In 205 BC, Liu Bang, as the founder of the Han Dynasty, led a huge army of 560,000 to march to all corners of the troubled times at the end of the Qin Dynasty. However, in the Battle of Pengcheng, Liu Bang's army was defeated by an army of 30,000 led by Xiang Yu, and the contrast of this result is indeed unbelievable. So, what caused Liu Bang's army to be so vulnerable in the Battle of Pengcheng?
First of all, the strategic environment in the Battle of Pengcheng was not favorable to Liu Bang's army. In the battle to overthrow the Qin Dynasty, Liu Bang's army cut down the grass and roots, attacked the city, and accumulated rich combat experience. However, the Pengcheng area happens to be Xiang Yu's territory, and Xiang Yu is familiar with the local geographical conditions and people, and can use it flexibly. In this case, Liu Bang's army faced an unfamiliar geographical and combat environment, and lacked strategic advantages.
Secondly, Liu Bang's army faced serious food and grass difficulties in the Battle of Pengcheng. Liu Bang led the army to march hundreds of miles, carrying a large number of sergeants and equipment, and needed a large supply of grain and grass.
However, due to the excessive speed of the march and strategic mistakes, Liu Bang's army did not prepare enough grain and grass in time, resulting in a serious shortage of food in the Pengcheng theater. On the contrary, the small army led by Xiang Yu was able to make full use of local resources, replenish the consumption of soldiers in a timely manner, and enhance its combat effectiveness.
Again, the question of personal combat ability and morale also affected the outcome of the battle of Pengcheng. Although Liu Bang's army was numerous, many of the soldiers were not really well-trained soldiers, but conscripted soldiers among the people.
In contrast, Xiang Yu's small army was made up of elite soldiers who had been tempered by long battles. In the fierce battle, the morale of Liu Bang's army declined, and it was difficult to exert its combat effectiveness to the extreme, while Xiang Yu's army showed incomparable bravery and combat effectiveness with its high morale and combat skills.
Finally, the strategic and tactical decisions made in the Battle of Pengcheng also caused problems for Liu Bang's army. Liu Bang mechanically adopted the previous tactical mode on the battlefield of Pengcheng, lacking tactical flexibility and innovation.
On the contrary, Xiang Yu is good at employing a variety of tactical means to make full use of the terrain and battlefield environment. In the Battle of Pengcheng, Xiang Yu won more with less, flexibly used his troops, and adopted tactics such as outflanking and luring the enemy into depth, and quickly disintegrated Liu Bang's army.