Editing 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 (Clan Hell's Horses)|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 tactical strengths following the Clan's migration into the [[Inner Sphere]].<ref name=ER3145p60>''Era Report: 3145'', p. 60</ref><ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 184</ref>

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.<ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 15</ref>

==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 (Clan Hell's Horses)|First Horde Cluster]] won victories with its methods over the Jade Falcons and [[Clan Wolf|Wolves]]. While there was some resistance throughout the [[Clan Hell's Horses Touman|Horses ''touman'']], by the 3110s most Hell's Horses warriors had accepted the Mongol Doctrine as valid.<ref name=ER3145p60/>

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 ''[[Sibko|sibkin]]'', [[Aleksandr Hazen|Aleksandr]].<ref>''Flight of the Falcon'', ch. 10</ref>

Aleksandr's death during the [[Battle of Skye (3134)|Battle of Skye]] weakened the [[Traditionalists (Clan Jade Falcon)|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]]. 

After Malvina Hazen's victory in [[Jade Falcon Civil War|the Rending]], the majority of the Falcons embraced the Doctrine as well as some of the Hell's Horses. The most radical followers of the doctrine believe in complete victory by any means, to the point where they didn't hesitate to breach any rules, even the previously sacrosanct honor code of the Clans.<ref>''A Splinter of Hope + The Anvil'', p. 143</ref> This more brutal incarnation of the philosophy was evident during Hazen's invasion of the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] in the early 3140s. The terror tactics generally proved successful in convincing Lyran worlds to surrender, especially after an incident on [[Apostica]] in June [[3142]] which became the epitome of the Mongol Doctrine. Meeting heavy local resistance after the planet's official surrender, Hazen ordered Apostica's water sources tainted with plutonium, condemning the world's entire population to a horrific choice of death by radiation poisoning or dehydration.<ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 148</ref>

Hazen's use of the Mongol Doctrine extended even to her own allies. In a cruel irony, [[Beta Galaxy (Clan Hell's Horses)|Beta Galaxy]] of Clan Hell's Horses had fully embraced Malvina's tactics only to find themselves on the receiving end of them on [[Timkovichi]] when Hazen ordered an orbital bombardment to destroy the [[Kell Hounds]] mercenary group while Beta Galaxy was still embroiled in combat with them.<ref name="ER3145p157">''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 157</ref>

==Drawbacks of the Mongol Doctrine==
Despite its early successes, the Mongol Doctrine also proved counterproductive at times. In one example, the Falcons' [[Iota Galaxy (Clan Jade Falcon)|Iota Galaxy]] began leveling towns and burning infrastructure on the planets they defended to punish the population for raids perpetrated by several mercenary groups. As the raiders did not have any connection with the locals, the Falcons' brutality only sparked rebellion from previously compliant populations.<ref name="ER3145p157"/>

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.<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', p. 44: "The Silence of the Clans"</ref>

Ultimately the Mongol Doctrine failed to net Hazen and her Falcons victory in the most important battle of their lives when they joined the [[Battle of Terra (3151)|Battle of Terra]] in [[3151]]. Units using Mongol tactics floundered against the Republic's bastions, while Republic troops who knew they could expect no mercy only fought to the death.<ref>''IlClan'', p. 44</ref> <ref>''IlClan'', p. 72</ref> <ref>''IlClan'', p. 76, "Mysteries of the Battle of Terra: what happened to Tau Galaxy?"</ref> Meanwhile, Stephanie Chistu proved at Sao Paolo that the Falcons could win victories the traditional way.<ref>''IlClan'', p. 51</ref> Far from gaining victory for the Falcons, employing Mongol tactics only enraged the Republic and Wolves and made them fight harder and longer, further weakening the Mongols, and a number of RAF prisoners even joined the Wolves when promised the opportunity to fight against the Falcons. In the end, the Mongol-adherent Falcons were virtually wiped out fighting [[Clan Wolf]] during the [[ilClan Trial]], specifically because their fanaticism made them fight to the death and ignore Chistu's order to stand down.<ref>''Hour of the Wolf'', pp. 330–350</ref>

==Legacy==
While the Mongol Doctrine arguably gained the Jade Falcons the chance to claim Terra and the title of ilClan, it robbed them of their moral compass and honor which led virtually every other faction to despise the Clan. As a result even third parties who might have acted otherwise, such the [[Clan Sea Fox|Sea Foxes]], the [[Fidelis]] and [[Wolf's Dragoons]], supported the Falcons' arch-rival Clan Wolf in their bid to become ilClan, viewing the haughty but honorable Wolves as a better alternative to Hazen's sociopathic Falcons. The Falcons' only real ally at one point, Clan Hell's Horses, grew angered about the perversion of what had been their doctrine - especially after the destruction of their own forces at Hazen's hands - and abandoned the alliance, later attacking Clan Jade Falcon directly. Although Malvina's death marked the end of her Mongol Doctrine, her remaining 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. Chistu officially abandoned the Mongol Doctrine.<ref>''Hour of the Wolf'' ch. 40</ref>

Inside Clan Hell's Horses, even those which had abandoned the Doctrine became influenced by it: Fulk Lassenerra's made use of Malvina's tactics, razing ''Hammarr'' in the [[Battle of Sudeten (3152)]], and some Doctrine followers still remained into his Clan.<ref>''Elements of Treason: Honor'', ch. 33-37</ref>

==Notes==
* Falcon followers of the Doctrine wear a black uniform, while traditionalists wear the old-style green one.<ref>''A Splinter of Hope + The Anvil'', p. 92</ref>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Elements of Treason: Honor]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Era Report: 3145]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: 3145]]''
* ''[[Flight of the Falcon]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Hour of the Wolf]]'' (novel)
* ''[[IlClan (sourcebook)|IlClan]]''
* ''[[Shattered Fortress]]''
* ''[[A Splinter of Hope + The Anvil]]'' (novellas)


[[Category: Clan Culture]]