Tell the truest history in the simplest words.
Han Xin once said four famous words when commenting on Xiang Yu: "The courage of Pifu!" The original words: "King Xiang is secretly disgusted, and a thousand people are abolished, but they cannot be subordinate to the sages, and this Tepif's brave ear." This means that what Xiang Yu did only showed his courage and would not use the wisdom of the collective. I think this is not comprehensive, and looking at Xiang Yu's combat history, it is not difficult for us to see that Xiang Yu is a generation of military gods and the best military expert.
Xiang Yu stills
Xiang Yu fought many battles in his life, the most famous of which were: the Battle of Julu (the decisive battle with the Qin Army), the Battle of Pengcheng (the battle of Liu Bang Xiangyu in the capital of the Western Chu State), the Battle of Xingyang (the tug-of-war of Liu Bang Xiangyu), the Battle of Xiaxia (the decisive battle of Han Xin and Xiang Yu), these battles, it is difficult for us to see Xiang Yu's "courage of Pifu," but we can see a Xiang Yu with the image of a god of war.
First, the Battle of the Giant Deer
The Battle of Julu was a major battle that determined the survival of the Qin Dynasty and the leadership of Xiang Yu. In this battle, Xiang Yu led tens of thousands of Chu troops (the princes held a wait-and-see attitude, and joined later) and the famous Qin Dynasty generals Zhang Handan and Wang Lisuo led the main force of the 400,000 Qin army at Julu, a major decisive battle, which is also a famous battle in history in which less wins more.
Two famous words appeared in this battle: breaking the cauldron and sinking the boat, and watching from the wall. The view of the wall refers to the attitude held by the princes at the beginning of the Battle of the Giant Deer. The broken cauldron wrote about Xiang Yu's courage and decisiveness in battle.
Battle of the Giant Deer
In December of the third year of Qin II, Xiang Yu led the Chu army to the Yellow River (Zhangshui) south of Julu County, and immediately sent General Yingbu and Pu to lead 20,000 rebels across the river to rescue Julu. After the second general crossed the river, he won a small victory in the initial battle, and the Zhao general Chen Yu urged the troops to advance. Then, Xiang Yu led the whole army across the Yellow River (Zhangshui), ordered the whole army to break the cauldron, burn the houses and tents, and bring only three days of food, as a sign of determination to die if they did not win.
Xiang Yu rushed straight to julu with lightning speed, defeated the Qin army of Zhang Handan's department protecting Yongdao, cut off Wang's grain route, and surrounded Wang's army. Xiang Yu's determination and courage played a great role in encouraging the soldiers. The Chu army surrounded Wang Li's army, and the morale of each one was boosted, and the more courageous the Vietnamese war became. After nine fierce battles, Zhang Handan was finally repelled, Wang Li was captured alive, and the Qin general Su Jiao was killed, and the Qin generals raised fire and set themselves on fire, and the other Qin generals were killed or fled, and the Qin army that besieged the giant deer was thus disintegrated.
The princes who watched the battle at the camp were shocked by the morale of Xiang Yu's army, and after defeating the Qin army, Xiang Yu summoned the generals of the princes. None of these generals did not kneel forward at Yuanmen (not daring to look up), and from then on, Xiang Yu established his position as the overlord among the princes. In the battle of the giant deer, I seem to see "the gods under the heavens", how can I say that he only has the courage of a puppet?
2. The Battle of Pengcheng
In April 206 BC, the princes each became a vassal, Xiang Yu returned to Pengcheng to become his King of Western Chu, and Liu Bang was crowned King of Han. Because of the uneven distribution, many people are dissatisfied and deliberately rebellious.
In May, Liu Bang and Tian Rong revolted in the east and west, kicking off the prelude to the Chu-Han war. Liu Bangbing came out of Chen Cang and pointed his sword at Peng Cheng. At this time, Xiang Yu was in an unprecedented crisis.
Map of the Battle of Pengcheng
Faced with a two-front battle. The state of Qi had not yet been pacified, and when he returned to the division to save Chu, he was attacked on his stomach and back. There is a huge disparity in troop strength. The combined forces of the princes of Liu Bang were 560,000 people, and the scale was unprecedented. Xiang Yu's entire strength at this time is unknown, but it must be far less than 560,000. The rear fell, and the lone army went deeper. At this time, Xiang Yu was completely lost, and the lone army without a base could only fight and make a quick decision. Away from the battlefield, long apprentices running. The enemy waited for work and used the fortifications to resist the Chu army. Allies betrayed, and the political environment fell into extreme isolation. Faced with such a sinister political and military environment, Xiang Yu formulated a bold strategic plan. Leaving the generals to attack Qi, he led 30,000 elite horsemen to the south, and after Lu Fengqiu broke through Fan Duo and other troops, he took an encirclement and blitzkrieg from Huling to Xiao County. Xiang Yu's army arrived in Xiao at night, taking advantage of the dawn, counterattacking the Han army's flank from west to east, starting the attack in the morning, launching a big battle with the Han army, and breaking the Han army at noon.
Liu Bang was defeated, Xiang Yu pursued from behind, and Liu Bang only led more than 10 cavalry to break through and flee. His father and wife were captured by the Chu army, and the Han army was almost completely destroyed.
Xiang Yu, on the other hand, fully demonstrated his unique heroic and courageous military command ability, and this battle can be said to be the end of a complete victory; Xiang Yu not only annihilated Liu Bang's main force and plunged Liu Bang into a crisis situation of "the old and weak in the fa guan"; it also reversed Xiang Yu's embattled political situation, isolated and helpless, and reoccupied the initiative in the Chu-Han war.
3. The Battle of xiaxia
The Battle of Xiaxia was the only battle between Han Xin and Xiang Yu, the best warriors in Liu Bang's clique, and the last decisive battle between Han Xin and Xiang Yu. In this battle, Xiang Yu's army was defeated, "faceless to face the father and elder of Jiangdong", and finally the overlord Bieji and killed himself in Wujiang. Although Xiang Yu was defeated and killed, a closer look could not explain Xiang Yu's "bravery of Pifu".
Battle map
The Gaozu Benji records that "the Marquis of Huaiyin took 300,000 of themselves, General Kong on the left, General Fei on the right, the Emperor behind, and the Generals Daihou and Chai behind the Emperor." Xiang Yu's pawn can be 100,000. Huaiyin first merged, unfavorable, but. The Marquis of Huaiyin was Han Xin, Han Xin's army was 300,000, and Xiang Yu's army was only 100,000, "Huaiyin was first combined and unfavorable, but "it showed that although Han Xin moved first, he found that it was not good for himself, so he gave up."
"General Kong and General Fei were at a disadvantage to the Chu soldiers, and the Marquis of Huaiyin was defeated." It can be seen that this decisive battle Han Xin occupied the heavens and places, and the "Marquis of Huaiyin" was able to defeat Xiang Yu greatly, so there was Xiang Yu's lamentation: "Li Up the Mountain, The World is Full of Strength, and the Unfavorable Time Will Not Die." ”
It can be seen that Xiang Yu's defeat was not due to military talent, but actually part of the luck of the times.
References: Gao Zu Benji, Xiang Yu Benji, Shi Ji, Marquis of Huaiyin, Han Ji