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Yesterday. An historian was been interviewed. He was dong a programe About Ghenghis Khan. And the first thing he said was that his empire was 4 times that of Alexander the Great.

So I got my books out and read about him. I came to a related conclusion with Logistics for large armies. When He took to invading Persia he had 200 000 men split into 4 armies of 50 000.It kinda jumps in the face of the theories that Darius couldnt field hundreds of thousands. Its been argued Persia had no big cities etc to supply the army. So how did Ghenghis Khan sustain 200 000 as an invader.Food for thought. Also therhetoric Four times Bigger than Alexander.

I guess we would argue given another 10 years Alexander Empire would have been much larger.

Kenny

jasonxx wrote:Yesterday. An historian was been interviewed. He was dong a programe About Ghenghis Khan. And the first thing he said was that his empire was 4 times that of Alexander the Great.

So I got my books out and read about him. I came to a related conclusion with Logistics for large armies. When He took to invading Persia he had 200 000 men split into 4 armies of 50 000.It kinda jumps in the face of the theories that Darius couldnt field hundreds of thousands. Its been argued Persia had no big cities etc to supply the army. So how did Ghenghis Khan sustain 200 000 as an invader.Food for thought. Also therhetoric Four times Bigger than Alexander.

I guess we would argue given another 10 years Alexander Empire would have been much larger.

Kenny

Hi Kenny!

I always find stupid those that try to say that "Alexander was not good enough because his empire didn't last that much". I would say to them that it didn't last because he died at 32, when he was planning to conquer Arabia, and if he hadn't died, there would be no doubt he would have conquered Arabia, Italy and... discovered America perhaps?? He was capable of that!!

I don't know much about Ghenghis Khan, what I know is that Alexander is four times more famous than him (notice the irony )

Kisses, Beatriki

So how did Ghenghis Khan sustain 200 000 as an invader

By not having them all in one place, but rather split into four 50,000-strong contingents. In pre-internal-combustion days, practicable size of army was limited by natural constraints to do with supplies. Read Engels, Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army.

ATB,
Karen

I bet that our mongol friends might say that Khan's hordes drank their horses' blood... and needed no more.

Still 200 000 monguls roaming around Persia. Need be to combine and fight as a whole.


I dont know about Alexander getting to America . I doubt any Greek ships or any ships could cross the Pacific. Besides America was unknown.

Kenny

jasonxx wrote:
I dont know about Alexander getting to America . I doubt any Greek ships or any ships could cross the Pacific. Besides America was unknown.

Kenny

It was also unknown by Colombus, remember he thought he reached India. Maybe Greek ships weren't good enough, but commanded by Alexander... who knows?? The man crossed a desert

i am sure he could do this.

Karen said,

In pre-internal-combustion days

Sorry Karen what exactly are pre internal combustion days?
Best regards,
Dean[/quote]

The Logistics again. Ok 200 000 split into four. One must remember the Mongul Armies were primarily Horse soldiers. All those men and horses need supplies from somewhere. Even at Gaugamela the even agadurated Persian forces the Cavalry didnt come close to that.

Persia must have had resources and supplies somewhere. The Persian Numbers maybe are not so fantastical at all. If 200 000 Monguls can be sustained then Im sure Darius Army could be.

Kenny

dean wrote:Karen said,

In pre-internal-combustion days

Sorry Karen what exactly are pre internal combustion days?
Best regards,
Dean

[/quote]

That is, before motor vehicles.

ATB

Alexander The Great I agree is four times more famous than The Khan in the Western world.

In Asian parts the Khan has mystical regard more than Alexander. Both these Generals will be percieved Differently depending where you come from. From The boundaries of China to the Midsts of Europe Ghengis Khan is known. Yet Alexander peters out on the out skirts of India. And to think the Monguls were nothing more than basic Shelter dwelling nomads. Mongolia Is a pretty barren place yet it sustained hundreds of thousand of these vicious warriors.

Kenny

Hi Dean (et al):

Sorry Karen what exactly are pre internal combustion days?

That is, before motor vehicles.

Exactly as Marcus said -- before the internal combustion engine was invented. Just as it completely changed all other transportation considerations, it completely changed military logistics as well.

Warmly,
Karen

An imresion and example of what the Monguls left.

Years after the siege of Bejing. It was said the streets were still smelling of human fat.

Genghis Kahn might have been four times bigger, but the wave of destruction much larger in his invasions than in ATGs. .

I do wonder how much larger the world population was, how much it had grown from the time of ATG to Genghis Khan. Could that possible be reflected in his larger force?

Athena

Im sure your very much correct. Also the communications and knowledge of the different lands was much better and would assume Ghengis had much more of an adea where he was going and what he was up against. Alexanders Post Gaugamela was very much un known to even the Greek academics.

Countries and cultures would have been more dense and populative . Although Mongolia was a barron step land. But its gotta be taken into account the forces the Khan met. If Alexanders enemies were regarded as inferior to Alexanders. So were the Monguls enemies.

The Monguls put to shame the heroic and great soldierdome of the Medievil Knights covered in tin Armour. these toy Soldiers became easy meat for the lightly armoured more mobile Monguls and one weapon the Monguls used very well was terror.

Yet I believe a well armed and organises Macedonian Formation or Roman Legions would have helt the Monguls in there tracks. Also the Monguls used Gun powder.

Kenny