early 13th centuryReputable sourceWell documented
The Mongol War Machine
On the timeline · around early 13th century ·
What happened
The Mongols conquered so much so fast because of an army unlike any other. Every man was a mounted archer, able to shoot the powerful composite bow accurately at a gallop and to ride for days on a string of hardy ponies. Organized in a strict decimal system, they used feigned retreats, encirclement, and coordinated columns, adopted siege engineers and gunpowder weapons from conquered China, and were linked across the empire by the yam relay network.
Why it matters
Discipline, mobility, and a genius for absorbing enemy technology made the Mongol army the most effective military force of its age. It let a nation of perhaps a million people overwhelm empires many times their size.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Mongol Warfare · Reputable source