Barbarians At The Gate

Business consultants have long sought to explain and analyse, for the benefit of their clients, the reasons why some businesses are far more successful than others. Aside from a passion for history, I also often examine historical data to see if it provides a perspective for business strategy. I am especially interested in the why, rather than the when and how. My greatest fascination has always been of historical figures and races that explode on the world scene, often from relative obscurity, unleashing a sequence of events with profound historical impact. There are numerous such examples in history but the one which to my mind stands out most (even more than Macedonian hegemony over the ancient world) is the emergence of Mongol supremacy in the 13th century.