[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by alatar

I get that Sauron was ready to move, yet only moved when pushed. However, it seems that Gandalf, being one of the Wise, doesn't incorporate this knowledge when making statement #2. If he really thought that Sauron was forced into feigning fleeing, then why does he credit Saruman so much, especially after spending a few nights on the roof of Orthanc?

Something just doesn't sit right.

At least from my part, you got almost all I wanted to say in my post, except for one thing I was desperately trying to explain there, although the message was hard to convey And that concerned exactly this question you are putting up.

Simply: It was by the device of Saruman that Sauron was driven out of Dol Guldur. He deserves the credit, I think we can imagine it the way that had not Saruman been present, Sauron would have remained in Dol Guldur. Is what I have in mind clear enough from what I say? Had Sauron not been driven out of Dol Guldur, he would have caused mischief in Mirkwood all the time. This way, we can guess his forces in the North were largely diminished and also, during the Watchful Peace he could not cause more mischief in the North.

And I'm going to have to read more about the Army of the White Council; who were they and what were they doing during the battle of the Five armies (or do I have my history mixed up?)?

Hmm, I think you are maybe getting a bit confused from some of the talk here (or I am confused about you). There was no "Army of the White Council" as an existing executive unit, the Council were, as you surely know, the "Wise" like Saruman, Gandalf, Galadriel, Elrond etc. and that was all. All the military power they had at their disposition were the native people of the realms they ruled (or eventually, some allies they could ask). This is why I am inclined to think that for example some Elves from Lothlórien may have aided the strike against Dol Guldur. But not much else. There was no reason for the Elves of Lórien, otherwise rather withdrawn and remaining inside their borders, to go all the length of the world into the Battle of the Five Armies, which did not concern them at all. The Dragon did not concern them in the first place when he was still alive, why should he concern them any more after he died. Likewise, the Elves of Rivendell stayed in Rivendell. It would have been quite of an effort to assemble an army and march over the mountains and the forest. Likewise Saruman, why should he hurry up there (and he probably didn't have any decent army by then yet anyway). Which brings me to the main point - what would have been the reasons for these armies to intervene in the first place. All the other armies came to Erebor because they wanted a share of profit from the Dragon's treasure. I don't see Elrond or Galadriel wishing to go there to grab their piece of gold (placing aside the obstacles of the journey itself), and for Saruman, I think the treasure was not as interesting to him by itself, unless he'd presume to find some Rings there, or such... So, really no reason for the White Council to interfere into the Battle at all (bear in mind that neither of the sides - except for the Goblins - knew that the battle is going to take place until the Goblins arrived there!).