In the long history of China, siege warfare was particularly shocking in the wars that raged into the sky. In the history books and screen descriptions, we often see hundreds of thousands of soldiers storming a city.
The two sides fought fiercely, and various offensive and defensive equipment emerged one after another. However, after a siege battle, both armies were often exhausted and suffered heavy losses. Some people can't help but wonder: since siege warfare is so labor-intensive, why not choose to detour?
A city, because of its unique geographical location and abundant military resources, often attracts many armies to besiege it. In order to defend their homeland, the defenders of the city will do everything in their power to strengthen the defenses against enemy attacks.
In ancient times, the defense of the city mainly relied on facilities such as city walls, gates, towers and moats. The city wall, which is the core defense of the city, is usually constructed of rammed earth, masonry, wood and other materials.
The height, width, slope, etc., of the city walls are well designed to provide the defenders with the best counterattack platform to effectively fight the besiegers.
The city gate is the core element of the city wall, and it is also the passage of the entrance and exit of the city, which is mainly constructed of hard wood and iron plates, with corresponding soldiers and guards guarding the city; The castle tower is an important observation point and defense point in the city, which is higher than the city wall, overlooking the entire city, and carrying out tasks such as reconnaissance and fire assistance; Moats were usually dug outside the city walls to keep out enemy attacks.
The difficulty of siege warfare is that the attackers need to breach important facilities such as walls and gates, while the defenders need to hold on to them. The attackers usually use siege equipment such as ladders, siege engines, trebuchets, and ballistas to break the city, while the defenders will counterattack with bows and arrows, fire oil, smoke, etc.
The siege battle is a stalemate for a long time, and both sides will face losses in personnel and property. Storming a city means that the attacker can quickly obtain supplies from the defenders, solve logistical problems, and increase human and medical resources.
Ancient transportation limited the transportation of medicinal herbs, but after capturing the city, the attackers could immediately obtain medical resources and medical personnel to effectively treat the wounded. At the same time, the attackers were able to capture soldiers and technicians in the city, providing valuable value for their labor.
On top of that, capturing a city can provide critical strategic intelligence that can give the attacker an additional advantage.
Through this information, the attacker will be able to gain an in-depth understanding of the internal situation of the neighboring cities, and grasp the enemy's troop layout, grain and grass transportation and other key information, which is essential for formulating the next precise military plan and gaining an advantage in the war.
Determination and bravery in siege warfare often became a litmus test of the morale of both armies. A fierce siege battle can not only show the strength and will of the attacker, but also deter the enemy and make him lose the courage to resist.
Similarly, by successfully defending against multiple attacks, the defenders can show their unbreakable determination, boost their morale, and unite their hearts. Therefore, siege warfare had extremely high psychological and tactical value in ancient warfare.
A successful siege will have a huge deterrent effect, and once a city falls, nearby cities and courts will be in a panic, and they will have to reassess the true strength of the attacking side.
In this chaotic situation, some timid people may choose to turn their backs on the court in order to protect themselves. Such an act will undoubtedly bring more uncertainty to the war situation and further weaken the power of the imperial court.
But the outcome of a war is often difficult to win. Even if the attackers are defeated in subsequent battles, the cities they have previously captured can still serve as a strong stronghold and provide a buffer for future strategic deployments.
In ancient times, the city was not only a city wall, but also a symbol of the city, and a political, economic, and cultural center. Elite talents and economic resources within a radius of dozens of miles are gathered here.
Once an attacker captures a city, it can use local celebrities to manage the city, attracting more people to join the army or donate supplies. At the same time, the city has also become an important port to attract talents from the surrounding area, and countless talented people have come to help in the war effort.
For the defenders, the loss of a key city is undoubtedly a major blow. These cities were usually home to important people of the imperial court, including military generals and civil officials.
The fall of these ** means that the power of the imperial court will be greatly weakened. Killing or capturing these ** will not only deprive the imperial court of excellent generals, but may also provide the attacking party with important information within the imperial court.
Therefore, it is understandable why the warriors are so keen to capture a city. They were willing to pay a huge effort and price for this, put in a large number of troops and supplies, and carry out a long siege.
Siege warfare requires not only strong military force and advanced equipment, but also flexible strategies and perseverance. It is this spirit of perseverance that makes the ancient siege warfare a heroic chapter in history.
In the long history of warfare in ancient China, siege and capture of strongholds were common modes of battle. However, the difficulty of a siege will vary depending on the situation on the battlefield, the talent of the generals, and a variety of other factors.
Chen Qingzhi, an outstanding general in the Southern Liang period, may be in his heart, the siege is not an insurmountable obstacle. He led 7,000 warriors to march forward bravely on the battle-torn battlefield, experienced 47 thrilling battles, broke through 32 fortified cities, and faithfully escorted Yuan Hao back to Luoyang.
Chen Qingzhi is famous in history, and his pride and ambition are there"Famous teachers and generals are not imprisoned, and thousands of troops avoid white robes"This sentence is vividly displayed.
Yue Fei, the anti-Jin hero of the Southern Song Dynasty, created a brilliant record in the siege war. During the Third Northern Expedition, he led the Yuejia army to conquer more than a dozen cities such as Yulue, Luanchuan, Shangluo, and Changshui in only three months.
Three years later, he led the Northern Expedition again, capturing Caizhou, Zhengzhou, Luoyang and other important cities in just two months. At the same time, he also successfully contacted the rebel army in Hebei, so that they captured Huaizhou, Mengzhou, Zhaozhou and other places.
These feats can be said to be worth a city in a week! However, siege warfare can sometimes be difficult. During the "Anshi Rebellion", Zhang Xun, a famous minister of the Tang Dynasty, stubbornly resisted more than 100,000 "Anshi" troops in Suiyang City when the grain and grass in the city were in short supply and there was no hope for reinforcements, and insisted on resisting for five months, which can be called a miracle in military history.
Take the fierce battle between Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang as an example, at that time, Zhu Yuanzhang's men led 40,000 soldiers to resolutely resist Chen Youliang's self-proclaimed army of 600,000 in Hongdu City (now Nanchang, Jiangxi).
The defenders of Hongdu City insisted on holding their positions like a rock, and after a long eighty-five days, Chen Youliang had no choice but to retreat. In this battle, there were some generals who showed extraordinary courage and wisdom, such as Zhang Liao, who successfully resisted the 100,000-strong army of Eastern Wu and defended Hefei during the Three Kingdoms period with only 7,000 soldiers and horses.
Among them, Zhang Liao also created a miracle, he led 800 warriors to break through the enemy camp, smashed the Yellow Dragon, and approached the enemy commander, which made Sun Quan and his Wu army fearful.
When the besieging side can't take it for a long time, people can't help but ask, why do they have to attack? Why not get around it? The answer is that due to the topography, there are some key cities that cannot be bypassed.
For example, in the Qin and Han dynasties, to enter the Weihe Valley, you must pass through Hangu Pass, Dasanguan, Wuguan, Xiao Pass and other fortresses, among which Hangu Pass is the most famous, it guards the valley called "Chousang Plateau", and those who want to pass must conquer this place, otherwise they cannot bypass it.
Taiyuan City is another military fortress that embodies the wisdom of the ancients, it is located in the Heng Mountain, Luliang Mountain, Taihang Mountain, Zhongtiao Mountain surrounded by the mountains. The garrison is here, and can easily go south to Guanzhong, east to Hebei, and north through Yanmen Pass to enter Mobei.
Taiyuan City is surrounded by mountains on the east, west and north sides, and the Taiyuan Basin is on the south side, which makes the besieging side easy to detect and is conducive to the defenders to prepare for defense.
In ancient China, many of these cities, defended by the mountains and located where marches must be made, often bothered the besieging parties. In addition, there is also a risk of being surrounded by a march around the city.
It should be noted that in ancient warfare, it was impossible for either the attacking side or the defending side to send all their troops in a single battle, because both sides were afraid of a sneak attack.