Caesar gives a long speech, written to demonstrate the extremities that people will go to during war. The people of Alesia, an entire pan-tribal group, are trapped inside a hillfort without the knowledge of any news or reinforcement, running low on food and having a hardcore debate amongst themselves, with some considering to resort to cannibalism as a last resort.
The rebellion against Rome by the Gallic tribes started with a massacre of Romans in a hillfort town which signaled to other tribes to join the fight. As the rebellion gained steam, even previously friendly tribes of Rome sided with the Gallic tribes.
The French officer describes how the Haitian rebels were tortured, subjected to physical violence and killed brutally during the Haitian Revolution which corrupted them with the intellectual contagion of liberty making it impossible for them to return to slavery.
Historian Mike Duncan talks about the logistical challenges the Belgians faced during their revolution and how Julius Caesar was able to take advantage of the large, decentralized barbarian armies using his more centralized Roman logistical infrastructure in the Gallic Wars.
In this episode, Dan Carlin discusses Julius Caesar's military tactics during the Battle of Sabis in 57 BC, where Caesar's forces were ambushed by the Nervii tribe, but managed to turn the tide of the battle with their superior construction skills and terrain selection.
Julius Caesar leads a siege against the hillfort city of Alesia, home to a tribe led by the Gaul warrior Verkan Getterich. After failing to break the siege, Getterich retreats to the city, blocking the entrance to the peninsula with his army and waits for Caesar to attack.