| HWKStonewall | Date: Saturday, 2011-10-01, 10:18 AM | Message # 1 |
 Lieutenant
Group: Users
Messages: 63
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| I pick the Mongols for many reasons. First, they had very advanced tactics and strategies. They used mobility and firepower to defeat powerful enemies. Second, they adapted and added new tactics. For example, they started using advanced siege engines to defeat walled cities. Third, they were very portable. They carried food, shelter, weapons, fresh horses, siege engines, and even sewing equipment while moving. Fourth, they were one of the fastest moving armies of all time. They were sometimes known to travel 100-120 miles per day on horses. Fifth, their method of war was beyond total war. Before the invasion of Europe, they even sent spies into Europe to find good invasion routes and calculate to a ability of each country to resist invasion or assist each other. Sixth, they defeated many of the greatest empires of that time, including the Jin dynasty, Song dynasty, and the Kwharezmian Empire. Lastly, they were able to produce huge armies. Almost all men were in the army because it was part of their lifestyle.
Message edited by HWKStonewall - Saturday, 2011-10-01, 10:28 AM |
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| Fallen_KNiGHT_AC | Date: Saturday, 2011-10-01, 3:37 PM | Message # 2 |
 Colonel
Group: Administrators
Messages: 187
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| The Mongols were a formidable force no doubt, they were nomadic, and this was there greatest asset, you need to remember had the Mongols themselves been heavily invaded like they were capable of doing, they would have been ravaged because they lacked strongholds and defenses, when they invaded and defeated armies they would take over the defeated enemy strongholds or ransack them.
I would have to say the Germans during World War 2, they were an amazing war machine, had there not been that terrible winter who knows what would have happened, the world would be a very different place, we have that terrible winter to thank for stopping the German war machine.
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| HWKStonewall | Date: Saturday, 2011-10-01, 6:23 PM | Message # 3 |
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Lieutenant
Group: Users
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| Yes, that is also true. I think that the Nazis greatest mistake was attacking Russia and Japan's greatest mistake was attacking the US. They both started declining about 2-3 years after declaring war against these two countries. Also, do you know why the Russians almost always had much higher casualties than the Germans in almost every battle? And did you know that a French general devised a way to counter Geeman blitzkrieg? The idea was to create heavily armed strongholds with defenses against all types of attack (air, armor, infantry, etc) which would hold up the enemy's attack. Then, they would use mobile armies of mostly tanks to counterattack the stuck enemy. I don't mean to start a debate, but I have a few things to say about the Mongols.  It was very hard for foreign armies to invade the steppes where the Mongols and their neighbors lived. In ancient times, the Chinese tried several times to attack the Xioungnu tribes, but they never established a foothold. Only the Manchus of the Qing dynasty finally defeated the Mongols but they were also nomadic and they were combined with the Chinese. Also, I read that the Mongol Empire declined mostly because they were so tolerant of other cultures. They were kind of swallowed up all over the empire by the mixing of native cultures. For example, the name Mughal Empire probably comes from the name Mongols. Also, even though they were not the only ones, the Mongols had arguably the most effective missile weapon of their time, which was the composite bow. I once studied this and the construction is very interesting. To build it, they would first make a thin strip of birch wood. Then, they glue 2 strips of ibex horn onto the side of the wood that will eventually face the archer. Then, they glue shredded strips of animal sinew onto the other side of the wood. They used animal glue (from fish air bladders), which is very strong, to put it all together. When everything dries, the bow will be curved by the drying of the sinew and glue. Then, they bend the bow back on itself and string it. That is why it always has the distinctive composite bow shape. One last thing, the Mongols were amazing horsemen. I've read that they are able to bend down and fire under there horses' bellies and I once saw a picture of a Mongol doing a headstand on the saddle.
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| Fallen_KNiGHT_AC | Date: Saturday, 2011-10-29, 5:55 PM | Message # 4 |
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Colonel
Group: Administrators
Messages: 187
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| I would tend to disagree about the Nazis attacking the Soviet Union was a big mistake, the two may have been allies at the outbreak of war, but both sides knew they would be facing off against each other, not to mention it was only ever going to be a temporary alliance, Hitler hated Communism, and hated the Russians, an interesting fact was that the Soviets were still sending resources to the Germans after Germany declared war on the Soviets, because the Germans were so lightning fast in there attacks, word did no spread too fast.
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