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

[mylife]

2 digit midget eh?

Congrats!

[darkwing104]

2 digit midget eh?
Congrats!

Thanks

[tomkow6]

"...little avatar..."

.....gettin' a little personal there, ain't ya, Ms Feather?

[tomkow6]

We got a dusting Christmas Day, but that's about all; temps over the next few days will be way above freezing. Supposed to hit 40 today, & maybe 50 by next Thursday!

Snow blower is STILL in the storage shed....

[tomkow6]

BRATTDarkwing!

Plus, I wasn't here! Remember I was dropping off goodies for our recruiters?

[Lady Jag]

Some believe that the world converting to the metric system would greatly simplify our measures. But look what would really happen to our old cliches...

A miss is as good as 1.6 kilometers.

Put your best 0.3 of a meter forward.

Spare the 5.03 meters and spoil the child.

Twenty-eight grams of prevention is worth 453 grams of cure.

Give a man 2.5 centimeters and he'll take 1.6 kilometers.

Peter Piper picked 8.8 liters of pickled peppers.

Obviously more research is required.

[Soaring Feather]

.....gettin' a little personal there, ain't ya, Ms Feather?

Hey, you want me to get a little personal with you??

What has the Canteen lunatic been up to these days?? eh?

[Lady Jag]

It's been fun finding pics to match the numbers. You are getting down to just 2 1/2 months!

[Fawnn]

acad1228!!! #100!!!
tomkow6!!! #150!!!
darkwing105!!! #200!!!

[Old Sarge]

Greetings, Canteeners,
FReepers, Troops,
and All the Ships at Sea!

And reporting live from the Haunted Armory, it's Day 27 of Sarge's Most Excellent Adventure!

Back at the recruiter desk for one final week, and things have perked along with the unit's schedule for the adventure. The big issue is, when will The Car be repaired, and when will Sarge have to return to the mountains to drive it back?

Well, every adventure story has its dark chapters, and this one is certainly one of them. The Home Detachment will adapt and overcome, like always.

The morning at home consisted of packing away Xmas stuff, several more loads of laundry, and the promise of more housecleaning when Sarge gets home tonight. Yippee, skip...

Star, that is a great pic! I just KNOW that someone will whisper something in my ear, presently...

Sarge will be in the area for a while, so Let's Have Fun!

SARGE

DISCLAIMER: If you want to be on/off Sarge’s Canteen Daily Report, Freepmail with details!

[Soaring Feather]

WOO HOO HUGS!!!!!

[HiJinx]

Tommy Franks' book is a must read.

And now that you mention it, I need to go look for Durant's book now!

[E.G.C.]

Good afternoon, Old Sarge. How's it going?

[Fawnn]

Female reporter on Fox News who, I believe, was reporting from Thailand said that a Navy patrol vehicle was swept up by the tsunami, and lifted up and over hotels and other large buildings and "deposited" beside a mountain.

Any idea how large a Navy patrol vehicle in that area would be?

[Old Sarge]

Those silly grown-ups! Blind as can be,
A spinning top is all that they see,
but WE know the secret, because if you look,
it's a magical genie, just like in the book!

Watch real close, as the plunger I push,
and hang on, 'cause the magic comes in a rush,
the colors start moving, and the stars get all twirled,
and we're blown 'cross the oceans, to the Fairy Queen's World!

Pixies, and pirate ships! Cats that have wings!
Horses that dance, and a dragon that sings!
Come ride the dolphins, on adventures we'll go,
to the places only children and the poets can know!

We can stay for an hour, or longer, I bet,
until dinner's ready and the table is set,
but when Mommy's not looking, or thinks we're in bed,
the genie will take us back here, instead!

(c) 12-28-04 by JSR

[SevenofNine]

WHOA there is report I got another Freeper that off Hareetz wire Sri Lanka refuse to allow IDF rescue team to help on earthquake victims

WTF
I have bring that story up SHEESH

Also another report off BBC wire report that death toll so bad may raise to 60,000 dead in all countries that got whack during that tidal wave

Also Interfax wire report new UK PM elect Yunatrio telling Russia not poison him since he is rightfully elect leader LOL!

[MEG33]

Today is supposed to be the day..Rushed home last night from our great family gathering to be here and they tried to say it wasn't scheduled today..That got straightened out and after 3 is the time...

Had a great visit with my son and daughter's families and all the grandkids..Last night far from city lights, got to watch a great Texas moonrise on the drive home..All is well..Nice sunny weather helped us enjoy our time together.

[Soaring Feather]

Fantastic, Sarge. Perfect graphic and poem.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Oh my goodness!!! What a beautiful poem that fits perfectly with the picture. good job.

[tomkow6]

PROMISE?????