‘My boy, you must find a kingdom big enough for your ambition. Macedon is too small for you’, the words of King Phillip II of Macedon were prophetic as he addressed his son Alexander after he had tamed a fearful horse at the age of just 10.

Alexander would grow up to be one of the world’s most legendary military commanders. Born into an era of petty tyrants and brutality Alexander the Great used the exceptional education he received – from, among others, Aristotle – and used it to marshal his forces in nearly impossible battles. He emerged victorious over the course of 13 years of battles from which was forged one of the largest empires the world has ever seen.

Alexander the Great was born in 356 BC to King Phillip II of Macedon and his wife Olympias. Following his father’s assassination Alexander succeeded him to the Macedon throne. This incident would contribute to Alexander conquering most of the known world with an empire that stretched for 10,000 miles and encompassed the Mediterranean, most of Europe and touched the borders of India. Although not exactly what one would call a diplomat, he was a military genius who used guile, ingenuity and lateral thinking to defeat often vastly superior forces. His greatest victory was at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC in what today is Iraq.

In this One-Time Outschool class we will conduct an in-depth investigation of Alexander the Great's warfighting doctrine, his tactics and his strategy. We will also work toward an understanding of military genius through analyzing Alexander's decision-making process in preparation for his campaigns and the military decisions he made during the battles which led to victory for the Macedonians. Further we will apply the modern concept of the Operational Art to appreciate the sophistication of Alexander's war plans