What were the advantages of each during the Persian war?

Answer 1

Persian Empire:

It had the resources of its empire - eg it's navy at Salamis was provided by Phonicia, the Greek cities in Asia, and Egypt.

It had unified command.

Its Empire provided extensive resources in men, equipment, supply and transport.

It had the strategic initiative as attacker.

It had prepared for several years - subverting much of the Greek city-states to join it.

Its strong navy provided an amphibious threat of attacking the Greek city-states, picking them off one at a time, so the cities kept their armies at home defending their cities and could therefore not assemble a joint army to oppose the Persian army.

While its infantry wasinferior to the Greeks, it had a clear superiority in cavalry.

The Persian command had a clear strategy of divide and conquer, backed up by a clear and effect plan to overcome resistance by combined land-sea strategy and tactics.

Greek city-states:

The southern Greek city-states which were the target were fiercely independent and determined to resist, so they were prepared to put their differences aside and combine to oppose the invasion.

The Greek land forces, although deficient in cavalry, had armoured infantry superior to the Persian infantry.

Operating on internal lines, they were easier to supply in both the short and long term, as opposed to the Persians who had to import their supply by sea and protect the supply ships.

Althogh its warships were less powerful, they were effective and more manoeuveralbe in narrow waters, and their commanders set plans to fight in straits.

The Greek combined command had a clear strategy to first defeat the Persian fleet, then when they could leave their cities and concentrate their armies, defeat the Persian army in rough country where the Persian cavalry was inhibited, and the lesser Persian infantry was exposed to the Greek armoured infantry - just as had happened in the successful battle of Marathon ten years earlir.

Result:

The Persians won the first sea battle at Artemesion.

The Greeks tried again at Salamis and won the sea battle, and the remaing Persian fleet was withdrawn to the other side of the Aegean Sea at Mykale.

With winter coming on and their supply fleet exposed, the Persians had to send half their army back to Asia Minor.

With no amphibious threat to their home cities, the Greeks were able to send out their armies to combine and defeat the Persian infantry and their Greek allies on the rough hillsides at Plataia where the Persian cavalry was ineffective.

Simultaneously the Greek fleet captured the remaining Persian fleet at Mykale.

Both sides had good plans and leadership. The Greeks applied their plans more effectively in a phased approach which gave them progressive control of events, and the Persian invasion was repelled.