Battle of Manzikert (Historical AAR

[VindicatorS]

Since I am too new to this forum to post an AAR , you will need to press this link to read my AAR..
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=90671 (and yes the name there is DreadedCharger)

Be kind and leave a reply to the AAR, thanks!

[Ludens]

Since I am too new to this forum to post an AAR , you will need to press this link to read my AAR..
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=90671 (and yes the name there is DreadedCharger)

Be kind and leave a reply to the AAR, thanks!

Hello VindicatorS, welcome to the Org . You don't need to be a full member to post an AAR here, so feel free to repost it.

[VindicatorS]

This AAR will try to give a historical medTW version of the Battle of Manzikert between Emperor Romanus IV and Alp Arslan.



During the 1060s the Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan allowed his Turkish allies to migrate towards Armenia and Asia Minor. In 1064 they conquered the Armenian capital at Ani. In 1068 Romanos IV led an expedition against them, but his slow-moving infantry could not catch the speedy Turkish cavalry, although he was able to capture the city of Hierapolis in Syria.

In 1070 Romanus led a second expedition towards Malazgirt (then known as Manzikert) in the eastern end of Anatolia (in today's Mus Province), where a Byzantine fortress had been captured by the Seljuks, and offered a treaty with Alp Arslan; Romanos would give back Hierapolis if Arslan gave up the siege of Edessa (Urfa).
Romanos threatened war if Alp Arslan did not comply, and prepared his troops anyway, expecting the sultan to decline his offer, which he did.

The Byzantine Army was commanded by Emperor Romanus IV, Nikephoros Bryennios, Theodore Alyates, Andronikos Doukas and the Armenian general Basilaces.

(1071, June)Romanos ordered his general Joseph Tarchaneiotes to take some of the Byzantine troops and Varangians and accompany the Pechenegs and Franks to Khliat, while Romanos and the rest of the army marched to Manzikert.
This probably split the forces in half, about 20,000 men each.

Turkish Army

Instead of fighting general Joseph Tarchaneiotes fled (nothing is certain of the circumstances)


Emperor Romanus IV moved on to Manzikert unaware of the loss of the general.
Manzikert's gates

Local defence

Fighting

The town of Manzikert was conquered on the 23. August(1071).


Next day some foraging parties led by Bryennios discovered the Seljuk force and were forced to retreat back to Manzikert.


The Armenian general Basilaces was sent out with some cavalry, as Romanos did not believe this was Arslan's full army; the cavalry was destroyed and Basilaces taken prisoner.



Romanos drew up his troops into formation and sent the left wing out under Bryennios, who was almost surrounded by the quickly approaching Turks and was forced to retreat once more.

Fighting

Retreat


The Turks fled and hid among the nearby hills for the night, making it nearly impossible for Romanus to send a counterattack.
Alp Arslan leading his forces away from Manzikert to the nearby hills


On August 25, some of Romanos' Turkish mercenaries came into contact with their Seljuk relatives and deserted.

On August 26 the Byzantine army gathered itself into a proper battle formation and began to march on the Turkish positions, with the left wing under Bryennios, the right wing under Theodore Alyates, and the centre under the emperor. Andronikos Doukas led the reserve forces in the rear.

The Seljuks were four kilometres away

Seljuk archers attacked the Byzantines as they drew closer

Individual units tried to force the Seljuks into a pitched battle


The Byzantines held off the arrow attacks and captured Arslan's camp by the end of the afternoon.



With the Seljuks avoiding battle, Romanos was forced to order a withdrawal by the time night fell. However, the right wing misunderstood the order, and Doukas, as an enemy of Romanos, deliberately ignored the emperor and marched back to the camp outside Manzikert, rather than covering the emperor's retreat.


Center Army and the Emperor regroup

Fighting back


Hope is gone...

Emperor Romanus IV is trapped and captured


When the Emperor Romanos IV was conducted into the presence of Alp Arslan, he was treated with considerable kindness, and again offered the terms of peace which he had offered previous to the battle. He was also loaded with presents and Alp Arslan had him respectfully escorted by a military guard to his own forces. But prior to that, when he first was brought to the Sultan, this famous conversation is reported to have taken place:

Alp Arslan: "What would you do if I were brought before you as a prisoner?"
Romanus: "Perhaps I'd kill you, or exhibit you in the streets of Constantinople."
Alp Arslan: "My punishment is far heavier. I forgive you, and set you free."


Shortly after his return to his subjects, Romanos was deposed, and then blinded and exiled in the island of Proti; soon after he died as a result of an infection caused by an injury during his brutal blinding.

Byzantine troops: 40.000 (20.000 retreated with general Joseph Tarchaneiotes as the commander)
Seljuk Turkish troops: ~15.000

Byzantine casualties: ~ 8.000
Seljuk Turkish casualties: unknown

Feel free to leave a comment about the AAR in general, the pics etc.
Regards

[Prince Cobra]

Very, very good. And it's not only because it's my #1 battle. It's very well done! Only one remark that is more like a question - I thought the Turks were more than the Byzantine army. After all, it's the main army of Alp Arslan and his huge Empire...

Anyway, very good story!!!

[VindicatorS]

Thanks!
I know now, I should have done it over multiplayer to make it better by controlling it over TS/vent..Oh well, that is going to be for the next AAR I will make

[Ludens]

[VindicatorS]

Actually Stephen Asen.
According to the online history sources I used to make this AAR, it all happened as described in my AAR. The Turks were migrating towards Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) at that time and werent yet able to meet the numbers of the Byzantine Empire. Due to the hit and run tactics (and the combosite bows), they were able to bring down a much larger army. The Byzantines, however, had problems with the descending quality of their troops from the provinces and internal politically conflicts between Emperor Romanos and Doukas, who also had claims to the Byzantine throne (therefore he took advantegous of the outcome and took over).

Overall description of that time: http://www.deremilitari.org/resource...es/markham.htm
Description of the preparations, battle and outcome of the battle of Manzikert (including numbers of troops for both sides)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Manzikert

Where the ... is the "edit" function?

[Prince Cobra]

Very good. Actually, in the literature I read there is not much statistic about the size of the armies. But I left with the true implication the Turks were larger. And probably they were.

There are several variations of what happened in the battle of Manzikert and after that and this one is quite interesting (and probably the true one).

It seemed Alp Arslan also had serious problems with his army many of which also deserted. I have some doubts his original army numbered the size of the Byzantines. So probably the army he had in the beginning of the battle did number 15 000( if not more: "half the Romanus' army"). Here I say thank you since i did not know Arslan also have problems with his army.

Romanus. It seemed he had only 10 000-15 000 loyal troops left against Arlsan. 20 000 lead by Tarchaneiotes deserted, other 5 000 lead by Andronicus Doukas also deserted, 500 mercenaries under the Balliol command also deserted, 1 000 Uz some Armenian troops also.

Total: more than 15 000 vs less than 15 000

So I do not think the reason was in the descending quality of the Byzantine troops. I think they were as good as the Turkish one. However, the problem was in the army itself esp. in the loyalty of the commanders.

Anyway, thank you for the info. Now these numbers seem to me more likely, though, you know, nobody at that time counted the exact number of his troops.

I think the Junior Members can not edit their posts. I wish you soon to get a full membership!

Btw, do you have any idea what will your next AAR be? If you want to make another one of course...

[VindicatorS]

I have already made an AAR, more writing with a few accompanying pictures, about a heir of the Byzantine Empire sent into the wild to prove his worth(against Trebizond), but it still requires some polishing.