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‘Surprise, Surprise:’ The Tactical Response Of Alexander To Guerilla Warfare And Fighting In Difficult Terrain, Graham Wrightson

School of American and Global Studies Faculty Publications with a Focus on History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Religion

Alexander the Great is most famous as the undefeated general who conquered the Persian Empire only to die suddenly in his mid-thirties. Most works on his leadership focus on his strategic brilliance or on his pitched battles and sieges. But perhaps the most striking part of Alexander’s generalship was his effective responses to irregular warfare throughout his campaigns. Alexander had to overcome numerous guerilla forces and battles in difficult terrain during his campaigns.1 Of most interest to military historians today is his solution to dealing with the problems of invading the Hindu Kush and the regions around what is now …