CSMUN X Genghis Khan's Cabinet Abdel Hussien
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CSMUN X Genghis Khan’s Cabinet Abdel Hussien Hello Delegates, Welcome to CSMUN X! My name is Abdelrahman Hussien and I will be your chair for Genghis Khan’s Cabinet. I’m currently a Junior and this is my third year in Model UN. My freshman year I attended CIMUN and NUMUN, as well as multiple one-day conferences. I will be moderating debate on the two selected topics for this committee, the siege of Baghdad, and empire stability. Both topics have are instrumental in ensuring a continued dominated globe under our hands. Genghis Khan’s Cabinet is a cabinet created by Genghis Khan and his closest advisors to devise plans. This cabinet aims to increase stability and create war plans to benefit our empire. These discussions allow a centralized empire and is critical to ensure the empire for generations to come. Unlike most cabinets, ours has a large force of power that is on the offensive. We are also able to finish and carry out plans more efficiently because of the common goals we have. The Cabinet does not work closely with any others, as our cabinet is largely feared by our yet to be conquered neighbors. As a chair, I hope to make your learning experience enjoyable and hope to see cooperation among the delegates to reach a successful resolution. That being said, delegates should aim to pass a resolution that is multifaceted and addresses issues faced. I recommend delegates research pre-existing empires, treaties, and organizations that have tried to solve the issue. If you have any questions about how committee will be run, topics, or just MUN in general, feel free to email me. Hope to see you all in October! Best Wishes, Abdel Hussien [email protected] Topic A: Siege of Baghdad History and Situation The Mongol Empire is widely regarded as one of the most powerful and tactical empires the world has ever seen. Founded by Gegnhis Khan in 1206, the empire began with a small group of Mongols from the Steppes of Asia. However, this group of nomads were unlike any other. The war abilities of the Mongols gave them an upper hand regardless of their opponents. The archers, for example, are some of the finest men to have ever practiced the craft. The horsemen are trained as youth to be the most notable horse riders in history. Genghis Khan’s brutal upbringing crafted him into the elite leader that lead with an iron fist. Early in his life, Genghis Khan lost his parents and was left to fend for himself. Ghengis rose to power early in his life, and led without regards to the status quo. For example, he hired his advisors without regards to kin. Although he ruled with an iron fist and spread his power with nonstop onslaughts, Genghis Khan was also a man of knowledge. He granted religious freedom to his subjects, abolished torture, encouraged trade and created the first international postal system. This earned him the name that he is now known by “Genghis Khan” which means the universal ruler. The conquests of the Mongols began with numerous fatalities and bloodshed. This gave Genghis Khan an infamous reputation, striking fear in the hearts of the opposition. Entire cities would kneel before him and surrender before he even got to the country. This allowed Genghis Khan to use fear as leverage in his battle strategies. Any empire or city that resisted his power would be ransacked and burned to ashes. As they expanded into the Middle East, Mongol forces were confronted by the Abbassid Caliphate and showed no mercy to the resistance. The Mongol battle strategies were not only centered around fear and intimidation. As a matter of fact, Genghis Khan and his generals were astounding tacticians. They had a multitude of battle strategies prior to actual battle. For one, Genghis was known for his extensive network of spies that would gather information on local defenses and infrastructure. The information gathered could be reported quickly because of the information delivery systems they implemented throughout the empire. In battle, Genghis Khan was notorious for masking the true intentions and size of his army. Genghis would put straw soldier and light extra campfires to create the illusion of a larger army. Khan was also known for his feigned retreat strategy, in which the army would pretend to run to draw opposition then surround them. Finally, the most important for the topic at hand, the isolation strategy was used to punish those resisting. This brutal strategy lead to the deaths of civilians as well, giving the Mongols a terrible reputation. The Abbasid Caliphate was the successor to the Umayyad Empire. Although it had many capitals such as Cairo, Damascus, and Kufa, the empire was mainly ruled from Baghdad. Prior to the Mongols’ arrival, the Abbasid Empire had been standing for over three centuries. The massive empire stretched through the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, Syria, Iraq, Persia and beyond to modern Afghanistan. The Abbasid Caliphate marked the golden age of Muslims in the Middle East. In contrast to the Mongols, the Abbasid Empire was not focused on war strategies or being spread by the sword. Instead, this empire of scholars was the most educationally geared empires of its time. The love for knowledge was evident in Baghdad, where doctors, scholars, and students all gathered in this hub of education to exchange information. In fact, here, many Greek texts were translated in order to allow easier access for the rest of the world. Genghis Khan practiced iconoclasm, and all prints of himself were made after his death. Bigger Issue The resistance of Baghdad is an issue not to be taken lightly. Although the resistance may only cause a small disruption in the onslaught of the Mongols, it is symbolic of what may occur in the future. If other empires see our blood, our intimidation abilities will decrease and we will not be able to take many other cities through fear alone. Furthermore, previously captured armies may attempt to join the Abbasid forces in an effort to overthrow Genghis Khan. We cannot allow this resistance to be a beacon of hope for other empires, and must terminate it as soon as possible. Failure to respond effectively and with great display of power will result in detrimental consequences for our empire. Of those consequences, most are directly due to further resistance. This will not only exhaust our armies, but also limits our capabilities in further conquests. Another consequence stemming from the Baghdad resistance is the spoils within the cities. If force is required, we will not be able to reap the monetary benefits or educational values as effectively as if the Caliphate surrendered to us. The Abbasid Empire’s strategies also threaten many of the strategies of the Mongols. Baghdad is surrounded by a great wall which protects it from simple attacks of calvary and makes it easy to fend of intruders. However, internal forces are not the only ones the Mongols must worry about. The Abbasids have created strong allies that surround them, such as the Caroliginian alliance. These external forces pose as threats to the Mongol forces. Our current goals are to rule the world and leave a lasting name that will be remembered for generations. If the Mongols fail to secure this city, the legacy will die and our opponents will continue through our land. Not only will we lose our land, but we will lose our progress and ultimately the goal of having rule over the world. It is crucial to the future generations of this empire to secure this city and restore its once feared name. Committee Involvement Genghis Khan and his war generals have the fate of the Abbasid Empires at their fingertips. They have the ability to declare war, move troops and implement spies against the Abbasid Empire. The Cabinet has the ability to do anything for the good of the empire, regardless of potential turmoil with surrounding empires. However, as the Abbasid Empire continues preparations for the war, it is important that the committee acts fast to end the resistance. Our strategies must be devised prior to our arrival at the Baghdad gates, and must be brutal enough to silence any further outcries from neighboring cities. While devising this plan, it is important to keep in mind the different interests and outcomes that come with each plan. For example, simply burning the city to its feet will leave nothing of value for the Mongols. However, and attack too light may resemble weakness of the Mongol Empire. The cabinet must discuss and evaluate all possibilities before deciding to follow through with the attack. Recent Updates The Mongol Empire has been very successful in its continued conquests across Afro Eurasia. They have conquered many empires without the use of force, which is why the infrastructure within the empire is so powerful. It has allowed the Mongols to also keep from using resources, so our armies do not become weakened by overuse and exhaustion. However, the mongols have now encountered a new enemy that refuses to stand down. Genghis Khan has sent a messenger to the Khalifa of the Abbasid Empire, however, after a long time of waiting, no response has been returned. Subsequently, Genghis Khan began taking operations into his own hands. He sent his spies into the Abbasid Empire, where they infiltrated Baghdad and recovered valuable information. They have uncovered the true intentions of the Khalifa, who plans to rage war. The Abbassids have already begun war preparations and the standing army has started on its journey to the eastern front.