In the 13th century, a force unlike any Europe had ever seen came thundering across the steppe. The Mongols had already carved out the largest land empire in history - but after conquering vast swathes of Asia, they turned their gaze west. Today, we explore why the Mongols began pushing into Europe and how successful their invasions really were.

For this, we’re joined by Marie Favereau, a historian specialising in the Mongol Empire and Islamic history, and author of ‘The Horde: How the Mongols Changed the World’.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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