals, deprecate.
519
00:38:07,180 --> 00:38:09,240
You can imagine that as well.
520
00:38:11,380 --> 00:38:17,740
The noise and the smell and the human
horror, absolutely terrific.
521
00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:43,520
About seven hours after the battle
begins, Porus's army is nearly
522
00:38:43,820 --> 00:38:46,020
But Porus himself survives.
523
00:38:48,260 --> 00:38:52,700
They're not completely destroyed, but
probably three -quarters of the army is
524
00:38:52,700 --> 00:38:57,420
killed. Porus himself, badly wounded,
continues to fight on.
525
00:38:58,460 --> 00:39:03,360
Alexander admires Porus's bravery and
determination to keep fighting in the
526
00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:04,360
of certain defeat.
527
00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:09,400
Alexander recognizes in Porus a kindred
warrior spirit.
528
00:39:09,780 --> 00:39:14,380
He doesn't want to kill the man he's
grown to respect, so he sends a
529
00:39:14,380 --> 00:39:15,540
to call him for a meeting.
530
00:39:15,900 --> 00:39:18,680
Greek historian Arian records the
conversation.
531
00:39:19,940 --> 00:39:21,780
Alexander was the first to speak.
532
00:39:23,860 --> 00:39:26,400
What, he said, do you wish that I should
do with you?
533
00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:32,620
Treat me as a king ought, Porus famously
replied.
534
00:39:36,620 --> 00:39:42,000
Alexander is so impressed with Horace's
dignity and composure, he decides to let
535
00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:45,560
him remain as king and keep his
territories and his subjects.
536
00:39:46,140 --> 00:39:53,060
So at the end of the day, Alexander, at
the Battle of the Hedispus River, shows
537
00:39:53,060 --> 00:39:57,180
his tactical brilliance. I mean, this is
a guy who can read a battlefield. He
538
00:39:57,180 --> 00:40:00,640
has what Napoleon called the coup de
huile, the strike of the eye.
539
00:40:01,160 --> 00:40:04,440
By looking at the terrain, looking at
the arrangement of forces, he was able
540
00:40:04,440 --> 00:40:08,640
devise very quickly in this case a
tactical plan that played to his own
541
00:40:08,640 --> 00:40:09,640
advantage.
542
00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:15,240
With his victory at Hadaspis, Alexander
the Great has taken his first step
543
00:40:15,240 --> 00:40:16,540
across the Indian frontier.
544
00:40:16,900 --> 00:40:18,920
But it is also his last.
545
00:40:19,740 --> 00:40:25,400
As he advances deeper into India,
several states set aside their own
546
00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:28,120
and now stand united against the
invader.
547
00:40:30,220 --> 00:40:35,820
At the next battle site, Alexander is
confronted by 300 ,000 Indian troops.
548
00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:43,400
In attempting to conquer India, you get
the feeling that perhaps Alexander's
549
00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:46,960
strategic intelligence analysis was not
as good as it had been in the past,
550
00:40:47,120 --> 00:40:51,920
because any reasonable view of what was
going on in India at the time would have
551
00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:55,440
led you to the conclusion that this
would be an almost impossible military
552
00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:57,640
for what amounts to a small Greek army.
553
00:40:58,570 --> 00:41:03,570
By now, Alexander's men can see that
their leader's quest has turned into a
554
00:41:03,570 --> 00:41:04,570
suicide mission.
555
00:41:04,610 --> 00:41:08,430
They've been fighting long and hard, and
mutiny is in the air.
556
00:41:08,890 --> 00:41:13,950
He tries to rally them to keep going.
He's inspirational, his troops are
557
00:41:14,130 --> 00:41:16,010
but they've just had enough.
558
00:41:17,330 --> 00:41:22,230
Alexander, always attuned to his men,
ultimately surrenders to the will of his
559
00:41:22,230 --> 00:41:25,910
troops and heads south, returning to
Babylon in modern -day Iraq.
560
00:41:27,020 --> 00:41:30,460
But his Eastern adventure may have cost
him his life.
561
00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:37,580
The best guess is that he died of
malaria in Babylon, where
562
00:41:37,580 --> 00:41:43,300
history says, or at least the texts say,
because he was considered to be pharaoh
563
00:41:43,300 --> 00:41:49,060
of Egypt. His body was sent to Egypt,
where it was embalmed, and put in a
564
00:41:49,060 --> 00:41:50,940
crystal casket.
565
00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:53,200
Alexander the Great.
566
00:41:53,670 --> 00:41:58,310
one of history's most brilliant military
tacticians, dead at 33.
567
00:41:59,050 --> 00:42:04,130
The conqueror of much of the known
world, his record and his leadership
568
00:42:04,130 --> 00:42:08,970
still stand as the inspiration for great
military minds throughout history.
569
00:42:09,970 --> 00:42:15,750
During the first Gulf War in 1991,
General Norman Schwarzkopf took a page
570
00:42:15,750 --> 00:42:18,930
Alexander the Great's playbook with his
left hook strategy.
571
00:42:19,590 --> 00:42:25,220
Like Alexander, Schwarzkopf...
essentially feigned a main attack on the
572
00:42:25,220 --> 00:42:27,380
forces occupying Kuwait from the south.
573
00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:34,220
But the bulk of his force, modern -day
heavy cavalry, tanks, swam hundreds of
574
00:42:34,220 --> 00:42:37,780
miles due west and came at the Iraqis'
right flank.
575
00:42:38,800 --> 00:42:42,540
There's the left hook, effectively
knocking out the Iraqi army.
576
00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:46,300
Ground war in Operation Desert Storm was
over in 100 hours.
577
00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:52,440
That is a successful feign and envelop
that Alexander would be proud of.
578
00:42:54,020 --> 00:42:59,980
Alexander the Great campaigned for more
than 11 years, over 20 ,000 miles, and
579
00:42:59,980 --> 00:43:01,260
never lost a battle.
580
00:43:01,800 --> 00:43:04,180
Still, he was dissatisfied.
581
00:43:05,640 --> 00:43:09,920
It is one of the more interesting
questions of history of having achieved
582
00:43:09,920 --> 00:43:14,680
the strategic objectives that he set out
to be against all odds, by the way. Why
583
00:43:14,680 --> 00:43:20,120
does Alexander continue to literally
want more? Why is it not enough?
584
00:43:20,340 --> 00:43:25,180
And I think he's a very curious
character psychologically. But
585
00:43:25,180 --> 00:43:28,640
think he's a very traditional Greek. You
know, when you look at the history of
586
00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:30,200
Greece, Greek.
587
00:43:31,020 --> 00:43:35,580
Soldiers didn't fight for strategic
reasons or even political goals. I mean,
588
00:43:35,600 --> 00:43:39,200
that's something that comes in much
later, all right? Because there's no
589
00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:43,620
of being Greek. There's no Greek nation,
per se. So what did they fight for?
590
00:43:43,660 --> 00:43:45,500
They fought for honor and individual
glory.
591
00:43:46,720 --> 00:43:52,420
A forger of empires with an unquenchable
thirst for glory, Alexander spread
592
00:43:52,420 --> 00:43:54,760
Greek culture throughout the known
world.
593
00:43:55,180 --> 00:43:58,300
Yet he died yearning to have conquered
more.
57111
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