Mongol conquest of Iberia, Italy, and Britain and Scandinavia

EUROPEAN CASTLES vs MONGOL INVASION

The New Cambridge Medieval History
Volume IV c. 1024–c. 1198 Part 1
edited by DAVID ABULAFIA
Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008
First published 1999 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge

Chapter 19. Architecture and the visual arts. / Peter Kidson. / pp. 693-732
p. 705
"...Castles are usually regarded as military installations, and no doubt in the last resort they might have to be defended. But their everyday function was to provide a setting in which lords and ladies could behave like lords and ladies, and in the constant tussle between military effectiveness and residential convenience, the long-term trend was in the latter direction. By the end of the twelfth century the number of castles in western Europe that could withstand a serious siege was not large..."

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As I previously mentioned, reading The New Cambridge Medieval History I cannot find any proof that (Western) Europe was 'a land of castles' on the eve of the Mongol invasion; I mean reading it I get the impression that there were castles, but nothing extraordinary quantitatively or qualitatively.

To avoid any suspicion of "dishonest, despicable, convenient" omissions from my part, I have a preposition to make:
- give me your email (through this forum conversation messages) and I will send The New Cambridge Medieval Histories to you free of charge (.pdf):

- Volume IV c. 1024–c. 1198 Part 1
- Volume IV c. 1024–c. 1198 Part 2
- Volume V c.1198–c.1300
 
Is that legal?
Ye, sure, I bought them legally.

But I am not sure if it is legal for you to receive them as gifts.
That depends on the legislation of your country.

I mean, I guess, if someone bought a 'hard cover' (ordinary paper) book it is usually legal for him to give anyone to read or as a gift. I think the same principle applies to 'electronic' books.
 
How relevant was the escape of King Bela to the OTL Mongol conquest of Hungary? I know Denis Sinor thinks that the primary aim of the conquest was his capture (IIRC to punish him for sheltering fleeing Cumans). What would have happened if he was killed during Mohi? Would the Mongols just retreat? Would they plunder and retreat as in OTL? How much of a role did Bela play in Hungarian resistance after he fled?
 
How relevant was the escape of King Bela to the OTL Mongol conquest of Hungary? I know Denis Sinor thinks that the primary aim of the conquest was his capture (IIRC to punish him for sheltering fleeing Cumans). What would have happened if he was killed during Mohi? Would the Mongols just retreat? Would they plunder and retreat as in OTL? How much of a role did Bela play in Hungarian resistance after he fled?
Yes, there is an opinion, that there was not any threat of the Mongol conquest of Europe; the Mongols just wanted to punish king Bela for sheltering fleeing Cumans.

So if that was the case... if king Bela had been killed during Mohi, then everybody would have been happy:
- The Mongols would have been happy because king Bela had been punished and the Mongols achieved their primary aim in the Western Europe ("Go home, guys!").
- The Hungarians would have been happy because the Mongols were leaving Hungary (and the Hungarians never actually liked king Bella for bringing Cumans among many other reasons).
- (Western) Europe would have been glad as now they received confirmation that there was no need to worry, no Mongol threat to Europe, but a singular Mongol operation against king Bella (as Europe had suspected from the very beginning).

What were the real Mongol intentions in Europe is something, which we'll never know. The Mongol general headquarters didn't keep minutes/protocol. And those Mongols who knew it didn't care to share this information with the foreign informants.

But whatever the truth was it was in the Mongols' interests that Europe would think that it was just an operation against king Bella; so there was no need for an all-European effort against the Mongols.
After conquering Hungary, some Hungarians might flee to Saxony for example and then the Mongols would punish Saxony, only Saxony, again no need for other Europeans to worry.
Then there goes Bavaria to be punished for something by the Mongols, just Bavaria, no one else. Then Italy, then Burgundy, France...

My point here is the Mongols were not interested to declare war against all Europe at once. It was more convenient (more energy-efficient) for them to eat the (Western) European polities one at a time, in succession.
And it is crucially important to calm down everybody else while you're conquering one of their midst. That's wise, I guess...
 
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