What are some horrifying tactics that the Mongol Empire used? The Mongol Empire, under the leadership of Genghis Khan and his successors, employed a variety of brutal tactics during their conquests that are considered horrifying by modern standards. It’s important to note that historical context is crucial in understanding these tactics, as the norms and ethics of the time were different from today’s. Here are some of the tactics the Mongols used:

Psychological Warfare:

The Mongols were known for their psychological warfare tactics. They often employed tactics like spreading exaggerated tales of their brutality and ruthlessness, causing fear to spread among their enemies even before they arrived.

Massacres and Slaughter:

The Mongols were known to carry out large-scale massacres of civilian populations, particularly in cities that resisted their advances. The intent was to break the will of the populace and discourage resistance.

Siege Warfare:

When besieging a city, the Mongols would often offer the defenders a chance to surrender peacefully. If the city resisted, however, the Mongols could be merciless. They sometimes built elaborate siege engines and employed tactics to starve out the defenders before launching brutal assaults.

Terrorization and Submission:

The Mongols often utilized terror as a means of submission. They would occasionally execute captured soldiers in brutal and public ways, such as by stacking their skulls into pyramids as a grim warning to other potential adversaries.

Scorched Earth Policy:

The Mongols would sometimes employ a scorched earth strategy, intentionally destroying crops, livestock, and infrastructure to deny their enemies resources and to make the region less habitable.

Human Shields:

In some cases, the Mongols would force captured enemy civilians or soldiers to march at the front lines of their armies as a form of protection against enemy attacks. This tactic aimed to deter enemy forces from launching attacks that could harm their own people.

Biological Warfare:

During their siege of the city of Cafe (now Feodosiya in Crimea), the Mongols are believed to have catapulted plague-infested corpses into the city to spread disease among the defenders. This is considered one of the earliest instances of biological warfare.

Use of Traitors and Defectors:

The Mongols often exploited internal divisions within enemy cities or regions by using defectors and traitors to undermine resistance from within.

It’s important to remember that while these tactics are considered horrifying by today’s standards, they were not unique to the Mongols. Many other historical empires and military forces also employed similar tactics during warfare. The Mongol Empire’s expansion was characterized by a mix of brutality, strategic prowess, and innovative military tactics, which contributed to their success in creating one of the largest land empires in history.