A Sense of History: Sieges in the First and Second Ages

In multiple places, the legendarium depicts siege warfare: a martial tactic that seeks to wear down an opponent by hemming in a population and leaving them subject to the slow diminishment of provisions. There are, of course, well-known sieges such as the Siege of Angband and the War of the Last Alliance, as well as several lesser-known sieges. In this month's A Sense of History column, S.R. Westvik looks at the historical analogues for the sieges seen in Tolkien's works. Drawing from ancient history through the present-day War in Ukraine, they consider the strategy behind successful siege warfare, the resistance tactics of a besieged opponent, and the humanitarian issues that arise whenever a civilian population becomes an integral part of a military strategy.

You can read S.R. Westvik's Sieges in the First and Second Ages here.

Posted on 18 November 2022 (updated 17 December 2022) by SWG Moderators