The idiom "talking on paper" is still widely used by people to describe those who talk about theory and have no practical ability. And during the Warring States Period, there was a young man named Zhao Kuo, and it was precisely because of this label that he was labeled that led to the tragedy of him and the 450,000 Zhao army.
However, when we revisit this period of history today, perhaps we should give Zhao Kuo a chance to re-evaluate, because the defeat of this battle was not entirely his fault.
The Warring States Period was a period of wisdom and courage in Chinese history. During this era, the contradictions between the Zhao and Qin states became increasingly acute, and the Battle of Changping finally broke out. It was a battle that staked the fate of both countries, and the state of Zhao sent the young and promising Zhao Kuo as the main general, while the state of Qin was commanded by Bai Qi, the famous god of war.
Zhao Kuo, a young man from a famous family, has been familiar with military books since he was a child and has a strong interest in military strategy. However, his father, Zhao Hao, was skeptical of his military talents, believing that he was only "talking on paper" and had no actual combat experience. Zhao Kuo was deeply dissatisfied with this and was determined to prove himself on the battlefield.
On the eve of the Battle of Changping, Zhao Kuo finally got the opportunity to show himself. However, in this campaign, Zhao Kuo's military strategy was seriously disconnected from the actual situation. His blind self-confidence and neglect of the enemy's strength led to the crushing defeat of the 450,000 Zhao army. Since then, Zhao Kuo's name has become synonymous with "talking on paper".
However, when we revisit this history today, we find that Zhao Kuo is not entirely to blame. First of all, Zhao Kuo did not have much actual combat experience before the war, and the reason why he was able to serve as the main general was because of the needs of the internal political struggle of Zhao State.
Secondly, Zhao Kuo tried to communicate with King Zhao before the war and put forward his own strategic ideas, but King Zhao did not give him enough support. In the end, although Zhao Kuo made mistakes on the battlefield, he also made decisions under extremely difficult circumstances.
Zhao Kuo's military talent was not completely unbearable, and his analysis of the battlefield before the war was forward-looking, but he failed to adjust it in light of the actual terrain and troops.
Political struggles within the state of Zhao led to Zhao Kuo's appointment, making him a victim of politics.
King Zhao's mistakes and insufficient strategic support for Zhao Kuo were also important reasons for the defeat.
Bai Qi's military talent should not be underestimated, and he made full use of Zhao Kuo's weaknesses and formulated targeted tactics.
In the Battle of Changping, Zhao lost 450,000 elite soldiers and lost the ability to compete with Qin. However, the defeat of this battle was not entirely Zhao Kuo's fault. As witnesses of history, we should look at this history objectively and give Zhao Kuo a fair evaluation.
At the same time, we should also consider the data of 450,000 people killed by the Zhao army after the war, almost all of today's studies that are not credible, because this number is too large.
If it is true, then in the subsequent battle for the defense of Handan, let alone winning, even a strong resistance may be difficult to organize.
There are several other reasons.
First, the number of beheadings in the Qin State was often inflated.
Because after the Shang Dynasty changed the law, military merit became the main way for Qin people to get promoted and make a fortune, and the main criterion for judging military merit was the number of beheadings, and in the case of poor supervision, such data was easy to falsify.
The second is that Zhao has Hu blood, and they have a complex of generosity and tragedy, and the huge ** is spread out, which can not only sell miserably, but also create an iron-blooded and strong image for themselves.
The third is that when Zhao Kuo attacked, in order to attract enough attention from the other party and to deter the enemy, he would inevitably claim that he had a large number of people, just like before the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao claimed to be "a million people".
There is one last reason, if the number of Zhao troops is not so large, but the Qin army has lost more than 200,000 people in this battle, when such news comes out, where should the white face and the face of the Qin State be placed?
And 450,000 versus 200,000 can still be said in the past.
Someone will ask, is there any basis for such a speculation? Yes, that was the Battle of Handan.
After attacking Handan for a long time, everyone went to ask Bai Qi to come out of the mountain, but he said that he would not go.
Because he had experienced the battle with Zhao Kuo, he knew that Handan City was just like the one he had faced, the team that fought alone and eliminated the important vital force of the Qin army.
Sure enough, the Qin State was defeated in the Battle of Handan.
It was also the center that flowered, but this time there was a response from the periphery, the Zhao army death squad went out of the city to counterattack, Wei and Chu attacked, and the Qin army lost another 200,000 and suffered a lot of damage.
It can be said that Zhao Kuo's counterattack provided a model for the defense of Handan, and he also used his own strength to delay the process of Qin's reunification, giving Zhao an opportunity to regroup for nearly thirty years. and the impact of political struggle on the destiny of the country was recognized. In the face of national affairs, we should focus more on practical capabilities than on political background.
Today, when we mention Zhao Kuo again, we should not simply use "on paper" to describe him. We should have a deeper understanding of this history, draw wisdom from it, and use history as a mirror to create the future.