CANZAK - v1.0 
Late summer 589

by Chris Jackson
Symbol set required - master 1


HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Hormizd IV, out of touch with his army, was overthrown in a coup led by the popular 
general Bahram in February 590. He and many of his relatives were put to death; his
eldest son took the Persian throne as Chosroes II, but in a battle near Cstesiphon 
he was defeated by Bahram, and after another skirmish the following week he was sent
fleeing to Constantinople for support. Bahram was crowned the new king on March 9.

The Byzantines believed it would be to their advantage to restore Chosroes to the
throne (he claimed to be sympathetic to Christianity), and after collecting a number
of Persian supporters, joined an expedition with the new eastern commander, Narses.

Bahram attempted to disrupt the Byzantine attack by trapping them in the mountain
passes, but was unable to stop the Armenian army under John and Vindoe from linking
up with the Narses and Chosroes contingent. Heavily outnumbered, he fled through the
hills but was unable to outrun his enemies, and was decisively beaten on a plain
near Canzak in Azerbaijan, near the Blarathos River that flows toward Lake Urmiah.
Bahram managed to escape, but was eventually assassinated. Chosroes II was restored
and the empires of Persia and Byzantium actually enjoyed good relations for fourteen
years.


SOURCES

Dupuy, B. Ernst and Dupuy, Trevor N. "Harper Encyclopedia of Military History".
     New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1993.

Whitby, Micheal. "The Emperor Maurice and His Historian". Oxford: Clarendon Press,
     1988.


BATTLE NOTES

Another scenario where one side is really outnumbered, so I did the thing where
one side has to defeat the other in a limited time to win the scenario. 5 turns
is the minimum limit, so that's what it is here.

- Chris Jackson
April 8, 2000