In the summer of 336 BC, Alexander's father, King Philip II of ancient Macedonia, was suddenly assassinated at his daughter's wedding, and Alexander, who had just turned 20, succeeded to the throne. The Greek city-states conquered by Philip II and some tribes in Thrace and Illyria took the opportunity to rebel or declare independence. Alexander, the young commander-in-chief, first led his army into the northern Balkans, conquered the Illyrian tribe that betrayed him, and repelled the Thracians to the banks of the Danube. At this time, the Thebes who fought Macedonia in those years rumored that Alexander was killed, and took the opportunity to set off an uproar against Macedonia. Alexander knew that Thebes was a famous big city-state in Greek cities. If the riot is not quelled, the consequences will be unimaginable. So he decided to make an example, made a decisive decision, rushed south, and unexpectedly appeared at the gates of Thebes in lightning speed. Thebes couldn't believe their eyes. They all panicked. Thebes was captured and turned into a pile of rubble. Except for a few people who were friendly with Philip II or Alexander or sponsored Macedonia in the past, all the residents were sold into slaves.
Alexander achieved the expected goal, and the destruction of Thebes really set an example for others. Greek city-states bowed to the wind in succession, expressing their obedience. Then Athens surrendered and begged for forgiveness. Soon after, all countries were unified under the leadership of Alexander and recognized Alexander as the supreme commander. Thus, Alexander can make great achievements and organize expeditions to the East without any worries.
The excuse of Alexander's expedition to eastern Persia was that the Persians ravaged the Greek holy land and participated in the murder of Philip II. It is said that Alexander gave all his real estate income, slaves and cattle to others before going out to war. At that time, a general was puzzled and asked, "Your Majesty, what did you keep for yourself?" "Hope!" Alexander simply replied, "I keep my hope for myself!" It will bring me endless wealth! " In this way, Alexander left his hometown and embarked on a long journey with a desire for infinite wealth.
In the spring of 334 BC, Alexander crossed the Helegu Strait (that is, the Daniil Strait) and began the Crusade of 10. The army he used to start his expedition to the Persian Empire consisted of 30,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry and 160 warships. The Persian Empire had hundreds of thousands of troops and 400 warships. Moreover, the area of the Persian empire is about 50 times larger than that of the kingdom of Magiton, not to mention Egypt, Babylon, Phoenicia and other ancient and rich countries in the Far East, all of which were conquered by Persia and incorporated into the Persian territory. Despite the disparity in strength, Alexander is good at seeing things from the essence. He knew that although the Persian Empire had a vast territory, a huge army and prestige, it was in decline and divided internally. Emperor Darius was a mediocre and unwise monarch with weak will. The kingdom of Macedonia is unstoppable. With the help of crossing the Hellers Strait in one fell swoop, Alexander broke through the enemy's defense lines with high morale, won the first battle, completely destroyed the Persian morale and determination to resist, and opened up the road of expansion to Asia. Many city-states surrendered without fighting, and even regarded Alexander as their savior from Persian rule.
In the summer of 333 BC, Alexander defeated Darius Iii with his famous Macedonian phalanx near Isas.
In the spring of 33 1 BC, Alexander marched into Mesopotamia with 40,000 infantry and 7,000 cavalry, and launched the last large-scale decisive battle with Persia in Goga Milla near Nineveh. After careful preparation, Darius Iii has 40,000 cavalry, infantry 1 10,000, 200 chariots with knives and wheels, and 5 Indian war elephants 15. Compared with Alexander's army, it has absolute advantages. But Alexander and Darius Iii miraculously defeated the Persian emperor with their wisdom. What's particularly interesting is that while Alexander, with less than 50,000 troops, ordered his soldiers to prepare for the coming battle, Darius Iii, with a million-strong army, kept the soldiers awake all night for fear of a night attack. Persian soldiers were armed to the teeth and were on tenterhooks all night, all listless and without fighting spirit. The next day, in the early morning of 33 BC 1 year1October1day, Alexander led an energetic and high-spirited army into the battlefield and skillfully used his flexible "Macedonian phalanx" to finally defeat his powerful opponent. Alexander took advantage of the victory to advance eastward, occupied Babylon, the largest city in the East and the center of ancient oriental culture, and added a title for himself-"King of Babylon, the Four Seas of the World". Since then, Alexander led troops from Babylon and occupied the three capitals of the Persian Empire, such as Susa, Persepolis and Iqbal Batana. Darius Iii fled to the north, was killed by one of his princes, and abandoned his body by the roadside. In the end, Alexander found his body on the way after him, and sent it back to Persia and buried it in the tomb of the Persian emperor. At this point, the ancient Persian Empire and the Achemani Dynasty perished. Macedonian troops conquered all the territory of Persia, and an Alexander empire across Europe, Asia and Africa was established.
In 327 BC, Alexander led his troops from the south of the Caspian Sea to the east, passing through the rest (Parthia), Arya and Dranguana, crossing the Hindu Kush Mountains and reaching Bactria (Summer) and Sogdian. 325 years ago, he invaded India and occupied the Indus Valley. He also tried to conquer the Ganges valley, but after years of long-distance struggle, the soldiers were exhausted. Due to the stubborn resistance of the Indian people, malaria infection and the injury of poisonous snakes, the soldiers refused to move on and asked to go home. Alexander had to abandon his eastward plan and withdraw his troops from India in July 325 BC.
In 324 BC, the army returned to Persia and Susa, the fleet landed at the mouth of the Tigris River, then returned to Babylon, and the eastward advance ended.
In 323 BC, Alexander died of a high fever in Babylon.
Alexander's crusade to the East lasted 10 years, and his journey surpassed that of Wan Li, thus destroying the Persian Empire. From the Balkans and the Nile in the west to the Indus River in the east, an unprecedented Alexander Empire was established. During the eastward invasion, many new cities were built along the way, and several of them were named after him. The most famous is Alexandria on the northern coast of Egypt, which has developed into the largest seaport in Egypt today. Alexander established the capital of Babylon and planned to invade Arabia. But in 323 BC, he died of fever, and the huge Alexander empire conquered by force collapsed.
Alexander's expedition objectively promoted cultural exchanges between the East and the West. At a grand and luxurious "wedding" in Susa, Alexander personally took the lead in marrying Statilla, the daughter of Darius, king of Persia. Many Macedonian generals married the daughters of Persian dignitaries, and as many as 654.38+100000 couples attended the wedding that day. At the wedding, Alexander solemnly announced that Macedonians who marry Asian women can enjoy the right of tax exemption. He also personally presented many gifts to the bride and groom to show his encouragement. He ordered 30,000 Persian boys to learn the art of war in Greece and Macedonia. After Alexander, Greek culture continued to spread in Asia. Historians call this phenomenon Hellenistic culture, and the period from Alexandria to Rome's conquest of Egypt (the first 323-3 years) is called Hellenistic era.