Battle of Jieqiao
| date | late winter 191 |
|---|---|
| place | Jie Bridge, Guangzong Country, Julu Headquarters |
| output | Yuan Shaos wins |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| 40,000 infantry | 30,000 infantry , 10,000 cavalry |
| losses | |
|
unknown |
unknown, at least 1000 |
Sishui Pass - Hulao Pass - Jieqiao - Guandu - Changban - Chibi - Tong Gate - Hefei - Dingjun - Fancheng - Xiaoting - Southern Campaign - Shiting - Jieting - Northern Expeditions - Wu Zhang Plain
In the Battle of Jieqiao or Battle of the Jie Bridge ( Chinese in 橋 之 戰, / 界 桥 之 战 , Pinyin Jièqiáo zhi zhàn ) the Chinese warlords Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan met in 191 , at the time of the fall of the Han dynasty . This battle marked the first clash between two rival warlords in the battle for the northern provinces of Jizhou and Qingzhou. The site of the battle is generally assumed to be east of the Guangzong district in the Julu headquarters (today's Wei District , Hebei ).
background
Gongsun Zan had defeated the last scattered hosts of the Yellow Turbans in 191 . During the winter, he took the death of his brother Gongsun Yue as an opportunity to declare war on Yuan Shao. He marched with his army in a south-westerly direction between the Qing River and the Yangtze River to Jizhou. In quick succession, he forced numerous cities to abandon Yuan Shao and join Gongsun Zan's side. Yuan Shao immediately gave in, apparently to prevent the conflict from spreading. He relinquished his position as Grand Administrator of Bohai to Gongsun Fan, a distant relative of Gongsun Zan. However, Gongsun Fan used the Bohai garrison garrison to join his relative.
The battle
Yuan Shao appeared in person. The opponents met 40 km south of the Jie Bridge, a crossing of the Qing River. Gongsun Zan's army consisted of 30,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry . He arranged the infantry in a square and divided the cavalry into a left and a right wing. In the middle he placed the White Horse Volunteers , an elite group that was the heart of his armed forces. The Chronicles of the Three Realms describe the impressive spectacle with the words: "Banners and armor lit heaven and earth." If Yuan Shao's army was of a comparable size, however, it consisted only of infantry. His commander Qu Yi (麴 義) was at the forefront with 800 elite fighters and 1000 crossbowmen . Behind him stood the majority of foot soldiers, commanded by Yuan Shao personally.
According to his observations, Gongsun Zan believed that he could easily cut off Yuan Shao's small vanguard of a cavalry unit. Then he could blow up the block of enemy infantry and break up their formation in order to tear them up. But Qu Yi's men formed a shield wall and awaited the onslaught of the enemy. When Gongsun Zan's riders were near, they met first the riflemen with bolts of bolts, then the infantry with a front of erected spears. Gongsun Zan's cavalry was wiped out, and their leader, Yan Gang (嚴 綱), fell in the battle. Yuan Shao's army is said to have destroyed 1,000 enemy soldiers. Since their tactics had failed, Gongsun Zan's cavalry withdrew in a hurry, followed by the infantry. Gongsun Zan was still trying to regroup his troops and hold the Qing River, but his rearguard encountered Qu Yi's elite troop at Jie Bridge and had to withdraw. The abandoned camp of Gongsun Zan was soon overrun and his yak- tailed standard was lost.
Encouraged by the victory, Yuan Shao set out with a bodyguard of ten crossbowmen and 100 armed soldiers. But he was surprised by 2000 horsemen of Gongsun Zan who had broken away from the main force. According to the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms , camp commander Tian Feng wanted to get Mr. Yuan Shao to safety behind the walls, but Yuan Shao smacked his helmet on the ground and shouted, “A real man should die in the front line of the battle. To hide cowardly behind a wall is no life. ” The enemy cavalry, which Yuan Shao did not recognize, withdrew when Qu Yi arrived.
consequences
Gongsun Zan's defeat at the Battle of Jieqiao halted his southern advance. The disputes between the two opponents, however, continued until 199 . Gongsun Zan marched on the same route to Jizhou in 192 , but the renewed defeat could not cause him any particular damage.
What is unique about the Battle of Jieqiao is that it is described in great detail in the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms . Even the order of the troops and tactics are clearly recorded, although traditional Chinese historiography often omits such details. The battle shows the uselessness of a cavalry, even an experienced one, against a disciplined infantry with competent leaders. In addition, despite the large armies that clashed in battle, it was only a small elite unit that made the decision. Once the heart of the army was defeated, the demoralized mass dispersed.