Mongolian Fighting Tactics

Published: Jan. 21, 2006, 10:31 p.m.

The Mongols, nomads from the Steppes (north of China), were first united by Genghis Khan in 1206. Genghis Khan led the Mongols across Eurasia via innovative and effective military tactics. * The Mongols were oriented around extreme mobility. They carried their houses with them, drank their own horse's blood to stay alive, and could travel up to 100 miles per day. * The Mongols had an elaborate priority-mail-system which allowed orders to be transmitted rapidly across Eurasia. * Genghis Khan used combined fake retreats with accurate Manguadai Horse Archers to pick off his European enemies. * Genghis Khan slaughtered a few cities, in an attempt to scare all other cities to surrender without a fight. He, being a practical leader, also valued smarts more than bravery. * On occasion, the Mongols also used biological warfare against their enemies (most notably at Kaffa)