War of the Ring

2009-08-04T20:17:32Z

79.3.59.144: We don't know if he survived

{{disambig-more|War of the Ring|[[War of the Ring (disambiguation)]]}}{{sources}}
{{expansion}}

{{War
| previous= [[Corsair Wars]]
| next=Unknown
| name=War of the Ring
| image=[[Image:Third Age.gif|250px]]
| begin=[[Third Age 3018|T.A. 3018]] (earlier fighting in Gondor)
| end=[[Third Age 3019|T.A. 3019]]
|place=Northwestern [[Middle-earth]]
|result=Free Peoples' victory; destruction of the [[One Ring]], [[Sauron]] and [[Mordor]]; start of the [[Fourth Age]]; [[Arnor]] and [[Gondor]] reunited under restoration of the [[King of Gondor]]
| battles=[[Battles of the Fords of Isen]], [[Battle of Isengard]], [[Battle of the Hornburg]], [[Battle of Osgiliath]], [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]], [[Battle of the Morannon]], [[Battle Under Trees]]
|side1='''Free Peoples of Middle-earth:''' [[Gondor]], [[Rohan]], [[Dale]], [[Esgaroth]], [[Erebor]], [[The Shire]], [[Lothlórien]], [[Woodland Realm]]
|side2='''Under [[Sauron]]:''' [[Mordor]], [[Rhûn]], [[Harad]], [[Haven of Umbar]], and [[Khand]]<br><br>'''Under [[Saruman]]:''' [[Isengard]] and [[Dunland]]
|commanders1=
[[Image:Aragorn_device.jpg|45px|left]] [[Aragorn II|Aragorn]]{{clear}}
[[Image:Aragorn_device.jpg|45px|left]] [[Denethor II|Denethor]] †{{clear}}
* [[Gandalf]] † (but resurrected)
[[Image:ME-Rohan.png|45px|left]] [[Théoden]] †{{clear}}
[[Image:ME-Rohan.png|45px|left]] [[Éomer]]{{clear}}
[[Image:ME-DolAmroth.png|45px|left]] [[Imrahil]]{{clear}}
* [[Dáin II Ironfoot|Dáin Ironfoot]] †
* [[Brand]] †
* [[Thranduil]]
* [[Galadriel]] and [[Celeborn]]
|commanders2=
{{Sauron blazon|died}}{{clear}}
[[Image:Saruman_device.gif|45px|left]] [[Saruman]] †{{clear}}
* [[Witch-King of Angmar|The Witch-King of Angmar]] †
|}}

{{quote|In the end, this war must be ended by the smallest of things.|[[Gandalf]]<ref>''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (video game)]]'', "Helm's Deep"</ref>}}

The '''War of the Ring''' was the great conflict at the end of the [[Third Age]], named for the [[One Ring]] and the importance this had in the final outcome. The war was fought between the Free Peoples (a loose alliance of [[Elves]] and [[Men]] led by the Wise) and [[Sauron]] the [[Dark Lord]] of Mordor, with [[Saruman]] as a third power based in [[Orthanc]]. Sauron had been defeated in the [[War of the Last Alliance]], but because of Isildur's refusal to destroy the [[One Ring]], he was not entirely vanquished. He survived in spirit form, and the foundations of Barad-dûr were also not destroyed. While Sauron's spirit wandered the wastelands of Middle-earth for over 1000 years, eventually he rebuilt his power and became a threat once again.

==History==
=== Prelude ===
Years before the War, while Sauron was known as the "[[Necromancer]]" and abode in [[Dol Guldur]], [[Gandalf]] knew that should Sauron return, he would use the power of the [[Smaug]], the last [[dragon]], who dwelt in [[Erebor]]. Gandalf persuaded [[Thorin Oakenshield]] that he should reclaim Erebor for his people. With the assistance of [[Bilbo Baggins]], Erebor was retaken and Smaug was finally killed by [[Bard]]. Most importantly, fate brought the [[One Ring]] into Bilbo's hands.

=== The Opening Stages ===
Saruman had claimed alliance with both the Wise and the Dark Lord, but was ultimately fighting for his own ends. In alliance with the [[Dunlendings]], and having Orcs at his own command, his objective was the defeat of [[Rohan]]. Until late in the War, he held the advantage, defeating Rohan twice at the [[Battles of the Fords of Isen]] which are considered the beginning of the War.
[[Image:Darrell Sweet - The Fleet of Harad.jpg|left|thumb|''The Fleet of Harad'' by Darrell Sweet]]
Sauron at all times held the military advantage in the War, due to his overwhelming forces; not only [[Orcs]] and [[Trolls]], but [[Men of Harad]] and the [[East]]. His main immediate object was the overthrow of [[Gondor]], his near neighbour and the strongest of his enemies. He had such forces at his command, though, that he was able to fight the war on many fronts, also attacking [[Dale]], [[Erebor]] and the [[Wood-elves]] in the far north, and [[Lórien]] from his secondary stronghold at [[Dol Guldur]]. There can be no doubt that, had the Wise not achieved possession of the Ring, Sauron would ultimately have been victorious.

The policy of the Wise was based around the [[Quest of Mount Doom]]; a company of nine under the leadership of [[Gandalf]] travelled from [[Rivendell]] with the [[One Ring]], with the hope of reaching [[Orodruin]] in [[Mordor]] and there destroying it. Because the Ring held much of Sauron's native power, they realised that in unmaking it, they would also defeat its creator.

Aragorn, after enlisting the help of [[Army of the Dead]], attacked the Corsair fleet at Umbar, an assault he had also carried out decades earlier, during the [[Surprise Attack on Umbar]].

The War did not end with the defeat of Sauron, for Saruman fled northward after the capture of Orthanc, and established himself in the Shire, bending the Hobbits to his will by threat of violence and the persuasive power of his voice. The return of Frodo Baggins and his companions led to a rebellion by the [[Shire-hobbits]], in which Saruman was killed by his servant, [[Gríma Wormtongue]].

=== Aftermath ===
Although Sauron and Saruman were both defeated, the Wise did not achieve total victory. With the destruction of the One Ring, the [[Three Rings]] that had maintained the realms of the Elves in Middle-earth lost their power, and the Elves began to leave Middle-earth for the [[Undying Lands]].

==Combatants==

===Sauron and his Allies===

*[[Mordor]]
**[[Sauron]] †
**[[Mouth of Sauron]]
**[[Nazgûl]] †
*[[Orthanc]]
**[[Saruman]] †
**[[Gríma Wormtongue]] †
*[[Harad]]
**[[Black Serpent]] †
*[[Rhûn]]
*[[Orcs of the Misty Mountains]]

===Free Peoples of Middle-earth===

*[[Gondor]]
**[[Dol Amroth]]
***[[Imrahil]]
**[[Lebennin]]
**[[Lossarnach]]
***[[Forlong]] the Fat †
**[[Ringló Vale]]
***[[Dervorin]] †
**[[Morthond]]
***[[Duinhir]]
***[[Duilin of Blackroot Vale|Duilin]] †
***[[Derufin]] †
**[[Anfalas]]
***[[Golasgil]]
**[[Lamedon]]
***[[Angbor the Fearless]]
**Shipmen of [[Ethir Anduin]]
**[[Pinnath Gelin]]
***[[Hirluin]] the Fair †
**[[White Mountains]]
***[[Dead Men]]
**[[Minas Tirith]]
***[[Denethor II]] †
***[[Boromir son of Denethor II|Boromir]] †
***[[Faramir son of Denethor II|Faramir]]
***[[Húrin the Tall]]
*[[Rohan]]
**[[Théoden]] †
**[[Théodred]] †
**[[Éomer]]
**[[Erkenbrand]]
**[[Elfhelm]]
**[[Grimbold]] †
*[[Mirkwood]]
**[[Thranduil]]
**[[Legolas of Mirkwood|Legolas]]
*[[Lothlórien]]
**[[Celeborn (Lord of Lórien)|Celeborn]]
**[[Galadriel]]
*The [[Shire]] and [[Bree-land]]
**[[Hobbiton]]
***[[Frodo Baggins]]
***[[Sam Gamgee]]
**[[Tookland]]
***[[Peregrin Took]]
**[[Buckland]] and [[Bree]]
***[[Meriadoc Brandybuck]]
***[[Aragorn II]]
*[[Fangorn Forest]]
**[[Treebeard]]
**[[Quickbeam]]
*[[Istari]]
**[[Gandalf]]
*[[Erebor]] and the Lands of the North
**The [[Lonely Mountain]]
***[[Gimli]]
***[[Dain II Ironfoot]] †
***[[Thorin III Stonehelm]]
**The [[Kingdom of Dale]]
***[[Brand]] †
***[[Bard II]]
* Possibly the [[Iron Hills]]

==Non-combatants==

*[[Elvendom]]
**[[Rivendell]]
***[[Elrond]]
***[[Glorfindel]]
**[[Grey Havens]]
***[[Círdan]]
***[[Galdor of the Havens]]
*[[Istari]]
**[[Radagast]]

{{references}}
[[Category:Conflicts of the Third Age]]

Tolkien Gateway - User contributions [en]

War of the Ring