It seems to be one of these "natural strategies", actually - the kind of thing that you invent if you've got lots of light cavalry and good archers. The Mongols did it a lot in the 1200s, in Europe and Asia, and basically walked all over the European armies. In fact, I think the same basic technique gets used in tank warfare - both Rommel and George Patton are supposed to have studied Genghis Khan's strategy.

Of course, it isn't something unique to Hungarians, but we were a typical example (before the Kingdom was estabilished).


I don't think this is correct, they didn't/couldn't "visit" Western Europe at all, for example.

I believe the Parthians also used that running away tactic with their horse archers.

You are right. It seems that the name "Parthian shot" exactly refers to this tactic.

That's true, but there were a couple of western armies that were sent eastward to confront the Mongols and got wiped out. There was a fairly extensive period where western Europe was just waiting for a Mongol invasion, and everyone thought it was the end of the world, etc, etc. It seems to be that the reason they pulled back was the then leader (whose name escapes me, but it was Genghis's successor) died and they had to go back and deal with the succession.

(This is an old lay interest of mine from ten years ago and I'm quoting from memory, so it might all be nonsense.)