How far can the Mongols actually get into Europe? Is it possible for them control at least half of it? And is it possible for some of them to convert to Christianity?
Let's discuss.
Let's discuss.
But they could at least hold on to eastern Europe, right?
If they had the will and the desire, the Mongols could control all of Europe. But that's incredibly unlikely, mostly because such an invasion would be too costly and timely to be worth it for any Khan. Europe was unimportant compared to China.
The Mongol advantage is the horse which require open plains, whereas the advantage of Europe is its forests and hills. Especially its forest - the Black Forest would be Europes major protection against the Mongols.
Afterall the Mongols defeated the Hungarian Knights, although not in Croatia. They could have taken the Balkans and maybe ventured further in but beyond the Carpathians there is no grazing land able to support them.
Here we go again with European biases. Hills and forests? Really?
Don't get me started on with the walls justification.
Mongols have conquered nations with forests, hills, excellent walls with more advanced tech than Europe during that time period.
The Mongols are capable of taking the whole of Europe. But there is no reason for them to take it.
Here we go again with European biases. Hills and forests? Really?
Don't get me started on with the walls justification.
Mongols have conquered nations with forests, hills, excellent walls with more advanced tech than Europe during that time period.
The Mongols are capable of taking the whole of Europe. But there is no reason for them to take it.
It's not that Chinese neglected their defences, but that most West European castles doesn't house a big, lucrative target, while Chinese fortifications are mostly fortified cities and thus worth the trouble taking them. How many major cities were in eastern Germany in the midde ages, anyway?If I read the above correctly, I think the argument is not that there were stone fortifications but that that there was stone fortification on every other hill.
Noone denies that MOngols took Chinese cities with fortifications, but it took time and the countryside was AFAIK wide open once the Great wall was breached. The point is that stone castle, unlike wooden forts cannot be burned down quickly and take time to reduce. So the point of the dense network of castles is that it would bog the mopngols down as they cannot bypass all of them; they serve as refuge for the local population and as base for the armies that would take the Mongols in the back. Yes, the mongols can burn the land around the Castle, but if they move on, the european can withstand this (just as the French withstood the ENglish Chevauchees by bunkering in castles after each of their big defeazts in the 100 year war).
What if Ogedei Khan lives a little bit longer? Does this affect Batu Khan's focus on Europe?
To be more precise, those obstacles makes Europe past Germany not worth the effort, not making it impossible.