Mongolia's Western Expedition

Mongol Western Expedition (1219-1260) - the largest land empire expansion in history​ British scholar John Mann once said: "The land conquered by Genghis Khan's cavalry was wider than the Romans' 400-year campaign."​ 1. Three Western Expeditions​ The first time (1219-1223): Genghis Khan led his army to conquer Khwarezm and conquered Central Asia (today's Uzbekistan and Iran).​ The second time (1236-1242): Led by Batu, he conquered the Russian countries in Eastern Europe and captured Russia, Hungary, and Poland.​ The third time (1253-1260): Hulagu went to the Arab Abbasid Dynasty and occupied Western Asia (Baghdad, Syria).​ 2. Key battles​ Battle of Samarkand (1220) Battle of Legnica (1241) Battle of Baghdad (1258) 3. Core advantages​ The Mongolian army has high mobility (the cavalry travels an average of 80 kilometers per day), a precise intelligence network, the integration of multi-ethnic technologies (such as returning artillery), and psychological deterrence (those who surrender will pay tribute, and those who resist will massacre the city).​ 4. Influence and legacy​ This Western Expedition resulted in the death of approximately 40 million people, heavy losses in the population of Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and West Asia, and a shock to civilization. Although it brought "Peace to Mongolia" (promoting Silk Road exchanges), it might also contribute to the spread of the Black Death. Today, Russian centralization, the Mughal Empire in India, and the "four-class system" of China's Yuan Dynasty are all affected by it. French scholar Gruset said: "The boundaries drawn by the Mongols with their sabers are still the fault lines of Eurasian geopolitics."