What was important for military success?
Complete the assignment using the PDF document (shared with you on Google Drive). You will post your answer/s in the comment box. I highly recommend that you draft your answer in a google document and then copy and paste your answer into the comment box.
Forum #1 “The Assyrian Military Machine”
Read and Contextualize: The Assyrian Empire - What was important for military success? - CHQ
Read Document: “The Assyrian Military Machine”
Answer Questions: Based on their own descriptions, what did Assyrian kings believe was important for military success? Do you think their account may be exaggerated? Why?
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Based on their own descriptions Assyrian kings believed being cruel, merciless, brutal, and surprisingly organization were things that Assyrian kings thought was important for military success. They also believed this would help give them absolute power over the empire. Tiglath-Pileser I was applied these policies and others after him followed them as well.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the accounts of the kings were exaggerated, so they would seem powerful and brutal. King Ashurbanipal claims he tore out the tongues of people who spoke badly about his god Ashur. Now this seems highly exaggerated, and it makes this king look merciless. Other kings make claims to destroying 46 cities, and feeding corpses to animals. These all seem far-fetched.
I think that these accounts are exaggerated because it glorifies the kings and makes everyone fear them. Especially since the Assyrian’s were big on military conquest, they wanted everyone to fear them and to follow their rule. These exaggerated accounts must have given the power to the kings to control and organize the massive Assyrian empire because everyone feared them and didn’t want to receive punishment.
I agree with your assessment of the exaggeration that is woven into these stories of Assyrian conquests, but I think it may have been possible that King Ashurbanipal did, in fact, do what he claimed to have done in tearing out his enemies’ tongues. This seems unfathomable in today’s relatively civilized world, but when the Assyrians ruled, their rule seemed to be that there were no such things as unforgivable acts in war. They were known to be ruthless, and had a reputation for being viciously efficient, which I think the leaders would have wanted to take advantage of. They would not have had this notoriety if the rumors had not had some basis in fact, however, which is why I think that King Ashurbanipal may have actually torn out his enemies’ tongues, as well as some other things he claimed to have done.
DeleteAgreed! They were so brutal everyone feared them.
DeleteI completely agree with you Thomas because i strongly believe that these accounts are exaggerated just for intimidation. Also i believe that the accounts were just stories the kings said to feel overpowered.
Deletei totally agree with you thomas those kings where some brutal harsh men to those around.
DeleteAssyrian kings believed in two major concepts for military success: organization and strategy. By dividing Assyria into provinces and designating a local official to each area (who would have to be loyal to the king), the king would have easier control of the empire and easier access to resources. This would allow more time for conquering other kingdoms and less time messing around with problems like revolutions. A big factor in organizing Assyria was to have an efficient system of communication. They established a network of interconnected posts that used horses to deliver messages across the empire. The system was nearly flawless for its time, even so that a “governor anywhere in the empire could send a question to the king in his palace and receive an answer within a week” (Doc 1i, c).
ReplyDeleteThe second aspect the Assyrian kings believed in for a strong military was to have strong tactics to go along. They would have large armies and advanced weapons to aid them in battles. One of the main tactics they used was to terrorize the enemy and inflict fear. When attacking, they would smash dams, destroy and loot towns, set crops on fire, and cut down fruit trees (Doc 1i, i). This would make it harder for the kingdom they were attacking to recover, and inevitably would lead to the Assyrians conquering that kingdom.
I do not think the things that has been said about the kings of Assyria, like Sennacherib destroying 89 cities or Ashurnasirpal cutting off body parts of captives, were entirely true. In the packet and the textbook, they tend to use the word “brag” when talking about these “facts”. Bragging is usually associated with exaggeration.
I think you have a point about the connection between bragging and exaggeration, as it is practically a part of human nature. I mean, it would be a lot easier to brag about something, especially about something as serious as warfare, if you blow the truth out of proportions a little bit. For example, one could brag about a grade somebody got in class and say it was an A, but say it was a 100 as to look "better" than another.
DeleteNot the best possible comparison, but I think it gets the idea across.
I agree.
DeleteI agree with your ideas. The kings definitely wanted a strong military to help them conquer all the cities they fought. They also had to have a strong military tactic in order to take down protected cities. With the bragging and exaggeration, that is for sure something that all humans take part in at least once in their life. For example, one could brag about making all the shots he took in basketball.
DeleteAssyrian kings believed fear,powerful men and weapons were key to military success. They put fear in many by having guerrilla warfare, having thousands of men ready to fight, iron weaponry, and being known to torture their captives. They were able to travel long distances fast by horse, and were able to make deadly weapons while on the way to dominate a city. I believe that the kings were merciless, cruel, and believed war was the answer. If the things they said they did like, cut the throats out of people, or burned them alive weren't true than they wouldn't be feared. Someone, or some city would find out and they would no longer be feared, nor respected. I do believe their accounts are telling the truth and are not exaggerated, I believe the Assyrian kings, were the most feared, most respected, and one of the most brutal kings in ancient times.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement saying they weren't exaggerated, because of what the kings were. I also like how you backed it up, saying the cities would soon find out although the cities weren't very close together. The army did make great weapons and develop new tactics of warfare no one had seen before, and it would be hard for certain things to be exaggerated.
DeleteI agree that the Assyrian kings believed fear, power, and great soldiers were the key to success. But I also believe that the organization the empire had is the key because they were able to manage all of the empire which made them stronger than other civilizations. I also think that the stories of the kings were exaggerated because those actions seem very extreme. I think the stories were stretched to make people fear the Assyrians so they could have a leg up on the enemy.
DeleteI agree with your reasons for their success in military, but I disagree with your statement on how they believed that war was the answer. They did not just value war, they also valued having a powerful empire through organization and communication. I think those two things were just as important as their military.
DeleteI think that your opinion on the accounts being exaggerated is not one that I agree with, as I believe that they would exaggerate these accounts not only to strike fear in the hearts of other cities, but to glorify their leader as a ruthless person who is not afraid to take away the wills to live of many, if not their lives from the get-go. However, I agree with the fact that Assyrian kings were the most feared and respected kings of their time, just that they used said exaggeration to their advantage.
DeleteI agree, but I do not think the Assyrians were respected, I think it was more of a fear than anything. Knowing me, I do not "respect" people that terrorize others. It's kind of a situation of "do not mess with a sleeping giant." People danced around and tried to keep things balanced- for lack of a better word- out of a notion of fear and obligation. Overall, i agree with your input. The Assyrians were the most intimidating people of their er
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ReplyDeleteBased on their own descriptions, the Assyrian kings valued organization and the power of terror in regards to military tactics. Instituting a new system of rule by a hierarchy of military leaders who all answered to the one king, that one king assured his troops’ loyalty, and they were brutally efficient when it came to organizing and deploying a large number of soldiers (doc 1i, e). This system of rule that the Assyrians developed also ensured that the peoples they conquered stayed under their control—by establishing the tiers of power, and dividing the territory into smaller, more manageable parts than the huge empire, the Assyrian king kept a greater hold on his conquests, so they couldn’t rebel.
ReplyDeleteAssyrian kings valued the power of fear when it came to war. They knew that they had a reputation for being mercilessly brutal, and they took advantage of the fact by laying waste to every city they captured, and destroying the spirit of the people by killing their leaders and innocents (doc 1i, i). As stated in the article “The Assyrian Military Machine,” the Assyrian king “tore out the tongues of those whose slanderous mouths had uttered blasphemies against my god Ashur.” The Assyrians’ military tactics were already extremely efficient, and their tactics of fear only served to strengthen their superiority in war.
I believe that some of these accounts of Assyria’s army were exaggerated—Assyria knew they had a reputation for being ruthless, and I believe that they would have tried to maximize their enemies’ terror by spreading exaggerated stories of their prowess in war. They were still one of the most brutal, efficient militaries in ancient times, but I think their stories were exaggerated.
I agree with what you are saying because it only makes sense to use or even exaggerate your reputation of brutality just to get an upper hand over your opponents. I also think that reporting to one king makes everything more efficient but it also gave one person all the power over the empire. I think it was their reputation as well as their organization that allowed the Assyrians to have such a huge and successful empire.
DeleteIt appears to me that the Assyrian kings believed that in order to have a successful military they had to be strong, brutal, cruel, organized and efficient (doc 1i, c, d, k, l, and m). The Assyrian empire actually expanded in large part due to its brutal military methods. They would make the people pay tribute to the Assyrians and if they did not do so they were conquered, their cities were destroyed and people were sent to exile. The army was capable of waging guerrilla warfare in the mountains and set battles as well as laying siege to cities. Assyrians became famous for their terror tactics such as fighting, smashing dams, looting and destroying towns, setting crops on fire, and cutting down trees. A quote from King Ashurnasirpal II shows just how ruthless they could be “many of the captives taken from there I burned in a fire…..I cut off their hands to the wrist….cut off noses, ears, and fingers.” The Assyrians were very brutal. That is how they saw it had to be to get control. I believe their tactics and strategies were quite exaggerated. However we know that the Assyrians were very cruel and it shouldn't come as much shock that they would do anything to have the people fear them in order to gain control.
ReplyDeleteI agree that their main tactic was brutality because that was the way they gained control. The quote you added proves your point that the Assyrians would stop at nothing to have complete power. Their ability to wage warfare on any ground also seemed to work in their favor.
DeleteI agree that the Assyrian kings believed in being strong and brutal. I like how you put many examples of what the kings did to terrify people. I also agree with the Assyrian kings doing anything to gain power and control.
DeleteI agree, kinda...somewhat.
DeleteI agree with how brutal they were. Cutting off nearly every body part just for torture is pretty intense, and to actually do that would be terrible. I couldn't stand to hear the screams of the people as I administered such cruel punishment. I can't imagine what the Assyrian army's mindset was. They had to have been messed up in the head to be willing to go through with those kind of orders.
DeleteI agree with what you said about the Assyrians being brutal. You gave specific examples of how they were strong and brutal toward their enemies. You gave your own opinion and had information to back it up, good job !
DeleteThe Assyrians believed in an army based on organization and tactic. They also created fear in their enemies by doing brutal things to the people they captured. They developed many new weapons and had skilled fighters. The Assyrian kings followed in the rule of the kings before them, who had developed a strong military themselves. The Assyrians destroyed every town they conquered and cut off limbs of their prisoners. I believe that a big army and empire were important to not just the king, but the soldiers. I think their accounts weren’t exaggerated, because they were known in history for the things they did and Assyria took pride in it.
ReplyDeleteI believe that their diverse use of weaponry and skilled fighters played an important part of shaping the army into what it was. The leaders and soldiers had to be able to reign terror on their prisoners.
DeleteI agree with your statement on how their accounts weren't exaggerated because yes, they were know for the things they did and what they did was brutal. Like you said, they conquered towns and cut off limbs. They found this as their way to strike fear into the eyes of the people so they could gain control. They used very brutal orginized stategies and tactics.
DeleteI agree on how the kings of Assyria followed after the kings who came before them. I think that they were afraid to change the ancient ways of the Assyrians and therefore continued their ongoing rages of war and belief in military power.
DeleteCreating new weapons did help the Assyrian's in battle like the "House Men", almost like the chariot. Plus, they did use lots of tactics in trying to stick fear into the enemy. Like you said,"They created fear in their enemies by doing brutal things to the people they captured."
DeleteAssyrians focused on brutality, terrorization, direct power to the king, organization, discipline, and different military tactics to gain the success that they did (doc 1i b, e, f, o). The army itself was highly disciplined and organized, producing strong, efficient leaders. What stood out the most, though, was their scare tactics. As King Sennacherib said, “As to the lords of the Chaldeans, panic from my onslaught overwhelmed them like a demon. They abandoned their tents and fled for their lives, crushing the corpses of their troops they went..” he had them literally running for their lives and he took pride in that. Being feared gave them a feeling of power. Different military tactics made it possible for Assyrians to engage guerilla warfare in high terrain and also siege warfare to cities. By taking battering rams to city walls and building underground tunnels, they could actually cut off the opponents resources and give them the choice of surrendering or starving into submission. Cruelty is what the Assyrians became known for, which is why I don’t think their accounts are exaggerated. This was the way they fought and were proud of atrocities they caused.
ReplyDeleteI agree, that the Assyrians were known for being cruel and heartless. And that they focused on terrorization and discipline to gain success.
DeleteI agree with your statement about their focuses on brutality and organization. Also, I like how you pointed out that having different types of military tactics led to victory.
DeleteI agree with your statement on how it was an exageration to say that the Assyrians were cruel because that is exactly what they were. As you said, being feared gave them a feeling of power, this showed that they would stop at nothing to accomplish this. They wanted to feel powerful. Being cruel and brutal was a way to ensure their control. Also, they had many scare tatics, and I like how that's what stood out most to you. Many of these tatics demonstrated their harmful acts.
DeleteI agree with the fact that the armies were cruel in their endeavors. If you have someone running from you in fear of loosing their life, you would have to be doing something pretty significant. I do believe that their accounts are exaggerated though. The Assyrian army was probably very proud when they wrote their personal accounts of the battles. I'm sure they did some of the torture they're credited to, but I think it's a little too over the top and has a hint of the warrior's pride.
DeleteI agree that they do focus on cruelty and organization. I also really liked how you described the tactics they used.
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ReplyDeleteThe Assyrian kings believed that brutal military methods, well-organized military, and creating a climate of terror as an instrument of warfare was important for military success (Doc 1, C, D, J). I honestly believe their military was a little bit over exaggerated because a military doesn't need to be brutal to others (whom you conquered). A military should protect them since they are now a part of your territory. The military should be a role model. The Assyrian king wasn't a smart dude because what leader tells their military to be brutal to places he/she has conquered? That is seriously wrong. The king should of told his military to be nicer and more caring because a military is made to protect their people/nation and not hurt them. When they hurt us, they give us reasons to rebel/defy against them. The only thing I agree with about the Assyrian military is that they were very well disciplined and well-organized (Doc 1, G).
ReplyDeleteI agree on how you said the military should protect the people and be a role model to the empire. They went to extremes with their military and used it for purposes that were unnecessary.
DeleteI agree that a military should protect their nation, but when you say that they shouldn't be brutal to the people that they "capture", i think of capture as in prisoner. And if they're a prisoner, they did something that they weren't supposed to do...probably invading them or committing a crime. And if they were brutal to them, then other empires would notice how aggressive and brutal they are, then they wouldn't want to do anything to provoke them.
DeleteThe Assyrian kings believed that military success required organization, leadership, efficiency, weapons, a big army, and a reputation of brutality. The only way an army could be successful in those days was through a thought out battle plan. The Assyrian army used to gather together and use the strength of their men and weapons to pound down the walls of the cities they were trying to overtake. In order for these methods to be productive, there needed to be leaders at the front giving the men basic commands. Without this organization, the thousands of fighters would not know what to do and nothing would get accomplished. Once they were in the city, they had no mercy on its inhabitants. If an army showed weakness by kindness, the captives would try harder to defend themselves rather then just fall into submission from no hope of overthrowing them (Doc 1I, f, k, p, m, t). To the Assyrian warriors, caring was weakness, so cruelty meant strength. Although this philosophy brought them to many victories, the people didn’t think of them very highly.Through these methods and ideas, the Assyrian army went on to be marked down in history as one of the strongest armies in the old world.
ReplyDeleteAlthough these accounts are most likely realistic, they seem a bit one sided and exaggerated. When an army talks about how strong it is compared to other armies, they’re not going to mention a whole lot of their own unsuccessful endeavors, and it’s almost guaranteed that they glorified themselves more than they probably deserved in their accounts. For example, when King Sennacherib talks about his army, all he says is how successful they were at what they did, and nothing is mentioned of failure. The only way one can know what really happened in history is by going back in time and witness it yourself.
Kings of Assyria believed that the keys to military success were being organized, having some sort of strategy prior to an attack, and being relentless to their enemies. By having a well-organized and disciplined military, the Assyrian military would bring a sense of fear to its opponents by having “a standing army of infantry as its core, accompanied by cavalry and horse-drawn war chariots” (doc 1, f). By being so well constructed, the opposing army would have to fight its way past multiple types of soldiers, leaving many armies crushed at the hands of the Assyrians. Having different kinds of military tactics also helped give the advantage to the Assyrian military. For example, they used guerilla warfare in the mountains or used siege warfare to counter protected cities through ways of destruction and isolation (doc 1, h). Not only that, but the Assyrians would be absolutely relentless with their attacks, laying waste to the land, smashing dams, or even committing non-fatal, yet extremely painful, punishments to their captives including amputation or taking out one’s eyes (doc 1, i). I believe that their account of what the kings have done to others may be exaggerated, even if just a bit. Did the kings actually inflict this sort of punishment on other human beings? Maybe, but not necessarily in that quantity, or even themselves but maybe their military leaders or even other soldiers. By exaggerating their cruelty toward others, this would strike fear in other civilizations, making it much easier to conquer such an area by launching a preemptive strike mentally rather than physically, giving the Assyrians yet another advantage over those who they attempt to defeat.
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ReplyDeleteBased on the descriptions of the Assyrian kings, they believed that being brutal rulers, being very organized and disciplined with their military tactics and having effective leaders that believed in climates of terror was the most important for military success. The Assyrian kings all had their forms of crucial punishment to their war prisoners and those in the empire that rebelled. Such punishments included tearing out tongues or tearing off body parts, smashing people alive, feeding their dead bodies to other animals and burning people and showing their dead bodies to the city. These punishments weren’t always used on war prisoners, they were also used on cities that might’ve rebelled against the king. This shows that the rulers truly had no mercy and didn’t let anything or anyone get in their way of having a vast empire. The Assyrian rulers also believed in having organized military units that were disciplined as well. They would have a standing army of infantry as its core and were accompanied by horse drawn chariots with an archer and another soldier carrying a shield. Lastly the Assyrian leaders believed in having effective leaders and fighters that believed in conquering with a climate of terror. The Assyrians always were able to enlist and deploy troops up into the hundred thousands. With these vast armies they would smash dams, loot and destroy towns, set crops on fire and cut down trees (especially fruit trees.) By doing these acts the Assyrians would often cause a famine and starve the people to death. This made for easy conquering and more gain for the empire. Over all the expenses that the Assyrians went through for the expansion and power of their empire was very exaggerated. The Assyrians showed no mercy and therefore caused a sense of fear in the people. They went to extreme conditions that could’ve been done differently. However, that is what the Assyrians were mainly known for was their massive and extreme desire for military strength and war. (doc 1. a,d,e,h.)
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement, You gave your own opinion about the Assyrian Kings and also supported your opinion with evidence. You answered the question thoroughly and got to the point. Good answer :)
DeleteBased on the Kings and the article, Assyrian kings believed strongly in cruelty, siege, brutal torture, organization, and guerilla warfare. They used these tactics and systems to control or gain control over cities and to try and take over other empires. King Sennacherib is known for his tactic to using siege to gain control over cities. In the article it states that Sennacherib laid siege to 46 strong cities and that he has drove out 200,150 people (Doc 1,E). Now King Ashurbanipal is one of the kings who used torture tactics and heavy cruelty. Ashurbanipal believed that you need torture and cruelty to be a successful military leader and to have a successful army. It simply states that Ashurbanipal smashed people alive with the statues the us as protective deities, and that he fed their corpses to dogs, pigs, vultures, birds, and fish (doc 1, f,g)
ReplyDeleteI believe that several of these accounts are far fetched and are exaggerated. In the article it states that a king let bodies rot outside the city gates as well as putting their skins on the walls. This seems exaggerated because that requires a lot of work and energy to skin thousands of peoples alive. I believe that the Kings exaggerated these accounts because they want to feel overpowered and are wanted to be feared by everyone in the world. I simply believe that this is just an intimidation tactic.
i understand your statement and i agree in a way. it gets the point across with what the kings viewed.
DeleteBased on their own descriptions Assyrian kings believed being cruel, harsh, brutal, and a superficial organization were was and things the Assyrian kings viewed as important for military success. Their kingdoms were powerful but yet some may were weakening at points. Assyria adequacy to differentiate terrain and climate. they had a tendency of Semitic- speaking skill. that had experienced expansion an reassertion for a great 250 years. Their military campaign reestablished when gaining control over Mesopotamia and subduing Canaan. Military success needed very many important aspects along with less important to no longer needed. they believed having a great military would grant them with dominate power over entire empires. I believe that the Assyrian did not exaggerate their prospect of their military. They gained courage to protect but yet sacrifice what was needed to be done. The army was organized and set to high standards Different winnings of success was made within battle. Military had a ability of warfare and terror. Assyrian was culture that took their military seriously nd would continue to do so with in the historic time period.
ReplyDeleteBased on their description, Assyrian kings believed in having a good strategy and organization. They were cruel not just to their enemies, but mainly to their people who used to be Assyrian but turned against them because they did not like the Assyrian's ways of doing things. Their kings were central leaders and delivered deliberate terror. They also believed that this would give them absolute power over the rest of their empire. The Assyrians believed that with the right strategy they could take down an empire whether it be a strong or weak empire. They used multiple strategies such as battering down the city walls while others attacked from the back. This caused the Assyrians to be very successful in their warfare and they ruled for over 250 years. Eventually, Assyria’s enemies all came together after Ashurnipal died and Assyria fell.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. How the Assyrian king was extremely cruel to their enemies and its people. But I must add on that the Assyrian king did not only just believe in having a good strategy and organization of the army. He also admired new inventions like the "Chariot," and the "Horse Men," similar to the chariot. All elts I agree with.
Delete(doc1 c,d,i,)
DeleteBased on the descriptions of the Assyrian kings strong offense seemed to be key to success. Many of them talked about how they “drove out 150 people” or how they “cut their throats like sheep.” I believe the did exaggerate the stories because most battles weren't able to win within a day like some stories seemed to be. Also some of the similes seem very unlikely even for the time period. Like how King Ashurbanipal said “ I tore out the tongues of those whose slanderous mouths had uttered blasphemies against my god…”(Forum 1, G,H)
ReplyDeletei agree with you one hundred percent. i think that the Assyrians were very cruel people but i think you could've gone more into depth with your opinion, but you used and quoted fact from the paper to support your response, which i thought was cool because i could go back and easily discover where you were coming from. you could've added more fact from the paper to support even more if you wanted, and describe some of the tall tales of punishments, though. Besides that I liked reading your response.
DeleteYou are right on the way they exaggerated. They were very stuck up, and thought very highly of themselves. They did not win every battle and did not win every battle in days. I agree, it’s not realistic and some of the things they wrote were unlikely for the time period. I didn’t catch on to that when I read the article. Also, I noticed as well how offence was more important than defense (although not by too much). They had many strategies and were well at planning in advance to win their battles.
DeleteThe Assyrians were very cruel people. In war, and/or after war, they would cut of their enemies body parts to show how fears they were and that they had won. Even in their own city-states they would treat their own people with discrimination, even put fear into their hearts. The Assyrians had created the two most important creation that had immensely helped them in war; the Chariot, and the Horse Men. With their strength in number and equipment, no army had so perfected siege. For conquering Egypt, the whole Assyrian army had marched over 1000 miles to Egypt and it was conquered in 675 BCE.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you. How the Assyrian king was extremely cruel to their enemies and its people. However, I must add on that the Assyrian king did not only just believe in having an excellent strategy and organization of the army. He definitely admired new inventions like the "Chariot," and the "Horse Men," similar to the chariot. Everything else I agree with.
DeleteThe Assyrian kings believed that they society glorified military strength. Their army wore cooper or iron helmets and swords were iron or iron spears. The kings also believed that they had advanced planning and technical skill that allowed them to lay siege to enemy cities. The kings also believed that they had state-of-the-art weaponry. The Assyrian kings eventually built an empire that stretched from east and north of the Tigris River all the way to central Egypt. I don't think that their account was over exaggerated because those are the things you need to have to have military success. If you don't have any weapons you could lose the battle and with out a plan you would get destroyed.
ReplyDeletei agree kevin james.
ReplyDeleteseanna i agree with you but i looked at it from a different way i thought that they wanted an organized military with high power skill and the top weapons they could have. The battles were harsh and cruel but they also wanted to have a bigger and better empire.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Assyrian kings’ own accounts they believed being merciless and cruel, beyond human morality, to put a halt to a possible rebellion was more effective than to use trust and acceptance to win the hearts of their conquered counterparts. The kings listed off a number of brutal punishments, such as tearing out peoples tongues for blaspheming their god Asher, to burning people and hanging their bodies for display as a warning to anyone who thought of a revolt. These punishments and other barbaric “disciplinary” enforcements were not only used as to strike fear in the hearts of rebels, but were used to torture prisoners of war.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that some of the accounts were exaggerated, and to be honest, a bit far fetched. I do believe that the basis for which they were written was not at all falsified, after all, as the heart believes the pen writes. Only someone sick and wicked would dream of such brutality, most people fear it, but it seems as though the Assyrian kings craved it.
I understand what you’re saying. From my point of view though, what the Assyrians wrote was true. They might have exaggerated numbers, but I do believe that what people wrote about them doing was true. Like you said, not many minds are cruel enough to think of such things, so that would make the account seem to be true and not made up or extremely exaggerated. On the rest of your ideas, I agree 100%. They were cruel, and would do anything to remain in power. I like the way you put in that they also were scaring the prisoners of war into doing what they wanted, because it wasn’t only the uncaptured people trying to ruin their empire.
DeleteAssyrian kings believed and used many things to have military success. For example, they believed a strong leader with a good military campaign was needed. Without these, Assyrian kings would not be able to have a strong grip on their empire. Also, their territory needed to be well organized with local officials to report back to the king. This was effective for Assyria, because it helped keep everything and everybody in line. The king could keep tabs on all of his area, and could easily change something if something bad were to happen, like a rebellion. To have the military strong enough to take over the fertile crescent and farther, soldier had far distance, advanced weapons. This helped defeat neighboring communities and expand their empire. Prisoners of war and punishing those with different beliefs was absolutely necessary according to Assyrian kings because it frightened others into doing what the Assyrians wanted. Fright was their best weapon, and the cruel kings used it well. Because the kings weren’t afraid to be harsh, their army was well disciplined and could fight on any terrain. This again proves using fright was very effective for the Assyrian kings (doc 1i, a-h, j, l, m, o). I do believe their punishments were over the top and exaggerated. Ripping ones tongue out over a belief was harsh, yet the Assyrian kings still followed through with it. The Assyrian kings would do anything to remain in power and keep control over their empire. The Assyrian kings were determined to leave their opponents begging for mercy out of fear.
ReplyDeleteI agree that their punishment of ripping out one's tongue was harsh, but I think one of the things that was considered important to the Assyrian kings was that they seem tough and intimidate other armies. I think that the kings had to be aggressive as well as the soldiers, so that they have not much sympathy for whoever they are fighting against. Also, if the king is harsh, then the soldiers would copy them because they think of their king as an example and that would help build a tougher, stronger army.
DeleteAssyrian kings believed that power/control, organization, communication,motivation, large army, skill, training and trade is important for military success (doc 1i a, b, c, d, g, h, k). I think that makes since because power can help the empire grow, which means more power. Also, organization would help them plan more things better. Communication would help gain allies, motivation would give them a reason to fight, a large army is helpful for attacks, skill and training would help them become stronger, and trading would help them get more materials for weapons and all that jazz. Trade could also help them gain allies. And the fact that they are culturally mixed, they made prisoners fight in the army (doc 1j).
ReplyDeleteThe Assyrian kings believed that the main values that was important for military success was brutality,a disciplined army, and toughness. (Doc 1,K) The Assyrians believed that the god of war (Ashur) would lead them to victory. The main importance in military success was how brutal Assyrian kings were, For example “I cut their throats like sheep”, “I tore out the tongues of those whose slanderous mouths uttered against my god Ashur” are quotes that demonstrate how the Assyrians showed their dominance by torturing their enemies when they captured them. (Doc,I) Assyrians were a disciplined army that had the advantage of iron weapons, military tactics, and having a well organized army. (Doc 1,C) Do i think their account may have been over exaggerating? Ehhh, not really. Because if you wanted something done then you had to do something on your own about it. King Sennacherib and King Ashurbanipal took what they wanted from people and the people would let them because they were so terrified of them. Therefore they did their job on having their enemies fear them.
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ReplyDeleteBased on their descriptions, Assyrian kings believed that a strong leadership and organization was important for military success. By eliminating governorships held by nobles on a hereditary basis and instituting a new hierarchy of local officials directly responsible to the king, the Assyrian kings gained greater control over the resources of the empire. They also established a network of posting stages that used relays of horses to carry messages throughout the empire. This communication system was so quick that the king would receive the answer within a week. (Doc 1 c, i)
ReplyDeleteAnother aspect of the Assyrians military success was having strong tactics. An example of this is a standing army of infantry at its core, accompanied by cavalry and horse-drawn war chariots that were used as mobile platforms for shooting arrows. The infantry would fight close quarters combat while the cavalry would push back the enemies. They also had the advantage of being the first army to have iron weapons. Having iron weapons was huge because the iron was stronger and could cut through armor easier. They used different kinds of military tactics like setting battles on open ground and laying siege on cities. They would also hammer walls with battering ram while others dug tunnels to undermine the walls’ foundations and cause it to collapse. (Doc 1 j,k)
I do not think that their account may be exaggerated because if I were a king, then I would have done all that I could in order to gain military success even if it meant bringing a city down or eliminating governerships that were held by nobles.