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Why were the Xiongnu not afraid of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty but afraid of Qin Shi Huang?
It is said that in ancient times, there were two big-name emperors, one was Qin Shi Huang and the other was Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. These two old brothers are both masters of conquering Mobei, but the strange thing is that the Huns do not seem to be too afraid of Emperor Wu of Han, but are in awe of Qin Shi Huang.
Why is this? Could it be that Qin Shi Huang had any special function that could make the Huns fearful?
Don't worry, let's take our time.
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Qin Shi Huang's plan of "reclamation and garrisoning".
Qin Shi Huang, this old brother, is a visionary master. When he sent his troops to Mobei, he didn't think about "withdrawing after the battle", but pondered how to let the army settle down there and take root.
So, he made a big plan to "reclaim the frontier". To put it simply, after sending troops out, they will not be allowed to come back, but will open up wasteland and cultivate land and build cities in the border areas.
In this way, the army will have a stable rear base, and there will be no need to worry about the lack of food and grass and the problem of having nowhere to stay. Moreover, these soldiers can also marry and have children and reproduce in the local area.
When these children grow up? Hehe, they will naturally become loyal fans and right-hand men of the Qin Dynasty! This strategy can be described as killing two birds with one stone, and making sure to make money without losing money!
But then again, although Qin Shi Huang's strategy of "reclamation and garrisoning" is clever, there is also a drawback - that is, it is too time-consuming!
How long does it take for a group of soldiers to settle down in the border areas and have children? Let's talk about decades at least! During this period, we must continue to invest manpower and material resources to support their development!
So, this strategy needs to have enough patience and strength to play well!
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Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's "retreat after fighting" tactic
In contrast, the old brother of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty is a bit "urgent". He treated the Xiongnu issue with the tactic of "retreating after the battle".
That is to say, after he sent his troops out to fight the Huns, he quickly withdrew no matter how he won or lost. Why? Because he thinks it's boring to spend a long time in the frontier area!
If he can't effectively govern and develop local resources, and he can't bring real benefits to the imperial court, what are he doing there?
But then again, although Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's tactic of "retreating after the battle" can achieve some results in the short term, it is not conducive to the stability and development of the border areas in the long run!
Do you think, after every battle, those frontier areas will become no man's land again? How can we continue like this? Besides, those defeated Huns will not give up, they will definitely find an opportunity to make a comeback!
When the time comes, we will have to send troops to fight again, won't that be endless? So, although this tactic seems to be effective in the short term, it is actually a palliative rather than a cure!
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Tsarist Russia and the Manchus: Another Collision of Different Ideas
In other words, in the long river of history, there will always be some similar situations, which makes us have to sigh at the wonder and coincidence of history!
Not long after Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there was a collision of two countries with completely different ideas on the frontier issue - that is, Tsarist Russia and the Manchu Dynasty!
The Manchu Dynasty basically continued the Han Dynasty's concept of "just subduing it", as long as the border areas can be subdued, everything will be fine, as for governance and development, it is secondary!
Anyway, as long as there is no trouble in the border areas and no influence on the rule of the imperial court, it will be fine! Therefore, the Manchu Dynasty has been relatively passive and passive in dealing with the border issue, and has basically adopted an attitude of "ruling by inaction"!
Tsarist Russia was different, but they pursued a strategic idea similar to that of Qin -- that is, "aggression and expansion"!
In their opinion, as long as the border areas can be brought down, they must quickly take possession of them, and then carry out effective governance and development.
Only in this way can we ensure the stability and development of the frontier areas! As a result, the aristocrats of Tsarist Russia are all like chickens, constantly invading, expanding, and occupying as if the whole world is in their pockets!
And those people who originally lived in the Mobei area were transferred by them to fight, and when they reached a livable place, they stopped to live and work in peace and contentment, while the original Mobei area became a no-man's land or a less inhabited area......
The aristocrats of Tsarist Russia really knew how to live, not only using war as a means to make a fortune, but also solving the problems of population expansion and resource shortage by the way! What a good strategy to kill two birds with one stone and kill two birds with one stone!
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Funny ending: Ideas determine fate, and history is always strikingly similar
We just talked about the different approaches of Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and the sons of Tsarist Russia and the Manchu Qing Dynasty in dealing with the frontier issue. You see, isn't this a large-scale "idea show"?
Qin Shi Huang played "reclamation and garrisoning", Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty engaged in "retreat after fighting", the Russian nobles were addicted to "aggression and expansion", and what about the Manchu Dynasty? Hey, they just "just conquer it"!
These four concepts are like four plates of dishes with different tastes, each with its own characteristics, but when you eat it, the effect is far behind.
Speaking of which, we have discovered a big secret: Ideas are simply the "steering wheel" of history! If you want to drive the car of history, you have to hit the steering wheel somewhere.
Different governing philosophies are like different drivers, some drivers like to drive fast, and some drivers like to swing slowly and leisurely.
This fast train can see the effect in the short term, but in the long run? Maybe it will overturn at some point! And what about the slow and leisurely driver? Although it seems that he is not in a hurry, he may be overtaken by someone else at some time!
Therefore, when we look at historical issues, we have to keep our eyes open! Don't just look at the bells and whistles on the surface, we have to dig deeper and see the ideas and ideas behind them. In this way, we can better understand the nature and laws of history!
Of course, we can't just talk about it and ignore it! We must draw lessons from history and establish a correct concept of governance and development. Only in this way can we contribute to the prosperity of the country and the happiness and well-being of the people?