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What made Julius Caesar a great general

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The civil war was not over, and the senators and the followers of Pompey regrouped in North Africa. Caesar pursued them and landed in modern Tunisia. He fought a bloody draw with his old subordinate Titus Labienus at the battle of Ruspina. However, after receiving some reinforcements he inflicted a decisive defeat on his enemies, at the battle of Thapsus and this led to the suicide of many prominent senators including Cato the Younger. He knew that as long as his enemies were in the field that he was not secure. The remaining senators and Pompeiians regrouped in Spain and once more assembled a large army.<ref>Jonathan P. Roth, Roman Warfare (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009), p. 116</ref> Caesar campaigned in Spain and he finally defeated his enemies at the Battle of Munda in 45 BCE in Spain. This was the end of the civil wars and the Roman general was supreme ruler in Rome and had himself made dictator for life. In Rome, he began to plan invasions of Dacia and Parthia but before he could embark on these campaigns he was assassinated in 44 BCE.
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====The leadership of Caesar ====
One of the reasons for Caesar's success was his great leadership. He was a charismatic leader and he could persuade his men to do anything and to do the impossible. This can be seen time and time again. Caesar was able to rally his men at Alessia and persuade them to attack numerically superior forces on many battlefields. Caesars ability to motivate his men and galvanize them into action was unmatched and even his enemies acknowledged this. His men were devoted to him and they loved their general. They obeyed him and unlike many contemporary armies they were very well disciplined.<ref> Roth, p. 116</ref> Caesar reputedly could quell any dissent in the ranks with the sheer force of his personality. Caesar was fortunate to have at his disposal some of the finest soldiers in the ancient era, this and his leadership skills meant that his forces were often invincible even in the most difficult of circumstances.
The factors that have earned Caesar the reputation as one of the greatest generals of all time were his leadership skills. He could inspire and cajole his men, and under his command, they performed remarkable feats. Caesar was an innovator and he was able to use artillery such as catapults in ways that changed the ancient battlefield. He was a brilliant strategist and he emphasized speed and surprise and this ensured that the Roman general secured many victories against the odds.
 
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====Related DailyHistory.org Articles====
*[[How did Julius Caesar rise to power?]]
*[[Why was Julius Caesar assassinated?]]
*[[How did Caesar's conquest of Gaul change both Rome and Gaul?]]
*[[What were the consequences of Caesar's assassination?]]
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====Recommended Books====
* Holland, Tom. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400078970/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400078970&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=a25657c34ca67cbf377bd8dfbc462c2c Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic] (London, Anchor Press, 2003)
* Goodman, Rob. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250042623/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1250042623&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=4c9157524f8c44ff12d67a6dff4613ad Rome's Last Citizen: The Life and Legacy of Cato: Mortal Enemy of Caesar]'' (St. Martin's Griffen, 2014)
*Jonathan P. Roth, <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521537266/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0521537266&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=0cbf1cf4e92aae9dfbf4e07d5b2e91cc Roman Warfare]</i> (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009)
====References====

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