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| {{Short description|Xiongnu Empire-China Empire battle}} | |||
| {{pp-semi|small=yes}} | |||
| {{Infobox military conflict | {{Infobox military conflict | ||
| | image = | | image = | ||
| | caption = | | caption = | ||
| | conflict = Battle of Baideng | | conflict = Battle of Baideng | ||
| | partof = | | partof = Xiongnu campaigns in China | ||
| | date = 200 BC | | date = 200 BC | ||
| | place = Mount Baideng at Pincheng (present-day ], ]) | | place = Mount Baideng at Pincheng (present-day ], ]) | ||
| Line 11: | Line 13: | ||
| | commander1 = ] | | commander1 = ] | ||
| | commander2 = ] | | commander2 = ] | ||
| | strength1 = |
| strength1 = 400,000<ref name=ch07-158>{{cite book | last=Chang | first=Chun-shu | title=The Rise of the Chinese Empire, Volume 1: Nation, State, and Imperialism in Early China, ca. 1600 B.C. - A.D. 8 | year=2007 | publisher=University of Michigan Press | location=Ann Arbor | isbn=978-0-472-11533-4 | page=158 | url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015068806333;view=1up;seq=190}}</ref> | ||
| | strength2 = 320,000<ref name=ch07-158/> | | strength2 = 320,000<ref name=ch07-158/> | ||
| | casualties1 = |
| casualties1 = Heavy<ref name="babel.hathitrust.org">{{cite web | url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015068806333;view=1up;seq=190 | title=The rise of the Chinese Empire / Chun-shu Chang v.1. }}</ref> | ||
| | casualties2 = Less than Xiongnu<ref>https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015068806333;view=1up;seq=190</ref> | | casualties2 = Less than Xiongnu<ref name="babel.hathitrust.org">{{cite web | url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015068806333;view=1up;seq=190 | title=The rise of the Chinese Empire / Chun-shu Chang v.1. }}</ref> | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| The '''Battle of Baideng''' (白登之戰) was a military conflict between ] and the ] in 200 BC. |
The '''Battle of Baideng''' (白登之戰) was a military conflict between ] and the ] in 200 BC. | ||
| In an alternate account, Grousset<ref>Rene Grousset, 'The Empire of the Steppes',1970/2008,page27,</ref> says that the Xiongnu invaded Chinese ] and besieged ]. ] broke the siege and chased the Xiongnu north, but was blockaded by them on the Baideng plateau near ] in far northern Shanxi. | In an alternate account, Grousset<ref>Rene Grousset, 'The Empire of the Steppes',1970/2008,page27,</ref> says that the Xiongnu invaded Chinese ] and besieged ]. ] broke the siege and chased the Xiongnu north, but was blockaded by them on the Baideng plateau near ] in far northern Shanxi. | ||
| ==Background== | ==Background== | ||
| Having ended the civil war, ] attempted to fortify the northern defenses previously built by the famous Qin General ]. On the other hand, the Xiongnu, taking advantage of the civil war, had captured bases in the south of the difficult ], and they did not want to lose this place. | |||
| ] formed an army from the nomadic coalition he had just formed and crossed the Chinese border. The operation looked like a simple plunder, but Modu Chanyu, a true tactician, had his main goal to intimidate his own people, the nomads he subjugated and the Chinese. With the booty to be obtained, he would both ensure the loyalty of the other tribesmen in the coalition, frighten them with his power, and show a golden stick to the Chinese who started to mobilize in the north (in the south according to the Xiongnu). | |||
| The daring emperor, Liu-pang/Gao-zu, decided to respond to ]'s move. | |||
| ==Attack of the Xiongnu== | ==Attack of the Xiongnu== | ||
| Under his adventurous appearance, Modu Chanyu was a cautious strategist, being careful not to get trapped inside China. He besieged Mai Fortress, the most important point in China's northern defense. The defender of the castle was Han Hsin (Hán Wang Xin), a relative of the emperor (not ], the famous general who lived in the same period). When the prince lost hope of help, he surrendered and entered the service of Modu Chanyu. | |||
| Modu Chanyu had achieved his goal and succeeded in provoking Emperor Liu-pang/Gao-zu. The Emperor set up a huge army and moved north to fend off the Xiongnu threat. | |||
| Modu Chanyu pulled his army into the mountains, while attacking left and right, plundering everything that belonged to the Chinese. He made the Emperor follow him by creating the impression of a ragged raider, in fact what he had been doing all along was luring the Chinese army into a trap. | |||
| ==Tactics== | ==Tactics== | ||
| The entire Xiongnu army consisted of cavalry and they were prepared for the cold as they came from the continental climate in the north. He had gloves and clothes suitable for winter conditions. The Chinese soldiers, on the other hand, were infantry recruited from the common people and fell into the grip of the cold while chasing the Xiongnu across the high mountains. The fingers of thousands of Chinese archers froze, and a significant portion of China's military force was rendered incapable of combat. | |||
| ⚫ | ==Battle and siege== | ||
| This was the first piece of ]'s trap. | |||
| ⚫ | The presence of the armies is uncertain. The total strength of the Chinese army was over 300,000, but it is not known how much of the vanguard was trapped in the fort with the Emperor. Although Chinese historians write that the number of the Xiongnu army was 400,000.<ref name="Chinese sources">Chang, Chun-shu (2007). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. p. 158.</ref> | ||
| Modu Chanyu quickly pulled back his cavalry, giving the impression that he was "escaping from the hands of the Chinese". The emperor was alarmed, for he had two options before him. Either he would let the Xiongnu go, or he would simply take the fast troops with him and go after the Huns. ] chose the second path, which was risky. | |||
| The Chinese army was split in two, and the Emperor pursued the Xiongnu at the head of a small but fast unit. | |||
| ⚫ | == |
||
| Modu Chanyu, who was retreating, suddenly stopped and attacked the Chinese. The Chinese were stunned by this unexpected move, they encountered the Xiongnu in front of Baideng Fortress and suffered a heavy defeat. | |||
| The Battle of Baideng is the first example of the "]" tactic used by nomads throughout history. | |||
| The emperor retreated to the castle in panic. He hoped to rally his troops and assess the situation, but the Huns seized the opportunity and surrounded the fort. Mete divided his army into four divisions and kept all the exits of the castle. | |||
| ⚫ | The presence of the armies is uncertain. The total strength of the Chinese army was over 300,000, but it is not known how much of the vanguard was trapped in the fort with the Emperor. Although Chinese historians write that the number of the Xiongnu army was 400,000 |
||
| ==Treaty== | ==Treaty== | ||
| The siege lasted seven days. The emperor was cornered and was willing to accept all conditions for peace. Even if he got out of here, he knew that he would not be able to continue the war because he had witnessed the tactics and maneuverability of his enemy. The emperor offered peace to the Xiongnu. | |||
| According to Chinese historians, the yabghu's wife, "aunt", was contacted and deceived with gifts. And under the influence of his wife, the yabgu accepted the peace. However, if we consider Modu Chanyu's genius, there may be another explanation for the situation. Modu Chanyu had struck fear into the hearts of the Chinese, but he was aware that his own strength was limited. He would not be able to maintain the siege for long, and if he encountered the main part of the Chinese army coming from behind, he could be caught between two fires and trapped himself. Also, the peace offer was quite reasonable, and Mete was too realistic a leader to attempt to invade China with a handful of cavalry. As a result, he accepted the Chinese's terms, perhaps creating the impression that he had agreed to peace at his wife's plea, so as not to undermine the show of force. | |||
| Modu Chanyu applied the psychological attrition tactic to the end. After the treaty, he allowed the Emperor to leave the castle, but he placed his soldiers on both sides of the Chinese road and had the arrows pointed at the Emperor. Liu-pang/Gao-zu would not forget this fear for the rest of his life and would surrender to all of Mete's threats. | |||
| Modu Chanyu did not neglect to renew the fear he left in the heart of the enemy by organizing arbitrary raids on China afterwards. However, the Chinese kept the treaty as long as Mete was alive. According to this, they gave annual tax to the Huns under the name of "gift", left the trade and defense region in the north to the Huns and gave a princess to the yabghu.<ref name="Hyun Jin Kim">Hyun Jin Kim, , p. 31</ref><ref name="Ahmet Taşağıl">Ahmet Taşağıl, Bozkırların İlk İmparatorluğu Hunlar, Yeditepe Yayınları, p. 79-80</ref><ref name="Shi Ji">Tarihçinin Kayıtları'na (Shi Ji) göre Hunlar, Pulat Otkan, p.14</ref> | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| *] | *] | ||
| *] | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Latest revision as of 16:21, 21 December 2024
Xiongnu Empire-China Empire battle
| Battle of Baideng | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Xiongnu campaigns in China | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Xiongnu | Han dynasty | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Modu Chanyu | Emperor Gaozu | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 400,000 | 320,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Heavy | Less than Xiongnu | ||||||
The Battle of Baideng (白登之戰) was a military conflict between Han China and the Xiongnu in 200 BC.
In an alternate account, Grousset says that the Xiongnu invaded Chinese Shanxi and besieged Taiyuan. Gaozu broke the siege and chased the Xiongnu north, but was blockaded by them on the Baideng plateau near Datong in far northern Shanxi.
Background
Attack of the Xiongnu
Tactics
Battle and siege
The presence of the armies is uncertain. The total strength of the Chinese army was over 300,000, but it is not known how much of the vanguard was trapped in the fort with the Emperor. Although Chinese historians write that the number of the Xiongnu army was 400,000.
Treaty
See also
References
- ^ Chang, Chun-shu (2007). The Rise of the Chinese Empire, Volume 1: Nation, State, and Imperialism in Early China, ca. 1600 B.C. - A.D. 8. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-472-11533-4.
- ^ "The rise of the Chinese Empire / Chun-shu Chang v.1".
- Rene Grousset, 'The Empire of the Steppes',1970/2008,page27,
- Chang, Chun-shu (2007).The Rise of the Chinese Empire, Volume 1: Nation, State, and Imperialism in Early China, ca. 1600 B.C. - A.D. 8 Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. p. 158.
Further reading
- Yap, Joseph P. pp 71–76. "Wars With The Xiongnu, A Translation From Zizhi tongjian" AuthorHouse (2009) ISBN 978-1-4490-0604-4
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