How could the Nazgul take Minas Morgul?

[Lalwendë]

The siege lasted two years? Then I'm not surprised that Minas Ithil was eventually taken, as conditions must have become unbearable for those besieged. Presumably they must ahve had a significant supply of food to last that long, but other factors such as disease would have a terrible impact.

Though you'd have thought that even had it been under siege then Gondor might have been able to send an army up there to fight off the challengers and relieve the city? This must mean that either Gondor were depleted in resources or their attentions were being divided and resources not being made fully available to relieve Minas Ithil.

[CSteefel]

Or as I believe Tolkien mentioned (through one of his characters, perhaps Boromir?) that the watch on Mordor faltered. Presumably the forces were simply not there to deal with this attack...

[doom_hammer]

im not sure if this will make any diference but how many men were there guarding minas ithil

Originally Posted by CSteefel

Or as I believe Tolkien mentioned (through one of his characters, perhaps Boromir?) that the watch on Mordor faltered. Presumably the forces were simply not there to deal with this attack...

As far as I remember, Boromir never volunteered such information. He was very proud that Gondor was the guardian of the west lands, as he and his kingdom held the eastern front against mordor. Following one of his very proud speeches at the Council of Elrond, I believe Aragorn then countered with the fact that the nine Ringwraiths were riding well beyond Gondor's borders, openly searching for the ring in the western lands. Thus Boromir's foundation for such pride is not as sturdy as he believes. To this (if my memory serves me right) he never really responded or even acknowledged.

Or is that even what we were talking about...

[Damrod]

I'm a little confused about what Boromir88 said about this-

the Council of the Wise begin to start watching out for Sauron more, as the siege upon Minas Ithil seems to be rather passed off as 'unimportant.' And people don't start worrying about Sauron until half a century later.

Wouldn't the Wise be concerned about this--a full assembly of the Nine, on the doorstep of Mordor, besieging one of the chief cities of the South? Especially since they're 'watching out for Sauron more'. I don't really know myself, I mean, all we have to analyze are a couple dates and vague references. Perhaps the answer was Numenorean pride:"We've got this Minas Ithil thing managed. Gondor can solve its own problems!"

[Kuruharan]

Perhaps the Nazgul "haunted" Minas Ithil into desolation? That might explain why the Nazgul might not have been recognized as such at the time. The people didn't know what they were, there were just these horrible spirits that came to trouble them. The population might have left for no other reason than they were scared off.

Admittedly, this is a bit difficult to reconcile with the connotations of the word "siege" but it is also difficult to reconcile the Witch-King fleeing defeat able to raise an army from an area that was repeatedly described as desolate and empty for a long time previous and then besiege the city for two years without the power that just defeated him in the north doing anything to relieve a city of their own kingdom.

[calandil]

tolkiens writing style has always been a little mystical always giving the reader the outline of the story then leaving it to the reader to fill in the other parts.and thats what makes lotr so special!!!

[The 1,000 Reader]

They walked around it for seven days while screeching and on the seventh day the walls fell down.