Colin Ibn Walid and the Battle of Damascus

In many ways, it was more of an organized mob. There were no uniforms and no ranks.
- Commanders were appointed at will, generally based on accomplishment or tribal position.
- Their weapons was whatever they could find. Many of them came from defeated Persian and Roman soldiers
- Most armies have to deal with supplies and feeding thousands of people. Many of the soldiers traveled with their families
- The Arabs didn't have that problem as they carried their food with them and were used to living on very little
- They could live for days, even weeks on just dates, water, and camel milk.
- This allowed KIW and other commanders to travel long distances with no supply chain or base of operations
- The desert itself was another advantage. Most of the Roman soldiers were not used to it.
- Unless they were invading a city, the Muslims usually fought with their backs to the desert.
- If they were ambushed or fought in the open country, they could slip into the desert where their enemey couldn't follow.
- The four armies sent by Abu Bakr pushed into southern Syria (modern day Jordan) and conquered many small towns

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