Genghis Khan didn't just have better soldiers; he had a different *kind* of army. By eliminating the supply train, he achieved strategic velocity that made his enemies feel like they were fighting a supernatural force.
Daily marching distance (sustainable)
Every other army in history was tethered to a slow-moving supply train of wagons carrying food, fodder, and tents. The Mongols had no supply train.
He broke tribal loyalties and rebuilt the army on a meritocratic decimal system, allowing for infinite scalability and instant reorganization.
"They came, they sapped, they burnt, they slew, they plundered, and they departed."