Comparing Russian and American Military Studies on the Lessons of Mongol Military Art Utilizing Network Analysis and Close Readings

In the 13th century, the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan and his generals created the biggest contiguous land empire and the second biggest state in the history of the world. They achieved this expansion and unparalleled rate of conquering using a sophisticated army and the innovation of its leaders. But due to their nomadic nature most of the sources that exist today, with few exceptions, were written by their enemies, which usually attributed their success to other factors among them mystical abilities and overwhelming numbers. Due to these representations it took centuries for the Mongols to be considered models for military learning, but they were finally incorporated into the studies of the Imperial Russia/ early Soviet armies and the 20th century/21st century American armies. This paper sets out to study the textual connections between the studies of these two eras utilizing close readings and citation network analysis. We will also note the impact that their consideration has had on the modern conception of the Mongols as models of sound logistic planning as stated by the Russians, and operational art, as studied by the Americans.