In Eurasia in the 13th century, a violent storm from the east ravaged the land. That was the iron cavalry of the Mongol Empire's westward conquest. With their unrivaled military might, they rewrote the map of the land.
One of the most tragic scenes was in 1240, when the Mongol cavalry, under the command of Batu, destroyed Kiev, the heart of the Rus', in just a few days, and reduced the ancient city to scorched earth.
Under the command of Genghis Khan, the Mongols, who had once been nomadic in the steppes, rose rapidly and established a large empire spanning Asia and Europe. After Genghis Khan's unexpected death during his expedition to the west, his grandson Ogedei inherited the ambition of expansion.
In 1235, Ogedai summoned the government and the opposition and announced that he would personally supervise the war and march westward again. In this battle, he entrusted the responsibility to Jochi's eldest son, Batu. Despite his questionable status due to his aristocratic origins, Batu demonstrated outstanding military command skills in many battles.
In the spring of 1236, Batu led an elite army of 150,000 from Inner Mongolia to Europe. Along the way, the city was attacked and the territory was plundered, and the stronghold continued to advance westward. Batu won by surprise, strategized, attacked, retreated and defended, so that the Mongol army was as unimpeded as flowing water.
Soon, Batu's sharpness was directed at the foundation of the Rus' - Kiev. In the winter of 1240, the Iron Cavalry besieged the fortified city. Originally, Guiyou led his army to attack first, but failed to win due to lack of city defense preparations, and the Mongol army suffered heavy losses.
At the critical juncture, the scheming Batu personally commanded. He regrouped the main forces, adjusted his tactics, and adopted a planned and protracted siege. Artillery fire continued to bombard the walls, and cavalry harassed the city. Within a few days, Kyiv was paralyzed.
Finally, under the wolf-like attack of the Mongol army, the city of Kiev was self-defeating. Batu led the iron cavalry like the water that burst the embankment, and slaughtered into the city to wreak havoc. Warriors slaughtered the recalcitrant and slaughtered the recalcitrant ones, ransacked houses, and engulfed the entire ancient city in flames.
Almost all civilians and defenders were mercilessly slaughtered. According to historical records, only 200 families remained in the city. The once glorious capital city has been reduced to ruins.
The Battle of Kiev marked the culmination of the Mongol expedition to the west, and the unimaginable atrocities caused a great deal of panic in Europe. Batu's name went down in history as a formidable threat to Europeans.
After Kiev, the Mongol army continued to advance westward, and the rest of the Rus' region was captured. This not only completely reversed the geopolitical pattern of Eurasia, but also further expanded the territory of the Mongol Empire.
However, pure violent conquest is not a long-term solution. Batu later tried to negotiate with the European aristocracy, giving them some autonomy to reduce the burden of administration. This strategy laid the foundation for a long period of Mongol rule in Europe.
The Golden Horde, eventually established by Batu, became an important power of the Mongol Empire in the west, exerting a lasting influence on the Russian region. Although Guiyou inherited the throne of the Great Khan, his youthful frivolity and mistakes became his inglorious mark in the annals of history.
Looking back at the fall of Kyiv, that cruel and shocking scene is a heavy blow in the history of human civilization. In the face of the iron hooves of the Mongol army, the once glorious ancient city was scorched to earth in an instant, and a tragic swan song was staged.
This precious history not only bears witness to the power and hegemony of the Mongol Empire, but also warns us of the ruthlessness and tyranny of war. The brutality of the conquerors will inflict untold suffering on the vanquished, and the flames of war will destroy the expensive achievements of human civilization.
If we could change the way and turn hostilities into peace and resolve contradictions through diplomatic means rather than force, perhaps history would have taken a different path. In this increasingly interdependent world, it is all the more important for us to pursue peaceful coexistence and resolve differences through rational dialogue, rather than hurting each other by force.
Only in this way can we avoid repeating the mistakes of history, not allowing the flames of war to ravage human civilization, and not allowing any Kyiv to repeat that tragic scene. Let us work together for a future of peace and development. #历史#
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