The fall of the Northern Song Dynasty not only caused the two Song emperors to suffer unimaginable humiliation, but also became the most distressing scene in Chinese history. Kaifeng, as the capital, was powerless to resist under the long drive of the Jin army, and it fell short in just a few months. The world has long been haunted by this, and has repeatedly questioned the decision to choose the site: if the capital had been located in a more dangerous place, would the tide of the war have changed dramatically? Five hundred years later, an unheard-of "lose-lose battle" at the end of the Ming Dynasty provided an answer to the unpredictable reason for Kaifeng City's own defense, and also gave us a new thinking about the so-called "battle for geographical advantages".
Is the lonely city guarded? ——At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the peasant army besieged Kaifeng for a long time
Henan has always been fertile for thousands of miles, and the granary is full. In 1640 A.D., a continuous drought left the people in a desperate situation. Famine struck, civilians were uprooted and displaced everywhere. At this time, a brave and warlike peasant army slowly rose, and they called for "no food" to attract countless poor people to take refuge.
The leader of this army, Li Zicheng, was originally just a reckless hero, but with his outstanding strategic vision and outstanding command skills, he quickly expanded the strength of the army. He first took advantage of the weakness to enter, captured Luoyang City, beheaded Zhu Changxun, the son of Emperor Wanli, and plundered countless treasures. Immediately afterwards, Li Zicheng aimed at Kaifeng City, which was rich in population and abundant products. As a companion capital, Kaifeng gave birth to several generations of emperors, Fusheng was unique for a while, and the palace of Zhu Gongfang, the king of Zhou, was bright and bright, and the savings amounted to millions of taels of silver. Such a huge wealth undoubtedly made the peasant army eyeing and impatient.
Kaifeng City was impregnable, and the king of Zhou offered a reward to recruit tens of thousands of wealthy households and ordinary people to form a militia group to defend the city with the regular army. Li Zicheng failed to overcome the first attack, so he had to retreat and regroup. It was not until the spring of 1641 that he led an army of 30,000 men to start the second wave of the siege. This time, the peasant army was fierce, erected a high platform, and fired guns to the city tower; The elite of the peasant army personally charged, dug holes to attack, and immediately attacked every city and hole. The two sides fought fiercely, black smoke filled the city, and corpses were everywhere.
Although the people defending the city were high-spirited, they were under siege for a long time, and their food was gradually depleted. Fortunately, there was no endless road, and the Ming army's four-way reinforcements arrived at the same time, repelling Li Zicheng and temporarily relieving the siege of the city.
The situation is critical - after falling into a desperate situation, both sides have their own plans
After the Ming army lifted the siege of Kaifeng, the peasant army did not stop there. Li Zicheng knew that the way to attack was far from exhaustive, and the secret command department would choose another opportunity. After the peasant army retreated to the garrison, it immediately began to adjust its battle plan. Li Zicheng personally inspected the front line, and at the same time recruited people on a large scale, gathered all available local manpower, and carried tools one after another, and went to several places. Some went to loot civilian gunpowder and ammunition, some started to build heavy machinery that could siege the city, and some people were responsible for transporting boulders from the banks of the Yellow River.
A few months later, the preparations of the peasant army were complete. Li Zicheng then divided his troops into several routes, intending to launch a general attack from all directions at the same time, encircling Kaifeng layer by layer, in order to completely collapse the city defense. At the same time, the vanguard was ordered to raze the surrounding farmland, burn down people's houses, and cut off the supply of grain and grass in Kaifeng. Next, they dug pits and erected wood outside the city, creating winding trenches to prepare for future charges.
When the defenders of the city saw this, they were troubled. Zhu Gongfang, the king of Zhou, immediately made a decision and ordered to strengthen the city wall, repair the destroyed forts, and centralize the management of grain and grass, and strictly order abstinence. He personally inspected the battlefield, called on the people to defend their homeland, and rewarded the brave to boost the morale of the army.
However, Li Zicheng's "desperate plan" gradually plunged the city into an unprecedented dilemma. Food and grass are becoming scarce, and people's hearts are beginning to waver. Once, when the king of Zhou was discussing countermeasures with the civil and military officials, it happened to be in a commotion outside the city. It turned out that some of the Maddara guards had escaped from the city and blended into the camp of the peasant army. There was an uproar in the city, and rumors spread that this was a serious sign that the city should be betrayed. King Zhou was furious and insisted on resisting to the end, he wiped out all the suspected traitors, and set up several human heads to set an example.
Soon, a sudden natural disaster completely disrupted the deployment of both sides. This year, the rainy season is approaching, and the water level of the Yellow River continues to rise, and finally the embankment bursts and floods. The peasant army had no choice but to withdraw from the camp to avoid danger, and the Ming Dynasty officials and troops were also lifted from the siege.
Survival - the two sides are in a lonely dilemma
The monstrous flood changed the entire pattern of Kaifeng City for a while. The peasant army hastily withdrew, leaving only a few hundred men to take refuge in the floods. Although the Ming army was lifted from the siege, it also fell into another predicament.
The rolling Yellow River runs through the entire city, dividing Kaifeng into two. Zhu Gongfang, the king of Zhou, and the hundred civil and military officials had already camped in Xicheng, but now they were separated from the people of Dongcheng in a hurry and were almost completely cut off. The west of the city was submerged in the ocean, with no food and grass supplies, and the soldiers were struggling between the dire straits, and time was running out.
In a corner of the eastern city, the people are not happy. Floods are raging, and every year rain turns the entire city into an ocean. Residents are either climbing high to build houses or building scaffolded bridges, and the only remaining dwellings are facing collapse. And the years of war have made them fall into a desperate situation, and the cries are endless. Many of the officials in the city fled, but the remaining warriors held on to the city gates, led the people to the end, and rescued all the precious belongings.
In fact, both sides are in an unprecedented predicament. Li Zicheng's peasant army was once victorious, but it also suffered unspeakably due to the raging floods. The position was flooded with water, and the sergeants had to retreat to the heights and live a modest life. The lack of food and grass troubled the morale of the army, and a wave of desertion gradually brewed.
Once, when Li Zicheng was inspecting the barracks, a group of fugitives actually injured him with their bare hands, and no one dared to come to the rescue at that scene. Li Zicheng was in a hurry and escaped from the encirclement in embarrassment. After returning to the school, he suffered a series of accidents, his family members were killed, and he was so sad that he decided to use the battle of Kaifeng to turn the tide.
Fortunately, after the flood waters receded, the two sides still had the strength to entangle again. Li Zicheng called on his subordinates to reunite the encirclement, and after the water level of the Yellow River receded, he immediately dug trenches and traps to put pressure on the defenders from all sides.
The king of Zhou sent people to repair the city walls, register the soldiers and civilians, and personally inspect and supervise the war. He found that the tidal flats of the Yellow River were infiltrated with the blood of old peasants, and he couldn't help but feel very sad. Although the officials and people on both sides of the strait who have been divided have now been able to reunite, they no longer have the warmth of the old days. The devastated scene reminds them of the stakes in life and death.
Historical Coincidence - Analysis of the Key Factors in the Victory or Defeat of the War
The Battle of Kaifeng was indeed a sad lose-lose battle, and neither the winner nor the loser had much to boast about in the end. But if we look back on the whole process, it is not difficult for us to find that the victory or defeat of this battle is actually predestined, and it does not depend solely on the geographical environment of Kaifeng City.
First of all, we should face up to the important impact of topography on the defense of the city. Although Kaifeng is located on the plain, this does not mean that it cannot be created by artificial fortification. In fact, Kaifeng, as the imperial capital, is surrounded by strong city walls on all sides, which is extremely strong; Coupled with the artificial excavation of moats and high ground, it was enough to contain the enemy's attack. It was only this time that the power to build the fortifications of the city fell into the hands of unscrupulous people, and many important key points were misplaced, so that the peasant army was able to take advantage of the loopholes and make the siege operation so smooth.
Secondly, the importance of people's hearts and minds is self-evident. The key to Li Zicheng's rapid expansion of the warlords was that he won the support of the hungry people. In contrast, although there were tens of thousands of forbidden troops and militia groups in Kaesong, most of them were hired by the rich and powerful, or forced to join the army, lacking the loyalty, courage and unity they should have. In addition, Zhu Gongfang, the king of Zhou, was mediocre and authoritarian, so that the army was surrounded by walls and serious internal friction, and it was inevitable that his weaknesses would be exposed and exploited by the enemy.
In the end, even with an indestructible geographical advantage and a determination to absolute unity, it seems that it is not able to grasp it in this battle, and there are still too many uncertainties about the direction of the war. For example, the sudden flood was a shot in the arm and completely reversed the offensive and defensive pattern of both sides. Without it, there might be another outcome. Therefore, the victory or defeat of a war is often affected by many complex variables, all of which are indispensable.
The smoke rises again - the final battle and its endgame
After the flood, the situation inside and outside Kaifeng City changed drastically. Although both sides suffered heavy losses, the fighting spirit of the other did not diminish in the slightest. The peasant army persistently dug trenches and transported gunpowder in preparation for the next round of the general offensive. And the Ming army in the city is also making every effort to strengthen the city and rectify the morale of the army.
At this time, Kaifeng, the former scenery is no longer there, and it is full of devastation. But the two sides have ignited a new fighting spirit on this ruin. At the beginning of 1642, the peasant army first opened fire on the city, and the artillery fire shook the city. The king of Zhou did not dare to slack off, and immediately issued an attack order, and the forbidden troops stationed in various fortresses also used firepower. In the months that followed, the two sides fought fiercely, bombarding the city with each other's might, as if they had put life and death on the line.
In the third month of the lunar calendar, the defenders of Kaifeng were in trouble, and they fled out of the city. The king of Zhou personally led his army to force back the rebels, and several fierce battles broke out with the peasant army. Li Zicheng, who was outside the city, saw that he could not miss the opportunity and gathered heavy troops to suppress the territory. Finally, at the end of March, the peasant army broke through the city defenses in one fell swoop, first poured into the suburbs, occupied the garrison of the king of Zhou, and then fought all the way to the city gates.
The first to bear the brunt were the officers and soldiers stationed at the city gates, who complained to the king of Zhou, but only received a helpless reply. After a bloody battle, the city gate was captured. The peasant army swarmed in, burning, killing and looting everywhere. The king of Zhou was shocked when he heard the news, so he led his troops to flee, and was captured by the rebels and escorted to the peasant army camp to be tortured. Kaifeng fell and was sacked.
end
The battle was fought in a tragic manner, with numerous casualties among officers and generals at all levels, and civilians also suffering. Li Zicheng finally took Kaifeng as he wished, occupied hundreds of miles of land, and grabbed countless wealth. But his victory was destined to be short-lived, as the Ming army had gathered more forces not far away and was preparing to launch a general attack. A few months later, in the Battle of Tanghuang, Li Zicheng was completely annihilated, and the peasant army was defeated. Although he finally captured Kaifeng, he was also destined to lose a greater battle situation.