The Mongol horde.

Rebuttal: "The Mongol war machine of the year 1240 was a system of 10 to 10 000. This army used ambushes, tactical warfare and had a superior range and accuracy to any European bow at the time." Alexander of Macedon (Alexander the Great) was a great military leader. Alexander was often outnumbered by his enemies [2] and it was not uncommon for his army to be outnumbered 1:20. Even though he almost always had the disadvantage by numbers, Alexander never lost a single battle. Alexander's army was well disciplined, trained, and was lead not only by Alexander, but also consisted of well trained and skilled generals. The Macedonian army was organized in a way that gave them both tactical advantage and could maneuver well during battle. The Macedonian army first started to become a war machine while under the reign of Philip II of Macedon. Under the rule of Philip, the Macedonian army was reformed. Instead of using traditional Greek hoplite phalanx, Philip implemented the sarissa, a long spear that the troops used to plow through enemy lines [8]. Philip implemented new technologies and made a war machine that Alexander, his son, later used to create the largest empire the world had ever seen (at that point). The Mongols where nomadic people who had a large calvary and used bows to destroy and pillage their enemies. During conquest, the Mongol hoard would rush into the city, and then quickly run back. Thinking they were retreating, the people would try to fight them. Once they got the people to follow them, they turned around on their horses and pick them off with their bows [6]. Mongol warfare tactics only where able to work because of the size of their army and the advantage of large bulky horses. For the most part, the Mongols where a loose nomadic clan that came together to take over their neighbors and rape and pillage their wealthy cities. Simple problems delayed invasions from the Mongols. The Great Wall of China kept the nomadic invaders out for hundreds of years [4] [9]. While the Mongols where struggling to get into China, Alexander the Great was able to overcome obstacles such as walls and fortifications. The battle of Tyre is an example of how Alexander was able to overcome fortifications. Tyre was a Persian naval base build on an island right off the coast. With no navy, Alexander had no war of reaching the city. To overcome his challenge, a bridge was build, allowing the army to reach the city. Once there, the walls still stopped the army from coming into the city. Siege towers where designed to allow men to reach over the wall, and fight the guards on the tower, while still being protected in the tower [10]. Once his army was able to get into the city, they easily took it, and destroyed everyone who resisted. The Macedonian empire created weapons far superior to Mongolian bows. Philip II and his army created catapults that could shoot projectiles, which could penetrate heavy armor from away [11]. Early Macedonian catapults where basically large bows and arrows. A projectile would be loaded onto the catapult and ropes would be tightened to have more tension (potential energy). Once realized, the projectile carried a powerful impact. Other weapons used in the Macedon army where cross bows. Cross bows harnessed energy from the user's entire body, and made the impact stronger than just the power of the arm. Technological and militaristic advancements turned the Macedonian army into a dominate war machine. Because Philip predates the Mongol hoard, Mongol artillery was less advanced then that of the Greek state of Macedon, making con's assertion that Mongol bows and arrows where superior, false. "… no chance to defeat an Mongol light horseman" The Mongols where not an undefeatable army [5, 6]. Without the element of surprise, the Mongols had no chance of winning battle agents well organized armies, such as the Spartans, Macedonian, Egyptians, and Romans. Adequate defenses, such as bodies of waters and fortified cities, also halted Mongolian expansion. Maintaining Conquered People The Mongols did not really "create" an empire. The only organization they had where clan leaders [5, 6, 7]. Once conquered, the Mongol army would take the goods and food, rape the women, and leave. After the destruction of a city, the Mongols no longer had control over them if they were to revolt. The Mongol empire had not centralized government or center of administration. There was no standardization of anything. The Mongol empire was just a group of places that they nomadic people had destroyed; there was no benefit, like there was being part of the Roman Empire, to being in their empire. Shortly after the death of the hordes leaders, the Mongolian empire quickly fell apart. With no way to oversee and manage, the conquered people eventually just rebuilt and regained their independence. There was nothing to unite the Empire, so it fell apart, and never really was an untied "empire", according to definition; a group of nations or peoples ruled over by a form of government. Conclusion The Mongolian Hoard was not a superior force, and often was less superior in weaponry and tactics, then pre-dating armies. Without a form of rule, the people conquered by the Mongols where never really an "empire". Without any maintenance, the Mongolian empire quickly dissolved, shortly after its development. Sources [1]Philip of Macedon: http://www.historyofmacedonia.org... [2]Alexander the Great: http://en.wikipedia.org... [3]Sparta: http://en.wikipedia.org... [4]Han Dynasty: http://en.wikipedia.org... [5]Mongol Empire (wiki): http://en.wikipedia.org... [6] Mongol Empire: http://www.allempires.com... [7] Genghis Khan: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org... [8] Ancient Warfare: http://en.wikipedia.org...