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by hef19898 1057 days ago
Fortifications, armored cavalry help as well. There are only so many fortresses you can ignore before your supply lines are cut. And only so many sieges you can upkeep at the same time, as a army focusing on strategic mobility at that, before you get out maneuvered by a smaller, bit more mobile, enemy force.

That being said, the Mongols failed to build a lasting empire in Europe / West of the Ural. They pretty much did build a lasting one between the Ural and, sometimes including, mainland China.
2 comments
Retric 1057 days ago
The mongols where shockingly good at defeating fortifications see the 13 day siege of Baghdad etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Baghdad_(1258)

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Simon_O_Rourke 1056 days ago
In the very large set of "this was particularly nasty" things that make up the early middle ages, this one really stands out. I have little doubt that this siege and subsequent sacking effectively set back humanity as a whole - and for the sole and simple reason that the caliph sent a snooty reply back to the Mongols.
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hef19898 1057 days ago
They were! The Mongols were a true, global super power, on oar with Alexanders Macedons and ancient Rome.
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panick21_ 1057 days ago
The Mongols failed because the Khan died and the army had to retrain and after that the empire fractured. After that the 4 major part all deal with many local issues and also fight each other.
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hef19898 1056 days ago
It was four heirs, wasn't it? Charlemagne had two, a split that still shows in Europe to this day.

And I'd hardly say the Mongols failed just because they couldn't hold to western Europe.

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boomboomsubban 1056 days ago
>Charlemagne had two, a split that still shows in Europe to this day.

Charlemagne passed the entire empire to Louis the Pious, and Louis the Pious had three heirs that split the empire. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Verdun

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panick21_ 1056 days ago
> It was four heirs, wasn't it?

The direct heir actually didn't split. It was only later the families split.

> And I'd hardly say the Mongols failed just because they couldn't hold to western Europe.

I mean failed to hold Europe.

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hef19898 1056 days ago
I really have to read up on the Mongols, and central asian history in general. That subject is terribly undercoverd in Western history. For somewhat understandable reasons, but still.
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