How did Mongol leaders use threats and offers of surrender during conquests?

Mongol leaders utilized a calculated strategy of psychological warfare during their conquests, combining threats with offers of surrender to demoralize opponents and minimize resistance.12

Before launching an attack, Mongol forces typically demanded voluntary surrender and offered peace. This approach served as a strategic tool:1
* Voluntary Surrender: If a city or population accepted the offer, they were generally spared, and their soldiers or tribesmen were often incorporated into the Mongol military as federates.1
* Resistance: If a population chose to resist, the Mongols responded with extreme violence, including wholesale slaughter or enslavement, sparing only those with specialized skills deemed useful.12

To facilitate these outcomes, the Mongols employed agents to divide and demoralize enemy garrisons and populations by mixing threats with promises. This reputation for "frightfulness" was a deliberate policy intended to sap resistance, though it was also used for its own sake. While surrender was often a path to safety, the Mongols remained unpredictable; in some instances, such as at Balkh, populations were massacred despite a prompt surrender for tactical reasons.2