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Subotai

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Military Personnel

The Resume

    (1175-1248)
    Mongol general, military strategist
    Widely known as Genghis Khan's greatest 'Orlok,' or field marshal
    Known to the Monguls as 'Subotai the Valiant' and 'Subotai the Unfailing'
    Led military campaigns against the Chinese, the Muslims of Eastern Europe, the Russians, and later mainland Europe
    By the time of his death, had conquered thrity-two nations and won sixty-five battles
    Figures prominently into the ancient 13th-century Mongolian text, 'Mongγol-un niγuca tobčiyan' (The Secret History of the Mongols')
    Variously known as 'Subetei,' 'Subetai,' 'Subotai,' 'Tsubotai,' 'Tsubodai,' 'Tsubetei,' and 'Tsubatai'

Why he might be annoying:

    He is overshadowed by his famous Temujin overlord.
    He the namesake for a Conan the Barbarian character.
    His name is linguistically proven to be spelled 'Subutai,' but for some reason Western historians continue to spell his name with an '-o.'
    Genghis Khan reportedly called him one of his 'dogs of war.'
    He tends to surface in arguments that the Mongol hierarchy was a meritocracy that advocated advancement based on merit.
    Factored into this argument is the fact that, apparently, he wasn't even a Mongol. In actuality, he was a member of the Uriangkhai tribe, better known as 'The Reindeer People,' who resided on the shores of Lake Baikal.
    'The Secret History' describes him and his fellow 'dogs of Temujin' as follows: 'They have foreheads of brass, their jaws like scissors, their tongues like piercing awls, their heads are iron, their whipping tails swords, in the day of battle they devour enemy flesh' (could you be a little more specific?)
    On the other hand, he overshadows Khan's other staff members such as Jochi, Mugali, and Jebe, when it remains unclear to whom the brilliant stratagem can be properly accredited to.
    His plans to invade the Holy Roman Empire were interrupted by the death of Ögedei Khan (at which point the Mongol Princes withdrew their armies from European territory to return to Mongolia to elect a new prince; against Subotai's wishes).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was known for maneuvers that were both imaginative and sophisticated.
    He was born a peasant, most likely the son of a village blacksmith.
    He joined Genghis Khan's army at the age of 14, rising to the rank of an influential general.
    He was an early follower of Khan's - one whose father had supplied food to Genghis Khan and his followers long before he had attained power.
    He reportedly once told Genghis Khan 'said to Genghis Khan, 'I will ward off your enemies as felt cloth protects one from the wind.'
    Some historians have argued that his military prowess actually exceeded Genghis Khan, himself.
    He was known for assimilating and incorporating those he conquered, who brought specialized skills, such as engineers, into his military forces.
    He has been compared to Napoleon, Alexander the Great, and Hannibal.
    He conquered more territory than any other commander in history (including the three aforementioned).
    He was capable of routinely coordinating army movements, within miles away from each other.
    He famously devised a campaign that destroyed the armies of Hungary and Poland within two days of each other, by forces over five hundred kilometers apart.
    He was a pioneer in the field of military intelligence collection, planning his campaigns well in advance based on available info he had amassed (a direct link between modern land battle strategies and his genius has since been established).
    He was ignored by Western military academies for centuries. Contemporarily, his 'lightning strike' tactics utilizing intelligence and psychology are now studied by military academies all over the world.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


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Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 11 Votes: 81.82% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 23 Votes: 73.91% Annoying