18. Mongol Hordes Weren’t That Big
When asked to picture “Mongol hordes”, the image that comes to most people’s minds usually involves huge swarms of disorganized barbarians, who attacked in a wild charge and overwhelmed their enemy with numbers and reckless savagery. In reality, however, Genghis Khan’s Mongols seldom had numerical superiority over their foes. Instead, they swept across Eurasia and conquered a vast empire despite being severely outnumbered by their enemies. Indeed, Genghis and his warriors won their empire by routinely annihilating opposing forces that outnumbered them by factors of two to one, three to one, and four to one or more. Genghis’ men won despite their numerical inferiority because they were professionals, who were extremely good at warfare.
The Mongols and other Steppe nomads absorbed by Genghis Khan had been riding horses since they were toddlers, and had been taught how to master the bow and arrow since early childhood. That made them prime cavalry material when they joined Genghis’ army, where they underwent extensive training that transformed them into a mounted elite. Genghis saw to it that his men practiced the individual skills of archery and horsemanship almost daily, and had them train constantly to master unit tactics. He drilled them in maneuvers, formation changes, rotations, advances, retreats, and massed archery, until they became second nature. Genghis Khan further revolutionized Steppe warfare by placing his warriors in a well-organized hierarchical structure, with an effective chain of command.
