What is history: it is the echo of the past to the future, the reflection of the future on the past. - Hugo
In May 621, Li Shimin led more than 3,500 elite Tang troops to severely damage Dou Jiande's 100,000 troops at Tiger Prison Pass. The Battle of Tiger Prison Pass showed Li Shimin's outstanding military ability, laying a solid foundation for Li Shimin to unite more forces around him in the future, and then launch the Xuanwumen Revolution to seize the throne. More importantly, the Battle of Tiger Prison Pass was a very important battle in the Tang Dynasty's war to unify the whole country! In other words, the Battle of Tiger Prison Pass played a key role in the unification of the Tang Empire!
So, what tactics did Li Shimin, the King of Qin, use to inflict heavy losses on Dou Jiande's troops in the Battle of Tiger Prison Pass?
- Li Yuan, Emperor Gaozu of Tang (566 – 25 June 635)
The Tang army attacked and besieged Luoyang
In 620, the third year of Tang Wude, Li Yuan, the emperor of Tang Gaozu, issued an edict ordering Li Shimin the Prince of Qin and Li Yuanji the Prince of Qi to lead an army of 80,000 to start a war to unify the whole country. Under the command of Li Shimin and Li Yuanji, the Tang army's offensive was so strong that more than 50 states in the Central Plains surrendered to the Tang army, and the Tang army quickly cut off the enemy's logistical supply line and surrounded the city of Luoyang.
At the critical moment when the Tang army was encircling the enemy, an elite unit under Wang Shichong played a certain role in the battle situation. This unit under Wang Shichong was the original sui empire regular army, well-equipped and well-trained, because of this elite unit in hand, Wang Shichong, who was shrinking in Luoyang City, took the initiative to attack and launched a fierce breakthrough operation against the Tang army. The troops of the Tang army Dou Andu Tong were suddenly attacked by the enemy and defeated. Seeing that Wang Shichong's army was about to break out of the encirclement of the Tang army, the black armor cavalry of the Tang army, the Xuanjia army troops, finally arrived, and these cavalry warriors wearing black armor attacked Wang Shichong's army under the command of Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin and others, and Li Shimin even led his troops to rush to the front of the Xuanjia army.
Under the personal command of Li Shimin, the Tang army's Xuanjia army and other units quickly broke the resistance of Wang Shichong's army, and Wang Shichong's troops retreated after a little resistance. The Tang army once again formed a siege on Luoyang.
Figure_ Tang Dynasty army
However, Li Shimin's army was able to defeat Wang Shichong's troops in the field, but it made a big mistake in the battle. Luoyang City was easy to defend and difficult to attack, and the Tang army attacked Luoyang City quite unfavorably. Li Shimin's army attacked Luoyang City for 10 days, but did not take luoyang city down. Because the Tang army was unable to attack luoyang for a long time, some people within the Tang army advised Li Shimin to lead the army back to Chang'an. However, Li Shimin firmly rejected his subordinates' proposal to withdraw Chang'an. Li Shimin also said to his subordinates, "Now that luoyang city is about to be destroyed, how can we give up so easily?" From now on, everyone must work hard to attack Luoyang. Whoever enters the city first has his own reward. If anyone else proposes to return to the Dynasty, it will not be forgiven. "But the battle is still glued.
In order to take Luoyang as soon as possible, Li Shimin adopted a very wonderful method of warfare - encirclement. In Li Shimin's view, don't you Wang Shichong want to stick to Luoyang? Then let the Tang army besiege Luoyang City. Wang Shichong's army was cut off from food, grass, drinking water, and supplies, so how could this defensive battle continue? However, the Tang army had a steady stream of logistical support from the rear, and used encirclement tactics to drag down Wang Shichong's army, which could not only achieve the purpose of battle, but also reduce the casualties of the troops. Li Shimin's outstanding military command ability can be seen from this.
The siege battle was indeed effective, many people in Wang Shichong's army starved to death, and the price increase in the city was unbearable. Wang Shichong, who had no hope of breaking through, decided to send someone to Dou Jiande for help.
Figure_ Geographical location of Luoyang
Dou Jiande's army was dispatched
After receiving the letter of help from Luoyang City, Dou Jiande was very happy. The leader of the peasant uprising made the decision to send 100,000 troops to rescue Wang Shichong. Dou Jiande's army claimed to be 300,000 people to the outside world, and adopted the method of advancing by land and water to press the Tang army with great momentum.
Some Tang generals suggested that Li Shimin avoid the main force of Dou Jiande's army by withdrawing his troops and preserve his strength. Qu Tutong, a general of the Tang army, suggested that the Tang army should go all out to fight Dou Jiande's army, and Luoyang City should not fight for the time being, after all, Dou Jiande's army was the main threat to the Tang army.
In the face of many suggestions, Li Shimin thought about it again and again, and Li Shimin at that time had two considerations:
First, Dou Jiande's army was numerous, and his revival of the masses was bound to achieve his goal, and a decisive battle between the Tang army and Dou Jiande's army was inevitable, and they could not escape if they wanted to.
Second, if the main operational objective of attacking Luoyang was abandoned and instead fought a decisive battle with Dou Jiande's army, then Wang Shichong's army in the city would have an opportunity to take advantage of it, and the effect of the previous siege of the Tang army would be instantly lost. In case Dou Jiande and Wang Shichong attacked Li Shimin with two wings, the result was really unpredictable.
Pictured_ Seated portrait of Li Shimin
Confrontation Tiger Prison Pass
After repeated and thorough consideration, Li Shimin believed that Wang Shichong had been surrounded by the Tang army for a long time, and his combat effectiveness was not much. Therefore, the goal of attacking Luoyang cannot be abandoned. Dou Jiande's 100,000-strong army looked strong, but if the Tang army had the right tactics, there would be no problem for the Tang army to defeat Dou Jiande outside Luoyang.
In the end, Li Shimin proposed a very comprehensive method of warfare: the main force of the Tang army continued to besiege Luoyang, and Li Shimin led the elite Tang army to fight Dou Jiande at Tiger Prison Pass.
Li Shimin said very confidently, and the generals around him all admired Li Shimin's outstanding military ability. Li Shimin was deployed in this way: Li Yuanji, the King of Qi, led the main force of the Tang army to continue to besiege luoyang, and Li Shimin, Qin Qiong, Wei Chi Jingde, Li Ji, Cheng Yaojin, and others led 3,500 Tang cavalry to huchengguan. Located in the territory of Henan Province, Tiger Prison Pass is the old site of the Three Ying Battles lü bu. Many years after the Three Ying War Lü Bu, Li Shimin, another outstanding military figure in Chinese history, led the Tang army to fight a great decisive battle here that changed the direction of Chinese history.
_ Cheng Biting Jin (589 – February 26, 665), originally known as Biting Jin, later renamed Zhijie, literally Zhen
This decisive battle was wonderful, Dou Jiande's 100,000 troops were naturally not lacking, and although the Tang army was small, the Tang generals, such as Li Ji, Cheng Yaojin, Wei Chi Jingde, and others, were all very capable generals in the Tang army from the early Tang Dynasty to the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Li Ji has become the "God of War" in the hearts of the people of the Tang Empire! "So, whose hand is this battle?" How did the 3,500 cavalry of the Tang army defeat Dou Jiande's 100,000 troops?
Seeing that the Tiger Prison had the banner of the Tang army on it, Dou Jiande ordered his troops to attack the Tang army. While ordering his troops to resist desperately, Li Shimin sent a group of elite cavalry around dou jiande's rear, cutting off the supply line of Dou Jiande's army. Knowing that logistics had been cut off, Dou Jiande's mood began to become low and anxious.
Dou Jiande (573–621), courtesy name Jiande, was a native of Zhangnan, Beizhou (Gucheng County, Hebei).
Faced with the stalemate situation on the battlefield, Dou Jiande's men suggested that the main force of the Tang army surrounded Luoyang and occupied the Tiger Prison Pass, and the Shangdang area behind it was bound to be empty. Dou Jiande did not have to fight the Tang army at Tiger Prison Pass at all, but sent an army to attack the rear of the Tang army, such as Shangdang, which not only expanded the territory, but also forced Li Shimin and Li Yuanji to lead the Tang army back to the rear, and the siege of Luoyang was solved without a fight. However, for the reasonable suggestions made by subordinates, Dou Jiande refused. In Dou Jiande's view, after all, Li Shimin is right in front of him, and he can eliminate Li Shimin at Tiger Prison Pass, so why should he give up the near and seek far?
Dou Jiande decided to rely on his superiority in troops to continue to attack Tiger Prison, where the two sides held a stalemate for a long time. However, Li Shimin believed that a long-term stalemate was not the way to go, and if the rear was attacked by Dou Jiande, the battle to encircle Luoyang would be abandoned. In case the Turks in the north came again, the Tang army would still face the threat of the Turks. Therefore, Li Shimin decided to solve the threat of Dou Jiande once and for all. Li Shimin decided to take the initiative and attack Dou Jiande.
Picture_ Comic strip "Dou Jiande" Battle of Hu Prison Pass
Li Shimin surprised and won
On the first day of May 621, Li Shimin led an army across the Yellow River north to scout the enemy. He left more than 1,000 cavalry to confuse Dou Jiande. That night, Li Shimin himself quietly returned to Tiger Prison. All this actually kept Dou Jiande in the dark. The next day, Dou Jiande was very happy to learn that Li Shimin had left the Tiger Prison Pass, and he led a large army to attack in all directions. What Dou Jiande did not know was that Li Shimin had returned to the Tiger Prison Pass. Dou Jiande's army stretched for more than 20 miles from the Yellow River to the Shuishui River, and it looked very spectacular. In order to deter the Tang army, Dou Jiande ordered his men to advance with drums.
Seeing that Dou Jiande's army was in action, Li Shimin led his army to the vicinity of the Fenshui River to fight dou Jiande's army. Dou Jiande thought that the Tang army did not have many troops, but Dou Jiande was a little worried after seeing the main force of the Tang army in full swing, and he ordered the troops to stop the attack, and the two sides sent teams to test each other. Li Shimin knew that Dou Jiande was testing the strength of the Tang army, and he asked Wang Junkuo to lead 200 cavalry to meet Dou Jiande, and the two sides fought from top to bottom. Dou Jiande also sent his general Wang Huan (王琬) to mount the Sui Emperor's horse to fight Li Shimin. The Tang general Chi Jingde set out to capture Wang Huan and the Sui Emperor's horses alive, and the morale of the Tang army was greatly boosted. Dou Jiande's army was cut off by the Tang army for many days due to logistics, and its morale gradually declined. Dou Jiande shrank the front and prepared for defense.
Li Shimin knew that Dou Jiande's logistics were almost unable to last, and it was only a matter of time before the 100,000-strong army collapsed. In order to test Dou Jiande's true strength, Li Shimin sent Yu Wenshi and led the Tang army to attack Dou Jiande's left flank, and before Yu Wenshi could fight, Dou Jiande's army collapsed. Li Shimin knew that the time for a decisive battle had come. He led 3,500 cavalry to cross the River and attack.
Figure_ Schematic diagram of the Battle of Luoyang between Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande of Tang
When the Tang army launched an attack, Dou Jiande discussed operational matters in the army. He could not have imagined that Li Shimin's 3,500 cavalry would launch a general offensive against his 100,000 troops who had lost logistical support. Dou Jiande's army hurriedly sent the main force to meet the Tang army, and due to the large number of Dou Jiande's army, it once surrounded the Tang army. At the critical moment, Li Daoxuan took up a spear and killed the enemy, entering and exiting several times. Li Shimin personally led a large army to rush to Dou Jiande's main force, the Chinese army camp.
Under the fierce impact of Li Shimin, Dou Jiande's Chinese army quickly disintegrated. Dou Jiande's other troops saw the Tang army flag flying in the Chinese army formation, and the position was immediately chaotic. At the critical moment when Dou Jiande's army collapsed, Yu Wenshi and the elite 300 Tang troops led by him dealt another blow to Dou Jiande's rear. Under the joint attack of Li Shimin and Yu Wenshihe, Dou Jiande's army collapsed completely, and Dou Jiande himself was captured alive by the Tang army. The Battle of Tiger Prison Pass ended with Li Shimin's victory.
At the Battle of Tiger Prison Pass, the Tang army took the initiative to attack under the premise that the troops were not superior, and Li Shimin first attacked the morale of Dou Jiande's army's resistance by cutting off Dou Jiande's logistics, and then sent elite troops to launch a full-line attack on Dou Jiande's army, dealing a devastating blow to Dou Jiande's army, which had extremely weak logistical support, and rushed directly into Dou Jiande's camp with a decapitation operation to capture Dou Jiande himself alive. Dou Jiande's troops of more than 12,000 were killed by the Tang army, and after learning the news that Dou Jiande had been captured alive, Wang Shichong was forced to surrender Kaesong.
Figure_ Tang Taizong Li Shimin's calligraphy "JinCi Ming"
The Battle of Tiger Prison Pass fully illustrates the vital role of logistical support in combat. Li Shimin defeated the enemy by cutting off logistics- after besieging Luoyang for a long time, Li Shimin besieged Luoyang City and cut off the city's supplies. Even when Dou Jiande's army attacked, Li Shimin's strategic policy of besieging Luoyang remained unchanged.
After Dou Jiande's army and the Tang army launched a decisive battle at Tiger Prison Pass, Li Shimin sent an army to cut off Dou Jiande's logistical supplies, which caused the combat effectiveness of Dou Jiande's army to decline across the board. Subsequently, Li Shimin took the initiative to attack, lured Dou Jiande's main force to participate in the battle, and finally defeated Dou Jiande, a battle that fully demonstrated Li Shimin's outstanding military talent. He can not only carefully and effectively arrange troops, but also personally lead the army to defeat the enemy and capture the enemy leader alive.
The Battle of Tiger Prison Pass laid the foundation for Li Shimin's military hegemony, and also increased the capital of Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng to fight each other, and played a decisive role in the unification of the whole country by the Tang Dynasty.