In the beginning, Melkor unsuccessfully searched
the void for the Secret Fire . This led him to rebel against his creator, seeking dominion
over Arda. He could not create life, but he could corrupt and seduce it. During the Music of
the Ainur, he seduced some Maiar to his cause, whom took the form of demons . He destroyed the
two lamps and did such terrible damage to Arda that it was marred forever. His rebellion would
engulf Arda and introduce to its inhabitants the horrors of war. To win this war, Melkor would
rally armies, forge terrible weaponry and divided his enemies so he could conquer them. In our
previous videos on the armies of Middle Earth, we explored the arms, armour and military
strategies of the races of men, elves and dwarves. In this video, we will explore the composition of
the dread legions of the Black Foe of the World. We’re exploring Tolkein’s finished world, but it’s
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percent off a yearly subscription. Melkor’s Rebellion
Melkor first constructed Utumno under the Iron Mountains where the light of Illuin and Ormal were
dim and cold. His first followers, the Umaiar, took the forms of demons. These followers included
the shapeshifter Sauron, Balrogs such as Gothmog, and perhaps even Ungoliant the great spider.
Melkor poisoned Arda with his hate, choking it, and causing beasts to become monsters. During
the First War, Melkor destroyed the two lamps and Arda was forever marred. The Valar created the
Two Tree’s while Melkor, attended by his Balrogs, scoured Middle-earth, corrupting and breeding
monsters. During his roamings, he constructed a secondary fortress, Angband, whose command
he entrusted to his Lieutenant, Sauron. Throughout his travels, Melkor captured Elves,
corrupting and breeding them into Orcs as a form of mockery. He commanded some of his Umaiar
servants' to direct these Orcs, and these Umaiar took on Orcish shapes, known as Boldogs. These
Boldogs acted as Orc-captains who could not be slain and would reappear in battle throughout the
centuries. Fearing Melkor’s evil deeds, the Valar came to middle earth in Y.T 1090 beginning the War
of Powers. The Balrogs fought with their tides of flame, but were slew as Tulkas wrestled Melkor out
of Utumno and bound him in the chain of Angainor. Though imprisoned, Melkor’s Lieutenant Sauron and
his surviving forces hid in the deepest chambers of Utumno and Angband. Countless of Melkor’s
corrupted elven children also fled east, becoming the Eastern Orcs . Awaiting their master’s
return, they bred in secrecy, replenishing their numbers. Meanwhile, Melkor spread lies
in Valinor to divide his enemies. In Y.T 1495, Melkor and Ungoliant destroyed the Two Trees of
Valinor, then slew Finwë and stole the Silmarils. This act cast a deep divide amongst the Elves as
Fëanor, unknowingly, would aid Melkor's designs. Following this, Melkor became Morgoth and
returned to Middle Earth to wreak havoc once more. Units of Morgoth’s Army
Morgoth was rescued from Ungoliant by Gothmog and other balrogs, after which he returned
to Angband with the Silmarils in his crown. Following his return, Morgoth’s military would
face a long series of battles known as the Wars of Beleriand. His military was both quantitatively
and qualitatively formidable. Morgoth’s military units were measured in hosts, armies, legions,
companies and bands. Morgoth existed at the top of the military hierarchy, holding the rank of
Dark Lord. Under him were the ranks of Marshal, Lieutenant, Captain, and Chieftain. Orcs made up
the majority of his army formations, but there were also wolves and wolfriders who acted as
separate formations and acted as the equivalent to the horseback cavalry seen in the armies of
men and elves. The orcs in Morgoth’s army were led by orc Chieftains, Boldogs, Balrogs, and
Dragons. Orcs were typically smaller than Men, strong but crooked in frame and bow-legged.
They were powerless to resist the domination of Morgoth, and were willing to die for him
on command. Thus, they were very fanatical and effective in military operations. Trained
in combat by Morgoth and his servants, they fought recklessly and ferociously. They also
could create clever things and are amble tunnelers and miners. Orcs were unafraid of fire but unable
to operate as mariners, for they feared the sea. Consequently, throughout his wars,
Morgoth would not have any naval forces. The taming of wolves, which were used as steeds
by Orcs, acted as cavalry and scouting units for Morgoth’s forces. Sauron also twisted beings
into Werewolves and often took on the shape of a great wolf himself. The first Werewolf
was Draugluin, an evil spirit imprisoned by Sauron who would sire Carcharoth, the greatest
and most powerful wolf to ever live. Carcharoth was personally fed Elven and Man flesh by Morgoth
himself. After capturing Minas Tirith in F. A 457, Sauron renamed it Tol-in-Gaurhoth, “the Isle of
Werewolves.” Wolves were important reconnaissance units, but even better were Vampires.
Sauron could take the form of a vampire and employed the services of a vampi re servant,
Thuringwethil, who acted as a messenger in the form of a giant bat with great-fingered wings.
For logistical support, Morgoth created beasts of horn and ivory that could have carried
supplies aided in construction and forging. For heavier units, Morgoth corrupted and bred
Trolls, hulking, twisted creatures made in mockery of the Ents. Gothmog, the Lord of
the Balrogs and High-Captain of Angband, had a Troll-guard. Trolls towered twelve
feet or more and were immensely strong. To further divide his enemies, Morgoth managed to
seduce the faithless Easterlings to his camp. Led initially by Ulfang, the Easterlings acted
in an auxiliary role. Though not as formidable as the men of the West, they provided extra
units for Morgoth’s armies at little cost. For weapons of mass destruction, Morgoth
developed Dragons. These were winged or wingless beasts capable of fire-breathing. Glaurung, a
wingless fire-breathing Urulóki, was the first dragon. Morgoth also developed Cold-Drakes that
could not breathe fire in the late First Era., such as Scatha. Winged dragons included Smaug,
Gostir and the largest dragon to ever exist, Ancalagon the Black. Dragons were enormous,
extremely strong, and naturally armoured. They were intelligent, with some capable
of speech and mental magics. Glaurung, for example, had hypnotic powers, which he
employed when leading the armies of Morgoth. Dragons were the juggernauts of the Dark Lord’s
forces, serving as his primary siege breakers. Morgoth’s arsenals
Morgoth constructed Utumno as his general headquarters, where many of his hosts
resided. It was a stronghold that enabled him to work secretly. Once uncovered, he constructed
Angband, initially as an outpost and armoury. After the creation of the Orcs, Angband presumably
became the evil creatures’ main arsenal. Orcs by themselves could forge all manners of weapons and
instruments of torture, but they also captured slaves to make things for them as well. Orcs
preferred curved, scimitar-like swords and bows of horn. They poisoned speartips and arrowheads
and forged armour and shields. Beleg Strongbow once asked King Thingol for swords of worth
that could penetrate Orc armour. From this, we can extrapolate that orcish metal
must have been of decent quality. Unique to the forces of Morgoth, and later
Sauron, was the use of engines of war. There are no detailed descriptions of these engines in
the first age, but it's said Morgoth had smiths, miners and masters of fire who erected great
engines against the walls of Brithombar, Eglarest and the tower of Barad Nimras. Orcs were
very capable tunnelers and miners, only surpassed by the Dwarves. Thus, it is reasonable to
presume they made for excellent sappers as well. Morgoth greatest weapon was fear, instilling
terror into the free peoples by using the concept of darkness to coax people towards him
for protection. As Melkor told the First Men, “Greatest of all is the Dark, for it
has no bounds. I came out of the Dark, but I am its master... I will
protect you from the Dark, which else would devour you.” The shroud
of ignorance and misunderstanding that burdened the free peoples was a vital weapon
harnessed by Morgoth to divide and conquer. Morgoth’s Divide and Conquer strategy
Divide and conquer was Morgoth's primary strategy to overcome his enemies. Through the darkening
of Valinor, Melkor had stirred the hearts of the Noldor to rebel against the Valar. Upon taking
the physical form of Morgoth, the Valar became unwilling to face him in a physical battle, thus
he had effectively neutralized them for the time being. From the very onset of his rebellion,
Morgoth utilized the fear of darkness to divide the free peoples, causing a rift. Many were
dissuaded from journeying west into Beleriand, joining Morgoth or staying out of the war.
Once Morgoth felt his hosts were strong enough, he unleashed the Wars of Beleriand, and his
opening action was to divide the Sindar realms. To that end, Morgoth unleashed two great hosts of
Orcs into Beleriand. His western host cut off the lines of communication to Círdan’s Falathrim and
his eastern host to Denethor’s Laiquendi. This forced King Thingol in the center to dispatch
his army to save the Laiquendi north of Andram. As a result, the Falathrim were overwhelmed,
pushed and pushed to the edge of the sea and would only be saved by the coming of the Noldor.
After losing Denethor, the Laiquendi pledged to never again participate in the wars of Elves
and Morgoth. Thus, Morgoth had effectively neutralized one enemy. The Dwarves of Belegost
and Nogrod assailed Morgoth’s retreating forces, but he paid little attention to them as they were
effectively performing a policy of isolation. After his defeat, Thingol withdrew his people
into Doriath under the Girdle of Melian, allowing Morgoth free movement around Beleriand,
except in Falas and Doriath. Morgoth's spies noticed Fëanor’s exiles landed at Lammoth,
isolated from the group led by Fingolfin. Seeing an opening, the Dark Lord chose to
preemptively strike the Noldor while they were still divided and had not set up a proper
defensive camp. Morgoth unleashed a host of Orcs and Wolves, taking the Noldor by surprise.
However, the Noldor were still empowered by the light of Valinor and were thus able to rout his
force. Consequently, the dark forces besieging the Falathrim were forced to lift their siege to aid
the army retreating from the Noldor, but they were ambushed by a force led by Celegorm near Eithel.
As the Noldor pushed closer to Dor Daedeloth, Morgoth unleashed Balrogs from Thangorodrim.
Fingolfin’s group fought their way to the gates of Angband, but the Noldor did not have the strength
to break through. Fëanor died fighting Gothmog, and the Noldor were forced to withdraw. Morgoth
attempted to deceive his enemy by offering terms and the surrender of the Silmaril. Maedhros
feigned terms and agreed to meet for treaty talks, but Morgoth abused this flag of truce to
slaughter Maedhro’s company and take him hostage, demanding the Noldor depart Beleriand and
give up their war. Hoping he had divided the Noldor from the Sindar, Morgoth awaited their
answer, but their answer was a Siege of Angband. Morgoth had failed to divide the Noldor and
Sindar. Now, the Dark Lord was surrounded, with Fingolfin and Fingon guarding Ered Wethrin
and Barad Eithel; Finrod and Orodreth guarding the pass of Sirion from Minas Tirith;
Angrod with Aegnor guarding Dorthonion; Celegorm and Curufin guarding the land between
Aros and Celon. To make matters worse for him, Maedhros escaped prison and set up a vigil at
the Marches north of Himring while Maglor kept watch over the northern hills of Glion and
Caranthir guarded Ered Luin. In addition, the new hidden kingdoms of Gondolin and
Nargothrond joined Doriath. To locate and destroy the hidden kingdoms,
Morgoth needed to break the siege. Morgoth’s intelligence indicated the Noldor
were too preoccupied with domestic affairs to prioritize their military ones, so he attempted
sorties against perceived weaker parts of the siege line. He sent a host of Orcs against
Dorthonion with a smaller host through the Pass of Sirion and Maglor’s Gap. However,
Morgoth’s intelligence proved to be bad, for the forces of Maedhros and Fingolfin
counter attacked from the west and east, using a hammer and anvil maneuver.
Morgoth's two hosts were routed in front of Thangorodrim seeing bands flee into western
and eastern Beleriand only to be hunted down. After this setback, Morgoth looked to Hithlum
and decided it might be weaker than the realm of Maedhros. He unleashed a small number of Orcs
to assault this position in F.A 155, but Fingon’s spies saw them crossing the Firth of Drengist and
ambushed them. The Orcs were driven into the sea. After yet another defeat, Morgoth realized Orcs
alone were inadequate to defeating the Noldor, thus he began developing Dragons . Concurrently
came the three houses of Men to Beleriand. Morgoth sought to divide these new enemies, dispatching an
Orc raid stealthily over Ered Lindon to attack the house of Haleth. The Haladin’s established the
Gelion-Ascar stockade and Morgoth put it under siege. Holding out until they had almost succumbed
to starvation, Haldad and his son Haldar sortied against the Orcs and perished. Nearing victory,
Caranthir arrived at the scene and saved the surviving Men. Although defeated, Morgoth did
manage to force the people of Haleth to isolate themselves further and not participate in the
war on a large scale, similar to the Laiquendi. In F.A 455, Morgoth gathered his strength and
unleashed multiple armies led by Glaurung and presumably also Sauron and Gothmog. In
the northeast, Dorthonion was overrun, with Aegnor, Angrod and countless from the house
of Bëor slain in the fighting. In the northwest, Hithlum was successfully defended, but many of
the house of Hador perished. Morgoth’s forces breached the pass of Aglon, captured Maglor’s Gap
and encroached into eastern Beleriand. Meanwhile, Sauron established the advanced outpost of
Tol-in-Gaurgoth. Fingolfin alone rode to Angband, challenging Morgoth to single combat.
He would die in the duel that followed. Morgoth had broken the siege of Angband and
slew many enemy leaders. His forces could now roam throughout northern Beleriand. Yet many
of his enemies' kingdoms remained hidden to him and his forces had taken heavy losses. Morgoth’s
enemies utilized the Dark Lord’s weakened position to seize the initiative, forming the Union of
Maedhros and assaulting Angband before he could divide and conquer them one by one. As cunning
as ever, Morgoth managed to divide them still, secretly seducing Ulfang to his camp. The
Union planned to lure out Morgoth’s forces against their Eastern Army, but instead, Morgoth
managed to lure out the Western Army. Enraged, the forces of men broke through the Gates of
Angband and fell into a trap. Within his fortress, Morgoth's forces slaughtered countless
humans before the Dark Lord unleashed his secret reserves. Wolves, Wolf-Riders,
Balrogs and Dragons led by Glaurung stormed out to unleash chaos upon the ranks of
mankind. Despite the incredible strength, Morgoth could have still lost the battle if it
were not for Ulfang's betrayal forcing Maedhros to fight a three-front battle. Glaurung slew Azaghâl,
forcing the Dwarves of Belegost to retire and not play a larger role in the war. Gothmog, leading
the western host, slew Fingon and captured Húrin. Morgoth had inflicted massive casualties
upon his enemies and now could move even more freely in Beleriand. The Dark Lord
placed the Easterlings in Hithlum as a buffer state and set to work conquering
his enemies one by one. Morgoth’s smiths, miners and masters of fire erected siege
engines to break and seize Barad Nimras, Brithombar and Eglarest, effectively
ejecting the Falathrim from the war. Then, during the battle of Tumhalad , Morgoth discovered
the location of Nargothrond. In F.A 495 Glaurung led an Orc Host to attack Nargothrond. Glaurung’s
fire breath proved an effective siege weapon, breaking the doors of Felagund and
allowing the Orcs to sack the city. After this, Morgoth captured the Elf
Maeglin, who helped him locate and gain access to Gondolin. In F.A 510, Morgoth
besieged the city with armies of Orcs, Wolves, Balrogs and Dragons. In the battle that
followed, Gothmog and Glorfindel slew each other in single combat. Thus, Morgoth lost one of
his highest-ranking marshals. Despite this, Goldolin fell to his forces. After this victory,
Morgoth had finally won dominion over Beleriand, or so he thought. Unbeknownst to him, Eärendil
survived the fall of Gondolin and went to Valinor, rallying the host of the Valar.
In F.A. 545, the War of the Wrath began. Morgoth’s greatest fear had come true; the
enemy was now fully united. Morgoth unleashed his full against his confederated foes, throwing all
he had at them, including the massive dread wyrm, Ancalagon the Black. Morgoth faced his greatest
enemy, the alliance of all against him. Undivided, the host of the Valar defeated Morgoth,
casting him through the Door of Night. Conclusion
In the end, Morgoth needed his enemies divided to be victorious. He
alienated the Valar from the Noldor, some Noldor from the Sindar and Easterlings from the Edain.
Yet rather ironically, to create these divisions, he had to create vast armies, and this divided
his strength as the creations were imbued with his power. In a war of attrition, Morgoth’s strategy
of divide and conquer won him countless battles, but in the end, the war was won when his
enemies finally rallied all together, for Morgoth could not face the entirety of them
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