Commanders
Hannibal Barca
Ancient, Carthage
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The Carthaginian general who opened the Second Punic War with a surprise invasion of Italy, crossing the Alps from Spain with roughly sixty thousand men and a contingent of war elephants. He inflicted a series of major defeats on Rome, encircling and destroying a larger Roman army at Cannae in 216 BCE by allowing the Roman center to push forward before surrounding it with cavalry.
Facts
BirthplaceCarthage, Carthaginian Empire 1 RankGeneral and Commander-in-Chief of the Carthaginian army 1 Defining ContributionOpened the Second Punic War with a surprise invasion of Italy across the Alps and inflicted a series of major defeats on Rome, most famously the double envelopment at Cannae. 2 Disputed
Death YearAncient sources place his death within the range 183 to 181 BC; the exact year is not agreed. 183 BC is the commonly cited year. Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Battles and Wars Led
Hannibal led the losing Carthaginian side; Scipio Africanus commanded the victorious Roman army.
Hannibal commanded Carthage's forces through most of the war; Scipio Africanus led the winning Roman side at Zama.
Doctrines Developed
Sun Tzu discussed but cautioned against the tactic centuries earlier, and a version was arguably attempted at Marathon in 490 BC; Cannae is the first double envelopment recorded in full tactical detail, by Polybius, and gives the maneuver its common nickname.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Hannibal
Wikipedialead paragraphQuote, lead paragraph
Hannibal (247 - between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman
1. Wikipedia: Hannibal
Wikipediainfobox, Born fieldQuote, infobox, Born field
Carthage, Carthaginian Empire
1. Wikipedia: Hannibal
Wikipediainfobox, Died fieldQuote, infobox, Died field
Libyssa, Bithynia
1. Wikipedia: Hannibal
WikipediainfoboxQuote, infobox
General Commander-in-Chief of the Carthaginian army
1. Wikipedia: Hannibal
Wikipediaopening paragraphQuote, opening paragraph
Hannibal was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War
2. Wikipedia: Battle of Cannae
WikipediaopeningQuote, opening
Carthaginian victory...surrounded and practically annihilated
2. Wikipedia: Battle of Cannae
WikipediaBattles and Wars Led: Battle of Cannae, Commanders and leaders sectionQuote, Battles and Wars Led: Battle of Cannae, Commanders and leaders section
Carthaginian - Hannibal, Mago Barca, Maharbal
Western Civilization: A Concise History (Brooks)
Christopher Brooks, Portland Community College (Humanities LibreTexts)Chapter 9, The Roman Republic, section 9.6 The Punic WarsQuote, Chapter 9, The Roman Republic, section 9.6 The Punic Wars
Hannibal crossed the Alps into Italy from Spain with 60,000 men and a few dozen war elephants (most of the elephants perished, but the survivors proved very effective, and terrifying, against the Roman forces).
Wikipedia: Second Punic War
WikipediaBattles and Wars Led: Second Punic War, lead paragraph, via Hannibal biographyQuote, Battles and Wars Led: Second Punic War, lead paragraph, via Hannibal biography
Hannibal...commanded the forces of Carthage
Wikipedia: Battle of Zama
WikipediaBattles and Wars Led: Battle of Zama, infobox, commandersQuote, Battles and Wars Led: Battle of Zama, infobox, commanders
Scipio Africanus (Rome) vs. Hannibal (Carthage)
Wikipedia: Pincer movement
WikipediaDoctrines Developed: Double Envelopment (the Cannae Maneuver), Cannae sectionQuote, Doctrines Developed: Double Envelopment (the Cannae Maneuver), Cannae section
cite it as the first successful use of the pincer movement that was recorded in detail, by the Greek historian Polybius
Wikipedia: Pincer movement
WikipediaAssociated With: Pincer Movement (General Envelopment Tactic)View the Source Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
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