Those who are familiar with history will find that in the history of our country, the Northern Expedition often ended in failure, and there are only a handful of successful examples. However, Zhu Yuanzhang's Northern Expedition went exceptionally smoothly, which was very different from other Northern Expedition campaigns. The goal of this northern expedition was to defeat the Mongols, who swept across Asia and Europe and were hailed as the whip of God. Why was Zhu Yuanzhang able to win so easily?
First of all, Zhu Yuanzhang's subordinates gathered a group of very outstanding military generals at that time, such as Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Mu Ying, Tang He, etc. These generals were well-trained, tactically flexible, and highly motivated, and each forged an elite army. Their coordinated operations and tacit understanding laid a solid foundation for the Northern Expedition.
Secondly, under the advice of Liu Bowen and other strategists, Zhu Yuanzhang adopted wise strategies and tactics such as "building a high wall, accumulating grain, and slowing down the king", effectively accumulating strength. In the course of the Northern Expedition, Zhu Yuanzhang also adopted the correct policy of taking action step by step, dividing and attacking together, accumulating small victories into big victories, and never being greedy for merit and rash advance, which fully demonstrated his resourcefulness and prudence.
The key problem is that the Mongol cavalry at that time swept across Eurasia and was very impressive. In order to deal with this formidable opponent, Zhu Yuanzhang took many measures. First of all, he equipped the army with gunpowder, muskets and artillery, forming a mature tactical system. The firearms, swords, guns, and cavalry of the Ming Dynasty army coordinated with each other and fought together, offsetting the tactical superiority of the Mongol cavalry. This is one of the keys to Zhu Yuanzhang's success.
Secondly, at that time, the upper ruling group of Mongolia was intrigued, fighting for power and profit, and there was serious internal friction. This gave Zhu Yuanzhang an opportunity, and he was able to concentrate his superior forces and break the Mongol cavalry one by one. The chaos within Mongolia became another weapon of the Ming army's success.
Finally, the rulers of the Yuan dynasty pursued a policy in China that led to the collapse of the agrarian social system. They are trying to turn the arable land of the whole country into grasslands and let the grasslands graze horses. As a result of this policy, the vast number of peasants had no land to cultivate, and great social turmoil was inevitable. This provided Zhu Yuanzhang with an opportunity to rise in the chaos. At the same time, this policy indirectly contributed to the improvement of the Han people's cavalry archery skills, and provided strong support for the Ming army to take the lead on the battlefield.
To sum up, the success of Zhu Yuanzhang's Northern Expedition was not accidental. His military resourcefulness, good advice, correct strategy and tactics, and ability to take advantage of the enemy's internal strife and policy mistakes all contributed to this historical miracle. Zhu Yuanzhang's Northern Expedition was not only a war, but also a comprehensive embodiment of wisdom, courage and strategy. This history offers us profound lessons about how resourcefulness and prudence can prevail in the face of a formidable adversary.
The victory of Zhu Yuanzhang's Northern Expedition became a remarkable chapter in Chinese history, and the reason for its success was the interweaving of many factors. The miracle of this Northern Expedition not only admired Zhu Yuanzhang's resourcefulness and military commanding ability, but also reflected the complex background of Chinese society and the Mongol ruling system at that time.
First of all, Zhu Yuanzhang's success stemmed from the fact that he had gathered an outstanding military force. In this army, generals such as Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Mu Ying, and Tang He all showed outstanding leadership skills. The well-trained, tactically flexible, and high morale of these generals provided a solid foundation for Zhu Yuanzhang's victory on the battlefield. Their coordinated operations and impeccable tactical execution enabled the Ming army to deal with a formidable threat from the Mongol cavalry during the Northern Expedition.
Second, Zhu Yuanzhang wisely adopted the advice of Liu Bowen and other strategists and formulated correct strategies and tactics. Measures such as building high walls, accumulating grain, and delaying his claim to the throne showed his deep understanding of war and his prudent decision-making. The implementation of this strategy effectively accumulated the strength of the Ming army, and at the same time, the flexible tactics of step-by-step and combined attacks also enabled him to achieve phased victories on the battlefield.
Third, Zhu Yuanzhang skillfully exploited the contradictions and chaos within Mongolia. The struggle between the Mongol upper ruling groups allowed him to concentrate his forces to divide the Mongol cavalry and break them one by one, which played a decisive role in the war. This also reflects Zhu Yuanzhang's good use of the enemy's weaknesses and his resourcefulness.
The key point is that Zhu Yuanzhang took innovative countermeasures against the technological superiority of the Mongolian cavalry. He introduced gunpowder, muskets, and artillery, forming a mature tactical system, and the Ming army's multi-arm coordinated operations successfully offset the tactical superiority of the Mongol cavalry. This technological innovation not only played a key role at the time, but also provided inspiration for later military development.
Finally, Zhu Yuanzhang's success is also related to the mistakes of the Yuan Dynasty's policies. The Yuan Dynasty's attempt to turn the country's arable land into grasslands led to the collapse of China's agrarian society. This policy not only led to social turmoil, but also gave Zhu Yuanzhang an opportunity. He was able to take advantage of this opportunity to tap into the potential of the peasants to revolt, further weakening the Mongol ruling power.
Generally speaking, the success of Zhu Yuanzhang's Northern Expedition was the result of a combination of factors. His military brilliance, strategic wisdom, military innovations, and good use of the enemy's internal contradictions constituted this historical miracle. The story of this Northern Expedition provides us with profound historical enlightenment, showing that in a complex war environment, the comprehensive use of multi-faceted strategies and means is the key to victory.
Disclaimer: The above content information is ** on the Internet, and the author of this article does not intend to target or insinuate any real country, political system, organization, race, or individual. The above content does not mean that the author of this article agrees with the laws, rules, opinions, behaviors in the article and is responsible for the authenticity of the relevant information. The author of this article is not responsible for any issues arising from the above or related issues, and does not assume any direct or indirect legal liability.
If the content of the article involves the content of the work, copyright**, infringement, rumors or other issues, please contact us to delete it. Finally, if you have any different thoughts about this event, please leave a message in the comment area to discuss!