[TheAzn]

Sorry for my week long absence, guys. I have been a bit busy.

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Nice thread!

I think that the difference between the two powers lay in the false pride of the Gondorians and the superior technology and tactics of Sauron's forces. Let's look...

The walls of Minas Tirith are mighty, and believed impregnable. Remember that this is the final sanctuary of Gondor. To get there, any force must first take Minas Ithil and then Osgiliath. The walls are designed to keep forces out at the last. But walls to protect are only as good as the weakness of the force beseiging them. If it's a strong force, then those within can be beaten by other means. And the residents know this:

Sauron's force know this. And they have the technology to force the inevitable despair to come on more quickly. Their seige engines and catapults aren't designed to smash or crush, just to fling lighter, and often firey, missiles at a greater height. They also have more advanced weaponry:

The catapults aren't described as small, and presumably with a vast and brutalised army at his disposal, dragging huge war engines across the plain might not be such a problem for Sauron. They are also set up behind those firey trenches so presumably they also do not move once set up.

Therefore, you can assume that Minas Tirith simply did not have catapults which could outmatch them, even given the advantage of height. Why is interesting. Is that because the residents felt safe behind that wall? Perhaps they were unable to place large catapults due to the design of the city (which is very old). Perhaps it was a lack of resources.

The following shows Sauron's tactics again and how they worked. He has ignored the impossibility of breaching the wall and instead used his tech to spread despair and incendiaries over the wall. Some of the garrison have run away sickened at the sight of the heads of their comrades used as missiles, others have had to help put out the raging inferno. There's now hardly anyone to defend the city from those running up to attack it. The only thing that can stop it now is an attack on the rear or flank of Sauron's forces, and nobody expects this.

Hey Lalwende. This is a good post!!! Thank you for providing quotes from the book.

At first men laughed and did not greatly fear such devices. For the main wall of the City was of great height and marvellous thickness, built ere the power and craft of Numenor waned in exile; and its outward face was like to the Tower of Orthanc, hard and dark and smooth, unconquerable by steel or fire, unbreakable except by some convulsion that would rend the very earth on which it stood.

Not greatly fearing the devices, any reasonable person can understand. But to laugh? As shown by the people countering me on this thread, it does not take a physicist to immediately realise that lighter - but still deadly - things can be thrown over the walls. Firebombs that cause raging infernos are one of them. Infected body parts and animal wastes are another. No seasoned, elite soldiers should display such a lack in correct judgement - especially when some of their friends just ate dirt on the Pelennor Fields. Professor Tolkien was not an infallible author, and this is probably another good example of a few things that he had not really thought through.

Therefore, you can assume that Minas Tirith simply did not have catapults which could outmatch them, even given the advantage of height. Why is interesting.

This is indeed probably what Tolkien wanted things to be, and he would be substantially mistaken based on the situations that the professor himself created.

Is that because the residents felt safe behind that wall?

Unlikely so, as have been discussed above.

Perhaps they were unable to place large catapults due to the design of the city (which is very old).

This has been refuted. Between Minas Tirith lacking spaces and having a lot of spaces, there are more evidence for the latter. I will explain more below in what will be my responses to the general arguments made against me.

Perhaps it was a lack of resources.

This has also been refuted. Every aspect of the Gondorian military that we have read about has been well maintained. Even horses - useless in siege warfare with the exceptions in communications and rare rescue operations - were kept in great numbers in Minas Tirith ( there were at least 100 mounted Swan Knights of Dol Amroth). Those stables used to housed horses could have been cleared away for more spaces, not that Minas Tirith was lacking in any.