Considered one of the greatest battles that take place in The Lord of the Rings, the Battle of the Pelennor Fields is pivotal in the War of the Ring. It takes its name from the townlands and fields between the River Anduin and Minas Tirith, Gondor’s fortified capital.
The Dark Lord Sauron sends his forces so he can capture the city and break down the Gondorians’ remaining defenses. Sauron’s long-planned attack on the seven-tiered city is a sheer spectacle, as the army of Mordor marches forward and the defenders fight impossible odds.
When Was the Battle of the Pelennor Fields?
The battle takes place towards the end of the Third Age, in the year 3019. After the fall of Osgiliath, the forces of Sauron head to Minas Tirith. Sauron causes fumes to spread from Mount Doom to the eastern lands of Gondor, so that the sun cannot be seen from Minas Tirith — which is why 10th March becomes widely known as the Dawnless Day — and the Orcs can then fight more freely in the prevailing darkness.
On 11th March, the Ruling Steward of Gondor Denethor II consults Gandalf and his lords in Minas Tirith, after which he decides to send his son Faramir to Osgiliath to command the forces there. The next day, the Witch-king of Angmar leads his army across Anduin and overthrows them. Faramir and his men go back to the Causeway Forts that guard the entrance to the Pelennor Fields. However, the troops of Mordor manage to blast fire there, causing the Gondorians to flee. Their attacks are interrupted by Gandalf and Prince Imrahil, who arrive to help the wounded make their way back to Minas Tirith. By the night of 13th March, the opposing army prepares to lay siege to the city. They launch missiles as well as the heads of Gondor's fallen soldiers over the city’s walls the following day. The Winged Nazgûl also fly overhead in circles, causing despair among the defenders of the city.
Misled by Sauron’s palantír, Denethor believes that all efforts are futile at this point, and orders his men to prepare a pyre for himself and Faramir, who has been wounded by a dart. Gandalf assumes command from there onwards, and the Battle of the Pelennor Fields takes place on 15th March.
Who Fought in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields?
The participants of the battle include thousands of soldiers of Gondor, as well as several hundred Guards of the Citadel. According to the fifth volume of the novel, about 6000 Rohirrim cavalry, 30 Dúnedain of Arnor and 3000 men from other provinces also fight against tens of thousands of Orcs, Trolls, Easterlings from Rhûn, Haradrim, Oliphaunts and Variags from Khand.
Before the siege, the Beacons of Gondor are lit to alert Rohan of the impending doom. King Théoden begins to gather his Riders in response, but Aragorn and the rest of the horsemen first set out for the Paths of the Dead in an attempt to gather more allies. When the sun finally rises, the Rohirrim arrive at the scene of the battle and slaughter the Orcs in great numbers. The Nazgûl Lord mortally wounds Théoden, before being killed by Éowyn of Rohan and Merry Brandybuck.
Sauron deploys 100 Haradrim, all riding on 20 Oliphaunts. Although they were “thrice outnumbered by the Haradrim alone”, the Rohirrim fight valiantly. Aragorn and the Grey Company eventually arrive with the Army of the Dead at this point on the ships of the Corsairs, who had been on their way to aid the enemy in the battle. The Dead Men of Dunharrow had driven the Corsairs mad, causing them to jump to their death from their vessels.
By sunset, the enemy has left the Pelennor Fields; most of them had been slain while the rest drown when they try to cross Anduin.
What Was the Outcome of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields?
Once the siege has been lifted, a grey rain falls over the city, and the arrival of additional troops allows Gondor to secure Minas Tirith much more effectively.
Although Sauron’s army is defeated, he had only sent a small section of his forces to the Pelennor Fields. He still has a large number of Orcs in Mordor to fight for his purpose. However, the killing of his chief lieutenant, the Witch-king, is a great loss to him.
The winning side also suffered from considerable losses, and is aware that true victory would only be achieved when the Ring-bearer would be successful in his mission. Aragorn assumes command in place of the late Théoden, and discusses the next plan of action with his council of advisors. As a result, Gondor and its allies march to the Black Gate of Mordor two days afterward, where the Battle of the Morannon takes place, to distract Sauron so that Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee can destroy the One Ring.