War Elephant Research Paper

Use of elephants as war animals has been dated back to as early as 331 BC by the Persians. King Darius the 111 of Persia was the first to use elephants in the battle of Guagamela, against Alexander the Great of Mecedon. Kind Darius' army consisted of 15 well trained Indian elephants which was used to frighten the opposition. War elephants were used in elephantry which involves a parade of elephants with military troops mounted on top. These elephants were used to charge at the enemy, separate their forces and inculcate a sense of fear in them. The many different attributes possessed by elephants made them useful in battles. Firstly Male elephants were used in the battlefield due to their aggressive nature. Female elephants were used for other purposes such as transportation and carrying of heavy loads. The massive
size of elephants was exploited in many ways. It was not only used to intimidate the enemies but also other animals to keep them at bay. They were used to carry heavy loads. Their herculean trunks aided in lifting heavy objects. Another distinguishing feature of elephants was their tusks that were used for a variety of purposes.
They not only assisted in digging through the toughest of terrains, but also weapons of war, where their steel like strength could rip apart the brawniest of soldiers. The tusks were used in combatting elephants from the enemies side too. Being herbivores, the elephants were better able to adapt in warlike conditions unlike carnivores die to the abundance of vegetation. Elephants were also a part of many tactics used during wars. Shock attack was one such technique widely used in history. Some famous shock attacks include the pickett's charge at the battle of Gettysburg during the American civil war. Shock attack was also used in the battle of Beersheba in world war 1. In this elephants were made to advance towards the enemy at great speeds in hope to cause them to retreat. In doing so the elephants die to their heavy weight and large size could crush the opponents. Use of elephants can also be traced back to islamic history when Abraha marched in his elephant toward the Ka'aba to demolish it in 570 AD. This year is also termed as the year of
elephants. The use of elephants continued till the 19th century after which it was stopped due to the introduction of military weapons such as cannons which could easily be used to aim at elephants and kill them. However, elephants were once again used during World War 1 and World War 2 to cross difficult terrains which motor vehicles could not.