The Battle of Changping, which took place in the 47th year of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, was fought between May and October 260 BC between the Qin and Zhao armies in the Changping region. The war originated from the struggle between Qin and Zhao against Shangdang, and after three years, it finally ended in the defeat of Zhao, and Qin won the victory and occupied Changping. In this battle, the Zhao army suffered heavy losses, and as many as 450,000 people were beheaded and killed by the Qin army.
The fall of Zhao and the Battle of Changping undoubtedly played a decisive role. Originally, the two sides were evenly matched, but the ingenious strategy of the Qin State and the mediocre life of the King of Zhao made the situation reverse in an instant. The original commander Lian Po was replaced by Zhao Kuo, and as a result, the Zhao army was besieged by Bai Qi and fell into a desperate situation.
Bai Qi besieged the Zhao army for two months, during which the Zhao army was not inactive, and many breakthroughs caused huge losses to the Qin army and shook the vitality of the Qin state. However, what is puzzling is why when Zhao Kuo was trapped, Zhao Guo's famous generals Lian Po, Li Mu and others did not lend a hand?
The Battle of Changping was a crucial battle for Zhao State. In order to win this war, the state of Zhao mobilized almost the strength of the whole country. Although Qin's strength was stronger than Zhao's, Zhao dispatched such a large army that it should not have been defeated so badly even if it was not victorious. What's more, the Qin State expedition to the Zhao State, the troops did not dare to go out, and the problem of grain and grass also needed to be paid attention to at all times, and the pressure it faced was actually greater.
However, after all, the Qin State came prepared, and King Zhao was unable to dispatch troops at this time. Almost all of the country's 400,000 troops were taken away by Zhao Kuo, and even if they wanted to send Lian Po and Li Mu to rescue, there were no troops to adjust. Qin was well aware of Lian Po and Li Mu's military talents, so he planned a discord plan before the war, which successfully made King Zhao lose confidence in Lian Po and reuse Zhao Kuo instead. As a result, the young Zhao Kuo was powerless in the face of Bai Qi's cunning, and his army of 400,000 was besieged and brutally killed.
During the two months that Zhao Kuo was trapped, although the Zhao army tried to break through many times, the rescue operation was delayed due to the misunderstanding of Lian Po by the king of Zhao and the interception of reinforcements by the Qin state. It wasn't until the 400,000 army was killed that King Zhao regretted it too late.
The 400,000 troops taken by Zhao Kuo were the entire strength of Zhao State, and Zhao State was no longer able to organize an effective rescue. In addition, the King of Qin also sent heavy troops to intercept Zhao's reinforcements, making Zhao's rescue operations more difficult. Although the reinforcements from other countries were sufficient, they were also strongly blocked by the Qin army and could not arrive in time.
The defeat in the Battle of Changping not only led to the destruction of the Zhao State, but also caused the countries to lose the opportunity and strength to compete with the Qin State. The defeat of this war was not only due to the mediocre decision-making within the Zhao State, but also to the strong strength and ingenious strategy of the Qin State. The Battle of Changping was undoubtedly an important battle in which Qin swept through the Six Kingdoms, establishing its hegemony during the Warring States Period.