1. Sec. 4.2 - The Assyrian Empire
Mr. Marijanovich Crestwood High School World History A

2. Sec. 4.2 Objectives Analyze the sources of Assyrian military strength.
Evaluate Assyrian achievements.
Trace the Assyrian decline.

3. The Assyrian Empire

4. The Assyrian Empire
The Assyrian Empire was know as a Mighty Military Machine.
By 850 B.C., Assyria acquired a large empire based on its advanced military organization and state-of-the-art weaponry.
Originally from Mesopotamia.
Created empire from east and north of the Tigris all the way to central Egypt.

5. The Assyrian Empire
Sennacherib- Assyrian king that bragged about destroying 89 cities & 820 villages!!!
Military Organization:
Superior Iron Working
Soldiers covered in leather and metal armor.
Copper and Iron helmets
Leather skirts with metal scales
Iron weapons
Iron pointed spears
Engineering: Pontoons/Floating structures to pass water blockages- They made their own bridges 
Foot soldiers marched shoulder to shoulder
Tons of arrows!!!
Iron-tipped battering rams!

6. The Assyrian Empire When the Assyrians won, they showed no mercy!
Enslaved their enemies.
Forced surviving enemies to move far away!
Peak of Assyrian rule around 650 B.C.
Assyrians kings controlled lands by choosing their rulers or by supporting other kings that would support Assyrian Empire.

7. Review Break!!! Stand up if true, throw up a ‘thumbs down’ if false.
The Assyrians were originally from the Indus Valley, then traveled West towards Anatolia
FALSE!!! …. Originally from Mesopotamia
The Assyrians were very proud of destroying the villages they encountered
TRUE!!! 
The Assyrians were known for having great iron weapons and for being very wise with their engineering!
The Assyrians were very nice to the soldiers they captured in war
FALSE!!! …. They enslaved their POW’s

8. The Empire Expands
Nineveh: Capital of Assyrian Empire, located along the Tigris River.
Walled city, 3 miles long and a mile wide
Largest city of its time
King Ashurbanipal: created one of the world’s largest libraries in Nineveh.
20,000 clay tablets
Features of a modern library
Organized by subject matter and catalogued
Last of the mighty Assyrian Kings!!!
Power spread too thin

9. The Empire Crumbles
612 B.C. combined army of Medes and Chaldeans destroy the capital, Nineveh.
After defeating Assyrians, Chaldeans make Babylon their capital.
600 B.C- Babylon is the center of a new empire (1000 years after Hammurabi)
Chaldean King Nebuchadnezzar restores Babylon.

11. Nebuchadnezzar Famous hanging gardens
Known as the 7 wonders of the world 
Thick walls- A four horse chariot could ride around the walls surrounding Babylon
Chaldean’s astronomers formed basis for astronomy and astrology!!!
Empire fell shortly after his death- Persian empire take power using Assyrian organization