I’ve been mass downloading history documentaries onto my new PC over the last week, and watched several Hannibal Documentaries.
I’m increasingly convinced Hannibal was a idiot. Whatever advantage he gained in surprise, he lost in severe attrition, and it still wasn’t much of a surprise, cause the Romans knew what was happening.
I’ve read a lot of books on this as well over the years. It’s always played it was amazing leadership, strategic daring, keeping elephants alive in the Alps. That he was willing to lose his less dependable troops to desertion, only wanting the strong, etc…
He sucked. His whole campaign, he couldn’t storm Rome cause all his fucking elephants died, and he was always half strength, no dependable lines of supply to Spain or Africa, and wandered around Italy with few allies and no base till he eventually took Capua. You know what? Fuck Capua.
He would of been much better off storming and taking the southern gaul coast, holding Roman assets. Yes… Rome had legions there, but Hannibal was gonna face way more in Italy, and this way, he could of billeted his less dependable troops to defend his supply lines to Spain, and garrison cities like Massila, instead of letting them flee, and could of used his fucking elephants, instead of ketting them freeze to death. He still would of had access to his Italian allies later on.
Should of just hugged the coast.