Mongol Doctrine

The Mongol Doctrine was a philosophy created by Clan Hell's Horses in the 3080s and adopted by Malvina Hazen of Clan Jade Falcon in 3135. Originally a battlefield doctrine revolving around light cavalry tactics, Hazen transformed it into a principle emphasizing the use of terror to destroy and intimidate enemies.

Philosophy

The Mongol Doctrine was created by Star Colonel Domnall Seidman of the 666th Mechanized Assault Cluster and originally only utilized the light cavalry tactics of the Mongols of medieval Terra. Its intention was to make best use of Clan Hell's Horses' limited resources and combat strengths following the Clan's migration into the Inner Sphere.

When Jade Falcon Galaxy Commander Malvina Hazen adopted the philosophy, she instead chose to embrace a much more sinister aspect of the Mongol Empire: the use of ostentatious violence against both opposing armies and civilians to cow enemies into submission.

History

First proposed in the late 3080s, the Khans of Clan Hell's Horses were persuaded of the Mongol Doctrine's validity when the newly raised 1st Horde Cluster won victories with its methods over the Jade Falcons and Wolves. While there was some resistance throughout the Horses' touman, by the 3110s most Hell's Horses warriors had accepted the Mongol Doctrine as valid.

By the 3130s proponents of a different take upon the Mongol Doctrine had arisen within the Horses, Wolves and Jade Falcons. In this case however these warriors believed that, as Nicholas Kerensky had patterned so much else of Clan society after the Mongols, they would do well to emulate the Mongols' harsh tactics which would ensure victory, even if that meant utilizing 'dishonorable' methods to achieve the Founder's vision. Malvina Hazen of Clan Jade Falcon established herself as the movement's leader, opposed by her more compassionate and traditionalist sibkin, Aleksandr.

Aleksandr's death on the battle of Skye weakened the traditionalists' position, but other took his place, controlling the ruthless followers of the Mongol Doctrine, treating their defeated enemies honorably and defending the Falcon's traditions, case of Noritomo Helmer and Galaxy Commander Stephanie Chistu.

After a civil war, the majority of the Falcons embraced the Doctrine, and some of the Horses too. Beta Galaxy of the Horses fully embraced Malvina's tactics, and eventually fell to them. On the planet Timkovichi, to destroy the mercenary group Kell Hounds, ordered a orbital bombardment over them, destroying the majority of the group, and most of Beta too, who were fighting them.

Sometimes, the Mongol's tactics terrorized their enemies, easing their conquests. Specially when Malvina, after her unit's suffering a very determined resistance on planet Apostica, ordered all the water on planet poisoned with plutonium, condemning all the planet's population to a horrific death. Terrified, much other planets of the Alliance, surrendered without a shot.

But other times, the tactic was counterproductive, for example when in 3140 Falcon's Iota Galaxy began leveling towns and burning infrastructure on the planets they defended, to punish the population for the raids suffered under several mercenary groups. As these groups have not any connection with the population, the Falcon's tactics only created rebellion where none existed before.

The most radical followers of the doctrine believe mainly in complete victory by any means, so they didn't hesitate to breach any rules, even the honorable ones of their own Clan.

Within Clan Hell's Horses', disgust at Hazen's 'perversion' of their philosophy grew throughout the 3140s, culminating in 3145 with a break with the alliance between the two Clans and the election of Fulk Lassenerra to the position of saKhan. An outspoken opponent of his Clan's alliance with Hazen and her use of the Doctrine, Lassenerra planned and executed Operation NOYAN in 3147 to underscore this stance. Designed to prove that the original usage of the Mongol Doctrine was still valid, and to publicly challenge Hazen's control of it, NOYAN succeeded on both counts.

Clans using the Mongol Doctrine

• Clan Hell's Horses - emphasis upon light cavalry tactics
• Clan Jade Falcon - emphasis upon terrorizing opponents into submission

Notes

• There are no known followers of the doctrine between other Clans, even the Crusader Clan Wolf
• Falcons followers of the Doctrine wear a black uniform

Bibliography

• Era Report: 3145
• Field Manual: 3145
• Flight of the Falcon (novel)
• A Splinter of Hope + The Anvil (novellas)
• Shattered Fortress