Greatest sieges Greatest sieges
Contents Introduction: To stand or fall #5 Leningrad The deadliest siege ever. Published at Petitcodiac Regional School May 2016 #4 Malta An island against an empire. #3 Alesia The besieger Besieged. #2 Syracuse Brains versus brawn #1 Tyre The city that cannot fall. I Thought What do you think?
A siege is when one side tries to take a city or fortress by ether military attack or by starving it out. History has often hinged on whether a city has been able to withstand a siege or if has fallen. Sieges have often been turning points in history.
Lennigra d \ During the siege Leningrad Historical context During WWII the German army s made fast advances into the USSR but their progress was slowed when they tried to lay siege to Leningrad. The Soviet Union was desperate to slow the Germans down and stop them from destroying the soviet factories, while the Germans where desperate to remove Ussr s factories from the war. Tactics When the Germans realised that taking the city street by street would cost more men than they could afford the German army set up a perimeter around the city cut of all the roads and supply lines and shelled the city nonstop attempting to starve Leningrad into submission. Defenses The soviets used a series of natural defenses earthworks and ditches dug by the citizens of Leningrad to defend the city. The soviets also kept the factories in Leningrad producing Tanks and artillery with which they bombarded the German troops. The greatest defense however was also Leningrad s oldest defense, winter. For while the was hard on the soviets, it was even harder on the Germans who had not prepared for a winter siege Victor Although the siege lasted for 872 days the soviets were able to get food into the city for the majority of that time. Although the starvation was still severe the factories where maintained and the defenders where able to hold the line until the red army was able to lift the siege. Quick Fact Leningrad was considered the deadliest siege in history with 1 million citizens alone believed to have perished. # 5 4 3 2 1
4 Malta When: 1565 Who: Mustapha Pasha and dragut Rais Duration: 3 months During 1565 under the rule of Suleiman The magnificent the Ottoman empire seemed undefeatable in its conquest of the Mediterranean. But to accomplish this the Ottomans needed to take Malta which was controlled by the knights of Saint John, the knights did not agree.
Malta Historical Context The Ottomans had planned to make the Mediterranean their own personal lake. To do this this they had to conquer the navy that controlled the sea, The Knights of Saint John stationed on the island of Malta. The Knights where supposed to get reinforcements from other European countries but those countries where hesitant to send valuable troops to what was in their eyes a lost cause. Defenses Malta relied on a series of forts that protected the harbor the city. They were situated on the high ground and allowed them to rain fire on the attacking forces. But its main strength of Malta came from the loyalty of the Knights. They were willing to trade their lives for the protection of the Island. They also came up with new ideas like fire hoops which could set multiple soldiers on fire at once. Tactics The Ottomans where at a disadvantage because their command was divided between the admiral and the general. The Ottomans landed and hoped to crush the knights with their large cannons and even larger army. The Ottomans where hesitant to send in their ships for fear of them being sunk by Malta s cannons. So most of their attacks where sending infantry against heavily fortified positions. While this tactic did gain ground, it took more lives and time than anticipated due to the stubbornness of the Knights of St. John. Victor After the Knights of St. John received reinforcements they tricked the Ottomans into thinking they had received more troops than actually arrived and with the advancement of winter the Ottomans where not assured resupplies and so they had to withdraw. Quick Fact 42 years earlier Suleiman had defeated on the island of Rhodes the Knight of St. John but had aloed them safe passage to Malta. # 5 4 3 2 1
3 Alesia When: 52 BC Who: Julius Caesar Duration: 1 month The third siege on the list is the siege of Alesia which included one of the greatest generals of all time, Julius Caesar, against a nation united in one last attempt at freedom. It involved over 3000 000 soldiers and ended in the besieger being besieged.
Alesia Historical context Rome had conquered Gaul, but when Rome lost one legion to rebel tribes the rest of Gaul rose up against Rome and Caesar. At first the Gaul s had some success but when Caesar brought his army down upon the Gallic tribes their general Vergentorix pulled them back to the city Alesia. Defenses Vergentorix knew that he had enough troops to hold of the Romans until his relief forces arrived. So he sat there and sent messengers out to call the main Gaul army which was many times the size of Caesars back to the city and crush Caesar. Tactics Caesar knew he had enough food to outlast the city, so he built earthworks all the way around the city to keep anyone from leaving. When Caesar learned of the second army coming to attack him he built more earthworks around his army facing outward so that he had fortifications on both sides. Victor Even though Caesar was outnumbered many times over, with the use of his veterans and his earthworks he fought off both the army trying to break out of the city and the army trying to break into the city. After running out of food Alesia capitulated. With no leader the Gaul rebellion was extinguished and Rome ruled the land for hundreds of years. Quick Fact This was the last time Caesar fought before he crossed the Rubicon and made himself emperor of rome. # 5 4 3 2 1
2 Syracuse When: 214BC Who: Marcus Claudius Marcellus Duration: 2 years The second siege on the list, is the siege of city of Syracuse on the island Sicily. On one side, the relentless army of the Romans with 18,000 Infantry and 2,000 cavalry and on the other side the genius mathematician Archimedes and 21,000 soldiers. The siege lasted from 214 212 BC.
Archemi dis Syracuse Historical context Syracuse, the Greek city state, had been caught between two separate empires competing for control of the western Mediterranean, the Romans and the Carthaginians. Sicily was originally controlled by Carthage but had been taken by the Roman Empire in the first Punic war. Syracuse as an independent city had changed allies multiple times in the second Punic war. At the time of the siege Syracuse was allied with Carthage Defenses Syracuse had large walls that protected it from land and sea attacks and a strong garrison, but its main power came from the mind of one man. Archimedes developed engines of war that decimated any assailant, catapults that could shoot at different ranges and the claw of Archimedes. The claw of Archimedes was a giant crane that would lift the front of ships up and then letting them crash back into the water, reducing them to splinters. Quick Fact Archimedes supposedly also used mirrors to create a laser that could set ships on fire. This has not been proven. w Tactics The romans tried attacking from both land and sea. They even brought their own invention, the Sambuca which was essentially a siege tower placed on a boat. Despite all this, the romans where pushed back from the walls, mainly due to the incredible creations of Archimedes. The Romans decided to blockade the city instead and wait for an opportunity. Victor Syracuse became over confident and less vigilant. Then during the festival of Artemis a small number of roman soldiers sneaked over the walls and opened the gates. The Romans sacked the city and Archimedes was killed accidentally by a roman soldier. # 5 4 3 2 1
1 Tyre When: 332BC Who: Alexander Duration: 7 months The number one siege on the list is the siege of Tyre. On side you have the impregnable island fortress of Tyre and on the other, the unstoppable army of Alexander. Alexander had been taking control of Asia Minor and Tyre refused to believe that the Greeks could conquer them. The siege that followed lasted seven months and involved over forty thousand solder and an amazing feet of engineering.
Tyre Historical context Tyre was an independent Phoenician city on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean that had previously stood up to an Assyrian siege that lasted thirteen years. Alexander could not afford to leave an enemy city in his rear as he moved down towards Egypt. Tyre hade eight thousand troops garrisoned within her walls and alexander hare a force of thirty thousand troops. Defenses Tyre main defenses came from the fact that the island was completely walled of and any attacker who tried to land would be pelted with stones and arrows. Not only that but the island hade two very safe harbors with which it could protect its navy with and eight thousand solders to protect the walls. Tactics To reach the city alexander ordered a causeway built, with a palisade on the outside to protect his men from arrow fire. Once the causeway drew close enough alexander brought siege towers to the front to start shooting the city. Tyre responded by turning a horse transport ship into a fire ship and burning down the towers. Alexander then doubled the size of the causeway so that by the end it was one hundred meters wide and nine hundred meters long. He received reinforcements from surrounding cities so that his navy was large enough to blockade Tyre and use amphibious assaults. Victor Though a series of amphibious assaults and attacks across the causeway Alexander took the city. All the soldiers in Tyre where killed and the city was sacked, the majority of the citizens where sold into slavery. Quick Fact The Causeway Built by Alexander Became a permanent connection, and turned Tyre from an island to a peninsula # 5 4 3 2 1
I thought Here are the criteria I used in ranking the top five greatest sieges. What do you think? 1. Do you agree with my ranking? If you don t, try ranking them yourself. Justify your ranking with data. You may use my criteria or you may use your own. Their effect on history beyond just the city The ingenuity of the participants Determintion How interesting it was 2. Here are others to consider: Troy, Stalingrad, Jerusalem, Constantinople, the Alamo and Vicksburg. Find out more about them. Should they have made my list? Are there others that should be considered?