Mongolian War Machine By: Dylan Price AP World History

1. Mongolian War Machine
By: Dylan Price

2. In the early 13th century Temujin, a young Mongol chieftain,
had a vision to make his nation great.

3. Steppe
Peoples
He accomplished this dream by uniting the nomadic steppe peoples of Mongolia
through conquest.

4. Temujin changed his name to Genghis Khan when he became the leader of the
steppes.

5. What followed him becoming leader were some of the most amazing military
campaigns still overlooked today.

6. Genghis Khan wanted his army to be great, powerful, and strong. He achieved
this by setting up his army based on the decimal system.

7. All males from the ages 14-60 were separated into units, built from groups of 10
(Arav) 100 (Zuut) 1,000 (Minghan) 10,000 (Tumen)and was watched closely
by the Tumen quartermaster Jurtchi.

8. Men belonging to these units were given command post’s depending on how loyal
they were to Genghis Khan during his rise to power. Tumens, with an occasional
Minghan, were commanded by a Noyan, who’s task was to administer specific
conquered territories. Ordu, which is a fancy name for field army, were made up
of two to five Tumens. However, some men were given the great pleasure of
being the leader amongst all the different units. This leader was known as
Keshig. Keshig’s operated like imperial guards and trained potential young
officers.

9. Each Mongol Soldier had around two to three horses which they switched out
every day. This strategy allowed the army to travel great distances fast without
tiring out one of the horses.

10. The Mongol soldiers were taught to survive without the use of transportation,
such as horses. This benefited the army because soldiers would go on scouting
missions, in search of terrain that could withstand preferred combat tactics of the
Mongols.

11. -Mongol Bow: The bow was the main weapon the Mongol forces used. It was known as a recurve bow that was made from
composite materials such as wood, horn, and sinew. At the time, it was unmatched for accuracy, force, and reach. The way
the bow was constructed, allowed it to be small so it could be fired on horseback in any direction. The bow could shoot an
arrow over 500 meters. The Mongols were very skilled with the bow and were said to be able to hit a bird on the wing.
-Sword: The Mongols curved Scimitar sword was used during slashing attacks. The sword could be used with a one-
handed or two- handed grip while the blade was two feet giving the sword an overall length of three feet.
-Catapults: Catapults played an important role in attacking fortified cities during Genghis Khan’s warfare. Instead of
catapults being taken apart and carried in pieces to be rebuilt at the site of battle, the Mongol horde would travel along
with skilled engineers who would assemble the catapults from surrounding materials on site.
-Catapults: Catapults played an important role in attacking fortified cities during Genghis Khan’s warfare. Instead of
catapults being taken apart and carried in pieces to be rebuilt at the site of battle, the Mongol horde would travel along
with skilled engineers who would assemble the catapults from surrounding materials on site.
-Catapults: Catapults played an important role in attacking fortified cities during Genghis Khan’s warfare. Instead of
catapults being taken apart and carried in pieces to be rebuilt at the site of battle, the Mongol horde would travel along
with skilled engineers who would assemble the catapults from surrounding materials on site.

12. The Mongol Army’s tactics and strategy is what helped make it so successful.
Battlefield tactics were a blend of skillful training, communication, and discipline
in the time of chaos.

13. One of the most common strategies was known as the ‘arrow storm’. Mongol forces would keep distance between
themselves and the enemies, and then shower their enemies with arrows. The goal was to break up the enemy
forces so the Mongolian lancers could finish the job. Commanders of the Mongol army would find high ground
where they could make skilled tactical decisions based on what they saw. Unlike most of the Mongols foes, the
Mongol army protected their ranking officers. With the commanders based on high ground, it made it easier for the
army to protect them. In advance of invasions, Mongols sent out soldiers to carefully spy and scout out their
enemies. Once they located their enemies, they didn’t hesitate to strike. However before the Mongols would
attack and destroy the city, they offered the chance for their enemies to surrender. If the enemy refused to
surrender, the army didn’t hesitate to attack.

14. Deception played a key role in the Mongol army. When coming upon a mobile army, the units would split into
multiple groups and attack at the same time. This strategy made it seem like the Mongols appeared out of
nowhere, and that there were more soldiers than there actually was.

15. Another strategy that helped lure the enemies into the line of fire was by the Mongols showing themselves at a hill
top. They then would retreat into nearby woods or behind the hills while members of the army would strategically
positioned to attack from all directions. Mongols would also tie tree trunks and branches to the backs of their
horses. When running, the trunks would hit the ground causing a storm of dusty hills to appear, creating fear within
the enemies and causing them to think the army was greater than it actually was.

16. Mongol invasions occurred all throughout the 13th century, which led to the Mongol empire covering much of Asia and
Eastern Europe.

17. Genghis Khan created the first initial Mongol empire in Central Asia. He expanded the empire by invading the
Khwarezmid Empire.

18. The Mongols further conquered, either by force or voluntary submission, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and parts of Turkey. Mongol
raids reached southward as far as Gaze and Palestine. During this time major battles were the Siege of Baghdad and the
Battle of Ain Jalut. One of the biggest achievements under the rule of Genghis Khan was creating the Yuan Dynasty in
China. However it was eventually overthrown by the Han Dynasty. After Genghis Khan died, control was divided
amongst his three sons and grandson Batu. Genghis’ third son Ogedei, was elected grand khan. Ogedei directed
Mongols into further campaigns and conquests. later, under the rule of Batu, the Mongol army began an invasion of
Russia in 1236. These invasions proved to be very successful. Cities such as Ryazan, Moscow, and Vladimir were
destroyed.

19. The Mongol Army was an unstoppable force. Their
tactics, strategies, skills, and weapons helped them
become one of the most famous military groups in
history.

20. The End