Russia and the Mongols
In a speech broadcast to London via radio on October 1st, 1939, Winston Churchill famously said: “I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma (Murdico, 1).” While it is true that Churchill was referring to his inability to predict the country’s actions in regards to the impending world war, the words can be used to illustrate a general confusion and lack of understanding, by both western and eastern powers alike, concerning the massive nation. Russia, as it stands today, currently encompasses about 6.6 million square miles of land (Murdico, 1), and is the largest country in the world by land mass. Along with a large area, Russia also has quite the large reputation; having been through two world wars, governments both communist and imperial, and a slew of civil wars and internal struggles. Russian politics and history is still today a hot topic of conversation, yet very little of this conversation mentions anything pre-WWI. It may be difficult to say exactly why this is so, as a great number of factors, including first an foremost our own cultural biases and perspectives come in to play, but it is true that Russia may confuse us because it is nearly impossible to categorize as being entirely “western” or “eastern” in nature. It is not really European nor is it truly Asian. Instead it has been shaped by a blend of different cultures and political ideologies that certainly include both European and Asian influence. Playing a huge role in this is the geography of the area; its location lends itself to contact with and, more importantly, being attacked by surrounding societies while still being pushed up against the corner of a continent in an almost isola...
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...or steppe people had incredibly devastating and possibly destiny altering effects on Kievan Rus, evidence certainly exists that paints a more positive picture for the Russians. It may be hard to ever truly weigh the positive effects of the Mongol Empire versus the negative ones, especially on such a large nation as this. Did the Mongols hinder Russia, by providing it with the handicap of not having developed in the same way as Europe? Perhaps, but such a view seems to be inherently biased toward a more western ideal, and completely ignores the surges of culture and unity brought about by the Mongols. Either way, what is certain is that the Mongols are not to be forgotten in the shaping of Russian history. While they are not the only piece of the puzzle, they definitely left their mark on one of the largest and more politically complex nations that exists today.
Historically, Russia has always been a country of perplexing dualities. The reality of Dual Russia, the separation of the official culture from that of the common people, persisted after the Revolution of 1917 and the Civil War. The Czarist Russia was at once modernized and backward: St. Petersburg and Moscow stood as the highly developed industrial centers of the country and two of the capitals of Europe, yet the overwhelming majority of the population were subsistent farms who lived on mir; French was the official language and the elites were highly literate, yet 82% of the populati...
One last mistake that most people could call Napoleon’s greatest, would be his Invasion of Russia. When Czar Alexander I stopped complying with Napoleon’s demands with the Continental System, put heavy taxes on French luxury products, and refusing to let Napoleon marry a sister of his, Napoleon thought that it was time to put Russia back in his place. With this idea in place, Napoleon gathered a huge amount of troops from all around Europe, which first entered Russia on June 24, 1812. A quote from Sutherland states that “It was the most diverse European army since the Crusades”. History experts expect that at least 450,000 Grand Armée soldiers and maybe even 650,000 ended up crossing the Niemen River to fight the Russians on the other side (approx. 200,000). Napoleon
The Mongols, or as the Western Europeans called them, the Tartars, were a nomadic, militant people that dominated the battlefield during the pre-industrial time period (“Tartars” 7). Over the span of the 13th century, from the Central Asian steppes in the east to the Arabian lands to the west, the Tartars subdued the unfortunate inhabitants and expanded their empire vastly. To the fear and dismay of the Western Europeans, the Tartars desired to triumph over all of Eurasia; therefore, the Western Europeans were to be conquered next. News of the imminent Tartarian attack rapidly spread through West Europe like a wildfire, and the powerful Holy Roman Church contended to prepare a strategy against the onslaught. In the year 1245, Pope Innocent IV, the head of the Church at the time, sent a group of Friars led by Giovanni da Pian del Carpini to gather some knowledge about the Tartars. It was a dreaded mission, one that would probably end in a terrible death, since the Tartars were a cruel people towards outsiders. Nevertheless, Carpini valiantly ventured into the unknown darkness, and returned to his homeland with valuable information about the Tartars. Through the insight he gained during his travels, he wrote his account of the Tartars in a report called the “Historia Mongalorum” (“Tartars” 19), which is known today as “The Story of the Mongols Whom We Call the Tartars”.
Mongol empire was the largest land empire of the world has ever seen. First began as a nomadic group of tribes. Mongols were united and emerged into an empire that conquered lands stretching from Europe to Central Asia under the rule of Genghis Khan. The Mongol empire was able to succeed in expanding, and conquering was due to their ability to adapt to any living conditions, their sheer brutality force, and their strong military organization.
In document 1 it shows they have conquered the most land with 4,860,000 miles. This concludes that the Mongols were really powerful and for a comparison the United States is 3,036,885 square miles excluding Hawaii and Alaska. Also, in document 1 the map shows they conquered major cities like Daidu (Beijing), Moscow, Baghdad, and Karakorum which was Mongol’s capital at the time. This shows even though the conquered a lot of land, they conquered valuable lands.
When Westerners such as ourselves and people native to Europe are asked what they know of the Mongols the answer is usually ruthless barbarians intent upon world domination. After all these years you would expect that the educational points presented to the different generations in school would have given a different view of the Mongol civilization. Leaving this vision instilled upon generation after generation is detrimental to learning the different positive aspects left behind by such a powerful empire. The nomadic lifestyle that the Mongols endured empowered them to become hardy warriors. The Mongols began their conquests in response to Ghengis Khans personal missions as well as a disruption in trade and the ecology of the land upon which they inhabited.
Hosseini, Dustin. "The Effects of the Mongol Empire on Russia By Dustin Hosseini." The Effects of the Mongol Empire on Russia. The School of Russian and Asian Studies, 12 Dec. 2005. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
The impact of the Mongol conquest of both the Islamic heartlands and Russia was extensive and long lasting. After the Mongol conquests into the regional cities of Russia, they established a long run for two and a half centuries. Russians had to pay tribute and turn over all their goods to the Mongol overlords. These peasants essentially became serfs as they were giving their goods for protection in turn. On the other hand, Moscow prospered despite being destroyed during the conquests. With its rebuilding, it became the tribute center for the Mongol lords, and the center for the Orthodox Church. To continue, the Mongols helped organize the Russian military and partially helped establish a political precedent of a centralized authority with little limitations to the assigned power. In the Islamic heartlands, the Mongol conquest killed the caliph and destroyed Baghdad, leaving the Muslims without a follower and capital center. In a sense, this second conquest was much harsher than the one of Russia with its violence and religious impact.
A historic empire that made an immense impact throughout history, it's being influenced the world around it, it's people were advanced and innovative for the time. The Mongolian empire began at around 1200 A.D. and throughout it's long and large existence, influential ideas and developments were created. Their horsemanship, their militancy, their nomadic lifestyle, their leadership system, their fall and their impact make up all of the components that are needed to fully understand and appreciate the history of the Mongolian empire. The seventh grade history text, Across the Centuries, describes all of these aspects, though not all are presented with depth, their basic ideas and concepts are understood by the students reading the text.
Over the years there have been many great nomadic groups, such as the Vikings and the Kievan, but no nomadic group has been more successful than the Mongols. The Mongols have had many lasting influences on Russia, China, and even Europe. The Mongols have left a mark on the European trading systems in technologies as well as in their trading systems trade routes. One thing that stayed the same throughout Europe was their many religion.
The Mongols were a group of nomadic people who were known for not only their ferocity in battle but also their tolerance of other cultures. Over the course of their many empires, the Mongols conquered lands from as far as the Korean peninsula to the Islamic civilizations of the Middle East. The movement of the Mongol people into these areas was met with mixed opinions, as members of some societies respected the braveness of the Mongols while others saw them as destructive. According to Ala-ad-Din Ata-Malik Juvaini, 15th century Korean scholars, and Rashid al-Din, the Mongols were a group of tolerant people who attempted to eradicate injustice and corruptness (1,3,4). However, members of other societies viewed the Mongols as coldhearted and merciless because of the damage they dealt in the conquest of Russian cities and the taxes they forced upon their conquered societies (1,2). Nonetheless, some scholars and historians recognized the Mongols power and braveness, but were indifferent with their views of the Mongol civilization.
The Mongol Empire appeared in Central Asia through the 13th and 14th centuries as the biggest land empire in history. A consequence of the union of Mongol and Turkic tribes, the empire took form under the control of the legendary Genghis Khan, also known as Great Khan, which means emperor. All through his period, Genghis Khan started a series of invasions called as the Mongol invasions, frequently accompanied by the major-scale slaughter of civilian populations. This led in the conquest of the majority of Eurasia. By the end of Genghis Khan's life, the Mongol Empire occupied a considerable segment of Central Asia and China. The empire began to divide as a consequence of battles between succession heirs, especially regarding Kublai Khan and Ariq Boke.
Lafeber, W. (2002), America, Russia, and the Cold War, 1945-2000. 9th edn. New-York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
The Mongols were also known for their surprise attack which spread to other armies, making it a keen warfare used all around the world. This battle tactic consisted of a group of men who are fighting out on the battlefield and they begin to retreat only to draw the enemy into a trap. The enemy runs into a rain of arrows as the rest of the men are hiding off to the side with loaded weapons, and fierce ground fighters ready for combat. This is one key that the Mongols had to help them conquer Asia. Lastly, the Mongols had a positive impact on the world because they united most of Asia.
The Mongols were a group of barbarians led by Genghis Khan. They were ruthless and destroyed everything in their path, but they also led to many positive things in the world. The Mongolians of the Asian Steppe had a positive impact on the world during their rule of the Asian continent from 1206 to 1368 by influencing laws, uniting China, and spreading messages and inventions. Many people liked the Mongols despite their destructive ways.