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InWaysoftheWorld:ABriefGlobalHistory,StrayerexplainshowtheMongolsgained

momentumandgrewtheirempireataveryrapidrate,comparedtootherempires,suchastheRoman
empire.Inordertodothis,onewouldthinkthattheMongolswerewarriorswiththebestweaponsthat
theycouldfind.However,whatStrayerpointsoutinthesection,ExplainingtheMongolMoment,is
thattheactualMongolmilitarysarrangementandorganizationiswhatgavethemanupperhandon
thepeopleandplacesthattheywereabletoconquer.1InconnectionwiththisexplanationfromStrayer
isthearticleIfoundonMongolianWeaponryinTheSecretHistoryoftheMongols,byRobertW.
Reid.WhatReidisabletopointoutisthatthestrategiesandorganizationofChinggisKhansarmy
wereveryimportanttothevictoriesthattheyexperienced,buttheirweaponryandskillalsoplayeda
greatroleintheirgrowthandexpansion.2Strayerdoesmakeapointofsayingthat,...theMongolsdid
notenjoyanytechnologicalsuperiorityovertheirmanyadversaries,3andthisincludedweapons,but
whattheydidenjoywasgreattimingwheninvadingcountries,suchasChina.
InReidsMongolianWeaponry,weareabletofollowthedifferencesinweaponsfromthe
beginningoftheMongolrealmupuntilaboutthethirteenthcentury,beforethefalloftheirempire.It
isimportanttonotethatthereorganizationofthemilitary,byChinggisKhan,cameaftertheinitial
lossesthattheMongolarmiesexperienced.TheignoranceoftheMongols,aboutspecializedweaponry
andtechniques,wasblatantlyclearaftertheywereunabletoconquerwiththeirsheerintimidationand
violentdisregardforlife.4Theywereabletoremedythisbyorganizingtheirmilitarywhichwas,as
Strayersays,anarrangementthatallowedforeffectivecommandandcontrol.5Inthisarticle,wesee
thattheMongolwarriorsdidnothaveanyspecialtypeofweapons,orassomeoftheconquered
peoplesaccountsdescribe,wonderweapons.6But,whattheMongolsdidhaveweresuperiorarmor,
bowandarrows,spears,swords,andknives.Twoofthemainweaponsusedforlongattacks,thebow
andarrows,andspears,wereusedbythesmallerunitsthatwereabletospendmoretimeontraining,
andtheyweretheweaponsthatledtheiropponentstobelievetheypossessedonlythebestweapons.7
TheMongolswerealsoabletoadapttheirmilitaryweaponswhenencounteringtheiropponentswith
betterweapons.8Thisishowtheywereabletoadoptweaponssuchasgunsandgunpowderfromthe
ChineseandhowthishasbeenoneofthebiggesteffectsfromtheMongolempire.9Inconclusion,
theseweaponswerenotthebestthatwerearoundatthetime,butwereusedwithvaryingskillbythe
differenttypesofmilitaryunitstothebestoftheirability.Inreality,itwasnottheactualweaponsthat
theyhad,buthowtheywereabletousetheminbattle,thatgavetheMongolsthesuperioritythatwe
canstilltracebackeventoday.

1RobertW.StrayerandEricW.Nelson,WaysoftheWorld,(Boston:Bedford/St.Martins,2016),p.469
2RobertW.Reid,MongolianWeaponryinTheSecretHistoryoftheMongols,MongoliaStudies,Vol.15,
TheNicholasPoppeMemorialIssue(1992),p.85
3Strayer,469
4Reid,85
5Strayer,469
6Reid,85
7Reid,88
8Reid,86
9Reid,90

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