Macedonian Military Revolution

The Macedonians under Philip II and Alexander made such significant advancements in the way they waged warfare that it is considered a military revolution. They were able to change their tactics, technology, political organization, and even change the balance of power in the world. In order to see how they changed the practice of war, we must look at battles from before Philip II, specifically battles from the Peloponnesian War, and we must also look at battles that occurred after Philip II, such as the Battle of Issus, Granicus, and Tyre. When we compare the battles that occurred before the Macedonian military revolution with those that occurred after we will see a change in the decisiveness of these battles, a change in the role of some military units, and a change in technology used to capture cities. In the battles before the Macedonian military revolution we see that most of the battles did not end decisively. This can be seen all

We see this in the Battle of Issus, where Alexander faces off with Darius III, and light infantry takes on a significant tactical role. In previous battles we see the light infantry important at the beginning but after that they become incredibly insignificant. At the Battle of Issus, they are a significant factor throughout the battle because he uses them to hold back the Persians. While the light infantry was significant, it was Alexander’s cavalry charge that is the definitive aspect once again. Alexander uses his cavalry very effectively, allowing him to flank the Persian’s left side. When Alexander’s flanking maneuver proved effective he went after Darius who was in the center, as was the Persian tradition. With Alexander bearing down on him, Darius fled, leaving his army to fall to pieces behind him. This battle is a prime example of how he fought the majority of his battles with the