Strategic Planning for the European and Sung Campaigns (1235-1236)

Key Insight

By 1235, Ogodei Khan had largely squandered his inherited wealth, necessitating new conquests to sustain his lavish lifestyle. At a khuriltai near Karakorum, various proposals for future campaigns were debated, including India, Persia, and the Sung dynasty. However, General Subodei, despite his advanced age of sixty and physical limitations, vehemently advocated for a massive western campaign into Europe, leveraging his prior reconnaissance and the perceived wealth of the continent.

The decision-making process was complicated by intense political rivalries among Genghis Khan's grandsons. Batu Khan, a leading contender for the Great Khan title, supported the European campaign to enhance his prestige and wealth. Ogodei, however, favored a campaign against the Sung, which offered direct benefits to his central holdings and a strategic opportunity to annex the lands and armies of his deceased brother, Tolui, from his widow Sorkhokhtani, who had refused a marriage arrangement for her sons.

An unprecedented and daring decision was ultimately reached: the Mongol army would launch simultaneous campaigns against both the Sung dynasty and Europe. This ambitious strategy stretched their forces over 5,000 miles and more than 100 degrees of latitude, a military undertaking unmatched until World War II. Preparation for the European campaign, led by Batu Khan and guided by Subodei, lasted two years, involving the expansion of post stations for communication, extensive scouting, and a unique method of clearing future battlegrounds by burning villages to convert farmlands into pastures for their vast animal herds. The army assembled for Europe comprised approximately 50,000 Mongols and 100,000 allies, incorporating advanced Chinese and Muslim military technology.