Caesars War On Gaul
Research Papers on Caesar's War on Gaul discuss Caesar's traits that helped him attack Gaul successfully. Have our world history writers custom write a project explaining the War on Gaul and its historical significance.
Caesar was most noted for an unsurpassed military ambition. In the wars in Gaul, he was driven by his need for expansion, which suggests an interesting parallel between him and the earlier conqueror Alexander. Also, Caesar's policy of unchecked military expansion into Gaul served many political and personal purposes, as well.
- Caesar's expansionism allowed him to prove his worth, to himself and to Rome;
- Through Caesar's Gaul campaigns, his life took on higher meaning.
- Caesar's conquest opened central Europe to the Mediterranean civilization.
Caesar's War Policy
But the reality was that in Caesar's wars on Gaul he had no instruction to make conquest, no authority to do so unless Rome's interests were at stake. Rome's policy was only to fight legitimate wars, but often that was not Caesar's war motivation. He felt, in this case, that he simply needed to conquer Gaul because it represented a potential, though not immediate, threat to Rome from invading forces. In 55 B.C., he crossed the Rhine to illustrate Rome's power to Germany and prevent future Germanic invasions. Gaul, therefore, was a set of wars that anticipated the possibility of future wars. It was also a conquest that showed his impressive skills to the Roman Senate. By getting Gaul he was both hero of the people and master of the most powerful Roman Army. He wrote that "his own integrity was attested by his whole life".