Wright, David CurtisPow, Lindsey Stephen2012-09-272012-11-132012-09-272012http://hdl.handle.net/11023/232In 1241, Mongol armies invaded Poland and Hungary, and small reconnaissance forces even penetrated the borders of the Holy Roman Empire. The following year, the Mongols pulled out of Central Europe though they retained their hold on Russia, the Black Sea steppe, and the Volga region. A number of explanations have been offered for the withdrawal by modern scholars. This thesis argues that these theories are unconvincing and contradicted by the existing primary source evidence. As an alternative explanation, it posits that European fortifications produced a strategic problem that the Mongols were unable to surmount in the 1240s with their available manpower and siege engine technology. In order to corroborate this theory, analyses of several Mongol campaigns against sedentary societies outside of Europe are provided. These analyses reveal that fortifications posed a serious problem to any Mongol effort to subjugate a sedentary population.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.History--MedievalMongols, Mongol Empire, Mongol Invasion of Europe, Medieval Asia, Medieval Europe, Fortifications, Russian History, Eastern European History, Middle Ages, Siege, Eastern Europe, Ögödei Khan, Batu Khanmaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/25533