Pregledni rad
SPECIAL MILITARY TACTICS EMPLOYED BY THE MONGOLS DURING THEIR 13-th CENTURY CONQUEST
Domagoj Smojver
orcid.org/0009-0003-9249-7025
Sažetak
The paper analyses certain military tactics employed by the Mongolian army, initially led by Genghis Khan and later by his successors. Since their contemporaries, such as Thomas of Spalato and Rogerius of Apulia, described them as barbarians and bloodthirsty conquerors, a view that some historians embraced without question, in recent decades there has been a need to shed new light on such perceptions. This paper will focus on the successful tactics employed by Mongol generals, that is, military leaders, on the battlefield. One reason the Mongols gladly accepted negative descriptions was the element of psychological warfare, which they successfully used against European and other armies. Despite the misconception that the Mongols were unruly and chaotic in battle, a detailed review will provide insights into how and why they fostered such an image. In addition to instilling fear in opponents, resulting in demoralisation and a reduced ability to act on the field, another frequently achieved goal was gaining victory over equal or more numerous opponents by minimising one’s own casualties. This is precisely what the Mongol leaders wanted to achieve: to continue the gradual conquest of enemy territory.
Ključne riječi
Mongol invasion; special military tactics; medieval psychological warfare; terror
Hrčak ID:
310691
URI
Datum izdavanja:
28.12.2022.
Posjeta: 415 *