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 strength 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 opposing armies and civilians alike 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 on the Mongol Doctrine had arisen within the Horses, Wolves and Jade Falcons. 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 in the battle of Skye weakened the traditionalists' position, but others took his place, controlling the ruthless followers of the Mongol Doctrine, treating their defeated enemies honorably and defending Falcon traditions. These opponents of the Doctrine included Noritomo Helmer and Galaxy Commander Stephanie Chistu.

Jade Falcon Civil War

After a civil war, the majority of the Falcons embraced the Doctrine, as well as some of the Hell's Horses. Beta Galaxy of the Horses fully embraced Malvina's tactics, and eventually resorted to using them on Timkovichi to destroy the Kell Hounds mercenary group. Beta Galaxy ordered a devastating orbital bombardment that destroyed the majority of both the Hounds and their own forces on the ground.

The Mongol tactics often terrorized their enemies, easing their conquests. After meeting heavy resistance on Apostica, Malvina Hazen ordered all the water on planet poisoned with plutonium, condemning all the planet's population to a horrific death. Terrified, many other planets of the Alliance surrendered without a shot.

Drawbacks

But other times, the tactic was counterproductive, for example when in 3140 the Falcon Iota Galaxy began leveling towns and burning infrastructure on the planets they defended to punish the population for the raids suffered by several mercenary groups. As these groups did not have any connection with the population, the Falcon 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 in 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.

The Mongol Doctrine's ruthless tactics, however, didn't help the Falcons to conquer Terra; their reprisals and prisoner executions helped weaken the Republic of the Sphere's morale, but not that of Clan Wolf. In fact, the Falcons' defeat was obvious and had even shown how far Malvina had fallen. The Mongol Doctrine followers fought to the death, almost annihilating their own Clan.

Legacy

While the Mongol Doctrine was successful for the Jade Falcons in reaching Terra and the ilClan Trial, it robbed them of their moral compass and honor, which caused everyone to despise them. As a result some Clans, like the Sea Foxes and the Fidelis, supported the rival Clan Wolf, seeing them in a positive light, as opposed to the butchery and sadism of the Jade Falcons. Their former ally, Clan Hell's Horses, grew angry about the perversion of their doctrine and departed the Golden Ordun, leaving them with no true allies. In addition, the Horses turned against them as shown in both Operation NOYAN and later Operation STAMPEDE. Although Malvina's death marked the end of her Mongol Doctrine, supporters tried to oppose the newly elected Khan, Stephanie Chistu, in a Trial of Grievance. After the supporters' defeat, they stubbornly clung to the Clan throughout the ilClan Era with a weakened power base.

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 among other Clans, even the Crusader Clan Wolf
• Falcon followers of the Doctrine wear a black uniform

Bibliography

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