Khan the Destroyer

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Genghis Khan was the greatest military conqueror of all time, in as much as he single-handedly conquered more land, by the mile, than any other leader before or after him. It looks at how his warlike ways were so brutal that they took on literally mythical proportions, seeding racial and social fear across Europe. It shows how, for his own soldiers and for the lands under his control, he was a beloved leader, religiously inspiring, and religiously tolerant, a dedicated soldier, and brilliant tactician, while to his enemies, he was genocidally murderous and a cruel and even inhumane warrior.

Outline
The Medieval Blitzkrieg
Destruction and Reconstruction
Terror Tactics
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The calvary which Khan employed was relatively unique for the time, enabled by the traditionally nomadic horse-based lives previously led by the Mongol people. "All members of the Mongol army were mounted, and the cavalrymen led spare horses that carried sufficient supplies and equipment needed for protracted campaigns". (Fisher, 2003) In the Khan's army, heavy calvary consisted of those wearing silk and leather armor and armed with lances and swords -- this contrasted with the truly heavy calvary of contemporary Europe, which was weighed down by literally hundreds of pounds of heavy plate and chain mail armor. The light calvary was protected only by thick leather helmets, and armed with bows. His army was about evenly divided between these forces, and both moved with exceptional speed compared to the very heavy calvary and the ubiquitous infantry of their opponents."

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• Book Review # 68755 : "Roddy Doyle's "The Commitments"

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