Genghis Khan is known to be the founder and ruler of the famous Mongol Empire in history, and his military prowess and desire for conquest led his army to sweep across Eurasia and create one of the largest land empires in the history of the world.
His army was known for its bravery, swiftness, and tactical agility, and its ability to fight in all terrains and climates.
In addition to weapons, horses, and tactics, there is another important factor in making it so powerful, and that is logistical supply.
In order to solve the problem of food for the army, Genghis Khan once came up with a unique method so that his soldiers never went hungry, this method was called the "Genghis Khan Supply Law".
What is Genghis Khan's supply method
At the heart of Genghis Khan's law of supply was the use of animals as a means of transportation and a source of food, as the Mongol armies consisted mainly of cavalry, each of which had three horses, one for battle, one for transportation, and one for backup.
The horses were trained to follow the command of their masters, and carried food divided into small portions, such as dried meats, cheeses, yogurt, bread, etc., to provide a constant supply for the troops, and the food was easy to preserve and carry to meet the basic nutritional needs of the soldiers.
Horses can also be slaughtered for consumption when necessary as emergency food. In addition to horses, the Mongol army carried with them a large number of cattle and sheep, which could not only transport weapons and supplies, but also provide fresh meat and milk to increase the physical strength and morale of the soldiers.
To put it simply, the army can graze cattle while fighting, forming a mobile grain and grass storehouse. After conquering a town or region, the Mongols would loot or levy food from the local population to replenish their reserves.
In general, by various means, Genghis Khan's army was able to march calmly and almost never suffer from hunger, laying a reliable basis for victory.
Genghis Khan's supply law was an innovative solution that made full use of the Mongols' nomadic culture and knowledge of animals, combined with military and economic considerations, and embodied the wisdom and foresight of the Mongol army.
However, this method is not a panacea, and it has its limitations and drawbacks, as Japan once emulated the Mongol army's logistical replenishment, with the result that 50,000 troops were starved to death.
Battle of Imphal
During World War II, in order to reach India quickly, Japan decided to take a shortcut from Burma to attack Imphal. We all know that Myanmar is mostly tropical rainforest, and logistics supply is very difficult, so Mutaguchi Lian wanted to follow Genghis Khan's supply method.
Mongolia had a large number of cattle and sheep, but Burma lacked these things, so the Japanese army had no choice but to retreat, arresting a large number of monkeys and elephants, as well as a small number of pigs, and in any case finally collecting sufficient supplies.
In this way, more than 100,000 Japanese troops hurried on the road with monkeys and elephants, and as a result, a scene of the drama appeared. Monkeys are not as easy to tame as cattle and sheep, and not only will they hurt the Japanese soldiers at any time on the way, but they will even steal some food while they are not paying attention and flee decisively.
Compared to the speed of cattle and horses, elephants travel very little distance every day, and it is good that the Japanese army can walk several kilometers a day. In this way, Imphal, who originally wanted to sneak attack the British army, was discovered by the British army halfway because of too much movement.
The British Air Force quickly took off to bomb the Japanese army, and it was difficult for a small number of planes to cause damage, but the roar of the shells frightened the pigs and elephants, and these animals scattered in all directions, and before leaving, they also destroyed the Japanese army's supplies.
Due to the lack of sufficient water and food, more than 100,000 Japanese soldiers were eventually starved to death and more than 50,000 were starved to death.
The 17th and 5th Divisions cut off all the Japanese offensive routes, trapping them in a narrow valley, and the Japanese 15th Army was almost completely annihilated, with only a few survivors escaping.
summary
Genghis Khan's method of supply is indeed very good, but this method also has many limitations. One requires a large number of animals, and if there are not enough animal resources, the method will fail.
Secondly, soldiers have a certain ability to domesticate and manage animals, otherwise it will affect the actual use effect.
Third, this method needs to take into account geographical and climatic factors, different regions and seasons have different impacts on the adaptability and survival of animals, and it is difficult to achieve the expected effect when encountering an unfavorable environment, and even bring disadvantages.
Fourth, animals are easy targets for the enemy, and if the enemy has strong firepower or air power, they can easily destroy the animals and cut off the army's supply lines.
From this point of view, Genghis Khan's supply law is not applicable to all situations and regions, and needs to be adjusted and improved according to the specific goals and conditions of the war.
The Battle of Imphal was a tragic battle and a decisive battle, not only ending the Japanese threat to India, but also shattering the myth of the Japanese army in Southeast Asia and saving Britain's colonial status in India.
In fact, after the crisis, Mutaguchi Lian also remedied, but at that time, the Japanese army had already fallen into chaos and despair and lost their due reason, and just wanted to find enough food and water as soon as possible, and did not listen to Mutaguchi Lian's wisdom at all.
In the jungles and mountains between Imphal and Kohima, the number of Japanese troops is getting smaller and smaller day by day, and it is a hell on earth. What do you think differently about this?