Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire, is remembered as one of the most formidable and feared military leaders in history. His conquests reshaped the medieval world and left behind a legacy of awe, fear, and strategic brilliance. But behind his rise was a ruthless approach to warfare. These 15 brutal tactics helped him subdue kingdoms, crush enemies, and forge one of the largest empires the world has ever seen.
1. Total Annihilation of Cities
When a city resisted Mongol rule, Genghis Khan often ordered complete destruction. Cities like Nishapur and Khwarazm were wiped out—men, women, and children slaughtered to send a message to others: surrender or be erased.
2. Psychological Warfare
The Mongols deliberately spread terror ahead of their armies. Refugees fleeing destroyed cities told tales of horror, often exaggerating Mongol cruelty—something Genghis Khan encouraged to break the morale of future targets.
3. Feigned Retreat
One of their signature battlefield tactics: the Mongols would pretend to retreat, drawing enemies into a false sense of victory before launching a devastating ambush.
4. Mass Execution of Aristocrats
After taking a city, Genghis Khan would often execute the ruling elite—nobles, governors, scholars—to eliminate future resistance and discourage rebellion.
5. Human Shields
He sometimes forced captured civilians to march ahead of his army during sieges, using them as shields against arrows and missiles.
6. Strategic Use of Spies
Mongols employed spies and scouts to infiltrate enemy territory before invasions. They gathered detailed intelligence about terrain, morale, and supply lines.
7. Poisoned Water Supplies
The Mongols were known to poison wells and rivers used by enemies, particularly in desert or steppe environments, to cut off vital resources.
8. Siege Engines and Foreign Engineers
Genghis Khan recruited Chinese and Persian engineers to develop siege weapons, such as trebuchets and catapults, making previously impenetrable cities vulnerable.
9. Using Fear to Force Surrender
Cities that surrendered peacefully were often spared. But if resistance was met, the retribution was so extreme that it discouraged others from even trying to fight back.
10. Killing Messengers
When the Khwarazm Empire executed Mongol trade envoys, Genghis Khan responded by waging total war, destroying entire cities and killing hundreds of thousands in retaliation.