The Suspension Bridge Across the Abyss

The paper explores the attempt of the Apostolic See to keep an eye on the Mongols after their disastrous campaign against Central Europe. The Holy Father forwarded epistles to talk some sense into steppe predators and coax them into baptism. The Great Khans, in their turn, took advantage of bilateral relations to convince the Vicar of Christ and all European kings to submit to the Tartars. Both efforts failed but managed to buy time.