So how was the Song able to survive over 40 years of the Mongols banging at their doors? I mean wasn't the Song militarily retarded, did they just constantly bribe them for that long or what?
>>873131
Precisely that: the Song wasn't militarily retarded (it was, administrationwise and as a whole. Song has the worst military track record of all dynasties).
Also Song China was in Southern China. Hills, Jungles, Mountains and whatnot. The advantages of the Mongs were negated and they had to fight like the Chinese do.
>>873160
>the Song wasn't militarily retarded (it was, administrationwise and as a whole. Song has the worst military track record of all dynasties).
So which was it?
>>873160
>the Song wasn't militarily retarded (it was, administrationwise and as a whole. Song has the worst military track record of all dynasties).
>>873180
>>873187
It's like this: administrationwise the Song Dynasty was afraid of good generals due to what the christ happened in the T'ang Dynasty (Turkic General under Chinese Employ becomes good = becomes influential = claims mandate of heaven out of the fucking blue). So like a communist administration, it was a massive dick to the military and pretty much perched on generals shoulders 24/7 telling them what to do and what not to do. All from the comfort of their desks. It was so bad that a very great chinese general a century ago - General Yue Fei, was on the verge of winning and driving out the Jurchens from Northern China when corrupt ministers and eunuchs convinced the emperor to have him recalled and executed, supposedly fearful that he'd claim Mandate. Chinks were so mad at that that the graveyard of those ministers are still pissed, spat on, and thrown trash on today, with tourists cajoled to do likewise despite fences and police warnings.
But that said, Song China did have capable commanders on the ground. Like that guy who used trench warfare to hamper Mongol advance during the first wave of invasions on the Southern Song which led to a decade long stalemate. But again, they're held at a tight leash by a panicky court.
>>873231
So basically it's that they could have been a military force to be reckoned with but the bureaucracy basically made that nigh impossible because they were all scared shitless of another An Lushan rebellion?
>>873256
Pretty much. THAT and facing Khubilai Khan.
>>873231
