Philip II's military reforms paved the way for Alexander's success

King Philip II of Macedonia (382-336 BCE) was a renowned strategist in his own right, despite the fact that his reputation is now overshadowed by the legacy of his brilliant son. During the 25 years of his rule, Macedonia transformed from a minor peripheral kingdom to a military superpower that dominated its neighbor Greece.

By creating his phalanx of infantry, cavalry, siege weapons, and logistics, Philip transformed the Macedonian army into the most lethal force at the time. Thanks to his father's reforms, when he succeeded to the throne Alexander inherited the most powerful and best army of that time. In another way, Philip II's military reforms paved the way for Alexander's success.

In particular, Philip II used a rebuilt army, marital connections, and diplomacy to accomplish this. Philip used diplomacy to turn away Paeonians and Thracians who offered tribute and to defeat 3,000 Athenian citizens (359 BC). Unopposed for the time being, he concentrated on fortifying his internal position and, most importantly, his army. The Macedonian army received several noteworthy contributions from Philip II. The major sources of army power, the cavalry, and infantry, virtually quadrupled between the period of the conflicts with the Illyrians and 334 BC.

The Macedonian troops under Philip's command experienced an improvement in army discipline and training, as well as the opportunity to progress through ranks and receive honors and bonuses for exemplary service.

In addition to these changes, the Macedonian phalanx was an infantry formation created by Alexander's father. In this tactic, a block of soldiers is closely packed and each man is equipped with a sarissa, a 20-foot-long pike. Usually, this was done to stave off enemies while cavalry launched an assault.

As a result, Philip II was in charge of shaping the Macedonian army into the powerful force Alexander subsequently employed to achieve his objectives. That is the reason why Philip II's military reforms paved the way for Alexander's success.