Preface
Genghis Khan, one of the greatest conquerors in history, ruled the country not only in his numerous victories, but also in his concern for his own people. He adopted a unique approach to ensure that his subordinates never went hungry, and this method was a great success not only in the Mongolian steppes, but even in distant Japan.
However, when Japan tried to emulate this approach, the results were very different. It is said that 50,000 people died of starvation because of misunderstanding or improper implementation of this method.
This tragedy not only shocked the society at that time, but also left a deep reflection on people: how to grasp the way to govern the country, and how to care for the people while avoiding disasters caused by improper implementation?
The war burns the prairies, and the grassland is wise
In 1219, an army of iron cavalry from the Far East expanded its territory and overcame the obstacles of Western Asia. Their commander was a male lord who fought the Central Plains on the steppe - Genghis Khan.
The conquest of Flower Thorn is just the beginning
For Genghis Khan, the conquest of Khamizm in Central Asia was only the beginning of his western crusades. With the help of the "False Response Incident", he quickly dispatched troops, and it took only a little more than a year to capture the Hezhong region, completely destroying Khorezm's national strength.
The monarch Mahamat fled with his princes, and the once-powerful kingdom of Khorazm collapsed. Genghis Khan didn't stop there. He personally led a large army to attack Persia and other Western Asian countries.
Even after his death, his successor, Ögedei, did not slow down his westward expeditions, and in 1235 he directed himself to Europe, attacking Briar, Alain, and Russia. This great collision between nomads and sedentary farming civilizations undoubtedly brought devastating disasters to the conquered regions.
Everywhere they went, the city was razed to the ground, and its inhabitants were slaughtered and plundered. However, Genghis Khan's ambitions went far beyond that. He wanted to build a vast empire across Asia and Europe, and to show the power of the nomads. Therefore, even though he had conquered a large area of land, he was still tireless, personally supervising the battle, and always keeping an eye on the changes in the war situation.
Genghis Khan was also extremely strict with his generals, and anyone who slacked off was severely punished. It was with this perseverance and strict discipline that the Mongol army was able to achieve many victories during its long journey.
How can the long front be maintained?
However, the greatest difficulty facing Genghis Khan was not the continuous war, but how to maintain supplies on this distant and boundless front?
Livestock is the lifeblood of the Mongols
For the Mongolian people living in the steppe, cattle and sheep and other livestock are their lifeblood. Whenever the pastures were no longer fertile, they took the animals with them to migrate in search of new shelters.
Genghis Khan skillfully applied this survival wisdom to warfare. He asked his soldiers to carry cattle and sheep and other livestock with them on expeditions, just as tribes migrated. This practice has three major advantages: first, the livestock can walk on their own, and only need to be driven by humans, which reduces the burden of transportation; Second, when the army was in trouble, livestock could be slaughtered for meat supplies: finally, cow and goat's milk could be used to make cheese and keep it for a long time in case of emergency.
In fact, the Mongol army paid much more attention to livestock. They see livestock as the source of life and are indispensable. Whenever a major decision is made, the Mongols would sacrifice their animals and pray for the protection of the heavens.
On the battlefield, they will also release some livestock first, implying the continuation of life. It can be said that livestock is closely linked to the fate of the Mongol army and is the foundation of their survival. Because of this, Genghis Khan made livestock a top priority and an important source of supply for his expeditions.
In desperate situations, these animals can even be used as temporary means of transportation to transport the wounded. With this unique combat concept, Genghis Khan's army fought on a long front for a long time, but never encountered the dilemma of being defeated due to lack of food.
The Japanese army suffered from the defeat of the East
Centuries later, this method of warfare was revived by the Japanese army on the battlefields of India, but it failed for various reasons. In 1943, World War II was coming to an end. In order to reverse the passive situation, Japan decided to launch the Battle of Imphal and attack India.
However, the cross-regional operation made the battle line too long, and logistics supply became the biggest problem for the Japanese army. The Japanese general, Mutaguchi, who was led by him, decided to follow Genghis Khan's example and adopt the method of fighting with his army and carrying livestock.
Convinced that it would be a quick war, he provided the soldiers with only a small amount of equipment and 2-3 weeks of provisions. Mutaguchi also claimed that in battle, he could eat grain first, and then cattle and horses. However, the reality is far from being as rosy as he expected.
As a veteran general, Mutaguchi should have a deeper understanding of war. However, his decision on the battle was too hasty and conceited. He underestimated the brutality of the civil war in India and ignored the impact of the terrain and environment on the war. It was this blind self-confidence that ultimately led to the destruction of the Japanese army at the Battle of Imphal.
The Indian Civil War broke out, the roads were badly damaged, and the mobile forces could not advance. The Japanese army could only abandon some of its equipment and use cattle and horses to transport supplies instead. But India's border areas do not have pastures for livestock to eat, as in the Mongolian steppes. In just over 20 days, most of the livestock had starved to death, which was equivalent to losing food and transportation.
The crisis does not end there. The Allies blew up all Cosima's supplies, and the Japanese army was in a desperate situation. The individual ration for each meal was sharply reduced from 6 taels to 0.3 taels, and the soldiers had to eat wild grass to satisfy their hunger.
In the end, this expeditionary force almost completely lost its combat effectiveness under the double attack of internal and external difficulties. Attrition, disease and starvation combined to cause nearly 100,000 casualties, of which more than 50,000 died of starvation alone.
This battle plan, which emulates the ancients, is destined to become a tragedy that is ironic. Mutaguchi's decision-making was a major mistake, but more importantly, he failed to grasp the essence of Genghis Khan's combat wisdom.
Genghis Khan's ability to sustain supplies on a long front was due to his deep understanding of the steppe way of life, rather than a mere means of warfare. The reason for the defeat of the Japanese army was precisely due to the rigidity of the plan and the failure to assess the situation.
epilogue
Genghis Khan's combat wisdom stemmed from his understanding of the steppe way of life, while the defeat of the Japanese army lay in his stubbornness and failure to assess the situation. The enlightenment given to us by history is that no operational concept is immutable, and the key lies in whether or not we can prescribe the right medicine in light of the actual situation.
Only by integrating strategic thinking with the development of the times can we win victory in future wars and write a brilliant stroke. Let us take history as a mirror, grasp the pulse of the times on the road of conquest, and create operational wisdom that belongs to the new era.
The essence of war has never changed, that is, to use all means to destroy the enemy's will to fight. However, the specific methods of warfare will continue to evolve with the times.
We should not be confined to stereotypes, but should keep an open mind and be brave in innovation. Only in this way can we take the initiative in future wars and win the final victory.