The Elastic War Machine : The Revolutionary War

The Mongols used well planned military tactics that undoubtedly lead them to victory time and time again. The soldiers were very obedient and listened to the appointed chiefs well. One tactic they used to beat there enemy and expand their empire was this; the prince appoints an officer to every ten men, one to every hundred, one to every thousand, and one to every ten thousand, as stated in the book, and document 1 and 4. Another tactic used by the Mongols was as follows; the Mongol army would pretend to retreat, therefore making the rival believe they had won, when in reality that was just the start. The Mongols would then turn and fire arrows at there opponents, killing them and conquering there land that strengthened as well as add growth to their empire.

In the dictionary the definition of the Mongols is “a native or inhabitant of Mongolia” (Webster). Mongols are much more than just inhabitants of Mongolia. They were great conquerors but brutally barbaric. The Mongol empire ruled from the 13th century to the mid 14th century (McDougal Littel). Genghis Khan and his descendants accomplished a lot, but the civilians faced many hardships. It seems as if they came and left in a matter of only a couple of years. The legacy of the Mongols should be evaluated based on positive and negative contributions to society. Positively, the conquerors were quite successful as they acquired land all throughout Eurasia. Negatively, they ferociously harmed people and valuables in the process.

Powerful both militarily and culturally, the Mongols were a fearless and influential group who dominated Asia and Eastern Europe during the thirteenth century. Their success in acquiring land was no doubt the result of their domination on the battlefield. The Mongols often fought on horseback and surrounded their enemies, an incredibly efficient battle tactic. In his text, Genghis Khan: The History of the World Conqueror, Ata-Malik Juvaini states that the Mongols invaded the land and destroyed villages and that they would not let a single living creature live, even if it were the purest of cat or dog (Doc 4). Their battle techniques, as well as their severe punishments, and ability to conquer vast amounts of land gave the

In the 13 century, a small tribe from the steppes of central Asia conquered much of the Middle East and Eastern Europe. The tribe was known as the Mongol warriors. The Mongols were ruthless and very barbaric. While the Mongols conquered many countries they didn’t care who they hurt.Even though they did benefit some of the areas that they conquered, they did too many bad things that overpowered the good things. Their law was very confusing and in some parts it was unreasonable. They would torture survivors and they conquered more land than any of the greatest world conquest. As ruthless as the Mongols could be, to my surprise they were quite organized as a union. In documents 2 and 3 it talks about how the army should be organized and how they

The bigger an empire gets, the more threats it faces. An authority, such as the Mongol Empire, with its trade and larger economy will attract much envy. A powerful and dominant army is essential for protection, and most importantly to their leader, Genghis Khan, conquering enemy territory. The Mongol battle tactics were based on horseback riding combined with archery; this allowed for swift and precise battle that would certainly strike fear into the enemy (Gale Group). Genghis Khan organized his armies in a way that his men were commanded by increasingly higher ranks. This system was based off of a meticulously designed decimal system. Each ranking officer had a specific name. An Arban would be in charge of ten men. A Zuun would command one hundred, a Mingghan, and a Tumen would commandeer as many as ten

The Mongols had a very skilled and strong arming and never lost battles outnumbered. They would travel by horse and split into small groups to surround the enemy to trap them. They were also falsely retreat the attack. To have a skilled and strong army they must have a great which was Genghis Khan. [From The Mongols Movie Worksheet and Document 2]

Understanding the Mongol’s culture is the key to comprehending their strength in numbers. Their leader was Chinggis Khan, a man who was obsessed with combining empires into one world ruled with his power. In order to do it, he needed a loyal army that would follow his commands into battle. Eventually he found men who believed in him and his mission. The dedication of his soldiers became exactly the right kind of army he needed to conquer other empires. “If we disobey your command during battle, take away our possessions, our children, and wives” (489). He treated his soldiers with respect. Happy soldiers meant a dedicated army to follow command and succeed in battle. He understood the importance of his soldiers and said, “I consider the people my children, and take an interest in talented men as if they

And lastly, another reason why the Mongols were not barbaric, even though they did commit acts of violence and conquered many people they still were able to live civilized and contribute to the community. In document eight Marco polo records that the Mongols created a “pony express” which horses were used to deliver messages throughout the kingdom. Marco polo states “ One of the great concert messengers sets out along of any of these roads he has only to go 25 miles and there he finds a posting station… at each of these post the messengers fine three or four hundred horses in readiness awaiting their command, and power little lodgings.” He also states that the neighboring cities kept boats ready for Messenger is passing over rivers and lakes and when a messenger has to ride for a long time like 200 miles he signals the nearby post so they can prepare a horse for him to switch on to immediately so no time is wasted. This shows that the Mongols were not barbaric at all and had intelligence to set up a system to relay messages in a more effective and fast manner in

The Mongolian stirrup and composite bow aided the Central Asian steppe nomads to create the world’s largest land based empire at the time, which resulted from and in many cross-cultural interactions. When Genghis Khan first started in the creation of his empire, he used his stirrup-mounted archers in units of 10 squadrons and 1000 men to invade China, where he first learned of Chinese war technologies like catapults, gunpowder, and the use of Chinese silk as protective clothing. He then combined all the technologies he obtained with the use of the composite bow and stirrup. These Mongol technologies helped horsemen to fire highly accurate shots due to the stability the stirrup provided (Doc. 1). Genghis Khan also used brilliant tactics that allowed him to conquer large areas quickly. After his rule, the Mongols continued using his tactics. For example, they flung infected corpses into cities such as the Byzantine city of Kaffa. Using the technologies of the stirrup and the composite bow allowed Genghis Khan and his successors to conquer and create an immense empire. This empire eventually covered areas from China to Russia. While destruction, terror, and intimidation were used to conquer people, Genghis Khan also

To be able to conquer almost all of Asia and the trade routes from China to Persia would have required great skill, weapons, and military tactics, some of which no other empire possessed at the time. More proof that the Mongols had very advanced military tactics was that they used tactics we still use today. “Other columns of stronger men they dispatch far off to the right and the left so that they are not seen by the enemy and in this way they surround them and close in and so the fighting begins from all sides.” (Document 3). They had an amazing understanding of mental and physical tactics such as “They make a strong attack with engine (catapults for slinging

Jack Weatherford’s Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World provides a refreshing and insightful perspective on the Mongol Empire and their impact on history. Weatherford ardently dispels stereotypes often associated with Genghis Khan and the Mongols while highlighting their significant achievements that immensely induced them and the modern world. As Weatherford explained the history of Temujin, I found myself admiring how he overcame various hardships and created a destiny for himself. He not only created an empire, “he built a new and unique system based on individual merit, loyalty, and achievement.” (Weatherford xix)

Even though some sources very likely exaggerate the number of soldiers, it is still clear that Mongol armies were huge. However, it is not the most important factor when it comes to that army’s capability. Above all the army had extraordinarily skilful archers. As George Lane puts it, they “were famous for their ability to fire their arrows in any direction while mounted and galloping at full speed.” They were also quick to learn new strategies and to adapt new weapons. They got explosives from China and learnt to use them effectively. More importantly, they learnt to besiege cities, which was something they did not initially know how to do effectively. This skill became very important later when they were attacking Khwarezmian Empire.

To begin with, the Mongols in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were brilliant warriors who always kept their goals in focus. The Mongol empire should be described as fierce, their advantage

The Mongols were nomadic people that lived in tribes in Asia during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The joining of numerous tribes would eventually form one of the biggest empires in history. With the lack of rain though the region, the Mongols did not have wide spread agriculture, instead they would herd sheep, cattle, goats, horses, and camels that thrived on the grasses and shrubs of the steppe lands where they lived. The Mongol tribes would travel with their herds to lands with copious amounts of grasses so their animals could graze. When their herds exhausted the vegetation, they would migrate to a new area. The tribes were self-sufficient, they not only lived off the meat, milk, and

According to background essay on the Mongols “The Mongols were a small tribe during the 13th century. They were from the grasslands of Central Asia and conquered much of the known world.” They also said that “They operate from the backs of horses and sometimes use siege weapons. The essay also explained how the Mongols were one of the several nomadic peoples who competed with one another for pasture land and livestock. They also had no metal working, no written language, and no permanent homes. The Mongols also were first led by Genghis Khan and did not have a good reputation. The Mongols may have been successful but it was do to mostly negative examples and information. The Mongols were although positive in a way. For example their Yam System, to make them go faster and farther. However, this example and many other positive examples are ways for the Mongols to fight better and kill more people. The Mongols were barbaric because they were brutal and ruthless.