War of the Last Alliance

2013-01-05T05:01:43Z

64.219.31.58: /* The Siege of Barad-dûr */

{{war
| previous=[[War of the Elves and Sauron]]
| next= [[Angmar War]]
| image=[[Image:lastalliance-elves.jpg|275px]]
| name= War of the Last Alliance
| place= Mordor and lower Anduin region
| result= Victory for the Last Alliance, fall of Sauron, loss of the One Ring
| battles= [[Fall of Minas Ithil]], [[Anárion's defense of Osgiliath]], [[Battle of Dagorlad]], [[Siege of Barad-dûr]]
| begin= {{SA|3429}}
| end= {{SA|3441}}
| side1= Greatest host since the [[War of Wrath]], Men from [[Arnor]] and [[Gondor]], Elves from [[Lindon]], [[Rivendell]], [[Mirkwood]] and [[Lothlórien]], and [[Dwarves]]
| side2= Greater host than the Alliance, myriads of [[Orcs]], [[Easterlings]], probably [[Haradrim]], [[Nazgûl]], and other creatures of Sauron|
|casual1=Thousands, innumerable|
|casual2=Nearly all Orcs, Men, and other creatures were killed|
| commanders1=
{{Gil-galad blazon|died}}
* [[Elrond]]
* [[Oropher]] †
* [[Amdír]] †
[[Image:Tree_icon2.jpg]] [[Elendil]] †
* [[Isildur]]
* [[Anárion]] †

*[[Durin IV]]
| commanders2=
{{Sauron blazon}}
}}

The '''War of the Last Alliance''' was the war late in the [[Second Age]] in which the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]] marched against the fortress of [[Sauron]], [[Barad-dûr]] in [[Mordor]]. Against all hope, they were victorious, but when [[the One Ring]] was not destroyed, [[Sauron]] rose again during the long years of the [[Third Age]].

===Prelude===
After the [[Downfall of Númenor]] in {{SA|3319}} the remaining [[Faithful]] led by [[Elendil]] and his sons [[Isildur]] and [[Anarion]] etablished the [[Realms in Exile]] in [[Middle-earth]]. Elendil ruled [[Arnor]] in the north, Isildur and Anarion jointly ruled the southern realm of [[Gondor]]. [[Sauron]] however perished physically, by drowning; being caught in the Fall of Númenor which he had cleverly schemed to bring about. Yet nevertheless, even though he truly was drowned, Sauron's spirit endured; he was able in time to take shape again. However, it should be noted that hereafter Sauron could no longer take on a deceptively fair and greatly pleasing form, as Sauron had done so long before, in order to deceive the Elves and then again much later, the [[Númenóreans]] too, whilst he was held a willing captive.

Ever since his defeat in the [[Battle of the Gwathló]] Sauron nursed a special hatred against the [[Númenóreans]] and longed to take revenge<ref>{{UT|Galadriel}}</ref>. In {{SA|3261|n}}, Sauron dared to wage war against Númenor and the last [[King of Númenor]] [[Ar-Pharazôn]] had gathered a massive army to counter this threat. Perceiving the might and splendour of the Númenóreans Sauron's servants deserted him, and Sauron was filled with fear and humbled himself. He was brought as hostage to Númenor and finally succeeded in taking his revenge by playing a vital role in the events that led to the Downfall. Yet of all Númenóreans he hated Elendil most, and his wrath was great that he and his sons had escaped<ref name="Rings">{{S|Rings}}</ref>.

===Opening Stages===

Perceiving that his enemies of old had escaped the downfall, Sauron's wrath was great and in {{SA|3429|n}} he launched an attack upon Isildur's fortress Minas Ithil Completely taken by surpise, suggensting that Sauron had been destroyed in the turmoil of Númenor's downfall, the fortress was taken, the [[White Tree of Gondor]] that Isildur had planted was burned. Nevertheless Isildur, his wife and children escaped, saving a seedling of the tree, too, and sailing down [[Anduin]] journeyed to Elendil's realm in Arnor. There Elendil and [[Gil-galad]], [[High King of the Noldor]] forged the [[Last Alliance|Last Alliance of Elves and Men]] in {{SA|3430|n}}, to defeat Sauron ultimately. Meanwhile Anárion held out in Gondor, defending [[Osgiliath]] and [[Minas Anor]]<ref name="Rings"/>.

[[Image:Lastalliance-men.jpg|250px|left|thumb|Dúnedain attack in Peter Jackson's ''Fellowship of the Ring'']]
In 3431 the Elves of Lindon led by Gil-galad and [[Círdan]] marched eastward and where awaited by Elendil at [[Amon Sûl]]. The combined host marched towards [[Rivendell|Imladris]], where they joined with [[Elrond|Lord Elrond]], who was Gil-galad's herald, and acted as his second-in-command in the coming campaign.
The host rested for about three years in Imladris, forging weapons and making plans. They crossed the [[Misty Mountains]] over many passes and marched down [[Anduin]] where they were joined by Dwarves from [[Khazad-dûm]], Elves from [[Mirkwood|Greenwood the Great]] led by [[Oropher]] and his son [[Thranduil]], and Lothlórien Elves under [[Amdír]]<ref name="Rings"/>. At the southern eaves of [[Eryn Galen]] the host turned south-east and marched through desolate areas that had once been the [[Entwives|Entwives']] gardens. They, and probably the Entwives themselves, had been destroyed by [[Sauron]] to deprive the Alliance' forces of supplies<ref>{{TT|Treebeard}}</ref>.

== The [[Battle of Dagorlad]] ==

[[Image:Elrond8.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Elrond]] leads the Elven forces]]

On the great plain near the [[Black Gate]], the forces of the Last Alliance at last confronted the black legions of Mordor, joined by Anárion's forces from the south.

During preliminary skirmishing, [[Oropher]] and his Elves, being scantily equipped, rashly charged forward into the numerous Orc forces before Gil-galad had given the command, and suffered heavy casualties, including Oropher himself. Amdír and his forces also were cut off from the main battle and driven into the marshes just to the south, where he also fell along with half of his troops<ref>{{UT|6b}}</ref>. This area became known afterwards as the [[Dead Marshes]], because of the thousands of bodies buried there.

This battle raged for days and nights continuously. But the Elves were still mighty in this times and the Númenóreans were tall and strong and terrible and wrath. And none could withstand [[Aeglos]] and [[Narsil]], Gil-galad's spear and Elendil's sword which filled the orcs and wicked men with fear. Slowly Elves and Númenóreans whittled down the vast numbers of Orcs and pushed them back towards the [[Black Gate]]<ref name="Rings"/>.
No account is given how the Alliance managed to break through this mighty fortification though.

== The [[Siege of Barad-dûr]] ==

The forces of the Last Alliance had forced their way through the Black Gate into Mordor itself. Victory seemed close, but no power short of the [[Valar]] could breach the [[Dark Tower]] by force. Though a great part of Sauron's forces was destroyed at the Dagorlad his host was still numerous and Sauron ordered many a sortie. The siege went on year after year, from {{SA|3434}} to {{SA|3441|n}}<ref name="Rings"/>. Isildur's sons, [[Aratan]] and [[Ciryon]], were detached and sent to Minas Ithil to guard against a breakout to the southwest, but his oldest son, Elendur served by his side till the end<ref name="Gladden">{{UT|Gladden}}</ref>. [[Anárion]] was killed in {{SA|3440|n}} by a projectile thrown from the tower<ref>{{PM|Elendil}}</ref>.
[[image:Isildur_ring.jpg|thumb|250px|Isildur seizes [[the One Ring]]]]

In the seventh year of the siege, it became so pressing that [[Sauron]] himself came forth. His onslaught was terrible and the siege was almost broken as Sauron and his host advanced to the slopes of [[Mount Doom]]. There he was encountered by the captains of the Alliance, Gil-galad and Elendil and to their side stood Elrond, Círdan and Isildur. Sauron fought with Gil-galad and Elendil, and both were slain. As Elendil fell, his sword was shattered beneath him. Yet Sauron was thrown down, too, and Isildur seized the hilt of his father's sword and cut off the finger on which Sauron wore the One Ring. Being bereft of its power, Sauron was no longer able to hold a physical form and perished<ref name="Rings"/>.

==Aftermath==

The Alliance pursued the Orcs, who were then in disarray, and killed them all. The Barad-dûr was leveled but its foundations remained behind, since they were built with the power of [[the One Ring]] which was not destroyed. The thousands of dead Men and Elves were taken out of Mordor and buried in the Dagorlad Plain.
[[Image:Elrond25.jpg|thumb|250px|Elrond leads the way to the [[Crack of Doom]]]]
While he had captured [[the One Ring]], Isildur refused Elrond and Círdan's entreaties that he destroy it by casting it into the [[Crack of Doom]], claiming it as a weregild for his father's and brother's death<ref name="Rings"/>. The result of this was that while [[Sauron]] was defeated and cast down, his spirit was not destroyed. He hid himself in the dark lands east of Mordor, and slowly rebuilt his power. The Nine ([[Nazgûl]]) also bided their time for the day when he would rise again.

While the Orc armies of Sauron had been well nigh destroyed in the War, scattered groups of them survived. In the Last Alliance, the casualties had been heavy. [[Elendil]] and [[Anárion]] were gone, and [[Gil-galad]], last [[High King of the Noldor]], was no more. [[Arnor]] took grievous losses, and suffered from a decline in population. It never really recovered as a major power, and broke into three pieces some centuries later. [[Gondor]] suffered less heavily and became a powerful nation. [[Isildur]], the new [[Kings of Arnor|High King of Arnor]], perished only two years later in the [[Disaster of the Gladden Fields]], along with his three older sons. They were ambushed by an Orc task force operating near the River Anduin. In the course of Isildur's death, the Ring was lost in the depths of [[Anduin]]<ref name="Gladden"/>. Much was lost, but [[Sauron]] was suppressed-- for a while.

==See also==

* '''[[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]]''' (political information)

== References ==

<references/>

[[Category:Second Age]]
[[Category:Conflicts of the Second Age]]
[[Category:Sieges]]
[[Category:Wars]]

[[fr:encyclo/evenements/2a/guerres/guerre_de_la_derniere_alliance]]

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War of the Last Alliance