Battle of Leuctra 371 BC

Spartan domination which began in 404 BC, ended in 371 BC after their defeat at the battle of Leuctra

Prior to the battle all had expected the spartans to easily crush the theban forces. But on the day legendary general Epaminondas executes an oblique order tactic. Using this novel formation, he manages to catch the Spartans off guard and pulls off a surprise win.

This tactic and its execution is the first recorded instance that we have in detail of this oblique order being used. A tactic that would be used in some form or another by some of histories most famous commanders and generals from Alexander the Great to Napoleon.

[Dronaddict]

this is such a simple way to do documentaries, props for the creativity!

[battlefieldgenius]

Hey friends, first things first. This is gonna be such a fun year. For this channel at least. I have so many ideas in my head, each a puzzle of events and thoughts that i must organize into coherence.

Reflecting on Walaja, the more time passes the more i am unhappy with it. Too structured and formal. Too dense. Felt like i was trying too hard to be formal and present a certain way as opposed to being more myself.

This video was quite the whale to make. I changed a lot of things. Deciding on the block idea, and then actually making and painting them (and with the correct measurements) took some figuring out. Also i’m am very aware of how inaccurate my map of the Greek peninsula is. My apologies, future maps will be better.

There were also a few ideas and concepts i wanted to discuss in further detail. Things like hoplite phalanx warfare in general, the spartan culture of war, etc etc. I just couldn’t find a smooth way to do it. I also tried to find a way to explain the concept of phalanx drift in depth but every way tried just led to a strange and awkward tangent.

This video also took a while because it represents a shift in my channel, not only with the blocks but also how i structure and create these videos. I’m hoping to get more lighting soon as well as a better microphone.

As always your input is appreciated. How i make future videos will depend on how this video is received and the feedback i get so please let me know!

[blockmasterscott]

Wow, I had never heard of the phalanx drift. I love how you present these lessons. Well done.

[ethankite]

I really liked this video would you consider covering roman warfare or doing a series like this on Julius Ceasar