Question

Summarize how rome defeated hannibal.

Answer 1

Answer:

Hannibal made one major tactical error: He did not attack and capture Rome when he had the opportunity.

Hannibal conducted his operations in Italy not as one campaign in a larger war but as the only campaign in the only war. He seemed to hold to the conviction that if he won enough battles, he would win Italy. And if he won Italy, victory over the Roman people would be his. Battles are the means to a strategic end, not ends in themselves. Hannibal was a sworn enemy of the Romans and he let his emotions cloud out that fact when he launched the second Punic War. He could win every battle, but he did not apply those battles to wining the war.

There seemed to be some confusion between tactics and strategy in his mind. This caused him to commit a number of operational failures that led to his eventual defeat in Romes heartland.

The Carthaginian senate had failed to send him critical supplies and troops when most needed. He had severe logistical problems. Tactics win battles, logistics win wars. There was no good reason why supply transports could not have gotten through to Hannibal.

Moronically, Carthage’s strategic shift away from Italy after Cannae came at a time when Hannibal’s momentum was at its full. Cannae was an absolutely devastating defeat for the Romans. Politics.

Hannibal was eventually called back to Carthage because of the military failures of his compatriots. The Romans had pushed into Carthaginian territory, and they needed reinforcements.

Explanation: