Warriors
MONGOL HORSEMAN
Nomadic horsemen from the Asian steppe, the Mongols established one of the world’s largest ever land empires in the 13th century. After the traditionally warring steppe tribes united under the leadership of Genghis Khan, they launched campaigns of conquest westward into the Middle East and Europe, and eastward to China’s Pacific coast. The armies of the settled civilizations of Eurasia…
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Conquistadors
A warrior class of Spain that defeated the Muslims and conquered Latin America during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In the seventh century CE, followers of the prophet Mohammed swept out of North Africa and invaded Spain. The Christian Spaniards were quickly overrun and driven into the mountainous provinces of…
Battle Cries
A common means to either pluck up collective courage, or signal rally points, or issue commands was the battle cry. The Ottomans timed prebattle shouts to the crash of musket volleys, to frighten the enemy and raise their own spirits. Constant beating of battle drums served similar purposes. Battle cries…
Scythians
From eighth to the second century bce, the Scythians represented the most terrifying military power in Asia, defeating large armies and dominating substantial parts of what is now Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and the Eurasian plains. These warring nomads were well-known throughout the continent for their fierce bravery and innovative…
Frankish Civil Wars (670-719)
Carolingians seize power from Merovingians. By the late seventh century, the Frankish Merovingians were in decline. Real power had passed to three mayors of the palace (in Neustria, Austrasia, and Burgundy), who had been able to acquire large territories for themselves. Civil war resulted as competing aristocratic clans, each claiming…
Mesoamerican Warfare (1200 B. C. E.-1521 C. E.)
Highest development of Stone Age warfare, with some variations. Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica provides an excellent study area for the development of warfare on a different path than in the old world. The lack of draft and pack animals, wheels, metallurgy, and ships in quantity and quality all led to developments different…
Viking Invasions of Ireland
Ireland had known no invaders since prehistoric times. The Vikings, who arrived quite suddenly at the end of the eighth century, sent shock waves through a society in which Christianity had been left to organize itself, exercise its influence, and cultivate its artistic treasures largely undisturbed for more than three…