Mongol Retreat from Europe in spring 1242

Image 1: A True Gift for a Warrior by Benny Johnson 

After staging a spectacular onslaught against the West, the Mongol army crushed the resistance and occupied Central Europe. Suddenly the Tartars, as they were commonly dubbed, folded their arms and retreated. There was no other advance on such scale and with such success. 

I am fascinated by this issue. One of the units in my new manuscript focuses on the relations between the West and the Mongol authorities. 

Historians still argue about the reasons of the Tartar withdrawal. Stephanie Papas' article "Mystery of Mongol Retreat from Hungary Solved" published in Live Science> History on May 27,2016 is the latest contribution. 

The contributor develops the "ecological theory" claiming that the steady rainfall reduced the extent of the pasture for Mongol steeds. She cites a recent research conducted by Nicola Di Cosmo from Princeton University and Ulf Buntgen from Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL. 

        The authors of a scrupulous analysis of medieval climate extrapolated from oak tree rings may be proud of its accuracy. They forecast unprecedented rainfall in spring 1242 which flooded the grassy plains of Hungary hampering the progress of mounted archers. According to this scenario, Prince Batu's contingents got bogged down.

        Determining the single factor responsible for a dramatic event poses a problem of trust. A train of evidence has to be artificially arranged to suit the purpose, often reducing the whole picture to a stroke, whatever significant and eloquent it can be. 

        The Mongol horsemen acted on various theaters winning their wars in the countries with diverse climates: China, Korea, Central Asia, Persia, India, Russia, to mention only a few. Their commanders, as a rule, used excellent strategies. Their troopers endured dangers and obstructions as well as an occasional lack of food. Neither a steady rainfall nor squishy ground would intimidate them. 

Back at home, local steeds are capable of digging layers of snow in search of frozen grass. They look bony during the winter but recover in spring. 

        I'm not sure if a unanimous explanation can agree on all the details but it should include multiple factors. Untangling climate issues is only one of them.