Joseph Steiner Steiner 1 Mr. Johnson English 2 April 24, 2014 The Tactics of Genghis Khan The Mongol empire was the strongest during the 14th century out of any others in the world. This rise to power came largely as a direct result from their new ruler who would later be known as Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan is revered as one of the greatest military leaders in all of History. His numerous and at the time unheard of military strategies caught everyone he fought by surprise which may have been the most important factor. There are many factors that made Genghis Khan’s empire so successful such as the element of surprise, the unity of smaller tribes throughout Mongolia and the training of individual soldiers. The movability of Genghis Khan’s military was swift and surprising. The soldiers would keep two to four horses with them at all times while travelling in order to keep moving at a quick pace. The horses were small but strong and durable allowing them to travel not as quickly as other horses but for a much longer period of time. According to the Mongolia-Web website if you Couple this with the fact that there were multiple horses for each soldier the military could travel up to 100 miles a day. (http://www.mongolia-web.com/) 100 miles a day for an army to travel was unheard of during that time period. In addition to this they travelled light, being able to survive from their environments in most situations allowed them to not be burdened with a mass of supplies carried behind them. Routes through frozen bodies of water were preferred by Steiner 2 The Mongols because they knew that the enemy would not be expecting them to travel by this unconventional manner. Winter was the preferred time of year to attack as the Mongols were... ... middle of paper ... ...ng the thinned and unaware forces off guard usually securing the victory. Steiner 6 When led by Genghis Khan the Mongols were the most feared nation at the time, and for good reason. Genghis Khan was able to unite all the different Mongol tribes, something unheard of at that time and use them as a united force to defeat anyone who dared oppose them. Whether the enemy hid in the city of confronted the Mongols the battles ended the same. No one could stop the genius military tactics of the Khan and his second in command, Subutai. Travelling was easy, light, and effective. They lived off of the land and their horses that provided them with milk. With unmatched hunting and fighting skills, led by those unmatched in tactical skills this army was one truly meant to be feared. This is why people view Genghis Khan and his reign as the greatest military conquest in history.
Genghis Kahn conquered a total of 4,860,000 square miles. That’s more than two times the amount lassoed by Alexander the Great, the second most successful conquerer. The amount of land that Genghis Kahn conquered is over one million square miles greater than the entire area of the United States, Alaska and Hawaii not included. (doc A) The pain inflicted by Khan and his army during their conquests was unfathomably merciless, demented, and “barbaric.” His victories resulted from actions and inhumane methods. (doc D and doc F) The law code he enforced was ruthless and unyielding. (doc K and doc N) Very few of his successful methods were harmless. (doc L) Enormous inhabitant deaths occurred. (doc E and doc I) The only religions acknowledged were monotheistic. (doc H, doc G, and doc M) The Mongol Empire was infinitely more barbaric than any other empire seen before the thirteenth century.
Quick transport around the battlefield meant that they could outrun, and trample their enemies easily. The Mongolians had excellent horsemanship, they were able to stop and aim their arrows, then quickly start again and fire them at the enemy. This played to their advantage as well because the horses provided them with another layer of protection because it is hard to hit someone who is above ground, moving at 30 mph. While the apache also used horses and bows, the Mongols superior training and weapons like halberds would allow them to defeat the
All people feared the Mongols of the thirteenth century. There are many reasons as to why people cringed when they heard the word Mongol. King Louis IX was especially fearful of the Mongols. He was so anxious he sent William of Rubruck to infiltrate the Mongol society, unravel their plans, integrate Christianity into their society, and show the world the culture of the medieval Mongols.
They struck fear into their enemies eyes with their gruesome affect and fierce actions. They showed no mercy. The Mongols were also known for their surprise attack which spread to other armies making it a keen warfare used all around the world. This battle tactic consisted of a group of men who are fighting out on the battlefield and they begin to retreat only to draw the enemy into a trap. The enemy runs into a rain of arrows as the rest of the men are hiding off to the side with loaded weapons, and fierce ground fighters ready for combat. This is one key that the Mongols had to help them conquer
The Mongols; a vicious and destructive military force, feared throughout its empire and under the rule of one man, Chinggis Khan. This picture of the Mongols and their empire is one often painted by our modern society. However, much of what we think we know about the Mongols has been exaggerated and biased from the point of view of the people that were conquered. In reality, the Mongols, although at times violent and destructive, bore many similarities in tactics and practices to the classical empires that had preceded them. They were not just simple barbaric savages looking to destroy whatever they could. They were a people united for a common purpose, trying to achieve it the same way that prior civilizations had done so: military force. Even though a Western perspective may find the actions of the Mongols objectionable, it must be understood that this was not a Western society, nor did it house the same values as one. The Mongols were not the destructive barbarians they are often made out to be, but rather an effective military force working for unification.
The Mongols' politics were affected by the horse. According to Morris Rossabi, The Mongols valued the horse for the advantages it presented in warfare. The horse was fast and flexible in battle (All Khan's Horses).These characteristics of the horse helped the Mongols attack and to dodge enemy arrows. Morris Rossabi goes on to state that the great Mongolian general Genghis Khan used the horse to conquer central Asia. Khan was said to have used the horse to facilitate hit-and-run raids on sedentary agricultural societies and to mobilize his army(All Khan's Horses). After the raid, the horse a...
As a military force, the Mongols were excellent fighters, renowned for their conquests throughout Asia and eastern Europe. Their overwhelming strength came from a combination of tactics and weaponry, allowing for swift and decisive victories as they expanded their territory across the continent. While most armies across the continent set up as soldiers around a small force of knights, the Mongols troops functioned as highly effective units, relying on a series of battlefield commands relayed by “drums, gongs, banners, and whistling arrows to direct them” (“Mongol: Doctrine, Strategies, and Tactics”). They would open with their infamous barrage of arrows, shot into the sky to arc over and land on their enemies. This key tactic was well-suited
They had loved as herders in the grasslands of north China. They also raided and fought with other tribes. Khan managed to unite the Mongols tribes into a powerful fighting force. Under his leadership, the Mongols began to campaign of conquest that would create the largest empire the world ever had known. Genghis first turned his army south, toward China. He had taken a large portion of northern China after a several years of fighting. The Mongols took the rest of China, all of Russia, and most of southeast Asia. Because the Mongols were nomads, they had no real experience this governing. They could also be flexible. They allowed conquered peoples to maintain their own custom and tradition. They practiced religious tolerance, one of Genghis’s grandsons reported that they said there is one God.Just as God has given different fingers to the palm, se He has given different religion to men. Meanwhile, Mongols started to collapse, they lasted for centuries. The main cause of the collapse was the disease. This disease was bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death. Black Death started China and spread it along the Silk Road. The Black Death brought down the Mongol
In the West, Genghis Khan and the Mongol tribe are often presented as brutal savages who wiped out entire cultures, destroyed cities and killed many people. While these accounts are true, there was certainly more to the Mongol empire than sheer brutality. Many of the practices that Genghis Khan put into place were responsible for the successes of the Mongol Nation. With an ability to adapt and innovate, Genghis Khan became known as the world’s greatest conqueror and is still revered in many countries today.
Genghis Khan was a great ruler of the vast Mongol Empire. We chose our topic because Genghis Khan was great leader who lead the Mongolian empire to great success. Our interests were pulled to him, because he had used tactics that no one had thought of, and he united the nomadic tribes of the mongolian plateau. His strategies were little bit questionable, but he used them to build a massive empire that spanned across the Asian continent.
Rather than having a military that was large in numbers, he had specific tactics that made his army more successful than any other military at the time. He would often send out spies to find out what his enemies' motivations were and what type of weapons they used. Many of the weapons that Genghis and his army used were improvised versions of weapons that came from the Persians or Chinese (Hays). The Mongols had a high level of mobility and speed and would overwhelm their enemy. Genghis' army relied mostly on bows and arrows and only used man-to-man combat after they disorganized the enemies army (Mongol Empires). The archers that were armed with shields would get off their horses and fire at the enemy, while others who were trained would shoot while they were still moving on their horse (Alvarez). Genghis Khan's most successful tactic was his use of psychological warfare on his opponents. The Mongolian army was known to be the most brutal army at the time, so when people heard that they might be coming, people often committed suicide or left their homes to avoid any possible contact with Genghis and his army (Hays). After a victory, Genghis would use propaganda to instill fear into other empires. He would often times ask for voluntary surrender, and if the surrender was true, he would save the people. After the Mongols would capture the city that just surrendered, they would pretend to leave to
Like every other civilization, the Mongols began as being nomadic. As time went on, they continued to remain nomadic in a way. I did my best to recreate that characteristic by not researching or constructing advanced projects for their time. The first khan, meaning world leader, was Genghis Khan. He became khan by “uniting his whole tribesman and nomadic neighbors into the mightiest war machine.” (Guisepi) and conquered a majority of the land in Asia, bringing all the people of the land under Mongol
Genghis Khan’s idea of expanding and enhancing trade routes expanded the Mongol Empire, which later brought international prosperity (220). One of the most important trade routes Genghis Khan had
In the 1200's, in the heart of Mongolia, emerged an empire that would remain incomparable to any other throughout history. Covering a vast expanse of land over a period of nearly two centuries, Genghis Khan and future rulers united a large and diverse group of nomadic people and developed an adept military, conquering civilizations across Asia and parts of Europe. Unique characteristics that they possessed differentiated their empire and both aided and hindered them. The Mongols’ communication system, eagerness for trade, and open mindedness paved the way for their successes, yet these qualities also led to their absorption of the cultures they had defeated, and ultimately contributed to their downfall.
At its peak the Mongol Empire was praised with high esteem in Eurasia for its trade affluence. They built impactful infrastructure, for example, Genghis Khan utilized and expanded a postal system of alert horses and riders posted at stations staggered throughout the Mongol Empire to pass on important messages known as the Yam (New World Encyclopedia contributors). The postal stations developed into inns for merchants; riders and merchants interchanged ideas and prestige. This network benefitted Mongol advisors and merchants, furthermore, promoted rapid communication to safeguard and expedite Mongol society. Kublai Khan promoted economic growth and independence with neighboring empires by rebuilding and commissioning canals to update the Mongol