The Mongols

Ling Lin

Once upon a time, a

man called Temujin,

also named Chinggis

Khan, emerged on the

steppes as a charismatic

leader. He was a greedy

man who wanted more

land and power.

He assembled a huge

army of soldiers who

were ordered to go to

many countries like

Russia, the Middle East

and China and conquer

as much land as

possible.

Smaller cities and

towns gave in easily

because they did not

have the leadership of a

strong empire to protect

them. Despite this,

thousands of people

were slaughtered in the

Mongol conquests.

The soldiers were

brave and fantastic

warriors. They had

many weapons and

strategies that helped

them gain so much

land.

Spy networks spent

months before an attack

scouting defenses,

mapping roads and

escape routes, noting

supply sources, and

gathering intelligence on

local defense and

infrastructure.

Coordinated attacks

included ambush, hit and

run, and wave attacks.

One of the most successful

strategies was the feigned

retreat in which Genghis’s

troops would fake defeat

and run, only to turn on

pursuing enemies.

Rapid communication

used swift riders and

a system of relay

stations to pass

messages to and from

the battlefront.

The bow and arrow was

commonly used in battle.

Six out of ten soldiers

were horse archers,

which means they shoot

the enemy while riding.

This let the Mongols kill

as many of the opposing

side as possible.

Light cavalry soldiers

called keshik did not

partake in as much

heavy battle. Instead,

they were the ones in

charge of skirmishing

and raiding.

Soldiers practiced

fighting every chance

they had to make sure

they were ready for

enemy attack at anytime.

They focused on

individual fighting like

jousting and sometimes

group fighting methods.

The Mongol soldiers

were very loyal to

those in charge as well

as each other. This

meant there was no

need for unnecessarily

strict rules and

regulations.

However, there was

a very harsh

punishment for

anyone who ran

from danger in fear.

Gathering food was

particularly interesting

for these soldiers.

They would all make a

circle around a group

of animals and force

them to the center, all

while practicing war

maneuvers.

As the circle got

smaller, they waited for

their leader’s order to

begin killing off the

animals. This let them

practice war moves as

well as get enough

food for a feast.

The Mongol soldiers

were diligent and

skilled. They are the

backbone of the

Mongol conquests.

Works Cited

"Battle Tactics | Genghis Khan." Genghis Khan | Genghis Khan. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.

<http://genghiskhan.fieldmuseum.org/behind-the-scenes/establishing-an-empire/battle-tactics>.

"Mongol Combat Tactics." The Silver Horde. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.

<http://silverhorde.viahistoria.com/research/tactics.html>.