Chu and Han strategic decisive battle, the battle of Gaixia

In December of the fifth year of Emperor Han Gao (202 BC), during the Chu-Han War, the Chu and Han armies fought a strategic decisive battle at Gaixia (now north bank of Tuo River, southeast of Lingbi County, Anhui Province).

Historical background

In August 203 BC (the fourth year of Emperor Gaozu), Peng Yue of Liangdi initiated harassment against Chu soldiers and cut off their food. Xiang Yu led the army to attack Peng Yue and returned. At this time Zhong Limei was besieged by the Han army, and the Han army began to flee because of fear of Xiang Yu. At this time, Qi Wang Han Xin led the army to attack the Chu army, and Xiang Yu began to feel scared. As a result, the two sides conducted the famous "difference peace discussion" in history, dividing the world with the canal built by Wei during the Warring States period: the gap. In September, Xiang Yu, the overlord of the Western Chu, led a hundred thousand Chu army to withdraw his troops to Chu in a roundabout route towards the south road. Liu Bang also wanted to go west.

However, just as Liu Bang was planning to lead his army to the west, Zhang Liang and Chen Ping suggested to tear up the gap and reconciliation, and take advantage of the opportunity of the Chu Jun's tired division to return east to start from behind. Sneak attack. Zhang and Chen thought: "Han has a half of the world, and the princes are attached to it. The Chu soldiers stop eating, and Chu will die in this day." They suggested that "it is better to take it because of the opportunity."

Liu Bang accepted the two suggestions, then broke the contract and suddenly launched a strategic pursuit to the Chu army. When the army reached Xia Nan, Liu Bangyue gathered Han Xin and Peng Vietnam to encircle the Chu army. As Han Xin and Peng Yue did not send troops to attack the Chu army as scheduled, Liu Bang was defeated by Xiang Yu in Guling. Liu Bang hurriedly led his army back under Chen, and built a fortress to hold on, but the Chu army once again encircled Liu Bang. Liu Bang, who stood by the barrier, asked Zhang Liang: "If the princes do not follow the appointment, what can they do?" Zhang Liang replied: "The Chu soldiers are broken. The faith and the more undivided, it is not solid and suitable. The king can share the world, today It can be established. That is, it can’t be known. The emperor can come from Chen Yidong, Fuhai, and Han Xin; from the north of Suiyang to Gucheng, to fight Peng Yue: if they fight each other, Chu is easy to lose."

Therefore, Liu Bang adopted Zhang Liang's opinion and sealed the large territory east of Chen to the sea to King Han Xin of Qi; and to the north of Suiyang to Gucheng to Peng Yue. In this way, Liu Bang finally moved Han and Peng in order to seal the land, so that they could all go south. At the same time, he ordered Liu Jia to lead his army and Yingbu to go north from Huai, and the Five Route Army jointly launched the final against Xiang Yu. Encircle. The battle of Gaixia began.

The course of the war

Start

202 BC (the fifth year of Gaozu) in late October, Guanying recruits soldiers Invaded and occupied Pengcheng, and at the same time captured many areas of Chu. Yingbu, who was named the King of Huainan by Liu Bang, also sent generals into the Jiujiang area and lured the defender, Chu Da Sima Zhou Yin, and then joined forces to attack Chengfu (now East of Guoyang, Anhui). Liu Bang also moved east from Guling, the situation was extremely unfavorable to Chu, and Xiang Yu was forced to retreat to the southeast. In November, Xiang Yu retreated to Gaixia (now southeast of Lingbi in Anhui), built fortifications, reorganized the army, and regained its strength. At this time, the Chu army had about 100,000 people.

After Han Xin, Peng Yue, Yingbu and others joined Liu Bang, in December (early 202 before, with October as the first year), they surrounded the 100,000 Chu army retreating to the south of the Yangtze River.

The Han army is mainly led by Han Xin's 300,000 people, General Kong is the left wing, General Fei is the right wing, Liu Bang sits in the rear, and reserves such as Zhou Bo and Chai Wu are on standby behind Liu Bang's army. Han Xin led the Han army forward, and under unfavorable circumstances began to retreat backwards, and pushed forward from the two wings, the Chu army was frustrated, Han Xin led the army forward and defeated the Chu army at Gaixia.

Embarrassed on all sides

The Han army sang the song of Chu at night, and the Chu army under Xiang Yu didn't think that the Han had already done it, but morale collapsed. Seeing that the general situation is over, Xiang Yu took the night and led eight hundred elite cavalry to escape south. After daybreak, the Han army learned that Xiang Yu had broken through, and sent five thousand cavalry to pursue. After Xiang Yu crossed the Huai River, there were only more than a hundred horses left to follow. He traveled to Yinling (now northwest of Dingyuan, Anhui) and was delayed because of his loss (in the "Records of the History", it was explained by Tianfu deceived) that he was pursued by the Han army and Xiang Yu suddenly toDongcheng (now southeast of Dingyuan, Anhui) has only 28 riders left.

Wujiang decisive battle

Xiang Yu commanded the twenty-eight riders, rushed back and forth, once again opened a bloody road, hurried south to Wujiang (now Wujiangpu on the northeast side of the Yangtze River in Hexian, Anhui) On the side, consciously faceless, seeing the Jiangdong elders, ordered all the horses to dismount and fight with the Han soldiers with short weapons. Xiang Yu killed hundreds of Han soldiers by himself. He was wounded by more than a dozen himself, and finally died of suicide at the age of 31. After Xiang Yu's death, the Han army wiped out 80,000 Chu troops, and all the Chu land surrendered to the Han. The Lu people, who were in the original title of Xiang Yu alone, refused to surrender (the king of Chu Huai once named Xiang Yu as Lu Gong). Later, Liu Bang gave Xiang Yu the first rank. Lu people are descended. At this point, the Chu-Han War that lasted 4 and a half years ended with Liu Bang's victory.

On February Jiawu Day in 202 BC (the fifth year of Emperor Han Gaozu), Liu Bang proclaimed his emperor on the north bank of Bangshui and established the Western Han Dynasty regime. (In the early Han Dynasty, the Qin system was inherited, and October was the first month. That is, the first month of the fifth year of Han Gaozu was October, followed by November, December, January, February, March, and April. Month, May, June, July, August, September. February is the fifth month of the year.)

战战评论

The battle of Gaixia was launched by the Han army in due course Strategic pursuit, actively mobilizing reinforcements, wiped out 100,000 Chu troops in less than a day, creating a successful example of large-scale pursuit in ancient China. The Battle of Gaixia was a decisive battle in the struggle between Chu and Han. It was not only the end of the struggle between Chu and Han, but also the starting point of the prosperity of the Han dynasty. It was a milestone turning point in Chinese history. It ended the end of the Qin war. This situation unified China and laid the foundation of the Han Dynasty for 400 years.

"Historical Records" records

"Gaozu Benji"

Five years, Gaozu and the princes fought the Chu army together, Gaixia with Xiang Yu. The Huaiyin Hou will be 300,000, with General Kong on the left, Fei on the right, the emperor behind, Jianghou and Chai after the emperor. Xiang Yu's death can be 100,000. Huaiyin first closed, unfavorable, but. General Kong and General Fei slid, Chu soldiers were disadvantaged, Huaiyin Marquis took the lead and defeated Gaixia. When Xiang Yu heard the Song of Chu of the Han army, he thought that the Han was all in Chu, and Xiang Yu was defeated and defeated. Commander Guan Ying chased and killed Xiang Yu Dongcheng, beheading 80,000, and then set the place of Chu. Lu Weichu could not hold on. The king of Han quoted the princes to the north, showing the head of Lu's elder Xiang Yu, and Lu Nai descended. Then Xiang Yugu City was buried under the name Lu Gong. Return to Dingtao, gallop into Qi Wangbi, and seize his army.

"Xiang Yu Benji"

The King of Xiang army lay down on the wall, and the soldiers were eaten out, and the Han army and the princes were surrounded by heavy soldiers. Hearing that the Han army was embarrassed on all sides at night, Xiang Wangnai was shocked and said: "All the Han are already in good shape? How many people are in Chu!" Xiang Wangze got up at night and drank in the tent. There is a beautiful person named Yu, who is often fortunate to follow; a horse named Zou, often rides on it. Therefore, Xiang Wangnai's tragic song is generous, and his poem said: "Strengthen the mountain and the world is overwhelming, and the time is not good. The time is not dying. What is the time when the dying is not dying, what is the reason for the dying!" . King Xiang cried for a few lines, crying on both sides, unable to look up.

So Xiang Wangnai got on his horse and over 800 servants of the strong men under his command, went south at night and galloped away. In Pingming, the Han army was conscious, and the riding commander Guan Ying chased him with five thousand horses. Xiang Wang crossed the Huai River, more than a hundred people who can ride on it. When Wang Xiang went to the Yin Ling, he lost his way, and asked Yi Tian's father, Tian Fuling said "Left". On the left, it is trapped in Daze. Followed by the old man. King Xiang re-introduced his troops to the east, to the east city, there were twenty-eight horses. Thousands of Han riders pursued them. King Xiang couldn't take it off. He said: "I am eight years old since I started my army, and I have been in more than seventy battles. The one who was attacked was broken, and the one who was attacked was defeated. I did not lose, so I dominated the world. But now I am trapped here, and I will die today. It’s not a crime of war. To die today is for all the monarchs to fight quickly, and they will win three times. They will be defeated, beheaded, and slashed. Let them know that I will die in the sky. It is not a crime of war." They are divided into four teams, four villages. The encirclement of the Han army is heavy. Xiang Wang said that he was riding and saying: "I am the public and take the other general." He was ordered to ride down on all sides, and there were three places in Shandong. Therefore, the king of Xiang screamed, and the Han army was invincible, so he cut the Han general. At that time, Chiquanhou was a riding commander, chasing King Xiang, and King Xiang screamed at him. The people of Chiquanhou were astonished, and there were three places for Piyishuli and his riding club. The Han army didn't know where King Xiang was, but divided the army into three and encircled him. Xiang WangNai Chi, the first captain of Han Dynasty, killed dozens of people, reunited his riding, and killed two of them. It is said that Qi Qi said: "How is it?" Qi Jifu said: "Like the words of the great king."

So Wang Wang wanted to cross the Wujiang River east. The Wujiang Pavilion waited for a long boat, saying that King Xiang said: "Although Jiangdong is small, the place is thousands of miles, and hundreds of thousands of people are also the king. The former king rushed to ferry. Today the only minister has a ship, and the Han army is coming, and there is no way to cross." Xiang Wang laughed and said: "I am dead in the sky, how can I cross the river! And now I cross the river with the 8,000 children of Jiangdong and the west, no one has to pay back. Brother Zongjiangdong is pitiful and king me,

Is it? If you don’t say anything, you are not ashamed of it?" Nai said: "I know the elder of the public. I ride this horse for five years. I am invincible. I can walk thousands of miles in a day and cannot bear to kill. Give the public." It means that all the riders dismount and walk, and fight with short soldiers. Hundreds of Han soldiers were killed by the sole natives. Xiang Wangshen was also created by more than ten. Gu saw Han riding Sima Lu Matong, saying: "If it's not my old friend?" Ma Tong said to Wang Yi and said: "This is the king." Xiang Wangnai said: "I heard that Han bought my first daughter, Yi Ten thousand households, I am Ruo De." He died of suicide. Wang Yi took the head, Yu Qixiang beat the king and killed dozens of people. Finally, the doctor rides on Yang Xi and Sima Lu Matong, while the doctors Lv Sheng and Yang Wu each get one. The five people have all of them. Therefore, it is divided into five places: Lv Matong is named Zhongshui Hou, Wang Yi is named Du Yanhou, Yang Xi is named Chiquanhou, Yang Wu is named Wu Fanghou, and Lu Sheng is named Nieyanghou.

Current development

"Gaixia Site", the ancient battlefield site, was approved by the Anhui Provincial People's Government in 1986 as a provincial key cultural relic protection unit.