History of the Three Jins: During the Warring States Period, the "special forces" from the Three Jins

Special forces are often seen as one of the most elite components of a country's military power. In many film and television works and military online novels, special forces are depicted as gods and have become idols in the minds of many people. You may ask, was there a special force similar to modern times in our country? In fact, as early as the Warring States period more than 2,000 years ago, in the brutal annexation war, the various princely states had begun to consciously train a heroic and good-fighting elite unit, such as Wei Wupao, Zhao Bianqi, Qin Ruishi, etc., which can be called the ancient version of "special forces". Among them, Wei Wupao and Zhao Bianqi from the Three Jin Dynasties have left a great name in history.

State of Wei - Wei Wu pawn

Wei Wushu (魏武卒) was an elite heavy infantry regiment that was trained in military reforms when Wu Qi was a defender of Hexi in the early Warring States period.

In the Battle of Yin and Jin, Wu Qi defeated the 500,000 troops of the Qin State with 50,000 Wei Wu pawns, which became another classic battle in the history of Chinese warfare with few victories and more victories, and also made Wei Wu Pawn famous in the world, becoming the most elite army in the early Warring States period, and thus the State of Wei became the leader of the Warring States.

After the death of Marquis Wenhou of Wei, the State of Wei began to attack everywhere, and gradually became the land of four wars, and finally in the Battle of Maling, the State of Wei was defeated by the State of Qi, the hegemony of the State of Wei ended, and Wei Wu was seriously injured, and gradually withdrew from the stage of history.

Zhao Guo - Zhao Bian riding

Zhao Bian riding is the army structure of the infantry as the main body after the implementation of the "Hufu Riding Shooting" by King Wuling of Zhao during the Warring States period, and established an army with cavalry as the main body, which is also the earliest cavalry unit in ancient China.

Relying on this army, King Wuling of Zhao attacked the Zhongshan Kingdom, defeated Lin Hu and Lou Fu, opened up territory, and built the Great Wall of Zhao in Yin Mountain, which became an important barrier against the nomadic peoples in the north. After that, King Wuling of Zhao also personally plotted to go down from the north and bypass Hangu Pass to attack the Qin state with cavalry, and this idea was eventually stillborn after the "change of the sand dunes".

However, the King of Zhao Wuling's "Hufu Riding and Shooting" made the Zhao State a new hegemon in the East and became the mainstay of the defense against the Qin State in the late Warring States period. Although the strength and status of the Zhao state plummeted after the Battle of Changping and the Battle of Handan, Zhao Bianqi was still a "trump card" of the Zhao state, repeatedly going south to resist the Qin army, and eventually disappearing with the demise of the Zhao state.