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

[AZamericonnie]

Nora Jones, that's a goodie.

[uncleshag]

Don't you love e-mails that begin like this?


This message is to alert you that the following package(s) is(are) due
for delivery by FedEx:

[AZamericonnie]

Yesssss, and the ensuing anticipation!

[AZamericonnie]

Only to discover that it's a healthcare insurance manual! *L*

[AZamericonnie]

Stepping out for a bit. Gonna go home & make some soup. Since Tonk isn't having any soup reports I want soup!

[uncleshag]

TUNES
for
TROOPS

Don't Know Why
Norah Jones

[laurenmarlowe]

Great song uncleshag, thank you!

[uncleshag]

ignore the Freepmail I just sent...lol!

You are very welcome my FRiend. I hope your night is going as well as mine is!

Listening to some music and turned off the TV.

One can take only take so many images of destruction.

[AZamericonnie]

You have to see these precious children afraid of Santa!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1309841/posts

[laurenmarlowe]

LOLOLOL!!! I WAS about to answer the Freepmail!

I am glad you're having a good evening, tube's off here too. I am working on unwinding a bit!

[laurenmarlowe]

Bless their hearts, some of those children are so scared.

Thanks for the link, that was fun!

[AZamericonnie]

Some of those Santas are kinda scary!

[laurenmarlowe]

Oh, yes, there were a few in there that would have scared me too!

[uncleshag]

I know it's after Christmas...

Hey, while you're relaxing, get a HANKIE and read this please. If you have seen it before, I am sorry. I hadn't.
I never forward e-mail but the source from which this came is always good.

THE RUSSIAN MANGER STORY

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage.

They relate the following story in their own words: It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.

Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city. Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States. The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help.

All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously.

For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately, until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay.

Then, Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did." But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus, "If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?" "And Jesus told me, "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me."

"So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him---for always."

As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him - FOR ALWAYS.

[laurenmarlowe]

Thank you uncleshag, that is a very moving story.

[uncleshag]

SCENIC SUNSETS

I thank god for sunsets.
Seeing a beautiful sunset is God's queue
to me to thank him for the beautiful gift of time.
Time with family and time for a fellowship with FRiends near and far.

God Bless our active military and all veterans.

[laurenmarlowe]

In this photo provided by Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp., Santa Claus hits the slopes of Steamboat Springs, Colo., Friday, Dec. 24, 2004. (AP Photo/Steamboat Ski & Resort, Larry Pierce)

Snow covered cars in a parking lot are seen in Corpus Christi, Texas, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2004. A rare blanket of snow greeted residents of South Texas on Christmas morning. The area got up to 13 inches of snow, breaking snowfall records. (AP Photo/Eddie Seal)

The U.S. Coast Guard (news - web sites) icebreaker Neah Bay is framed by ice covered trees along the shore of Lake Erie as a flock of ducks fly overhead Monday, Dec. 20, 2004. The day before the official start of winter brought brisk winds and sub-freezing temperatures following a snowstorm that dumped up to a foot of snow on parts of northeast Ohio. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

[laurenmarlowe]

Oh, uncleshag, that's so beautiful!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Angel Boy.....#150!!

[uncleshag]

Those are some cold pictures you posted.

Brrrr.

I am going to turn the thermostat up a notch.