In General: Subutai Ba’atur

Name:

Subutai Ba’atur (1176-1248)

Affiliation:

Mongol Empire

Conflict:

• Xia and Jin Campaigns
• Invasion of Central and Eastern Europe

Nemesis:

King Bela IV of Hungary

Notable Victories:

• Battle of Mohi
• Battle of Legnica
• Battle of the Kalka River

Notable Defeats:

 Battle of Samara Bend

Famous Quote:

“I will ward off your enemies as felt cloth protects one from the wind.”

Famous tactics:

• Simultaneous attacks coordinated over great distances
• Use of siege engines as field artillery
• Attacking in winter
• Feigned retreats
• Fielding light cavalry and horse archers

Synopsis:

Subutai was the military mastermind behind the empire of Genghis Kahn and his son Ogedei Kahn.  Throughout his many campaigns, his army was rarely defeated and repeatedly decimated the larger armies of an overconfident Europe. 

Believed to be the son of a blacksmith, Subutai joined the army of Genghis Kahn as a teenager.  Within ten years his tactical genius elevated him to the rank of general.  In the decades that followed Subutai would carve out his legacy as his army would conquer more territory than any other in history.

Subutai was an expert at calculating and manipulating his enemies’ next move.   His use of the lighter Steppe cavalry allowed him to maneuver freely on the field while maintaining the ability to outrun the heavier armored European Knights. He would often fake a retreat only to lure his opponents into an ambush. As his enemies retreated, Subutai used light horse archers to pick off the easy targets presented by fleeing armies. 

At the Battle of Mohi, Subutai faced the combined army of King Bela IV of Hungary. The King had amassed an army of conscripts, Templar Knights, Hospitler Knights, and Cuman refugees who had been defeated by Subutai earlier at the Battle of the Kalka River. At Mohi, Subutai used the terrain to his advantage.  The eastern banks of the river were heavily wooded and allowed him to conceal the true size of his forces.  On the other hand, the west bank of the river was open terrain that was ideal for his light horsemen and allowed Subutai to monitor his opponents every move.

The night before the battle, the Mongols attempted to cross the river at the Mohi bridge. There they were met by a force of Hungarian Crossbowmen who inflicted heavy casualties on the invaders. The following day, Subutai used heavy stone throwers built for siege warfare as a long range artillery unit and successfully cleared the crossbowmen from the bank of the river allowing his main force to cross. Simultaneously, he made use of a makeshift stone bridge he had secretly constructed to the south. Using the new crossing, Subutai was able to flank and encircle the Hungarian army which had gathered to repel the crossing of the main Mongol force.

Once his army was across the Sajo River en masse, he knew his enemy was doomed.  Rather than tempt the Hungarian soldiers to fight to the death, Subutai intentionally left a gap in his lines.  As Subutai predicted, the Hungarians retreated through the hole in the chaotic fashion that was common to a routed army.  The Mongol  light cavalry and mounted bowmen then made quick work of the fleeing troops without incurring additional casualties. Following the battle of Mohi and the simultaneous battle of Legnica in Poland, nearly every man of fighting age in Eastern Europe had been killed.

In the end, it was only the death of Ogedei Kahn that could stop the army of Subutai. Following the death of his Emperor, Subutai would return to China. He would be involved in several minor engagements afterwards. However, his legendary status would prevent his return to Europe. No King would ever allow Subutai to stray too far from home again lest his rivals gain the loyalty of an unstoppable general.

~Man Overboard

Image used is this Post

Subutai  photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons published under the CC license.

Battle of Mohi photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons published under the CC license.