Tyshawn Morris

Contrasting Mongols and Europeans

English

Typically when you hear the word medieval, you automatically think of Europe in the medieval times. The Europeans are renowned for their tactics in the art of war; knights covered head to toe in steel armor, ready to strike down those that opposed them with hearts filled with courage. Yet there are ones who were considered juggernauts at their time, the Mongols. The Mongols were the horseback barbarians from the east, who defeated most of Europe in their war. While these two forces are both iconic in history, the two forces varied much in their Technology, and in Battlefield strategies. As far as technology at that time period was, Europeans possessed rather advanced. They constructed large fortifications such as castles, which is a staple of the medieval era. Castles served to protect the elites from invaders so that they could lead their forced into battle from the protection of the fortress. These castles were built near bodies of water so that supplies could be transported to them during sieges; Elevation also proved vital in a good defense of a castle (Medieval defense - Europeans).Castles were fitted with traps that were used upon invaders, and motes were made so that the walls could not be undermined. When their personal defense on the battlefield, Europeans were typically adorned in interlocking chainmail, full plate or both. Plate armor gave is wearer great resistance to slashing blows, as well as some resistance to piercing and crushing blows.( Plate armor- European). The armors weight was evenly distributed to give the wearer a perfect combination of defense and mobility in battle, as well as allow them to mount up as cavalry. Mail was much more expensive to make than plate armor, yet it was commonly used in combination with plate armor to cover the areas that the plate could not. (Chain mail- European). Europeans had a number of offensive weapons and tactics that proved to be efficient. When it came to a siege, one of the most innovative tools used by Europeans was the siege tower. The siege tower was a mobile tower that allowed soldiers to garrison inside it ; then when they were leveled with a battlement, allowed them access to the inner walls of a fortification. (European Siege tower). Another instrument that proved invaluable against enemies with fortifications was the Battering ram. The battering ram was, in its simplest form, a large log used to bash enemy walls and gates to gain a forced entry. Europeans had a large variety of weaponry, such as: swords, axes, spears, halberds, daggers and maces. (Medieval battle equipment and weapons). The Mongols were less technological then their European enemies, but they were proficient with what they possessed. Since the Mongols were mainly nomadic people, they typically dwelt in yurts, very large tents. They would establish tent cities and lead their attacks from there. (Mongol-Yurts). The yurt gave the Mongols the advantage of moving their cities from one place to another, never giving the enemy a constant source of their location. (MongolYurts) . Mongols wore armor that was lighter, typically crafter from leather and iron. They wore silk under their armor, which was a durable material that could withstand an arrow. (MongolArmor). Mongols wore furs on their armor and adorned themselves in fur coats; their homeland was very cold so the furs were crucial in their survival of the environment. Mongolians were masters of horse riding, and they utilized them in any way they could. Mongolians would be

Tyshawn Morris

Contrasting Mongols and Europeans

English

taught horse riding at a young age, and when they joined the military they were given between 4 to 7 horses to switch in between battles. (Mongol-Weaponry).Their weaponry was less versatile than the Europeans but just as useful. They were typically adorned with: Sabers, Halberds, Spears and bows. Mongols had mastered the art of archery on horseback; this gave them a distinct advantage over their opponents who did not posses this skill. (Mongol-Weaponry). They captured engineers to make siege engines that were mostly used for flinging objects such as the catapult and the trebuchet. These siege engines were easily dismantled and carried by horses (Mongol-siege engines). The Europeans were very strategic about their approaches into combat. Most of the time, the commanders of the battles were clergy members chosen by the church; rather than having experienced veterans of pervious battles command. (Battle tactics European). Communication on the battlefield was difficult for the Europeans. They relied on musical instruments, Lighten beacons and carrier pigeons. They commonly used missile units to break down enemy infantry. Europeans relied heavily on their cavalry to bring them victory in battle. They were used to take down enemy cavalry, and then used to charge into the breaks of the enemy infantry. They would coax enemy infantry into breaking formations to give the cavalry the opening they needed. (Battle tactics European). Pike men were used to counter enemy cavalry, since the reach of their weapons would stop them before they got their chance to strike. If no break could be made in the infantry of the enemy, their infantry would meet them in a very long and drawn out fight. The Europeans were not masters of retreats in battle, typically using a the slower organized withdrawal tactic. When it came to retreats, most units were killed off by mounted units, which caused the major casualties in battle.( Battle tactics European) When it came to siege warfare the Europeans commonly employed their siege towers, battering rams and catapults. Another tactic they used against fortifications was undermining. Undermining is where they would dig under a wall to ruin its foundations, or dig into the enemy fortress itself. (Siege Warfare- European).They would at times even employ biological warfare, using catapults to launch disease ridden corpses into enemy walls to let disease kill them off. Psychological warfare was a big part of European tactics, a very effective one at that. One example of this is using prop dummies on the walls of a fortification to make the attacks believe there were more forces than there really were. (European Psychological weapons).

The Mongols were experts in using their deception and subterfuge in their offensive tactics, as well as intelligent formations. They were known for their mastery of horseback riding and archery. When they were going to be in a military engagement, the Mongols would choose the time and the place to give them the best advantage. (Mongol -Tactics). When they were outnumbered they would try to separate the enemy forces into smaller groups to more effectively deal with them; this was known as the Lake Bait tactic. (Genghis Kahn- Tactics). The Mongols were also very skilled in scouting; this ensured that they were almost invulnerable to surprise attacks. Their scouts proved invaluable for them to be ready for an enemy attack and their

Tyshawn Morris

Contrasting Mongols and Europeans

English

messaging system allowed them to communicate enemy locations quick and effectively. This allows them to get the jump on their advancing enemies and to put them in a disadvantage before they even realize it. Their swift messengers allowed them to get information to their commanders quickly while on the fields of battle. (Genghis Kahn battle tactics). The Mongols at first had no offensive strategies against walled settlements. They supplemented this by siege engines made by the captured engineers from conquered areas. They then began using catapults to launch stones, isolating the cities from supplies, and rerouting the citys water supply. They also used the dummy tactic by placing them on their horses to make their army seem larger. Mongols used deceptive tactics that were mainly about outsmarting and tricking the enemy into situations that are a disadvantage to them. One of their most common deceptive defensive tactics was the false retreat. The false retreat is where a force would retreat leading their enemy into an awaited ambush and turn around and attack with their allies. (Mongol - False Retreat Tactic). (Mongol Scouting). With the information shown, it can be seen how varied the Mongols and Europeans were. The Europeans were technologically advanced and had the advantage of having larger more organized structures. The Mongols compensated their lack of technology with intelligent and skilled tactics, as well as ever changing base locations. Both were forces to be reckoned with in their own right and both will continued to be remembered throughout history.

Tyshawn Morris

Contrasting Mongols and Europeans

English

Bibliography
Medieval Military Communications http://www.medievalwarfare.info/ Taken on 4/5/14

Medieval battle equipment and weapons http://www.medievalwarfare.info/weapons.htm#swords Taken on 4/3/14

European Siege tower http://www.medievalwarfare.info/#towers Taken on 4/3/14

Medieval defense - Europeans http://www.lordsandladies.org/defending-a-castle-in-the-middle-ages.htm Taken on 4/3/14

Plate armor- European http://www.medievalwarfare.info/weapons.htm#armour Taken on 4/3/14

Tyshawn Morris

Contrasting Mongols and Europeans

English

Chain mail- European http://www.medievalwarfare.info/weapons.htm#armour Taken on 4/3/14

Battle tactics European http://www.medievalwarfare.info/ Taken on 4/5/14

Siege Warfare- European http://www.medievalwarfare.info/ Taken on 4/5/14

Mongol-Yurts http://mongolian-yurt.com/Yurt-history.html Taken on 4/5/14

Mongol - False Retreat Tactic http://home.tiscali.nl/~t543201/web-mongol/mongol-battletactics.htm Taken on 4/5/14

Mongol Scouting http://home.tiscali.nl/~t543201/web-mongol/mongol-battletactics.htm Taken on 4/3/14

Mongol Armor

Tyshawn Morris

Contrasting Mongols and Europeans

English

http://ryanwolfe.weebly.com/armor.html Taken on 4/3/14

Mongol Tactics http://silverhorde.viahistoria.com/research/tactics.html Taken on 4/3/14

Genghis Kahn tactics http://www.welcome2mongolia.com/archives/battle-tactics-methods/ Taken on 4/5/14

Genghis Kahn battle tactics http://genghiskhan.fieldmuseum.org/behind-the-scenes/establishing-an-empire/battle-tactics Taken on 4/3/14

Mongol-Weaponry
http://ryanwolfe.weebly.com/weapons.html

Taken on 4/5/14

Mongol- Siege engines http://ryanwolfe.weebly.com/seige-machines.html

Taken on 4/5/14