Who came from the world until today, who passed ... Even when the largest empires of dust and armies and effects over time has disappeared or quite faded. When we look at this past from today, on what basis can we say which of these armies is stronger? Here you go ...
I tried to give brief information about armies below. First of all, when I said the past, I excluded modern armies and a few armies in ancient times from this survey because the armies that were influential in ancient times were below and others did not deserve to be included in the survey. The modern armies that started with the American Civil War and existed with the first and second world wars are enigmas on their own. the crusaders were out of the survey and so was the salahaddin eyyübi. napoleon's grande armee, a modern army, but because of its effects and being the first, I included it in the survey. the list could of course expand. cortes' concistador, komnenos byzantine army, umayyad army, i. william's army, poland-lithuanian commonwealth army, terrible ivan's russian army, qin army, baybars' mammalian army, zulu impishes, samurai army, aztec army, charles army, and so on below and there is no point in extending the list. "which one beats?" It is not a simple way of taste, but a vote on the periods, effects and perfection. Here are the armies ...
mongolian army of cengiz khan
Cengiz Khan had started his conquest in 1209. his field army was about 100,000 people. half of the army is Turkish and the other part is Mongolian.
his conquests: the mongolian empire ruled almost all of asia. today, china, turkey, middle east, Belarus and they plundered most of eastern Europe and founded his empire with the largest acreage in the world has ever seen.
Arsenal: the best armored soldier of his time with each Mongolian, dagger, mace and sword combination. however, their real innovations and strengths were their ability to hit moving targets twice the distance of the comparable bow range in Europe.
their training and organization: today it is completely wrong for the Mongols to be perceived as “herd” of undisciplined and wild monsters. in fact, it was an army that really terrified the enemy in battle, but adhered to tactics, courage and disciplinary action, and their training had an extremely harsh discipline of punishment / reward. at the same time, genghis khan was an excellent manager and his ability to arrange supply lines for large, moving hordes was unique.
Mongols in the battlefield: the incredible success of the Mongols is often attributed to archers, and it is true that the incredible skills of these soldiers, together with the famous fake retreat tactic of cengiz khan, led to most of the Mongol victories. however, the cavalry alone could not secure such an empire. If the Mongols had to besiege a city, they would use the siege weapons they had built for the Chinese artisans. The Mongols also pioneered some of the most advanced techniques of espionage and propaganda the world has seen. this would often allow cities to simply surrender and put the Mongols in their service.
weaknesses: Like any force based on cavalry, areas not suitable for maneuvering land conditions are the most important shortage of the Mongols.
roman army
Who is, where? 509 and m. It was active between 476 and it is an Italian based army. the army's figure reached 700,000 throughout the empire, but a single army consisted of 25,000 legions.
his conquests: they extended to the atlantic coasts of continental Europe's iber and peninsula, and seized the island of britain (except the north). not only conquering north Africa but making the Mediterranean an inner lake, the Balkans expanded to Anatolia and the Middle East.
arsenal: the roman army actively used siege weapons such as catapults in its army of cavalry and military engineers, but the army's backbone was heavy infantry. The infantry used a short sword in close combat, as well as tight troop formations using long shot spears (pilum).
their education and organization: rome was a state that was chronically at war; this meant that it was possible for a man to pursue a career as a soldier. as a result, his soldiers became very educated and disciplined over time.
Mongols in the battlefield: the incredible success of the Mongols is often attributed to archers, and it is true that the incredible skills of these soldiers, together with the famous fake retreat tactic of cengiz khan, led to most of the Mongol victories. however, the cavalry alone could not secure such an empire. If the Mongols had to besiege a city, they would use the siege weapons they had built for the Chinese artisans. The Mongols also pioneered some of the most advanced techniques of espionage and propaganda the world has seen. this would often allow cities to simply surrender and put the Mongols in their service.
weaknesses: Like any force based on cavalry, areas not suitable for maneuvering land conditions are the most important shortage of the Mongols.
roman army
Who is, where? 509 and m. It was active between 476 and it is an Italian based army. the army's figure reached 700,000 throughout the empire, but a single army consisted of 25,000 legions.
his conquests: they extended to the atlantic coasts of continental Europe's iber and peninsula, and seized the island of britain (except the north). not only conquering north Africa but making the Mediterranean an inner lake, the Balkans expanded to Anatolia and the Middle East.
arsenal: the roman army actively used siege weapons such as catapults in its army of cavalry and military engineers, but the army's backbone was heavy infantry. The infantry used a short sword in close combat, as well as tight troop formations using long shot spears (pilum).
their education and organization: rome was a state that was chronically at war; this meant that it was possible for a man to pursue a career as a soldier. as a result, his soldiers became very educated and disciplined over time.
Romans in the battlefield: Roman legions, the Carthagian army, the Germanic tribes and macedonian empire was very effective against various opponents. they achieved this effect by using a three-stage deep and tight defense formation. inexperienced infantry on the front line, light infantry right behind it, and heavy and experienced infantry on the back lines. this formation enabled both experienced soldiers to motivate the soldiers in the blossom, and the less experienced soldiers to fall first. Another important element of the Roman tactics were the wooden fortifications, which were built rapidly day and night, making the Roman line incredibly difficult to break.
weaknesses: if the roman army encounters a stubborn and swift army led by a truly innovative and talented general, they may be trapped in their positions, unable to adapt to their rivals, as when hannibal broke a much larger roman force than his own in the battle of cannae they can not.
macedonian army of the great alexander
Iskender reigned from 336 BC to 323 BC. when he passed hellespont in 334 bc, his army was about 20,000.
Conquests he performed: Alexander continued his series of conquests, which he started from Macedonia, to the east. By the time he died, he had conquered Egypt with a large area from Thrace to the Indus River and a large part of the Middle East.
arsenal: one of the most important innovations of the macedonian forces was sarissa, which was a phalanx spear longer than most spears of the period. These phalanx units, which were the center of the army, were supported by cavalry and catapults and siege towers of the most advanced siege weapons of that period.
trainings and organizations: Alexander, his father, who has transformed much of his success into a powerful war machine, with an irregular and weak combat power ii. owe philip. both his father and alexander did so by rearranging their forces as phalanxes, imposing strict penalties for disobedience, and training the phalanx troops continuously.
Alexander's army on the battlefield: Alexander's tactics rarely changed. the macedonian army would form an eight-row phalanx order from the front line to the rear, and thanks to its extraordinary long spears, the first soldiers in this formation, which turned the phalanges into an impassable wall, would meet the enemy with their spears up to five lines ahead. In less disciplined hands, this tactic will turn from wings to chaotic snatch, easily broken by the cavalry. however, the macedonian troops were so well trained that they could split into more than one company and quickly form a new front against side attacks.
weaknesses: the achievements of the macedonian army are seen as inseparable from the genius of his commander. could the macedons achieve these successes without being guided by Alexander's tactical genius, ie without Alexander? it is not possible to say the exact answer, but the conquests of macedonia ended after the death of Alexander, the empire was divided into many successor states (division of triparadisus) and the army never reached the same power. an army that was seldom in a difficult position on the battlefield and owed it to his commander, who had full control of the field.
sparta army
sparta army, greece. From the 6th century BC. It came to the forefront in the process up to the 4th century. Although their numbers were largely unknown, they often suffered from spartan warriors and supported the army with mercenaries and slaves.
Conquests: After conquering Athens in the Peloponnesian War, Sparta took control of all the Greek lands.
the arsenal: the Spartans, like many ancient armies, were equipped with long spears (doru), short swords (xiphos) and a large shield (hoplon).
their education and organization: in sparta, only the smartest children were allowed to be warriors. the Spartans lived under constant supervision, and the men chosen were not trained for anything other than fighting from the moment they were born (agoge). in addition to this intense physical training, they received almost perfect indoctrination training in combat philosophy and combat tactics.
Spartans in the battlefield: Spartans preferred a phalanx formation in battles. In fact, the Spartans became so identified with this tactic that their elite warriors were called hoplits after their shields. in the event of a collision, the Spartans clamped their shields together and left a small space where their spears would come out. this would turn them into an impassable wall, and any enemy that managed to pass through the spears alive would be quickly eliminated by the swords. This move, built like a wheel, would turn the Spartan army into a powerful single punch and an individual chopper.
weaknesses: the main weakness of Spartans was moral rather than military matters. they brutally treated the helots, and there were many revolts because of their treatment. helots were responsible for sparta supply lines, fortifications and all kinds of supplies. a planned propaganda could cause an uprising and weaken the forces of Spartan.
napoleon's grande armee
Napoleon is a French army founded by Napoleon Bonaparte during Napoleonic Wars. The army, which reached its largest number on the eve of the 1812 campaign, consisted of a total of 1,000,000 people, but the force to the campaign was 680,000. for details;
his conquests: the puppet states and their allies, including the french empire, controlled most of continental europe from moscow to the atlantic ocean.
arsenal: the forces consisted of many different specialist soldiers, usually determined by their equipment. infantry and cavalry were particularly elite, and many of them were veteran soldiers. artillery was frequently used for both siege and field battles, and there was a great medical and engineering association. infantry and cavalry were well equipped with rifles and swords, and bayonets were also used.
their training and organization: there was no uniform training in such an enormous army, including soldiers from conquered nations and allies. however, soldiers were often sent to troops with skillful soldiers to teach their survival tactics and underwent military training. Above all, obedience and heavy penalties were ensured. the army consisted of corpses, each of whom could conduct independent actions under the command of napoleon's elite commanders.
in the battlefield grandee armee: grande armée was able to perform relatively shockingly fast and complex maneuvers, given its size. during the battle of austerlitz, napoleon ordered them to maneuver around the enemy at an astonishing pace and retreat, giving the impression that their troops would retreat to the most strategically advantageous place to crush the enemy. in addition, each corps on the expedition would move independently, but close enough to intervene in any danger. elements of such a large army, such as experience, speed and maneuverability, could not be stopped by any force in Europe. until the Russian expedition.
weaknesses: grande armée was by far the largest single army in history, and therefore had some unique security vulnerabilities. If he is confronted by an opponent willing to avoid major battles and pursue a guerrilla struggle, a real problem is waiting for him. In addition to guerilla attacks, this army, which could not be defeated by more than one state, could also be worn away from the homeland and had to return home when the supply of scorched earth was interrupted.
janissary army of ottoman
It was founded in the middle of the 14th century and abolished in 1826. The 16th century is the most powerful period. Although the number of soldiers involved in this army was relatively small but elite at the beginning, it reached up to 20,000 to 100,000
his conquests: the conquests of the ottoman empire included all anatolia and important parts of the middle east, corn, crimea, southeast europe and north africa, although not all conquests could be attributed to janissary units.
arsenal: the janissaries had various weapons, but in general they carried at least one rifle, a dagger and a saber saber. After the 16th century, they were renowned for their ability in musket rifles.
their training and organization: the janissary army was a separate unit from the rest of the Ottoman troops, and had more privileges than other units in the army. At first, the janissaries were gathered by recruiting Christians from the Ottoman lands, applying a training program designed to prepare for life as invincible warriors. the janissaries had been subjected to a strict disciplinary process, including the prohibition of marriage, for discipline and excellence. this education made them never hesitate in the field of combat as they had no family to think outside the state.
janissaries in the battlefield: janissaries were the elite dominant units of the ottoman army. the janissaries first discovered the enemy army, explored the most fragile point of the line, and quickly attacked. As the most elite troops, the janissaries first fired volleys to the enemy with a rifle to keep the loss to a minimum and approach the close range by disrupting the enemy line and plan. In one-on-one combat, they defeated the enemy with their sword skills. was one of the first armies to use volley fire professionally in history.
weaknesses: the power of the janissaries always depends on their support from the ottoman empire. there were times when janissaries fought disadvantaged because of poor supply lines. if they met an enemy with greater logistical support, they could find themselves in serious trouble.
Hannibal's Carthage Army
Who is, where? The Carthaginian army, which was active between 814-145, peaked during the second punic war and fought with the 50,000 soldiers under the leadership of Hannibal.
his conquests: the carthaginian empire conquered important parts of north africa and southern spain, as well as sicily, geranium and corsica.
Arsenal: infantry bears short knives, long spears and shields. The Carthage army often used equipment bought from its competitors. their most terrible weapon, however, was the use of armored war elephants to scare the enemy and disrupt their formation (although elephants had limited use in combat).
training and organization: the officers' class and soldiers of the carthage army were chosen from the citizens of carthage, but good officers rarely appeared and many of the soldiers did not receive very good training. To compensate for this, Carthage routinely hired mercenaries from all over the Mediterranean, adding these mercenaries to their regular infantry, which consisted of genuine Carthaginian citizens. before the second punic war, the army of carthaginians was taken into greek-style training and evolved into a professional army.
Carthage army on the battlefield: Carthaginians are known for their willingness and abilities to adapt to the tactics of their enemies. in other words, they would maneuver in the battlefield according to enemy movements. The two striking Carthage victories in the cannae and lake Trasimene during the second punic war were the result of troops adapted to tactics they had never tried before. What makes Carthage enviable by the ancient world in the first place is their desire to coordinate, discipline and fight.
weaknesses: Carthage's obligation to mercenaries has harassed the carthaginians throughout history. this distrust often resulted in infidelity and set the stage for oppositions within the army. the presence of mercenaries could endanger the carthaginians when they encountered enemies that could pay more.
ii. gustaf adolf's swedish army
Who is, where from: m.s. The Swedish army that terrorized in the years 1611-1632 consisted of a force of 150,000 people, including the reserve troops.
Conquests: the Swedes provided almost all of Poland, part of Russia's Baltic Sea, and significant political concessions from Germany.
arsenal: ii. Gustaf Adolf was the first general to recognize the importance of combined armies. gustaf adolf's infantry and cavalry used rifles and were supported by both light and heavy artillery scattered throughout the battlefield.
trainings and organizations: before gustaf the swedish army was mostly uneducated civilians. gustaf immediately devised a professional training program and trained both officers and soldiers. Swedish forces are organized into smaller and more flexible unified weapon units rather than a single massive infantry and artillery.
battlefield swedes: gunpowder would change the tactics of war in Europe, but no one had realized the potential of gunpowder before gustaf adolf. Most of the European forces were divided into square formations of the same size. gustaf, on the other hand, formed long and thin combined façade lines. in this way infantry and artillery could support each other, so that their soldiers could move more flexibly. gustaf's cavalry used to be a mobilized firepower with a rifle, and used a sword when attacking an enemy.
weaknesses: the strength of the swedish army came from its unwavering loyalty to gustaf. the presence of the commander represented the spirit of the army, and without his commanders they would not fight the same discipline. In addition, this army, who did not want to fight away from their homeland, would not participate in long expeditions because of their longing for home.
timur's army
Turkish-Mongolian commander who led the Mongolian armies of Cengiz Khan after many years. under the banner of the Mongols, not only the Turks and conquered the whole world has continued to conquer the world. The total presence of the army, which was around 100,000 during the Ankara War, reached 300,000 before the Great Asia campaign.
his conquests: the empire of emir timur, a large part of anatolia, the caucasus, the whole of iran, expanded to the border of maveraünnehir and himalayas. Had he not died, there was a conquest program from India to China.
arsenal: a large part of the army consisted of cavalry, and almost all were spring troops. There are also spear and sword units. the most remarkable of the army is the elephants that it uses. elephants are not very effective in combat, but they are perfect for spreading fear to the enemy.
training and organizations: Timur's armies relied on Timur's leadership and military intelligence. this army, which won continuously, had a strict command line and a fast communication line. in terms of speed, the fact that he was faster than the other armies of his time could turn the army organization into a dominant position despite the large numbers. Even when fighting the enemy in the battlefield, this superior army was able to make a move that could surprise the enemy with the raid. his soldiers on horseback since childhood were unique in both discipline and combat ability. each member of the army, who also breed both horses and elephants, was firmly attached to their superiors and orders.
battlefield timur army: timur, in almost all battles, taking the enemy to the desired position and planned to fight there and implemented. With an enormous command-and-command system, the army could quickly change maneuvers and change its weight center. The cavalry used both bow and range and was the center of the army at the time of the attack. Timur's army, which won certain victories in a short time, was also effective in sieges and conquered many cities in a very short time. The army, which uses its superior number, turns the enemy army from the wings into a bag and destroys it, and escape from this circle was possible only through the splitting action, which often meant suicide.
Weaknesses: Timur's army responds late when he encounters an attack while he is positioned on the battlefield. Timur's war strategy was often determined before the battle, and he was in danger until the transition to that position.
note: for the sake of loveliness, a humble classical music has been chosen for each army.
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