In this case study we look at how Alexander supplied his campaign in Afghanistan. This case study is based on the research done by professor Donald Engles and presented in his book Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army (1978, University of California Press,

As this campaign starts, Alexander has defeated the Persian King Darius and is organizing a supply chain to draw on the farms and workshops of Persia to support his advance into Afghanistan. This case study will give you insight into what Napoleon meant when he said, “An army marches on its stomach.” An army can only go where there are supplies to support it, so the strategies a general can use depend on the army’s supply chain capabilities.

In this simulation we estimate the number of troops Alexander needed for his campaign and the amount of daily supplies needed for each soldier. Then we create a supply chain based on the transportation available at the time – slow-moving ox carts. Then we look at how the ability to acquire, move and stockpile supplies affects the number of soldiers that can be supported at any given location.