Why is Alexander the Great the most successful commander in history?

Alexander the Great (Alexander III) is considered the pinnacle of military history not only because of the sheer size of the territories he conquered, but also because of how, in what timeframe, and under what conditions he achieved it. By the time he died at the age of 32, he had established a vast empire stretching from Greece to India and had never lost a battle. What makes him "the greatest" is his ability to defeat numerically superior armies with tactical brilliance, overcome seemingly insurmountable geographical obstacles, and, while doing all this, ensure his soldiers worshipped him as a "godlike" figure.

At that time, the Persian (Achaemenid) Empire covered approximately 5.5 million km², a colossal superpower stretching from the Balkans to India, Egypt to Central Asia, and controlling a vast portion of the known world. The Kingdom of Macedonia (which Alexander inherited) covered approximately 50,000 km², and when allied/subordinate territories are added, Alexander's total sphere of influence reached roughly 120,000 km². The Persian Empire was approximately 70-80 times larger in territory than the Kingdom of Macedonia.

Not only in terms of land, but also in population and resources, the Persians possessed an overwhelming superiority. Alexander's rise from such a small kingdom to completely conquer an empire many times larger is considered one of the most astonishing events in military history.

Here are the key factors that made him the most successful commander in history:

1. Tactical Genius:

Alexander had perfected the army he inherited from his father, Philip II, but what made him deadly was his method of using his troops.

The Anvil (Infantry): Equipped with his own invention, the Macedonian Phalanx, with its long spears (sarissa), would engage and pin the enemy from the front.

The Hammer (Cavalry): Alexander's elite "Companion Cavalry," personally commanded, would deliver a fatal blow to the pinned enemy from the flanks or rear. The Battle of Gaugamela (331 BC) is the pinnacle of this tactic. A Macedonian army of approximately 50,000 men defeated a Persian army of 250,000 by creating a gap in their lines and charging their cavalry into that gap to attack Emperor Darius.

2. The Leader Who Fought at the Front (Risk and Morale)

While many commanders in history watched the battle from a safe vantage point, Alexander was always at the forefront of the fiercest fighting, leading his cavalry. It is said that he knew the name of every soldier, personally visited the wounded, and shared the spoils with them. This created an unprecedented level of loyalty for the time. Seeing their commander fighting at the front, risking death, the soldiers fought with superhuman devotion. For this reason, Alexander bore countless scars on his body; he was wounded in almost every major battle.

3. Incredible Adaptability

Alexander was a master not just of one type of warfare, but of every kind of difficulty. He could change his strategy depending on the problem he faced:

Siege Warfare (Siege of Tyre): To capture the island city of Tyre (Sur), he had a 1 km long road (breakwater) built by filling in the sea. This is one of the craziest projects in engineering history.

Guerrilla Warfare: In the challenging geography of Central Asia (present-day Afghanistan), he fought against tribes that did not fight against a regular army by dividing his army into small, mobile units.

Unknown Threats: When he encountered "war elephants" in India (Battle of Hydaspes), which he had never seen before, he developed special tactics to prevent the horses from being frightened and turned the elephants against his own army.

4. Logistics and Speed

In the ancient world, the greatest enemies of armies were hunger and slowness. Alexander moved his army at an incredible speed for that period. Before the enemy could even prepare, Alexander would be at their gates. His ability to sustain a large army (approximately 50,000 men) from the Balkans to India, traversing deserts and mountains, is a logistical achievement as significant as his military tactics. He accomplished his campaigns from the Balkans to India in just 11 years.

5. Intellectual Depth (The Aristotelian Factor)

Alexander was not only a warrior but also a student of the philosopher Aristotle. He didn't just burn and destroy the places he conquered; he studied the geography, vegetation, and people. Instead of rejecting the cultures he conquered, he tried to integrate them (wearing Persian clothing, marrying Eastern princesses). This vision facilitated his lasting presence in the lands he conquered.