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

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

[LaDivaLoca]

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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

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning! Kitties well? Hunting today?

[Kathy in Alaska]

darkwing.....#200!!

[Radix]

 

A soldier throws transistor radios to waiting Iraqis in the Shiite Muslim neighborhood of Sadr City in Baghdad.

Just past midnight on Christmas morning, U.S. Marines are led in prayer by a Marine chaplain in celebration at a mess hall at Hurricane Point Marine Base, Ramadi, Iraq.

Marine Lance Cpl. Adam Suave of Savage, Minn., dressed up as Santa Claus, and Lance Cpl. Brian Marren of Chicago dressed up as Rudolf, on Christmas day at Forward Operating Base Snake Pit in Ramadi, Iraq. Santa is carrying a pump action shotgun and Rudolf is carrying a Squad Automatic Weapon. Both Marines are with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.

Marine Lance Cpl. Adam Suave, left, takes aim with an M-16 and Lance Cpl. Brian Marren, second from left, fire on a practice target at FOB Snake Pit on Christmas Day. Santa and Rudolf joined the target practice after passing out a few gifts at the base.

Marine 1st Lt. Nate Chittick of Athens, Ga., with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, opens Christmas gifts from his mother that arrived on Christmas Day at FOB Snake Pit in Ramadi, Iraq.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker awards the Purple Heart to Sgt. Douglas McManama of Sandston, Va., at FOB Marez in Mosul, Iraq, on Sunday. McManama was injured during the suicide bomber attack on the dining facility Dec. 21.

Sgt. Angela Damon of Buckfield, Maine, sings Christmas carols during a midnight Christmas service at FOB Marez in Mosul, Iraq, Saturday.

Worshipers sing during a candlelight Christmas service at FOB Marez in Mosel, Iraq, in the early morning hours of Saturday.

Iraqi National Guard members inspect a van that was destroyed in crossfire between Iraqi troops and insurgents in Baghdad on Friday.

U.S. Army Reserve Col. Anne Mancino cries as she hugs her 5-year-old daughter, Parker Mancino, moments before departing Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio for duty in Iraq. Mancino, a general surgeon from Little Rock, Ark., is deploying with the 228th Combat Support Hospital and will be operating in Tikrit and Mosul.

U.S. Staff Sgt. Gabriel Zettel, of Task Force Pirate, left, adjusts a Santa Claus cap on Heleema, an Afghan girl, during a cultural exchange with the Afghan people in Jagdalek, about 150 miles southeast of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Friday.

[StarCMC]

Woohoo!! Good to see you back!

[StarCMC]

As soon as I saw that pic last night I KNEW you could make something really special out of it!! Thanks!

[StarCMC]

And that reminds me - I hope you don't mind, but I posted one of your poems yesterday - I really screwed up the graphics, but the poem was great as always....

[Old Sarge]

Really?? Where - did I miss it???

Gimme a link...

[Old Sarge]

STAR!!!

And you thought I'd forget...

[AZamericonnie]

I sure hope his mother sees this photo. You got me all choked up with these Radix.

[StarCMC]

Click here...

[AZamericonnie]

I meant this one....sheeez

[AZamericonnie]

Good afternoon you two!

[StarCMC]

Nah - I knew if you got here you'd remember!! HUGS backatcha!

[StarCMC]

Howdy!!

[StarCMC]

Ok you birdies, I am out AGAIN! to my mom's house. I hope to be back on this evening!! HUGS to all!

[stand watie]

GA, Kathy!

free dixie,sw

[Old Sarge]

Hello, AZ! The Haunted Armory is a busy place these days, but I get to post, now and again.

[trussell]

Thanks ma...Star is a good teacher!!

[Soaring Feather]

You nut case!!

[txradioguy]

"Tommy Franks' book is a must read."

Funny you should say that. I just got an autographed copy for Christmas!

It will make good reading on my 14 Hour flight to Korea!