Military Tactics and Organization
Weapons |
The Mongol Empire had an army with split up unites. Each unit was lead by army delegates who were chosen by their blood association to the Khan's or their merit as a warrior. Arbans would lead tens of soldiers, Zuuns would lead hundreds of soldiers, Mingghans would lead thousands of soldiers, and Tumens would lead tens of thousands of soldiers.
Because the Mongol military command structure was flexible, it allowed them to attack in huge masses, split into smaller groups and surround the enemy, or divide into even smaller groups to finish off an enemy trying to flee. The mongols used the winter season, typically known as the season with significantly less activity due to the extreme cold to attack. The Mongols had two major ways to defeat the enemy. The first option was to shoot arrows into the enemy's condensed defense. However, enemies learned to spread out to evade the arrows, which then caused the Mongols to resort to options number two. Option number two was to charge the spread out army with lancers, which were warriors carrying lances. Lancers also chased the army after they were defeated to clean up the mess.
However, facing the Europeans was a different thing entirely. Instead of choosing to confront the enemy head to head, the Mongols chose to use their arrows to destroy the other army's cavalry. This worked most efficiently because the European armies were very cavalry heavy. This way, once the horses were dead, the soldiers with heavy armor were left to travel on foot. The Mongol army practiced archery, horsemanship, unit tactics (formations and rotations) repeatedly with little rest. This was all supervised by a hard but not overly harsh discipline. However, there was one thing that the Mongols considered most important. Loyalty was what held the people together, and an act of desertion was punishable by death. If a soldier ran from the formation during a fight, he and nine of his comrades from the same arban would face the death penalty together.
Mongolian Composite BowThe Mongolian Composite Bow was one of the most efficient weapons at bring the enemy to disarray. Because of its curved shape, the power of the shot was magnified many times. Young boys were taught to wield this weapon through hunting trips. The Mongol warriors had to learn to accurately shoot arrows while riding on horseback by timing their shot with the horse's running pace. The arrow would be released as all of the horse's legs left the ground, ensuring a stable and accurate shot. Mongolian HalberdsMongolian Halberds were mostly common among the wealthier class. It was a two sided blade connected to a six feet pole. It was used to bring down foot soldiers by a Mongol riding a horse. This weapon was efficient and useful, as one sweep of the arm could wound many men.
Mongolian SabreThe Mongolian Sabre was a standard weapon. All soldiers were given one. Though it was simple, only a curved blade, it was an extremely useful weapon as it could be easily used on foot or on horseback. Because of its curved shape, the Mongolian sabre was able to cut through armor and flesh more easily than the normal straight bladed sabre.
Spears and LancesThe carriers of spears and lances were mostly lower class soldiers. Typically, spears and lances were used while on horseback, but they were also often used while on foot. When thrown, they could cover many yards in distance and the impact could pierce through tough armor.
|