00:00 The Battle of Alesia was a major turning point in the conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar, and its audacious tactics have had a lasting impact on history.

01:57 Caesar waged an unauthorized war against the tribes in Gaul, using trumped-up charges, raising legions, and taking advantage of their un-unified tribal system, which made him incredibly popular in Rome, but when the Gauls elected Vercingetorix as their leader and started to unify, Caesar headed back into Gaul.

03:28 Caesar built extensive fortifications around the fortified town of Elysia, including a wooden fence, towers, trenches, and traps, making it very difficult for the forces inside to break through.

05:03 Caesar built extensive fortifications around Alesia and the Gauls inside were running out of food, so they expelled the old, sick, women, and children in hopes that Caesar would take them in as prisoners and exhaust his food supply, but Caesar didn't take the bait and they eventually starved to death, while Caesar became aware that Gaulic reinforcements were on the way.

06:31 Caesar built a second wall around the first one, creating a fortified military doughnut, with his forces sandwiched between two walls and facing a superior force both inside and outside the doughnut.

08:06 Caesar's forces, stretched thin and sandwiched between two walls, managed to break through and surround the Gaelic reinforcements, leading to their surrender and the end of serious Gaul resistance against the Romans.

09:35 Julius Caesar's victory at Alesia, where he killed and enslaved millions of Gauls, was possibly the greatest, most improbable victory in military history.