Bela IV at the Sajo River.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

I guess this would be the place for an alternate-history scenario.

Essentially I'm asking this question as a matter of curiousity. Historically Bela IV, King of Hungary, had between 60,000 - 80,000 men and probably 65,000, when he faced the Mongols under Sabutai at the Sajo River, the battle also known as Mohi.

The Medieval Hungarian Kingdom was probably the best organized of the European realms of that time and offered the most resistance; this was of course partially why it was a target.

The casus belli though was due to the fact that Bela IV had offered refuge to over 200,000 Cumans, a group of horse nomads from the modern day lower Ukraine who were driven out by the Mongols.

They offered to Bela to convert enmasse to Christianity, and to provide 40,000 warriors equipped in similiar fashion to the Mongols to help defend his realm.

With the offer of a mass conversion to raise his status with the Pope, and such a force familiar with steppe warfare to add to the already impressive army of the Hungarian Kingdom, Bela IV disdained the threat of the Mongols and accepted.

However, while trying to gain the support of the Archduke of Austria for the common cause against the Mongol, there was a riot against the Cumans, and their Khan was killed. It is believed that this was instigated by the Austrian Archduke in hopes of weakening the Hungarian nation; it was successful. They responded by pillaging their way out of Hungary and into Bulgaria.

Bela IV was left to face the Mongols alone and the results are well known. The Mongols, after a doubtful start to the contest, forded the Sajo River, turned his flank, and encircled his army. They then offered a chance for the Hungarians to escape their laager, and the Hungarian Knights, unwilling to stand firm, took the chance to make for the open, bolted, and were duly slaughtered.

But, for those who know something of the battle or can look it up (And here's one website that may provide sufficient data: http://home-4.worldonline.nl/~t543201/w ... l-mohi.htm ) -- Do you think that if the riot in Pest had not happened, or Bela IV had otherwise managed to retain the Cumans, that he could have defeated or checked the Mongols at the Sajo with their addition to his forces?