Great PPT Presentation

1. Mesopotamian War
Information about the ancient
Mesopotamians’ way of fighting a war.
By Rhys

2. Introduction
The ancient Mesopotamian warfare was a
pioneering system that combined military
technology and technique. The system
inspired other ancient civilizations such as the
Egyptians, the Persians, the Medes, etc.

3. Background
• The Fertile Crescent was
a natural rich food-
growing area where
most of the land was
too dry for farming.
• Ancient Mesopotamians
fought for the control of
the two rivers, the Tigris
and the Euphrates.

4. Background cont’
• They fought for all things good:
– Transportation
– Irrigation
– Security (Offense is best defense!)
– Economic gain (More land, timber, stone, metal;
more prisoners, slaves, tax.)
– Spirituality (War was considered a divine mission
to get more followers to their national god.)

5. Background cont’
• The constant warfare between city-states
spurred the development of weapons and
technique.

6. Technology And Inventions
• Chariot - the military application of the wheel.
– Considered as one of
the major military
innovations in history.
– Pulled by wild asses.
– For battlefield
transportation.
Not built for
speedy attacks.

7. technology and inventions cont’
• Battering ram – heavy log carried by many
men and wheels to break down city walls.
– Wheels allowed men to move
the heavy logs quicker and
easier.
– Sophisticated design – archers
are placed above to attack from
a high level.

8. technology and inventions cont’
• Iron – sturdy material that the Assyrians used
to make weapons.
– Iron is stronger than copper
and tin.
– The Hittites developed the
process of smelting and the
Assyrians borrowed that skill.
– The Assyrians’ power was
partly owed to their stronger
weapons.

9. Technique and strategy
• Army organization – well-organized
attacks, not rushed dog-fights.
– Spearmen would come first, who were
equipped with copper helmets, leather
shields, short spears and heavy cloaks.
– Followed by chariots, loaded with
supplies and ammunition.
– Lastly, infantrymen armed with
sickle-swords came to the battle.

10. technique and strategy cont’
• Professional soldier – a year-round career.
– Assyrian farmer-soldiers used to fight only in the
summer, when they didn’t need to worry about
planting and harvesting. But it changed later.

11. technique and strategy cont’
• Political alliances – found allied city-states to
help them in war and arguments.
– When two city-states have an argument over land
and canals, they
will find a third
neutral city to be
the arbitrator.
– So the city-states
formed unions to
support each
other!

12. technique and strategy cont’
• Propaganda – conquering without fighting.
– Assyrian warriors were
very cruel, they spread
death and destruction to
other city-states .
– They also spread out
stories of their own
cruelty.
– Enemies were so
frightened, they
surrendered without
a fight.

13. How Did Mesopotamian war change
the world today?
• The chariot was a vehicle for transportation
and attack on the battlefield. It resembles a
tank in the modern times.
• Even nowadays, being
a soldier is still a job.

14. How Did Mesopotamian war change
the world today?
• With alliances, countries and states will have
each other checked. The balance of power can
create peace.
• Organization like the
United Nations serves as
an arbitrator in disputes
between countries.

15. How Did Mesopotamian war change
the world today?
• Propaganda is basically the same thing as
advertisements. Even nowadays, we are often
brainwashed to act or believe.

16. Resources
• http://library.thinkquest.org/J002807/Time%20and%20Time%20Again/Ti
me%20and%20Time%20Again/mesoassyr.html
• http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/warfare/home_set.html
• The Cartoon History of the Universe Volume 1-7 by Larry Gonick
• http://joseph_berrigan.tripod.com/ancientbabylon/id46.html
• Mr. Dowling’s Study Sheet on Mesopotamia
• http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/ED/TRC/MESO/warfare.html