Batu Khan

Batu Khan ? - 1255

Batu was the granson of Ghenghis Khan

In 1235, Batu was promoted commander of chief of the eastern Mongol army. The assignment? The conquest of Europe.

Great task, great genes, and Batu did a great job. Five years later Moscow and Kiev were defeated. Another two years and Hungary and Poland were in the bag. Germany was next on the list.

Unfortunately for the Mongols and luckily for the rest of Europe, the great khan of the Golden Horde, who was also Batu's brother, Ogodei, died in December 1241 and Batu and his troops went back to Karakorum, then the capital of the Mongol Empire.