Alexander the Great: Military Leadership - Research Paper Example

 Alexander the Great: Military Leadership Alexander Great is a figure of historical renown. Even today people study his life and learn more than just historical facts; they are given a role model which they can use to make decisions in their own lives. Alexander the Great was a king who was very successful. He enjoyed many victories and much wealth. Alexander continues to be listed among the great rulers of history, along with Napoleon Bonaparte and many others. Historians are fascinated with him. It has been centuries since Alexander walked the earth, yet people are still fascinated by him. In fact, his Facebook page gets at least 1 new fan a day, 59 fans every 7 days, and 118 every 14 days.1 They want to know about his success, no doubt so that they can use him as an inspiration to gain measures o success for themselves. As with any historical record, there is a limit on the knowledge about Alexander the great that can be had. It would be great to find out first hand what kind of a many he really was. Unfortunately, one must rely on the information as told. There have been some archeological findings that support the historical representation of Alexander the Great, which serve to make the legends of the man become real in the mind other researcher. 2 There are some awesome stories about the man and his life. The information uncovered during research into his life is fascinating. One of the questions that may arise about Alexander is ‘Just what was he like as a military leader?’ While it is impossible to go back and interview one of the men that were under his leadership, the information that is provided is sufficient enough to make inferences about the type of military leader Alexander really was the fact that Alexander the Great was tutored by Aristotle, became very powerful and was admired by the Romans can serve to demonstrate the type of military leader he was. An analysis of his life and work reveals that Alexander the Great was an intelligent, powerful, strategic thinking leader who, although commanding obedience, was highly admired by his people. The Influence of Aristotle Alexander the Great had the privilege of having Aristotle as his tutor when he was young. Aristotle, like Alexander is a historical figure of great renown. Aristotle was a philosopher whose ideas continue to be cherished today because of their genius. Aristotle’s thought serves as foundation to many of the theories that are employed today. This great mind influenced Alexander, who later becomes one of the Earth’s most powerful men. Clearly Alexander happily accepted Aristotle’s teachings and held them dear throughout his life. The effects of having Aristotle as a teacher show up in many actions of Alexander. It is clear that Alexander used some of the principals from his former teacher to build up his success. As it has been observed, “During the campaign when Alexander made his way through the Levant, Aristotle’s influence cannot be ignored”.3 The training that he received from Aristotle was a gift to Alexander, one that he appreciated. Since he made so many decisions base upon the teachings of Aristotle it is not clear if Alexander would have been just as successful if not in possession of this information. One cannot say for sure that Alexander was a natural born leader. The wisdom that he received from Aristotle affected what kind of leader Alexander became. Aristotle has theorized on what he thought the relationship of the ruled and the ruler should be like. Clearly the regulations of this relationship apply to Alexander the great and the men that he led. In speaking on war Aristotle stated, “...even the art of war will by nature be in a manner an art of acquisition. both against wild animals and against such of mankind as though designed by nature for subjection refuse to submit to it, inasmuch as this warfare is by nature just”4 Aristotle believed in strong leadership and the subjection of those under the leader. He believed in an elite. Therefore Alexander the great was most likely a very powerful and forceful ruler who demanded and expected the obedience of his men. He probably had a great sense of self-pride and felt as if he deserved victory. Alexander was obviously a person to be obeyed, for many followed him on his pursuits of conquest and assisted him in being victorious despite the danger. Yet, as an enlightened man, also thanks to Aristotle, Alexander the Great had to be an understanding ruler. In other words, he did not treat his men harshly although he was forceful. Another way to tell the type of military leader Alexander the great was is to look at the amount of power that he had. He successfully conquered many lands, such as Egypt, Persia, and India and grew in power constantly. Alexander the Great managed to have himself named the pharaoh of Egypt and conquered all of Asia, calling himself the “Lord of Asia”.5 To his men, Alexander was someone to be adored. Many of them worshiped him as a god and were willing to do whatever he asked at the risk of their own lives.6 Nations learned quickly that they should tremble before him. Nevertheless, they gave a good strong fight in the war to keep from being conquered so much so that his men desired to retire out of sheer exhaustion after they conquered India. Alexander the Great’s success speaks volumes about what kind of leader he was for the military. Alexander had to realize the perfect amount of push that kept his men going without causing them to give up. The only real mention of surrender that was brought up by Alexander’s army was the desire to retire after battle; not surrender during the fight. In order to be so motivated, the troops had to have a good leader. This suggests that Alexander is a good leader. He must have been inspirational to his men. To those who worshipped him, he was a god. Surely, amongst those in the army of his targets some had the thought that they would rather have been on the side of Alexander. He had a way of helping soldier realize their true potential in battle. His men fought as if there were more than their own lives on the line. They fought with passion and fire. As good of a military mind that Alexander the great had he could never have defeated all of those lands on his own. Even if his military was very great, if he had been a poor leader the men would not have fought so hard for him. Alexander the Great attained to a position of power that even the world’s most wealthy can only dream about. He got to that level through the conquests that he won with his army. In other words, the power that Alexander the Great had was born of his effectiveness as a leader. This implies that all of the characteristics of a good leader can be assumed as part of the characteristics of Alexander the Great. Another way of assessing the type of military leader Alexander the Great was is to take a look at how much he was admired by the Romans. Considering the fact that he was worshipped as a god, it is easy to claim that Alexander the Great was admired very much. The Romans were a people who seemed primed for advancement. They were intrigued with innovativeness and ready to adapt. They had the thirst for power and high intellect build up within them. For such a people to admire a man, that speaks volumes about the man. Alexander the Great was that type of man. He was treated well by the majority of his leader. Yet, admiration for Alexander the Great is not limited to the Romans of his day. It has also been noted that he is admired by those in Afganidstan.7 They seek to follow his model and example as a sort of guide to success. If Alexander the Great had written on how to be a successful leader, his book would be a best seller in Afghanistan. The admiration of this historical figure by such groups only serves to further demonstrate that he was a great military leader. If it were not so then Alexander the Great would not be as popularity. Yet, As it is, his popularity continues on today. As new generations read and learn about him, Alexander the Great gained a larger population of admirers. The respect for his military mind would suggest that Alexander the Great was an intelligent man. It takes strategy to be successful in waging war. It also requires strategic thinking to manage a large army and provide for them. As a leader, Alexander had to be good at logical thinking. Although he suffered lapses in logic as all human beings happen to do on occasion. The power to think logically was clearly a skill of his. Even though those in Afghanistan choose to use Alexander the Great and his military success as a role model, they have failed to attain the level of success that he did. It takes something more than what they practice in order to attain the level of success that Alexander the Great enjoyed. Alexander, aside from the teachings of Aristotle, had no great role model to look up to. Even if it should be that he learned about great leaders who were historical in his time that does not imply that these were sufficient enough to serve as an example for him. Alexander the Great surpassed his contemporaries, making him a great military leader. The elements that make a great military leader can be up for debate. There are so many different opinions about what it means to be a good leader. Yet, at the end of it all, the definition of a good leader has to be the successful accomplishment of established goals. With out such an accomplishment a ruler can hardly be considered a success, but a failure. Alexander the Great learned how attain success. His victory was mighty and his rule was wide spread. He had people bowing down to him and worshipping him as a god. His solders served him faithfully. Without a first hard look at how Alexander managed his troops it is difficult to access the strategies that he used to command his army. Yet, taking advantage of all the information that can be found, one can assert with full confidence that Alexander the Great was a wonderful leader. It is for this very reason that he is called ‘the Great’. To reinforce the idea of his greatness is the fact that he perished so young- at 32 years of age. What Alexander the Great accomplished in twelve years took Napoleon three times as long.7 If Alexander had been given that mush time he might have been successful in conquering the whole world. By his success and the loyalty of his men it is reasonable to assert that Alexander the Great had a brilliant, strategic, rational mind. The teaching that he received from Aristotle only helped to increase his ability as a leader and his overall effectiveness. Anytime the story of Alexander the Great is told or studied the man generates admiration. Such a high level of admiration was also found in the hearts of the men who fought for him. There is no doubt that Alexander was forceful and demanded obedience due to Aristotle’s belief that some must serve. Yet, Alexander probably did not have to push too hard. The man was adored and people willingly served him. They fought hard and willingly gave their lives for him. It is no weak or bad leader who can accomplish as much as Alexander the Great in the short time that he did. Surely some of the soldiers in the armies that were conquered by Alexander would have rather been on his side. Notes 1. "Alexander the Great, Greek King of MACEDONIA Facebook Statistics ." Socialbakers . http://www.socialbakers.com/facebook-pages/36989838587-alexander-the-great-greek-king-of-macedonia (accessed November 7, 2011). 2. Chugg, Andrew “The Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great?” Greece & Rome (49):1. 49 (Apr., 2002), pp. 8-26 Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Classical Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/826879 Accessed: 14/03/2009 02:41 3. Foster, Ed “The Persian Policies of Alexander the Great: From 330-323 BC”Graduate thesis, prepared for Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College (2001). 4. Jowett, Benjamin. " Politics by Aristotle." The Internet Classics Archive: 441 searchable works of classical literature. http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/politics.3.three.html (accessed November 7, 2011). 5. Abbot, Jack “Makers of History: Alexander the Great”(2009). New York: Harper& Brothers. 6. Brown, Bryan. "Alexander the great: in the fourth century b.c, this 20-something military genius conquered half the known world" The Free Library 09 May 2011. 07 November 2011 . 7. Rabel, Robert “The Imitation of Alexander the Great in Afghanistan” Helios. (2007) 34(1):97-119. Read More