by Boris Zubry
We definitely failed in the Russian North. It was a heavily wooded area with a terrible climate and very aggressive people that were a hundred percent Northmen (the Vikings). I don’t think there was even a trace of the Slavic blood in them not that it was plenty anywhere else we went. Were the Slaves ever there? These people were much taller, solidly built, and smarter than the Russians from the central part of the land. I say they are more innovative in everything. They could live off the land, they worked the land and could defend what they had voraciously. They never accepted the loss. Also, while the whole country was divided into small useless, but very independent fiefdoms, North was quite united.
Yes, they had a few warlords fighting each other for one thing or another but, as soon as we approached, they became united under the same leader. It was quite interesting to observe. You rarely see anything like that anywhere. And that happened fast. Subutai was fascinated with it trying to figure out how it worked. But, there was something we could not understand, not yet. We will figure it out eventually, just give us time and a few collaborators. We tried to break that unity, but nothing had brought the desired results. They were like the Khazars, the Jews. They stick together, and you cannot bribe or blackmail your way in. We hold together but not like that. Jews were all over the horde, and we knew them well. They were partners, friends, brothers. I trusted them more than some of the Mongols, not speaking of the other tribes that were swelling our numbers.
Should I try to understand the Jews better to understand the Vikings? Was there a link there? That could be the answer. Anyway, we could not break through, at the North, not there and not without losing too many people. On top of all these problems, my soldiers were not as active fighting in the densely wooded area as in the open field. We were from the steppes, and those people were from the forest, and we were fighting in the woods. They knew the lay of the land, and we had to learn it. It was not working as it should, and we could not wait forever. In the end, after losing at least half of a Tumen and the numerous Tartars, I decided to heavily guard these areas of the North. If I could not go in, I did not want them to come out and help the rest of the country. Those Northern people were capable and could change the situation if they attacked us from the north and in force. But, they never did. In a few years after that, we never saw a war party breaking out of there in the direction of the South. They fought mainly in the North with the other Vikings but not us.
Often, we could see the trading caravans and the longboats going south. They always used the rivers we controlled. Well, we controlled all rivers in the vicinity but not always enforced the rules. They paid the dues, the tribute and we always welcomed them. More, we gave them protection and guaranteed safety. It was a good practice and, we saw life coming back to the area with trade and crafts and plenty of food. Soon, we were seen not as invaders but the partners and could be friends. Come to think, they were good people and we did not mind their company. We could be friends, and that could last. Again, my policy was not to take everything from them but to leave enough so, they could breathe, and keep prospering. That paid off much better. Trading with those people was much better than fighting with them, and I ordered to protect them not disturbing the fragile balance of peace. Every peaceful development was promoted and supported. We had to look in the future and beyond the war.
Considering the size of Russia and the number of people, I decided to leave Pskov and Novgorod controlled by its own Dukes. It was somewhat safer for now. These two cities gave me the most significant barrier between the very aggressive knights of Europe and us. I could not take on Russia and an entire Europe all at the same time. I needed to split it into the manageable pieces and handle it that way. More people would be required, and they were coming, but I needed time to put the campaign together. When these knights applied too much pressure on Pskov and Novgorod and actually started the crusade against us, I moved on Europe. It was the right time. Europe was in disarray even more than Russia. Still, they had a religious unity of some sort. They called it Christianity. They believed in a fairytale with an idol called Jesus Christ right in the middle of it. They were building so many churches for him, so he would reside there and filled them with the best paintings and sculptures. The churches were full of gold, and the servants of God were living in luxury; the people of the country did not have. The people were starving; thus, hated the ruling class and the church. The Christians believed that Christ was a Jew who came from the Jewish lands, but the Jews had never heard of him. This was a strange religion, which had the negative and the positive sides for us, Mongols if we wanted to conquer the Christian lands. The negative side was in the possible unity of the Christian warriors regardless of their nationality. They proved it conceivable with the Crusades going to the expanse called Palestine and fighting the Muslims. They could, and they did call the knights to arms when we invaded the Balkans, Poland, and Hungary. The good thing was that they kept fighting and losing in Palestine for a long time already. The fighting people, including most of the knights, kept going there and not too often coming back. This useless fighting stripped Western Europe of the most capable fighting force. The Fifth Crusade was another huge disaster for the stupid Christians, but the church kept pushing it. It was questionable if even the church believed in the crusades, but that was the Church’s solution to the European problems. That is how the church wanted to shift the blames in the other direction, away from the Vatican and the greedy nobility. Thousands of European soldiers from all countries died in Palestine and on the way there. They even fought each other for the little money made. What did they gain? What was the end game? How can you effectively control a territory thousands of miles away? The Romans tried it before and failed, and the opposition did not have an organized resistance as the Saracens had. They were a formidable power in the whole of Middle East. They were many, well adjusted to the area and at home. They ruled there for about a thousand years already growing stronger and stronger. The Christians could win one battle or a few but could not stay there for any prolonged time. The land did not want them. The Christians did not belong there, and the whole Middle East was fighting them not could ting each other. They were the biggest enemies to themselves, and they paid for that in blood.
The highway robbery and kidnapping for ransom was quite popular at the time even if you wore the crusader’s cross. Many thought you became rich in the Middle East. Thousands more were always in transition between Europe and Palestine, and many became the victims of the locals. That did not make it any easier. Sicknesses, the Black Death - a devastating global epidemic of the bubonic plague and the famine added to the state of disarray making Europe wide open for our invasion. They missed us coming, and we timed it just right.
When my spies informed us that another huge army went to Palestine, we moved in. Even if that army turns around and comes back to fight us, it would be too late already. Distance and timing were so important, and it was on our side. The Christians were looking in the wrong direction all the time. I did not think they were that stupid. How could they miss us for the mythical Jesus Christ? We were right here, and he was nowhere. He was so elusive, and we were not even hiding. That’s the power of brainwashing for you. Christ was not even in Palestine, and we were knocking the doors of their houses in Europe down already. Yes, that was my opening, and I took it. That was the opportunity of the lifetime, and we seized it. My advisers were absolutely correct; it was written in the stars, and I think in huge letters. Our holy men are saying that everything is predetermined, written in the stars. I say we choose what path to take, and then, we follow what was written in the stars. It was up to us to select the turn of events.
Islam was a prominent religion. At least half of my soldiers, at the time, were Muslims and I had to consider that. We, Mongols, were very tolerant of religion. Why would we care? How was it our problem? We preferred to ignore it, and that helped us considerably. I do not believe religion should run your life and influence the decisions. That is just
your point of view. Still, one has to pay respect to the spirits and, especially, of your ancestors. Those are your ancestors. That’s very important, and we followed and obeyed all that was prescribes by the shamans and the healers. They knew the spirits and the spirit’s world. Yet, that was only for the ones that believed in it. If you believed in anything else and wanted to pray to god in any other way, that’s your business. Why should we care? That was my policy, and I vigorously enforced it.
My grandfather, the great Genghis Khan, was the same way. I learned it from him and my parents. All that was very wise and one of the most sensible policies we introduced. My grandfather called it “The Freedom of Religion” and “Spiritual Freedom.” In our Golden Horde, we had every religion there is. There were Jews, Christians, Muslims, Mystics, Necromants, Hinduists, Taoists, and anyone else who believed in something different. For as long as you were a part of us and did not do anything stupid that might hurt us or our goals, you were just fine and welcome. Serve your God in any way you liked. If your religion made you better in one way or another, it was good for us. Our Muslims were not very devoted Muslims but, nevertheless, they still were Muslims, and we had to respect that. Because of that and some other reasons, we tried to maintain good relations with the Muslim Empire of the Middle East. Well, to some degree. The Muslims of the Middle East believed that our war in Europe helped them to fight off the Crusades. I think it actually did. Thousands of the European knights had to stay back home, and not go to Palestine and all because of us.
We did the Middle Eastern Muslims favors, and they did us favors. And, we all protected the endless caravans as the most essential thing in our economies. The Silk Road was booming, better than ever, and that was the most excellent example of trust and complete cooperation. War or no war, the goods and the people had to move throughout the world. Money, the economy had to circulate to grow. Neither side ever violated the agreements and, if anything went wrong, both teams did everything possible fixing it. And, occasionally things did go wrong. Yes, the brigands were trying to make a living off raiding the caravans, but they never lasted for long. We dealt with them in the harshest possible way, making an example of the punishment, and we did it every time. Still, more would come thinking that they were smarter, luckier, better warriors. Neither us nor the Muslims would forgive them and lessen the sentence. That was the law. The Silk Road was too important to us, to them, to the whole world. It was like the most vital blood artery connecting the world of the East. West was not there yet, and I was destined to bring it in. The bloodline of the East was only trickling in the West, but I was about to change it and for good. Yes, the Silk Road was an unquestionable priority to everyone. No one in the East could survive without it.
The “free” Russians of Pskov and Novgorod had informed us of the plans of the Western European knights to start crusading against us. Our policies in that region worked already. We were cooperating with the Russians, and they saw the hope in it. We smiled and kept our options open. We rewarded the informants well and promised more if they keep cooperating. They assured us of that and kept the word. It was a beneficial arrangement for both sides. I did not like the information about the knights and of their plans, and Subutai was furious, demanding the invasion of the West right away. I did not think we were ready yet and told him to slow down and to start preparing for the big war. It could last for years. That would be a massive undertaking even for us, and it should be done on our terms.
This western land was far from our bases, and we needed almost everything. I could not categorically rely on feeding off the occupied territory. It sounded great, but it never indeed worked. You get some supplies and pay for it with spreading your forces out and even losing some people. Foraging was a hard and costly way to supply your people. I needed everything in one fist. I learned the lessons of my grandfather when he had time and was willing to teach us. Western Europe was in ruins due to constant skirmishes between the local barons, terrible famine, plague, and the crusades. They did it to themselves. Did they understand that? Crusades and the religious hysterics took away the able bodies leaving Western Europe quite open for anyone to invade it. If it were not us, it would be someone else. Who? Could the Russians do that? I think so, but they would have to come under one ruler first. It was hard even to imagine. They were not there yet and would not be there for a long while, especially when we were there.
We will do whatever it took to keep them divided. And, if the Russians moved, we would’ve come much earlier. I did not really worry about resistance. I knew that the Western countries could not gather a force capable of giving me any serious trouble, not with all the problems they had, and they had plenty. I worried about the supplies. That would take time and considerable resources. I had both, and we needed patience. My calculations showed that we needed at least 50,000 horses more, three new Tumens and then, two more in about six months after the invasion started. That is five Tumens altogether, and I had only two in training at the moment. They should be ready in about a month. The new Tumens would take at least three months of training plus the time to recruit good people. That could be six to eight months altogether. Also, they had to come over, and that takes time. There is another month, at least. Many people were coming to us asking to make them the Mongolian soldiers, but only a few would qualify. They had to be good soldiers already, but we would make them better. I rather wait and get the right people than to rush and lose the war. But, the most important thing is to move the bases closer to Western Europe. We also need to create a few jumping points.
Why did I need so many troops? Well, the territories were tremendously vast and heavily populated. And, I needed to leave the strong garrisons along the way to control the conquered countries and to protect the supply routes. Thus, I need a massive force. I could raise it, giving time and a lot of patience. Patience was a virtue, not all of us had. Actually, it was a very rare attribute. We were more of the spontaneous people. Subutai was like a very young groom on the wedding night. He could not wait for anything; he wanted it now. I love him, I trust him, but it should be the way my grandfather did it. It should be done right.
Patience is still a virtue, and impatience could cost you everything, lives for sure. No, impatience is something we can’t have at all. We cannot afford it at any cost. I have to control Subutai but gently. He is so fragile under that toughness of the fighting Mongol. All that, everything, was too important to overlook. A slight miscalculation in supplies could cost you the entire campaign and maybe thousands of lives. No, no, not the enemies but your people. And we often see it on the other side. Also, the emperor would not forget it quickly, and that will cost you personally. In Central Asia, one had to be cautious with the others, always. That could be your life. That could be your family. It was not a comfortable world to live in, even if you were a Khan. Enemies were so easy to make and so hard to get rid of. They would hide the feelings until it was time to strike, to poison, a knife in your back. I always try not to make enemies or, if you made one, don’t let him live long enough to hit back. Children of the dead enemy would always tend to pay back. Control those children in one way or another. Everything, every option, should be on the table. Listen to the eldest. You and your family come first. They and their families don’t count, not in the long run. You are important, and they are not. You represent the dynasty, and they pose a danger.
So, I gave an order to gather and to deliver to my camp 50,000 horses and another 50,000 in six months after that and at least two new Tumens (Tumen is a unit of ten thousand men) of soldiers. We also needed meat for a hundred thousand soldiers, clothes, weapons, and silk shirts. I have the campsites and the small hordes located within hours from the main group. That’s where the horses would stay, and the soldiers gathered and trained. The stores and especially food, are going to be mostly at the main camp. It would be safer here, with the most loyal Mongols and me. The Khazars will manage and multiply it as they had always done it.
Good people. It was a str
oke of genius on my grandfather part to befriend them. It is still a very prosperous relation. Frankly, I am getting closer and closer to them. I like their company and everything about them. Good people. All Mongols loved them, and they never let us down. I wish we had more of them, but there are limits. Well, meat could walk by itself. So, hundreds of herds with horses, cattle, lamb, and the goats had to follow us managed by the Tartars and their families. The camp followers were mostly responsible for that. The Kazakhs were good with that task as well. They also were from the steppes and understood the way of life there. Many of them were nomads and knew the animals on the move. They were a great help when we moved, and they could fight. What else do I need from them? If the families of my soldiers (from any tribe) also wanted to follow us, they had to work as well. They operated the trains following us with the supplies, wounded, animals, and the members of the families. They would handle the animals and tend the wounded. It was very beneficial for all of us.
I am not responsible for the Tartars or any of the families following us. They had to self-supply what was needed and to protect themselves. We would help in any way possible if needed. That was the deal. Well, that was our goodwill. They came alone voluntarily, and they fought willingly and then, they participated in sharing the spoils. True, my soldiers had the first pick, but the Tartars always had the towns for days afterward. They made a good living following us, and we had the additional fighters and the comfort of the home when we needed it. Still, when they required, we helped them. Usually, it was some provisions or weapons. Our doctors went to their camps as well.
