The Battle of Salhu was an important turning point in the history of the Ming and Qing wars, and a decisive war in the history of the rise and fall of the Ming and Qing dynasties. This battle took place in February and March of 1619 (the 47th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty and the 4th year of the Later Jin Mandate of Heaven), in the war between the Ming Dynasty and the Later Jin. In this battle, the elite 200,000 troops of the Ming Dynasty and the North Korean army were the main forces, known as the 470,000 army, and launched an attack on Liaodong. Nurhachi led the Houjin army, with the strategy of "relying on a few roads, I will only go all the way", broke the three Ming troops in five days, annihilated about 50,000 Ming troops, and captured a large number of military supplies. This battle ended with Jin Quansheng and the defeat of the Ming army.
1. The armies and commanders of both sides
The Ming Dynasty gathered 200,000 elite troops from all over the country and North Korea, known as 470,000 troops, to launch an attack on Liaodong. The troops marched in four routes, with 60,000 troops led by Juniper in the middle road on the left, 60,000 troops led by Li Rubai in the middle road on the right, 40,000 troops led by Malin on the north road on the left, and 40,000 soldiers led by Liu Ling on the south road on the right.
On the Houjin side, Nurhachi adopted the strategy of concentrating about 60,000 troops and concentrating on attacking all the way, focusing on destroying the enemy's living forces. The army under his command broke through the three Ming armies in five days, annihilated about 50,000 Ming troops, and captured a large amount of military supplies.
II. Background and Causes of the War
The background of the Battle of Salhu was the contradictions and conflicts between the Ming Dynasty and the Later Jin Dynasty in the Liaodong region. The Ming Dynasty had previously tried to resolve its dispute with the Later Jin through diplomatic means, but to no avail. After that, the Ming Dynasty began to impose economic, political, and military blockades and sanctions on the Liaodong region, which further intensified the contradictions between the Ming Dynasty and the Later Jin. Against this background, Nurhachi decided to take military action in order to break the blockade and sanctions imposed by the Ming Dynasty on the Later Jin.
3. The course and tactics of the war
In the Battle of Salhu, the Ming Dynasty gathered 200,000 elite troops from all over the country and North Korea, known as 470,000 troops, to launch an attack on Liaodong. The tactics of the Ming army were to march in four directions, trying to attack the Houjin army from four directions at the same time. However, Nurhachi adopted the strategy of concentrating his forces on the offensive all the way, focusing on destroying the enemy's living forces. He commanded the army to break through the three Ming armies in five days, annihilating about 50,000 Ming troops and seizing a large number of military supplies.
In this battle, the tactics of the Later Jin army were properly used and they exerted strong combat effectiveness. The strategy they adopted of concentrating their forces to attack all the way made it impossible for the Ming army's four-way offensive to be coordinated, forming a local superiority in troops. In addition, the Houjin army adopted flexible and mobile tactics in the battle, taking advantage of the terrain and the weakness of the enemy army to attack, and achieved great results.
IV. The Outcome and Impact of the War
After the Battle of Salhu, Jin Quansheng and the Ming army were defeated. This battle had a profound impact on the history of the Ming and Qing wars and the rise and fall of the Ming and Qing dynasties. First of all, this battle greatly weakened the strength of the Ming Dynasty in the Liaodong region, and had a great impact on the economy, politics, and military aspects of the Ming Dynasty. Secondly, this battle also determined the trend of the Ming and Qing wars, making the Later Jin occupy the initiative in the war, and had a decisive impact on the rise and fall of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The Battle of Sarhu was an important turning point in the history of Ming and Qing wars, and a decisive war in the history of the rise and fall of the Ming and Qing dynasties. After this battle, Jin Quansheng and the defeat of the Ming army ended. Nurhachi's command and the combat effectiveness of the Houjin army allowed them to break through the three Ming armies in five days, annihilating about 50,000 Ming troops.
In addition, the Battle of Sarhu also had an impact on the international situation at that time. The war between the Ming Dynasty and the Later Jin Dynasty was not only a struggle between the two countries, but also reflected the political, economic, and cultural changes and conflicts in the northern regions of the Ming Dynasty at that time. The outcome of this battle changed the political landscape of the northern Ming Dynasty and had a profound impact on the international situation at that time.