The purpose of this study is to determine Caesar's strategy in
the Civil War of Rome, 49 B, C. to 45 B. C.
The Civil War with all its political intrigues has received
less attention than the Gallic War but it is in many mays more interesting.
Roman is pitted against Roman with an empire as the prize for the victor.
Caesar is struggling for his life against forces in Italy and other parts
of Europe who do not wish to see Rome ruled by a Dictator. The Civil
War rings the death knell of the Republic and heralds the birth of the
Empire.
The basic works for this study are the three books of the Civil
War (De Bello Civili) written by Caesar himself, the Alexandrine War
(De Bello Alexandrino), the African War (De Bello Africo) and the Spanish
War (De Bello Hispanienal), all of doubtful origin but nevertheless important
and of great value to the student of military strategy.
I have referred often to the Letters of Cicero, which reveal
much information about the military scene at the time of Caesar's march
through Italy. Cicero's work is the only contemporary account of Caesar's
activities available to the scholar, but I have supplemented this by a
study of later historians of Rome. Such writers as Cassius Dio and Appian
provide the military historian with data on many of Caesar's movements
and clarify his strategy. I have augmented the ancient accounts of Caesar's
campaigns in the Civil War by modern studies, as is evident from
the Bibliography. The analysis of all the campaigns of the Civil War produces
a definite strategic pattern. The elements of surprise, manoeuvre,
anticipation, and a general understanding of an enemy's mind, which are
displayed by all skilful military leaders, were also part of Caesar's
strategic equipment. Most often through skill but sometimes by luck he
applied the above techniques where they were needed and, in all the major
conflicts, these elements of strategy provided him with victory.
Though tactics and strategy are closely linked on the battle
field, no attempt has been made in this study to give much detail to
tactics except where such information is necessary in explaining the
strategic movement concerned. The field of tactics is beyond the scope
of my study.
Throughout the history of man, certain principles of war have
been followed by great military leaders. Caesar was no exception. When
Caesar is compared with generals today and his conditions of warfare
with those that exist now he displays certain common principles: the
selection and maintenance of the aim, the maintenance of morale, concentration
of force, flexibility and offensive action. Caesar, in combining
the principles of war with sound strategic methods, created for himself
a name respected and feared in the annals of history. / Arts, Faculty of / Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies, Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/41676 |
| Date | January 1957 |
| Creators | Cadman, Frederick William |
| Publisher | University of British Columbia |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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