# Why did the number of large-scale northern expeditions and western expeditions decline sharply during the Eastern Han Dynasty?
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Since Liu Xiu established the Eastern Han Dynasty in 25 AD, after experiencing turmoil and war in the late Western Han Dynasty, after the stability of the Eastern Han regime, there were few wars for foreign expansion. Compared with the frequent Northern Expeditions and Western Expeditions in the Western Han Dynasty, such actions were significantly reduced during the Eastern Han Dynasty. So, what exactly is behind this change?
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With the establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Xiu led a powerful army and successfully calmed the war and chaos, gradually calming the country's situation. However, during this period, the Eastern Han regime was in no hurry to expand abroad. The main reasons behind this are as follows:
### 1. The need for internal stability ###
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, domestic political stability and social stability became the government's top priorities. Compared with the internal and external troubles in the late Western Han Dynasty, the Eastern Han Dynasty paid more attention to consolidating internal rule, maintaining social order, and strengthening governance capabilities. In order to prevent the impact of the long war on the country's social welfare, the government decided to temporarily slow down the pace of foreign expansion.
### 2. Financial and human constraints ###
The years of war in the late Western Han Dynasty caused huge losses in resources and manpower. The Eastern Han regime inherited this situation and needed time to restore the country's strength. Therefore, in order to rebuild the economy and repair the damage caused by the war, the government had to devote its limited funds and human resources to domestic construction rather than continue to expand in foreign wars.
### 3. Border security considerations ###
Compared with the Western Han Dynasty, the security situation on the border of the Eastern Han Dynasty has improved significantly. Through peaceful border handling with the Xiongnu and friendly exchanges with ethnic minorities in the south, the Eastern Han government effectively maintained the security of the national border. This allows the government to devote more energy and resources to domestic development and governance, rather than frequent wars with external enemies.
### 4. The goal of reunifying China has been basically achieved###
The Northern Expedition and Western Expedition during the Western Han Dynasty were often aimed at unifying China's territory, eliminating separatist forces, and establishing a strong central government. The Eastern Han Dynasty, under the unification of Liu Xiu, has basically achieved this goal. Most of the country has been effectively controlled, and the prestige of the regime has gradually been established. Therefore, the need for foreign expansion has weakened, and concentrating on the development of the domestic economy has become a more important task.
### 5. Public opinion and soldiers are tired###
With the end of the war, the people yearn for peace and tranquility. The wounds of war brought about by frequent Northern Expeditions and Western Expeditions affected the psychology of the general public and soldiers. Therefore, under the guidance of the government, people are more interested in internal and external peace than war and conflict. The Government has also taken the initiative to reduce the occurrence of wars in order to meet the expectations of the people and restore people's lives to normal as soon as possible.
To sum up, compared with the Western Han Dynasty, the Eastern Han regime had multiple reasons behind the sharp decline in the number of large-scale northern expeditions and western expeditions. The government's need for domestic stability, resource and manpower constraints, border security considerations, the achievement of the goal of unifying China, and the fatigue of public opinion and soldiers all prompted the Eastern Han regime to temporarily stop its external expansion and focus more on domestic construction and governance.