Why was it when the Mongols fled when they were the most feared?

Before the name Genghis Khan was known to the world, the Mongols were a peaceful people living in the steppes of northeast Asia.

But by 1227, when Genghis Khan died, the Mongols had conquered and reached most of the land in the Pacific Ocean and the Caspian Sea region. In 1241, they came to "knock" on Vienna, the capital of present-day Austria and then to terrorize the nations of eastern Europe for the rest of the 13th century.

The Mongols under Genghis Khan used to be the terror of many countries.

The Mongols once claimed to be the largest unified land empire in history. Many historians believe that the great success of the Mongols stemmed from a very simple but effective object: the stirrup.

No one knows when the stirrup was first invented, but it was immensely beneficial to any army using it.

A stirrup, even the simplest, consisting of a loop of leather straps, also helped soldiers stay on horseback longer in battle. Some even believe that the stirrup changed the role of power, from infantry to cavalry, in Europe. The Roman historian Johann Jarymowycz gave the medieval cavalry the rather catchy nickname "steel tanks".

The Mongols were not the first to use the stirrup, but they made it a very powerful thing in battle. Historians say that the Mongols not only had leather stirrups, but also made them of metal.

In 2016, archaeologists at the Mongolian Cultural Heritage Center unearthed the remains of a Mongolian woman who lived in the 10th century BC. In addition to leather shoes and a few clothes, archaeologists also discovered a number of iron saddles and stirrups that can still be used today, buried with them.

Image of two stirrups unearthed the remains of a Mongolian woman who lived in the 10th century BC.

The stirrup is a thick piece of metal with a small hole in the top for hanging from the saddle and a flat, round base for the rider to rest on. The stirrup must be comfortable and firm because the Mongols used it to ride horses in a way like never before.

A Song general (circa 960-1279) described the Mongols as standing and riding, with "most of their body weight on the calves, a small part of the force on the feet and ankles". Pedals enable them to stay steady and upright on horseback even in the most chaotic situations.

The pedals are suspended from a wooden saddle, with two raised front and rear protrusions. Along with non-stop training on horseback, these saddles and stirrups give the Mongols great stability on horseback. The rider can balance without using his hands, whether the horse moves in all directions or the rider himself rotates on the horse's back. Thanks to that, the rider can comfortably use his hand to shoot arrows in all directions.

At that time, most armies won only by volunteering to attack. But the Mongols could both advance and retreat without fear of enemy pursuits. When facing the opponent, the Mongol cavalry was the first class to charge, shoot arrows continuously and set up a fierce pre-emptive attack. But when the distance to the opponent was only a few meters, the Mongol cavalry turned and retreated quickly.

Dangerous retreat

Pedals help the Mongols turn flexibly on horseback.

According to historian Thomas Craughwell, with the ability to rotate flexibly on the saddle, even when retreating, the Mongol cavalry could still shoot arrows at the enemy with precision. Because the Mongols both attacked and retreated continuously, the enemy battle was gradually chaotic. Marco Polo, an eyewitness and in-depth study of the Mongols' attack techniques, said: "The Mongols often avoided close combat. Instead, they rode around continuously and shot arrows at the enemy. enemy".

If the traditional cavalry is likened to a tank, the Mongolian cavalry is a fighter. The initiative in movement helps them become invincible.

When facing the risk of being defeated, the Mongol soldiers would use psychological attacks. The horsemen turned their horses and pretended to retreat. Subjective opponents will often give chase. The Mongol cavalry would then turn around, waiting for the enemy to approach. Next, the waiting Mongol archers will rush to pour "rain of arrows" on the enemy. At the same time, the cavalry fully equipped with armor and weapons rushed to attack. At that time, victory or defeat was almost clear.

The rise of the Mongol empire through the stirrup showed that technological improvement had created a new tactic that could conquer any army of the time. Various factors helped Genghis Khan and his descendants acquire most of the land in the continent. However, the saddle pedal always played a certain role in the victories of the Mongols.