Battle of Changping
| date | April 262 BC BC - July 260 BC Chr. |
|---|---|
| place | Handan , Kaifeng and Changyuan in Henan |
| Casus Belli | Zhao invades Shangdan Province |
| output | Victory of Qin |
| consequences | An important milestone in the unification of China under the Qin |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| (450.240) * | (500,000) * |
| losses | |
|
(450,000) * |
(250,000) * |
The Battle of Changping ( Chinese 長平之戰 , Pinyin Chángpíng zhī zhàn ) in 260 BC. Between the states of Qin and Zhao in the time of the Warring States , especially due to the execution of the entire army of Zhao, is considered to be one of the bloodiest in world history.
prehistory
Qin fell in 265 BC In the empire Han to conquer the province Shangdang ( 上 黨 ). By conquering the most important forts and roads in the Taihe Mountains , Qin managed to cut communications with the heartland of Han State within four years. In this situation, Han decided to cede Shangdang to Zhao.
Zhao had a considerable interest in preventing this province from falling into Qin's hands in order to prevent an attack such as that originally planned by Qin on Zhao. In this dangerous situation for his empire, King Xiaocheng (趙孝成 王) accepted the Han offer and sent an army under General Lian Po (廉頗) to Shangdang. 262 BC The armed forces met in the town of Changping . After a few lost skirmishes, Lian Po retreated behind hastily built fortifications. The three-year guerrilla war between the two states that followed did not produce a clear winner, as neither side could bring themselves to a decisive battle.
The Qin attack on Han also ended the 295 BC. Zhao's foreign policy dominated by opportunism . Zhao tried to establish himself as a great power through the strategies of Hezong (合 縱, alliance with the five other of the seven empires to limit Qin's supremacy) and Lianhen (連 橫, alliance with Qin to benefit from his supremacy).
Battle of Changping
The Qin now began sending spies to Han and Zhao to spread rumors about Lian Po's alleged cowardice and age-related war weariness . Dissatisfied with the strategy of his general and the rumors emerging, the king of Zhao dismissed Lian Po and appointed the son of the famous general Zhao She , Zhao Kuo, as the new commander-in-chief. Around the same time, Wang He (王 齕) was replaced on the Qin's side by the experienced general Bai Qi .
Legend has it that Zhao She told his wife on his deathbed that their son Zhao Kuo should never lead an army. After Zhao She's wife learned that Zhao Kuo was in charge of the new supreme command, she asked for an audience with the king and, with the assistance of Minister Lin Xiangru , asked him to immediately remove Zhao Kuo. Xiaocheng refused her request, but assured her that if she lost, Zhao's family would not be held in kin custody .
When Zhao Kuo took command of Zhao's 400,000-strong army in July 260 BC. Chr. Took over, he ordered a major attack on the Qins camp. Qin's forces withdrew immediately. However, this withdrawal was only fake. 25,000 Qin men hid in an ambush, meanwhile the main armed forces of Bai Qi withdrew far into the hinterland. This move cut off Zhao's supply troops and the now encircled Zhao Kuo's main army set up a fortified camp on a hill to wait for reinforcements to break out.
Qin's army was also reinforced by Chu and Qi troops, who refused to support Zhao. The siege of Zhao's trapped army lasted a total of 46 days. In September of the year 260 BC Small groups tried to break through the siege ring, but none of them succeeded. Eventually, Zhao Kuo led his best men in a final breakout attempt, but was killed by opposing archers.
Result
After Zhao Kuo's death, his entire army surrendered. To prevent this large force from revolting, all but the 240 youngest soldiers were buried alive . The number of 450,000 deaths is certainly greatly exaggerated by Chinese historians, but the battle is still one of the bloodiest in human history.
With this decisive battle, the war between Zhao and Qin was also over. Three years of war had put a heavy financial burden on both states and demanded a high toll in blood from the population. Only Qin, in contrast to Zhao, was able to regain strength quickly after the victory. This victory laid the foundation for the unification of the Warring States of China .
