FReeper Canteen ~ Part VIII of The Mongols ~ December 28, 2004

www.coldsiberia.org ^ | December 28, 2004 | LaDivaLoca

[LaDivaLoca]

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday...
Thank the Veterans who served in
The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom?
Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

ANCIENT WARFARE





Part VIII of The Mongols

Military Innovation

The western expansion was a success for the empire until 1241 (see Wahlstatt). As they encountered the peoples of Europe, the Mongols with their advanced way of warfare were unstoppable. The Mongols used (and by doing so, introduced) several revolutionary military ideas to European combatants.

• Use of articulation. Mongols used a system of horns and flags, blown or raised-and-lowered by the field commander. This allowed them to move their troops to preplanned positions on the field of battle, or modes of attack or retreat (such as charge, withdraw, or flank). In addition, they utilized subcommanders that were empowered to make decisions on the spot.
• Mongols based their forces almost wholly on light cavalry. Light cavalry consists of primarily archers and light swordsman mounted on horseback. Mobile and numerous, light cavalry can choose its battles, retreating from forces it cannot handle, such as heavy cavalry. Heavy cavalry lacks archers (who can kill at range) and is designed mainly to provide shock - using weight, speed, and fear of their massed movement (no one wants to be trampled to death) to break enemy heavy infantry lines.

Thus, when light cavalry meets heavy cavalry, the lighter, more numerous, faster moving, bow using, well-articulated light cavalry will usually defeat mounted knights - the cream of European military power.

• Their conception of armor was markedly different. European knights used heavy plate armour (sheets of loops of chain and pieces of metal plate to protect the wearer, restricting his vision and movement). Mongols used silken clothes. The silk cloth allowed Mongol warriors greater ranges of movement, better vision and endurance. It still provided resistance to projectile weapons. It thus gave them a qualitative advantage over their opponents.

If a Mongol soldier was struck with an arrow, it penetrated the skin and sank into the flesh. However, the silk was not cut but pulled into the wound. Mongol doctors could easily pull an arrow from the wound, because it was wrapped in silken cloth. This reduced the chance of infection and made cleaning and dressing the wound easier, hopefully returning the skilled warrior to combat more quickly.

This simple procedure saved many lives. In a prolonged conflict, the Mongols retained more battlefield veterans than their opponents. This usually resulted in a situation where an army of veteran Mongols faced a conscript peasant army, with disastrous results for the Mongols' opponents.

• Mongols utilized doctrines never before seen. As nomads, Mongols carried all of their wealth and provisions with them on horseback. It was equivalent to placing an entire city on horseback. It was more mobile than many of their opponents' armed forces, who were tied to the towns for supplies.

Since their way of warfare was superior (articulated veteran light cavalry) they could not be bested in combat. The traditional solution to this problem is to attack the opponents' supply tail (food, fields, water, etc.). However, their city-dwelling opponents were tied to a supply tail, not the Mongols.

This doctrines assured their victory against foes throughout their history. The closest modern analogue is the modern aircraft carrier, with its ability to bring an entire city of warriors next door to an opponent on short notice, strike at them, and retreat away, without the possibility of pursuit.

• Mongols' effective use of terror is often credited for the unprecedented speed with which Mongol armies spread across western Asia and eastern Europe.

First, the Mongols would provide an opportunity to surrender, usually on favourable (certainly to the Mongols) terms. These offers were typically dictated to the first major population center in a new territory.

If the offer was refused, the Mongols would sack the city, execute the entire population (save a handful of skilled workers), and burn the city and the surrounding fields to the ground. They would often construct an edifice of cleaned skulls outside the walls of the destroyed city to serve as a reminder of their passage.

Finally, they would allow a few survivors to flee, to spread terror throughout the countryside. By first offering favourable (or at least acceptable) terms for surrender, and then invariably completely destroying any resistance, it is argued that Mongols forestalled most combat with invaded peoples. The Mongols quickly developed a reputation of being unstoppable, genocidal opponents. After the initial victories, and proof of the Mongols good intentions, it became more difficult for rulers to convince their people to resist an invasion.

Source: http://www.brainyencyclopedia.com/encyclopedia/m/mo/mongols.html

Next Tuesday Part IX of The Mongols

[stand watie]

GM, kathy!

free dixie HUGS, duckie/sw

[StarCMC]

Hey - check your FReepmail!! :o)

[StarCMC]

Al Jazeera abetting terrorism??? NO way!! They got the WRONG network!

/sarcasm

I guess the French have been asleep for the past few years, eh?

[laurenmarlowe]

Good Morning Canteen, Good Morning Troops!

[MEG33]

AMERICA..LAND OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE!

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE SERVED AND STILL SERVE OUR COUNTRY

[HiJinx]

They've also said (on FNC) that the entire island of Sumatra has moved south about 90 feet. In geologic terms, that's an astronomical distance. Ummmm...does that really make sense?

[HiJinx]

Good morning Meg...good to see you!

Thanks for stopping by to honor our troops...those young men and women are simply awesome in their dedication to duty and their daily fight to bring Freedom and Liberty to oppressed people everywhere.

It's amazing to me to realize that after January 30th next, we will have brought free elections to over 50 million citizens in Afghanistan and Iraq.

[StarCMC]

WOW!! They said on the news here last night that the ground in St. Louis moved 1/2 inch (amplitude) with the earthquake!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

The FR Canteen Post Office
And
www.ProudPatriots.com

Support Our Military
Info and Links To enter, Click on the Post Office Please stop in the
FR Canteen Post Office
And
www.ProudPatriots.com
To learn about different ways
to support the Military

[tomkow6]

 

SALUTE!

 

[mylife]

Good morning Ms Lauren!

[tomkow6]

Good morning, LaDiva!! Good morning, Canteen Crew! Good morning, EVERYBODY!

GOOD  

MORNING

TROOPS!

[tomkow6]

 

Today's FEEBLE

YOKE :

A policeman brought four boys before a judge.
"They were causing an awful lot of commotion at the zoo, your Honor," he said.
"Boys," said the judge sternly, "I never like to hear reports of juvenile delinquency.
Now I want each of you to tell me your name and what you were doing wrong."

"My name is George," said the first boy, "and I threw peanuts into the elephant pen."
"My name is Pete," said the second boy, "and I threw peanuts into the elephant pen."
"My name is Mike," said the third boy, "and I threw peanuts into the elephant pen."
"My name is Peanuts," said the fourth boy.

[tomkow6]

 

Chicagoland Weather

December 28, 2004
Chicago, IL
Sunrise	7:18 AM (CST)
Sunset	4:27 PM (CST)
Hrs. of Daylight	9 Hrs., 9 Mins

Currently
30°

Cloudy

	Hi: 37

	Lo: 30

 

5 Day Forecast

 

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

SUN

 

Cloudy

High:	40
Low:	35

 

Rain/Thunder

High:	47
Low:	42

 

Partly Cloudy

High:	48
Low:	29

 

Partly Cloudy

High:	36
Low:	33

 

Showers

High:	43
Low:	37

 

[HiJinx]

Even that is a lot of movement.

I was assuming that somebody had already conducted GPS-style surveys when I heard those numbers.

Reading through FR today, I see that the reports come from geologists using computer models and probabilities. I think I'll refrain from making any more similar comments until the facts are in.

On an related note, I read an FR post yesterday saying that our (UK/US) base at Diego Garcia escaped pretty much unscathed. That's good news!

[tomkow6]

Happy Birthday, Acad!

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning Troops!

Howdy Canteen Crew!!!
WOO HOO!!

Someone said, "it's a circus in the Canteen," is that true?
Well, no matter what let's kick it up a notch!

[tomkow6]

 Hi, SFC Chromey!

Welcome to the Canteen!

 

Wanna buy a burka?

 

 

[tomkow6]

 Hi, CfhBAMA!

Welcome to the Canteen!

 

Wanna buy a burka?

 

 

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning, ms. marlowe!!