Poll: How long can steppe nomad empires exist in Eurasia?

Until when can steppe empires exist in Eurasia?

  • Late 18th century

    Votes: 13 65.0%
  • Early 19th century

    Votes: 3 15.0%
  • Late 19th century

    Votes: 2 10.0%
  • Early 20th century

    Votes: 2 10.0%
  • Up to today

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    20
I voted for the earliest option, simply because as even the Mongols saw, Horses raised in fertile grasslands (as in Europe and China) can outperform Mongol ponies, combined with the sheer manpower advantage settled societies retain.

With the main power that forced the steppe to yield was Russia, which has the defensive issue of no clear practical border against the steppe - as soon as they can develop a strong enough export economy to ensure a large food supply (fur for grain, or local grown crops, etc) - then they are in a better position than the Steppe Empires, enough so that they can build similar armies that are fed and subsidised, and later given carbines - you know, basically huge Cossack armies.

So yeah, assuming your empires have to be nomadic, settled nations able to field a similar army, or a better army, will crush them with numbers and tech, rather than outright skill.
 
It really depends on your POD. With a very early POD, you might possibly delay the development of technology in Europe and China. Even with the earliest POD, you might need quite an early POD, unless the steppe nomads modernise to such an extent that they are no longer steppe nomads in the traditional way.
 
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