THE CRUSADES  

Richard the Lion Heart of England and Phillip Augustus of France.

The first crusade began in 1095 AD after the Byzantine Emperor Alexius I appealed to the leader of the Christian church Pope Urban II for military aid to combat the Muslim incursions against his empire. 

The Pope saw an opportunity to reunite the churches of east and west and thus requested the kings of Europe set aside their differences and unite under one banner to re conquer the holy lands from Muslim rule.

Two armies were raised for this historic undertaking, one made up of European volunteers comprising a mixture of princes, nobles, mercenaries and wealthy adventurers. 

The main Crusader force consisted of French and Norman armored knights, these were experienced battle hardened troops and most of the expeditions hopes of victory were riding on there success.

After crossing the Hellspont between Europe and Asia, the army of Europeans set out with high expectations but were defeated and literally annihilated by Muslim forces at the battle of Nicomedia in 1096. 

The main Crusader army after victories at Dorylaeum 1096 and Antioch 1098, had fought their way deep into the holy lands successfully capturing the cities of Ascalon and Jerusalem in 1099, thus completing the re conquest of the holy lands.

As a result of the Muslim defeats, four Crusader states were set up in Syria and Palestine, the principality of Antioch, the counties of Tripoli and Edessa and the kingdom of Jerusalem.

The Muslims however soon recovered and began launching counter attacks at the newly formed Crusader states. Without sufficient reinforcements from Europe, the hard pressed knights could not hold all the territory gained and the county of Edessa was lost in 1144.

This loss prompted the second crusade of 1147- 49, but while crossing Anatolia the Crusader army was severely mauled by Muslim forces and forced back across the Hellspont. This Crusader defeat enabled the Muslims to retake the kingdom of Jerusalem in 1187 AD.

The loss of Jerusalem prompted the immediate calling for a third crusade 1189- 92. This was to be commanded by two of Europe's finest generals, Richard the Lion Heart of England and Phillip Augustus of France.

Although this crusade failed to recapture the kingdom it did occupy and reinforce the coastline of Palestine thus ensuring the survival of the remaining crusader states.

By the 13th century, it was realized that the defence of the holy lands would always be in doubt so long as Egypt remained a center of Muslim power. The fourth crusade was now ordered 1202- 04, with the intention of occupying Egypt. 

The Crusader army began to assemble at the port city of Venice but could not pay the Venetians for the full passage. They were then diverted to the Byzantine capital of Constantinople in support Alexius Ducas, a claimant to the Byzantine throne who promised to financially back them once they placed him in power.

Once this task had been completed and the promise of transport and payment was not fulfilled, the Crusaders proceeded to sack the city and execute the newly crowned Bzantine emperor Alexius V, effectively ending the fourth crusade.

The fifth crusade 1217- 21, landed in Egypt and captured the port city of Damietta. As the Crusaders continued towards Cairo, they were stopped as a result of the Nile river flooding its banks and were forced to turn back and await the waters receding.

During this respite, powerful Muslim forces began to close on the city and the Crusaders found themselves surrounded and heavily outnumbered. The Europeans chose not to stand and fight but instead abandoned Egypt by sea.

During the sixth crusade 1228- 29, the holy Roman emperor Frederick II, re gained Jerusalem not through battle but keen diplomacy, however he could not secure enough territory to ensure its defence and the city was abandoned and lost to Muslim forces in 1244 AD.

The seventh crusade 1248- 54, under King Louis IX of France landed in Egypt but was decisivlery defeated at the second Battle of Mansurah on February 11th 1254, with most of the army including the king taken prisoner by the Muslims.

 After a large ransom was paid and King Louis IX released, he organized and led the The eighth crusade 1270, which was directed against the Muslim held African territory of Tunis, with the intention of using it as a base for future attacks against Egypt. 

This Crusade ended in utter disaster as King Louis IX died of dysentery shortly after arriving. Leaderless and without any finacial backing forthcomming, the Crusaders were forced to sign a humiliating  peace treaty with the Hafsid Dynasty and pay a large tribute for safe passage back to Europe.  

More significant than the crusades themselves in ensuring the survival of the Crusader states were the Mongol invasions of the Muslim world, 1217 - 1260 AD. 

However after the decisive Muslim victory over the Mongols at Ain Jalut in 1260 AD, the Muslims turned their full attention back against the remaining Crusader states with the last of which falling 1291, thus ending Europe's attempts to reclaim the Holy lands for Christianity.

 

OPERATION TEN - GO

1945

YAMATO

In desperation to be involved in the battle for the Japanese island of Okinawa, the Imperial Japanese Navy drew up plans for an attack on the American landing forces by a strike force consisting one Heavy Cruiser, eight Destroyers and the 72,000 ton Super Battleship Yamato, led by Vice Admiral Seiichi Ito.

It was also hoped that the Navy’s mission would divert enemy aircraft away from the Japanese air force’s planned Kamikaze attacks on the U.S. fleet stationed at Okinawa. 

With only enough fuel to reach the island itself, the Japanese flotilla departed the port of Kure on March 29th on what amounted to (In the eyes of all involved) a one way suicide mission

The American submarine USS Threadfin sighted the Japanese force as it made its way through the Bungo Suido straights, it did not attack however choosing instead to shadow the warships and send detailed updates of thier course and speed to Admiral Spruance in command of the U.S. 5th Fleet.

At dawn on April 7th, USS Threadfin radioed the Japanese task force had passed the Osumi Peninsula and out into the open ocean steaming towards Okinawa.

At 10:00 am, Spruance responded by ordering four hundred U.S. aircraft from eight different carriers to launch an all out attack and sink the Japanese task force.

The first wave of U.S. attacks began at 12:35pm, Admiral Ito ordered his ships to begin evasive maneuvers increasing speed to twenty five knots while zigzagging. American torpedo planes were ordered to target Yamato and only from her port side that way it would prevent effective counter measure’s by the Japanese ballast crews.

Within twenty five minutes after the first wave began the Destroyer Isokaze was sunk and Heavy Cruiser Yahagi was heavily damaged while the Yamato was hit by three armor piercing bombs which started a large fire aft of the superstructure.

Japanese Destroyers Suzutsuki and Hamakaze were also both heavily damaged and withdrew from the battle. At 1:30pm, the second wave of U.S. aircraft attacked this time heavily concentrating on Yamato. 

She was struck on her port side by eight torpedo’s and received fifteen bomb hits. Ablaze and listing to port Yamato’s speed was greatly reduced to a mere 11mph.

At 2.05pm the Heavy Crusier Yahagi capsized and sank with the Destroyer Hamakaze following soon after. Ten minutes later the American third wave of one hundred and ten aircraft arrived and began their attack runs.

Yamato started a sharp turn to port to face the oncoming assault but her slow speed allowed four torpedoes to rip into her port side amidships, jamming her auxiliary rudder in a position hard to port.

After being informed that the ship could no longer steer and was unavoidably sinking, Admiral Ito ordered the crew to abandon ship, and for the remaining Destroyers to abandon the mission.

At 2:30pm, Yamato was stopped dead in the water and began to capsize. Admiral Ito and Captain Aruga refused to abandon her as she slipped under the waves. At 2:40pm she suddenly blew up with an explosion so large it was reportedly seen and heard for a distance of one hundred miles.

As the battered remnants of the Japanese task force attempted to make it back to port, the Destroyers Asashimo and Kasumi were hit by multiple bombs and sank. 

Despite having her lower bow completely blown off the Suzutsuki managed to make it back to Japan by steaming the entire way in reverse. The remaining three Japanese Destroyers Yukikaze, Fuyuzuki and Hatsushimo though all seriously damaged, also made it back to Japanese ports.

In all Operation Tengo cost the Japanese Imperial Navy five warships sunk and three damaged beyond repair in addition to some 4,000 sailors killed including the task force commander Admiral Ito, 

American losses were miniscule with ten planes and twelve airmen. After the battle, U.S. vessels picked up and rescued an additional 1,600 Japanese naval personal. 

 

THE BATTLE OF ADWA

1896

                                                         Emperor Menelik II 

Close to the end of the 19th century, the ancient kingdom of Ethiopia remained one of the few country's within the continent of Africa that had not fallen to European colonialism. 

Compared to the other great powers of Europe, Italy was late in its efforts to colonize and possessed only the small acquisitions of Eritrea and Somalia. Italy therefore sought to increase its dominance over the region by conquering Ethiopia and creating a land bridge between its two provinces. 

On the evening of February 29th under the cover of darkness, the military governor of Eritrea, General Oreste Baratieri with an army of 18,000 men and 55 artillery pieces crossed the Ethiopian border and occupied the villages of Makalle and Adigrat. 

Menelik was outraged by this blatant invasion of Ethiopian soil and summoned all his tribal chiefs to Addis Ababa for a consul of war. Once assembled, Menelik's large army consisted of 100,000 men. Although the bulk of Menelik's force consisted of spear and shield armed infantry, 30,000 men were armed with modern rifles. 

Ethiopian Warriors

On March 2nd, Menelik marched his army from Addis Ababa occupying the village of Adowa and the surrounding area. Now aware of the position of the Ethiopian army , General Baratieri called his brigade commanders to a meeting to discuss the upcoming battle. 

Baratieri revealed he planed to divide his army into four brigades with each marching along separate routes with the goal of arriving at their pre determined objectives before dawn. Once completed, the maneuver would effectively occupy the high ground and completely surround the Ethiopian forces encamped at Adowa. 

Although Baratieri's plan was tactically sound, it began to unravel almost from the outset. The Italian's soon found themselves struggling to keep cohesion with their flank's due to the hostile terrain and outdated maps of the area.

At 6:00am, Major General Albertone reached his objective at Mount Kidane Meret overlooking the Ethiopian encampment, he then assumed the other three brigades were also in position and gave the order for his men to advance.

 

 

                          Baratieri                                             Albertone

Menelik's scouts had given the Emperor reports on the enemy's movements the previous night and his army was in position and prepared for the Italian's once they arrived. Albertone's brigade of 4,500 men was immediately confronted by a superior Ethiopian force numbering 15,000 warriors under Ras Tekla Haymanot.

General Baratieri now also began to receive reports of increasing contacts to Major General Armondi's front and that Albertone's brigade was heavily engaged and requesting reinforcements. At 7:45am, Baratieri ordered Major General Dabormida to move his brigade from the right wing and pull back to support the army's center. 

For some unknown reason Dabormida moved his brigade towards the extreme right, away from the army at the same moment Menelik ordered Ras Mikael Makonnen and the 25,000 strong Royal Guard to support Haymanot against Albertone. 

After fighting for over two hours, Albertone's exhausted troops could no longer hold back the massive Ethiopian assault and the brigade simply disintegrated and melted away, with Albertone himself being captured.

Haymanot                                           Makonnen

With the Italian left flank now completely destroyed, Ras Makonnen and the Royal Guard now swept down from mount Kidane Meret on Major General Arimondi's central brigade. 

Arimondi's lone brigade of 5,000 men now found themselves facing assaults to their front and both flanks. Although all seemed hopeless, the Italian brigade was fortunate in that they did possess the bulk of the Italian artillery. 

Arimondi quickly placed his artillery surrounding the brigade in a rough semi circle, he then ordered the infantry to take up positions between each piece. As the Ethiopians came within rifle range Arimondi finally gave the order to open fire. 

The withering barrage decimated the oncoming Ethiopian charge killing hundreds with each repeated salvo. After suffering incredible casualties, the Ethiopian’s finally reached the Italian positions. 

Arimondi’s troops now found themselves engaged in bitter hand to hand fighting. However this did not last long as the Ethiopian warriors poured over and through the Italian lines massacring the brigade to a man. 

  

At 9:15am Baratieri arrived on the scene with the reserve brigade. The General was in disbelief with the situation before him, off to his left in the distance and below in the valley he could see the corpses of two of his brigade's littering the ground, and there was no sign of Dabromida's brigade.

A horrified Baratieri had seen enough, he was not going to commit his last brigade to an already lost battle and ordered an immeadiate retreat back to Sauria. Unknown to the General as he pulled back, Major General Dabromida's brigade was still intact and had halted in a canyon just out of view to get there bearings a few miles from his position.  

Emperor Menelik now decided to finish off the last remnants of the Italian army, ordering Ras Mikail and 20,000 warriors supported by 8,000 cavalry to move on the lone Italian brigade and destroy it before it could escape.

Dabromida was caught completely by surprise at the sight of large numbers of Ethiopian forces converging on his position from all directions. As the pressure on his brigade intensified, Dabromida ordered a fighting withdrawal which soon turned into a complete route. Within half an hour the third and final Italian brigade on the battle field, numbering 4,500 men had been annihilated.

 

The battle of Adowa was now over and had ended in complete victory for Emperor Menelik, but at a high cost. Ethiopian casualties numbered 30,000 warriors dead and 8,000 wounded compared to Italian losses of 14,000 dead 

In the wake of the catastrophe, Italian prime minister Crispi and his entire cabinet were forced to resign and Italy had lost its place among the other European nations as a military power.

On October 26th 1896, Rome signed the treaty of Addis Ababa, recognizing Ethiopia as a sovereign and independent state.

 

ITALIAN INVASION OF ETHIOPIA

1935

Mussolini                                         Selassie 

In 1896, when Italian youth Benito Mussolini was thirteen years old, he along with the entire nation of Italy were informed of the disastrous military defeat of the Italian army at the battle of Adwa in Ethiopia. 

The event was a severe blow to Italian prestige not only in Europe, but around the world. In 1922, Mussolini and his Fascist party had assumed dictatorial power in Italy. 

In 1935, Mussolini felt that a war of conquest against the kingdom of Ethiopia would restore Italy's prestige, avenging the humiliation suffered in the first Italo - Ethiopian war. 

For the invasion the Italians could call upon, six hundred thousand men, seven hundred tanks, two thousand artillery pieces and six hundred aircraft. The Ethiopians would counter with five hundred thousand men, two hundred outdated artillery pieces and a mere handful of machine guns.  

On October 3rd 1935 without a declaration of war, 400,000 soldiers commanded by Marshal Emilio De Bono attacked from Italian Eritrea in the north while 200,000 men under General Rodolfo Graziani advanced from Italian Somalia in the south. 

On October 6th Italian troops captured Adwa, Aksum and Adigrat, then nine days later seized the holy capital of Axum. De Bono then paused operations to replenish his forces.

Mussolini now became exasperated by De Bono's slow and cautious progress and on November 8th as Italian forces occupied the city of Makale, sacked the Marshal replacing him with General Pietro Badoglio.

Before Badoglio could re shuffle his forces and continue with the advance, Emperor Selassie ordered two hundred thousand men to launch a major counter attack on December 15th.  The Ethiopians achieved total surprise and the sheer weight of the assault forced the Italian's to abandon there front line positions. 

In desperation, Badoglio cabled Mussolini on December 26th asking for then receiving permission to use chemical warfare agents to stem the Ethiopian advance.

The next day the Italian’s began delivering the gas from bombers and specially designed canisters in place of artillery shells. The effects were immediate as Ethiopian troops were suffocated by the tens of thousands from this terrible weapon of the First World War.  

On January 23rd, General Graziani employed several hundred tons of mustard gas against Ras Kassa's southern Ethiopian army of seventy thousand men completley destroying it as a fighting force.

On February 9th, Marshal Badoglio launched an offensive against Ras Mulegeta’s 80,000 strong army dug in atop Mount Amba Aradam. Clearing this major obstacle would open the road to the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

The combination of bombers, artillery and poison gas against the entrenched defenders completely paralyzed Mulugeta’s ability to mount any form of attack. After five days of continuous pounding  the Ethiopians surrendered the position yielding thirty thousand prisoners.

The capture of Mount Amba Aradam was a catastrophic disaster for the country. Ras Mulugeta was dead, the southern army had been annihilated and three of the four Ethiopian armies of the north were practically destroyed. 

Only one army remained intact, that of Ras Imru and his sixty thousand strong army of the Shire. This along with the Emperor’s Imperial Guard numbering twenty five thousand men remained as the last organized fighting forces within all Ethiopia. 

On March 29th, the Emperor assembled his last forces in and around the hills surrounding the city of Maychew and awaited the Italians.

For the up coming battle, Marshal Badoglio possessed a total of one hundred and fifty thousand men, three hundred tanks, four hundred artillery pieces and two hundred fighters and bombers. 

Emperor Haile Selassie would counter the Italians with eighty five thousand men and fifty pre World War One cannons.

Ethiopian Imperial Guard

At dawn on the morning of March 31st, Selassie ordered twenty thousand men under Ras Kassa to attack the Eritrean colonial forces holding the Mekan Pass on the Italian left flank.

The assault quickly began to force the pass and gain ground, however Badoglio unleashed a fierce artillery bombardment supported by heavy bombers and the Ethiopian advance began to falter and was pushed back with heavy casualties.

The next morning, Haile Selassie felt he had no further options but to order an all out frontal attack along the entire front. 

As the entire Ethiopian army lumbered forward en mass, a horrified Selassie could only stand silent as the assault meet with heavy machine gun fire, artillery ordenance, air attacks and poison gas. As the smoke cleared from the Italian barrage, the battlefield lay littered with thousand’s of dead and dying Ethiopians.  

With his army completely destroyed, the Emperor made his way towards Addis Ababa, where on May 2nd he boarded his imperial train to Djibouti, from there he fled to England by air.

Italian forces marched into Addis Ababa three days later. The second Italian - Abyssinian war was over, back in Italy Benito Mussolini could now claim his empire to the world. On June 1st 1936, Italy officially merged Ethiopia with Eritrea and Somaliland, calling the new state, Africa Orientale Italiana (Italian East Africa).

The war had cost the the Italians 50,000 killed and 125,000 wounded. The Ethiopian's suffered much greater losses at 275,000 killed and 225,000 severely wounded with most suffering the after effects of poison gas.  

 

THE BATTLE OF SHILOH 

1862

GRANT                                        JOHNSTON

Following the capture of Fort's Henry and Donelson along the Tennessee River, General Albert Sidney Johnston was forced to withdraw his Confederate army south west leaving Union General Ulysses S. Grant free to advance towards the heart of the Confederacy.

General Grant moved his army south to Pittsburg landing on the western shore of the Tennessee River. He was then directed by Major General Halleck to await the arrival of General Buell’s army of the Ohio marching on his position in support.  

Confederate General Johnston was resolved to attack Grant before he could be joined by Buell’s force. On April 3rd, the Confederate army of Mississippi numbering 45,000 men marched out of Corinth, north east towards General Grant’s camp.    

General Grant had taken few precautions to secure his camp against attack. No field fortifications were built, no cavalry screens deployed and the infantry pickets were to sparsley positioned to give sufficient notice of a Confederate attack.  

On April 5th General Grant fell from his horse and was injured and spent the night recuperating ten miles from his camp in Savannah. That same evening the Confederate army had completed its march and now lay within three miles of the unsuspecting federal encampment. 

At first light on April 6th, Johnston ordered his two center Infantry corps under Major Generals Hardee and Bragge supported by Brigadier General Breckinridge on the right and Major General Polk on the left to move forward in an all out attack on the Union positions. 

The Federal troops awoke to hear the screams of the Confederate rebel yell and the roar of cannons and gunfire as Hardee and Polk fell on General William Tecumseh Sherman's 5th division. The surprise of the Union troops was complete with many soldiers just cooking breakfast or still asleep.

Sherman’s troops were driven back with ease while In the center of the the 2nd and 6th  divisions under Brigadier General's Wallace and Prentiss attempted to form defensive positions against increasingly frenzied Confederate attacks in what was later to become known as the Hornet’s Nest. 

General Grant arrived on the battlefield at around 8am to find his army being pushed back everywhere but at the Hornet’s Nest. Grant then ordered his army to fall back and establish new Union lines along the road leading from Pittsburg landing to the Hamburg Savannah turnpike while he rode through the Federal positions getting a feel for the situation from his commanders while encouraging the troops.

By mid afternoon the Union army had fallen back to there new line, leaving Prentiss and Wallace's divisions surrounded within the Hornet’s Nest. General Johnston now ordered sixty Confederate cannons brought up to blast the trapped Federals into surrender. 

After a three hour murderous barrage General Wallace ordered what was left of his division to fight there way out of the Hornet's Nest but was virtually destroyed with himself being fatally wounded.  

At around 6pm General Prentiss could do no more and surrendered what was left of his shattered division amounting to some 4,000 wounded troops. The Federal stand in the Hornet’s Nest held off the Confederate attack for sufficient time to enable Grant to hold the thin Union line long enough for darkness to bring an end to the fighting.

The day long battle for the Hornets Nest was now over and casualties were high on both sides, including General Johnston himself who while leading an assault on the Federal positions was shot in the leg with the round severing his main artery. Johnston bled to death within half hour, leaving command of the Confederate army to General Beauregard.

As night was falling Beauregard called a halt to the Confederate attacks. That night General Beauregard wrote a dispatch to Confederate President, Jefferson Davis in Richmond claiming victory and a major defeat over the Union army, “Victory is ours” he wrote.

BEAUREGARD

During the fighting on April 6th General Grant had been sending urgent requests to Major General Don Carlos Buell's 18,000 strong Army of the Ohio to march with all hast in support of his army.  

Buell’s Army arrived at the river crossing around midnight and were brought over the Tennessee River to Pittsburg Landing by Federal gun boats and were in line with Grant's army by the morning of the 7th. 

With a force of some 66,000 men, Grant ordered a general advance against the enemy positions. Unknown to Grant the Confederate army was still in a state of confusion after the fighting the day before and most units had not been effectively re supplied with ammunition.   

Now outnumbered and outgunned the suprised Confederates were driven back all along the line by the unexpected Federal assault. With his troops exhausted and running out of ammunition, Beauregard was forced to concede the field and ordered a retreat back to Corinth.

Union casualties at the Battle of Shiloh were 2,000 dead, 8,400 wounded and 3,000 captured. Confederate losses numbered 1,700 dead, 8,000 wounded and 1,000 missing or captured.

The battle was considered a Federal victory, however General Grant was subjected to considerable criticism for allowing his army to be surprised on the first day of the battle.  President Lincoln was subjected to pressure from the opposition as well as his general staff to sack Grant, which Lincoln resisted firmly stating “I cannot lose this general, he stands and fights.”

Nevertheless, General Halleck took command of the joint Federal armies, relegating Grant to second in command for the advance on Corinth.

 

OPERATION KIKUSUI

Floating Chrysanthemums

By March 1945, Japan was a nation isolated and under siege, her once mighty Empire had now been reduced to a few unimportant and isolated island strongholds.

After a long and bitter campaign of reconquest, the Americans were preparing to assault the island of Okinawa, a mere three hundred and forty miles from mainland Japan. Its capture was vital to secure airfields and deep water ports necessary for the inevitable invasion of Japan itself.

On April 6th 1945, all remaining wings of the Japanese Imperial air force launched operation Kikusui, directed against the United States 5th fleet anchored within Hagushi Bay on the western approaches to Okinawa.

In attack formations numbering in the hundreds, Japanese planes began attacks focused on the American carriers positioned at the center of the enemy fleet. For nine straight days the Kamikazes attacked, severally damaging the U.S. Hancock, Intrepid and Enterprise while sinking numerous other vessels.

On May 4th, the British carrier HMS Formidable was hit by a single Kamikaze, eight crew members were killed and forty nine wounded. She was struck again on the 9th  along with the carrier HMS Victorious and the Battleship HMS Howe.

On May 11th, the commander of task force fifty eight, Admiral Marc Mitscher was aboard his carrier flagship USS Bunker Hill when it was struck by a Kamikaze pilot killing three hundred and fifty sailors.

The effect of this new form of warfare on American morale was immediate and devastating. The surviving crew members were quickly becoming exhausted from standing twenty four hour watches against potential future attacks.

Kamikaze attacks would continue throughout May and June with deadly effect. However by mid July the attacks became less fierce and more sporadic as the Japanese began to run out of operational aircraft and traine pilots.

The situation now became desperate as the Japanese high command approved the enlistment of sixteen year old youths still attending aviation school, who were now instantly promoted, given there flight wings and assigned to the Kamikaze wing.

At this stage of the battle however, air worthy aircraft could no longer be found and the few which did get airborne were shot down well within the American destroyer pickets defensive perimeter. 

By late June the entire operation was discontinued when Japan had run out of servicable aircraft. After an eighty two day battle, the Americans and her British allies had captured Okinawa and Japan had to now prepare for the anticipated defense of the Japanese homland itself. 

For the loss of two thousand brave Japanese pilots and there aircraft, the U.S. Navy suffered thirty four ships sunk and three hundred and sixty damaged with five thousand five hundred sailors killed.

The U.S. Naval air wing also lost seven hundred and sixty three aircraft, all of which were destroyed on there carrier decks during the Kamikaze attacks.

 

THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE

At the height of its power (700 BC) Assyria possessed the most powerful army yet seen in the ancient world and would go on to dominate the middle east for the next three hundred years.

Expansion began in the reign of King Ashurnasirpal II (883 – 859) BC whose military campaigns conquered the peoples of Asia Minor, Syria including the powerful Aramaens and Hittite tribes along the length of the Euphrates Rivers. 

Ashurnasirpal would captured five cities in a single campaign when other warlords of the time would have regarded the capture of one as a successful conclusion to hostilities.

Ashurnasirpal II died  while on campaign and was succeeded by his son Shalmaneser III (859 - 824) BC. The new king also adopted a policy of conquest and rapid expansion . Shalamaneser’s armies defeated an alliance of northern city states at the battle of Lutibu in 858, extending his frontiers into eastern Anatolia.

Shalameneser soon followed this up with a stunning victory over the combined tribes of Israel, Damascus, Lebanon and Egypt at the battle of Qarqar in 853, expanded the empire to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, northern Egypt and the occupation of the strategic city of Petra along with the Sinai peninsula.

Following Shalameneser's death in 824 BC, multiple rebellions, civil wars and no central government lasting for an extended period of no less than seventy nine years tore the empire apart leaving only the Assyrian heartlands intact.

Assyrian Imperial fortunes were restored only when in a military coup installed King Tiglath Pileser III to the throne in 745 BC. He immediately set about restoring the former glories of Assyria by launching a five year campaign in which Syria, Asia Minor and Babylon were incorporated into his new empire.

For the next forty years an era of Assyrian supremacy within the middle east followed until Tiglath Pilesers death in 705 BC. King Sennacherib ascended the throne and violently put down a revolt by the kingdom of Babylon, he quickly followed up this success by asserting Assyrian rule into Egypt.

King Sennacherib died in 681 and the empire was immediately thrust into another sixty nine years of civil disobedience and unrest. Civil wars and a host of inept leaders all bidding for the throne destabilized the empire and weakened the Assyrian military to a point where it was no longer considered a viable fighting force.   

It wasn't until 612 BC, that a powerful coalition of states including Asia Minor, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Babylon, broke away from the empire capturing the Assyrian capital of Nineveh itself, deposing the last Assyrian King Ashur Uballit II, which effectively brought the Assyrian empire to an end.