The White Council assaults Dol Guldur?

[Nazgûl-king]

I always thought all five of the Istari were on the White Council. I think Celeborn, Gildor (Inglorion), Glorfindel and Erestor are also possible.

[ArathornJax]

According to Of the Rings of Power in the Silmarillion Gandalf and Saruman were the Istari on the Council along with "Elrond, Cirdan and Galaderial along with other Lords of the Eldar."

I think based on that we know for sure who was on it as has been posted. I would also agree that Galdor and Erestor were there as they were on the Council at Rivendell. Other than that I would say it is pure speculation.

In terms of the attack on Dol Guldur, I am believe this assault was on Sauron by the members of the Council, and not a physical attack with an army on the fortress. From below we know that the purpose was to force Sauron out of Dol Guldur and they did that. However the fortress remained (see below for more of this).

I looked at the Peoples of Middle Earth from HOME and did not see any reference to the attack. Again, the source I have found is in The Silmarillion in the same chapter Of the Rings of Power. There it says that Curunir (Saruman) wanting to prohibit Sauron from having free access to searching Gladden Fields and the River Anduin which were next to Dol Guldur consented to the attack. It says:

"Therefore for the last time, he aided the Council, and they put forth their strength; and they assaulted Dol Guldur, and drove Sauron from his hold,"

I wonder how Saruman aided the Council? However the verse "put forth their strength" to me sounds like they used their personal strength to attack, not an army.

As I further reflected on this, and that the text also mentions that Sauron had perceived what the Council was going to do and so this was really a "feint" allowing Sauron to return to Mordor (the nine Ringwraiths had already left to prepare for their Master's return), and whether the Council had used their personal strength to assault Dol Guldur, or led a force that attacked met I had to look further. So I did and I feel good that this was an attack of personal strength against Sauron because Dol Guldur was not thrown down in 2941, and remained standing until Celeborn took it after Sauron's defeat and Galadrial came forth and threw down its walls according to Unfinished Tales and Appendix A. If the Council had actually physically assaulted Dol Guldur in 2941 with themselves and an army, I would have imagined they would have done this at this point to prevent Sauron from having a stronghold to the north of Mordor), Sauron allowed them to "win" since it met his purposes. The next year the fortress was again occupied by a Ringwraith and evil returned to Mirkwood.

I could accept the Council physically attacking the fortress with an army, if we can find evidence on why they did not destroy it at that time, or even speculation based on something in the writings.

So, where am I on the questions?

1. Did the Wise really, personally, come to Dol Guldur? I don't believe so. I think they attacked from somewhere near, which would probably point to Lorien. It took a final victory by Celeborn after Sauron was defeated for Galadrial to come forth and throw down the walls, lifting the shadow from the forest of Mirkwood, which was then renamed Greenwood the Great. This may also be what Galadrial refers to when she tells Frodo that Sauron suspects that she has one of the three Elven rings but is not sure. If the attack was made from Lorien, this may explain one reason Sauron is suspcious of her.
2. Who was actually in the White Council? We know according to the Silmarillion that Elrond, Cirdan, Galadrial, Saruman and Gandalf were, along with other Lords of the Eldar. Anything beyond this is speculation at this point.
3. Were they all there in Dol Guldur, or someone stayed home? I believe they all were there except perhaps for Cirdan. He seems to like the oceanside a lot and I thought I read somewhere that he would not leave the Havens. That is speculation and would require me to do some research again.
4. Were they all alone in the forest, or did they bring an armed force with them?
See above. I believe they were alone in their attack per the fact the fortress remained standing.
5. If they did, whom did they bring? An Elvish commando from Lórien, or something else? Well, no one. If they did bring someone, I'm sure Haldir led an Elven force from Lorien with perhaps the sons of Elrond being involved. Might make a good piece of fan fiction.
6. Was there actually any battle? Did Sauron flee before the attack, or during it?
I think as the attack started Sauron departed. Once he departed, the evil things like Orcs fled since there was no leadership (and this seems to be a natural reaction for Orcs when their leaders depart or retreat.
7. How the battle looked like? Galadriel sings a song and half the wall of Dol Guldur's fortress crumbles down? Saruman shouts exorcisms and the spirit of Sauron flees? Or Glamdring swings above the heads of Orcs?
Saruman used some of his "devices" but we do not know what they were. I don't think they were anything to blow up the fortress or it would have been eliminated per above. I think these devices were something he discovered in his studying of the rings, and he revealed it so he could get what he wanted, Sauron out of the Anduin and Gladden Fields areas.

Just some thoughts.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by ArathornJax

In terms of the attack on Dol Guldur, I am believe this assault was on Sauron by the members of the Council, and not a physical attack with an army on the fortress. From below we know that the purpose was to force Sauron out of Dol Guldur and they did that. However the fortress remained (see below for more of this).
(...)
So I did and I feel good that this was an attack of personal strength against Sauron because Dol Guldur was not thrown down in 2941, and remained standing until Celeborn took it after Sauron's defeat and Galadrial came forth and threw down its walls according to Unfinished Tales and Appendix A. If the Council had actually physically assaulted Dol Guldur in 2941 with themselves and an army, I would have imagined they would have done this at this point to prevent Sauron from having a stronghold to the north of Mordor), Sauron allowed them to "win" since it met his purposes. The next year the fortress was again occupied by a Ringwraith and evil returned to Mirkwood.
(...)
Saruman used some of his "devices" but we do not know what they were. I don't think they were anything to blow up the fortress or it would have been eliminated per above. I think these devices were something he discovered in his studying of the rings, and he revealed it so he could get what he wanted, Sauron out of the Anduin and Gladden Fields areas.

You bring a good point that Dol Guldur's fortress very probably was not destroyed. However, I don't think not destroying the fortress does not exclude the possibility of an armed attack. The attackers might have came to Dol Guldur, stormed the gates, run inside, destroy all that came in the way, but after Sauron left and the Orcs and all other creatures fled, they considered their mission fulfiled (we know they did) and left the empty fortress in the woods alone. Years later, after Sauron's final demise, they did not repeat this mistake and destroyed Dol Guldur just for the sake of it. (And there's also the possibility that Galadriel at that time acted wiser than Saruman before, as Saruman was surely the one in lead of the attack, and maybe when Galadriel said they should uncover the dungeons of Dol Guldur and destroy the fortress, he said "Nonsense, we are going home" and that was it.)

[Sardy]

Three things that I would love to know more about would be:

1. Was there any discussion, debate or verbal confrontation between the White Council and Sauron? Possibly before the military "assault" on Dol Guldur was launched?

2. (Apologies if this had already been addressed, I'm still reading through the thread...) Did the White Council realize that they were dealing with Sauron? Or did they think that they were driving out a previously unknown threat (i.e., "The Necromancer")? Was their goal to utterly defeat Sauraon/Necromancer? Drive him out of Greenwood? Or simply just to post-pone his inevitable re-emergence in M-e?

3. When Gandalf arrived at Dol Guldur, did he explain his tardiness to the rest of the White Council in something along the lines of, "Sorry I'm late... I was just creatively re-interpreting my Istari mandate of not directly interfering by arranging the murder of (the last) dragon and instigating a War of Five Armies?"

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Sardy

1. Was there any discussion, debate or verbal confrontation between the White Council and Sauron? Possibly before the military "assault" on Dol Guldur was launched?

You mean, any "diplomacy talks" or such things? Not sure how it would've looked like. Though maybe... well, I don't think there is anything about it. Maybe in HoME, if ever.

2. (Apologies if this had already been addressed, I'm still reading through the thread...) Did the White Council realize that they were dealing with Sauron? Or did they think that they were driving out a previously unknown threat (i.e., "The Necromancer")? Was their goal to utterly defeat Sauraon/Necromancer? Drive him out of Greenwood? Or simply just to post-pone his inevitable re-emergence in M-e?

They knew it was Sauron since Gandalf visited Dol Guldur for the second time. Their goal was to get rid of him - definitely to prevent him from rising, to drive him away from Mirkwood, and they counted on at least diminishing his power and stopping him for several hundred or thousand years to come.

3. When Gandalf arrived at Dol Guldur, did he explain his tardiness to the rest of the White Council in something along the lines of, "Sorry I'm late... I was just creatively re-interpreting my Istari mandate of not directly interfering by arranging the murder of (the last) dragon and instigating a War of Five Armies?"

He arrived on time - and not to Dol Guldur, but to the Council, possibly Lórien. That can be concluded from his words:

Originally Posted by UT, The Quest for Erebor

I had to be with the White Council in August at the latest, or Saruman would have his way and nothing would be done.

Of course he didn't know that Saruman wanted to attack as well already, but that's a side issue.

[ianintheuk]

I am surprised reading this that there is any confusion over Celeborn i.e. was he/was he not a member of the White council. you only have to check the Lord of the Rings itself to see confirmation that he must have been a member.

Ref Page 357 of the Harper Collins 50th Anniversary edition (Chapter "the mirror of Galadriel")

Galadriel says ' For the lord of the Galadhrim (Celeborn) is accounted the wisest of the elves of Middle-Earth'

It would be strange indeed if the white council (of the wise) excluded the wisest elf of all and husband of one of its members !!!!

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by ianintheuk

Galadriel says ' For the lord of the Galadhrim (Celeborn) is accounted the wisest of the elves of Middle-Earth'

It would be strange indeed if the white council (of the wise) excluded the wisest elf of all and husband of one of its members !!!!

There is no "confusion", as you put it. It would be likely, yes (although there is the argument I mentioned before - although it has probably as much value as the one you mention). But the point is that there is not explicitely written anywhere that he was a member of the Council. Strange it would be indeed, but even with your quote you can't say 100% "it is like that". Someone may still disagree and you'll have no bulletproof argument to convince him.