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Text: Yanyan
Edited by Yeon-yeon
Preface
In the dust and smoke of history, there is a battle that has been engraved in the hearts of countless people, that is, the Battle of Hetongbo.
The elite of the Eight Banners, the heroes who galloped across the battlefield in the past, resolutely cut their braids in this battle, and would rather die than surrender. Why did they choose such a tragic approach? What kind of helplessness and determination are hidden behind this?
At the tragic moment of the confrontation between the enemy and us, a large number of generals committed suicide and martyrdom, what kind of faith and loyalty did their heroic actions come from?
1. The Steppe Eagle: The Rise of the Dzungar Khanate
In the steppes of Central Asia in the mid-17th century, a powerful nomadic regime was on the rise. This was the Dzungar Khanate, a new power that developed from the Mongol Warats.
In 1671, a brilliant leader named Geldan came to the stage of history. With his astonishing military skills and political wisdom, he quickly unified the surrounding tribes and established a vast territory spanning 4 million square kilometers.
The rise of Geldan caused alarm in the Qing Dynasty. Emperor Kangxi personally led his army to conquer and eventually defeated Geldan in a series of battles. However, the fall of this steppe eagle does not mean the decline of Dzungaria.
On the contrary, it set the stage for more intense conflict to follow. Geldan's nephew, Arabutan, succeeded to the throne.
Unlike his uncle, Arabutan chose a relatively moderate path and maintained relatively peaceful relations with the Qing Dynasty. This apparent calm lasted for almost half a century, until a new careerist emerged.
2. The Bloodline of Heroes: The Rise of Gerdanze Zero
In 1729, the Dzungar Khanate reached a turning point. Arabutan died, and his son Geldanzer succeeded to the throne.
The young ruler seems to have inherited the ambition and military talent of his grandfather, Gerdan. He knew that to survive between the mighty Qing Dynasty and the expanding Russia, Dzungaria would have to become stronger.
Gerdanze embarked on a series of ambitious reforms. He vigorously developed the military industry, not only manufacturing traditional bows and arrows, but also introducing advanced musket and cannon technology. Under his leadership, the Dzungar army grew rapidly and became a force to be reckoned with in Central Asia.
At the same time, the international situation is quietly changing. The Russian Empire rose rapidly under Peter the Great, and its influence began to extend to Central Asia.
Geldan Tsering was keenly aware of this, and he made several attempts to form an alliance with Russia against the Qing Dynasty. However, due to the turmoil in the internal situation in Russia, these attempts were ultimately unsuccessful.
The ambition and growth of Geldanze's strength aroused the vigilance of the Qing Dynasty. Emperor Yongzheng, who had just succeeded to the throne, set his sights on the northwest frontier after calming down the internal situation. A new battle is about to begin.
3. The wrath of the empire: Yongzheng's road to the west
After Emperor Yongzheng succeeded to the throne, he faced many challenges. While stabilizing the government and quelling internal disputes, he had to deal with threats from the northwest. The growing strength of the Dzungar Khanate, especially the provocative behavior of Geldanzeling, made Yongzheng feel deeply uneasy.
At first, Yongzheng resorted to diplomacy and demanded that Geldan Tse Ling hand over Lobuzang Danjin, who had previously launched a rebellion in Qinghai. This was a tentative move, intended to test the attitude of Dzungaria.
However, Geldan Tser's refusal angered Yongzheng. The emperor decided to take military action and ordered the general Voerdan to lead his army westward. Just as the army was marching out, an unexpected incident disrupted the deployment of both sides.
Lopzang Tenzin again plotted a rebellion, trying to seize the rule of Dzungaria when Geldantsei sent out his army. This conspiracy was discovered by Geldanze, and in order to quell the civil strife, he had to make concessions and hand over Lobuzang Tenzin to the Qing Dynasty.
Yongzheng mistakenly thought that Geldan Tsering was intimidated, so he temporarily withdrew Fu Erdan's army. This decision later proved to be a major strategic blunder.
Taking advantage of this respite, Gerdanzer stepped up his military preparations and was fully prepared for the upcoming Armageddon.
IV. The Deadly Enemy: The Prelude to the Battle of Hetongbo
In the eighth year of Yongzheng (1730), Geldan Tseling suddenly launched a sneak attack on Koshetu. This move completely angered the Yongzheng Emperor. He once again sent Fu Erdan to lead the elite Eight Banners Army deep into the Dzungar hinterland.
Voerdan was an experienced general, but he made a fatal mistake: underestimate the enemy. Gerdantsei took advantage of this, spreading false information claiming that the Dzungar army was exhausted from a long war with the Kazakhs.
Fu Erdan believed these news and was in a hurry, leading 10,000 elite light soldiers to venture deeper. Gerdanzer Zero has devised a trap. He sent a small force to feign retreat and lure the Qing army into a preset encirclement.
During the march, Fu Erdan constantly received "intelligence" about the weakness of the Dzungar army, which strengthened his determination to fight quickly. Just as the Qing army was marching to a valley near Hetongbo, the trap of Gerdanze finally closed.
A large army of 30,000 Dzungars suddenly came out from both sides, including artillery units trained by Swedish instructors. The Qing army was instantly encircled.
5. Bloody battles and Tongbo: the last glory of the Eight Banners Army
On the battlefield of Hetongbo, a tragic battle began. The firepower of the Dzungar army far exceeded the expectations of the Qing army, and the dense artillery fire and arrow rain poured down, and the Qing army's formation was quickly disrupted. It was only then that Voerdan realized that he had fallen into a trap, but it was too late.
The Mongol cavalry in the Qing army collapsed first, and they scattered in all directions in a panic, causing even more chaos. Fu Erdan tried to organize an orderly retreat, but the Dzungar army's attack was too fierce, and the Qing army's retreat quickly turned into a rout.
At this critical moment, Voerdain made a surprising decision. He called on all soldiers of the Eight Banners Army to cut off their braids, a symbol of Manchu status. This move is not only to facilitate the battle, but also a kind of determination to fight to the death.
For Manchu soldiers, cutting off their braids meant giving up their identity, and it also meant becoming a man if they didn't succeed. The ensuing battle became the last glorious moment of the Eight Banners Army.
In a desperate situation, they burst into an astonishing battle with enemies several times their size. The Ningxia Eight Banners and the Heilongjiang Solun Soldiers were almost completely annihilated, but their sacrifices bought precious time for the main force.
Fu Erdan led the last 4,000 elites of the Eight Banners to break through the siege of the Dzungar army. These brave men used their blood and lives to win the last dignity of the empire. After a fierce battle, Voerdan finally led the remnants to break out of the encirclement and retreated to Kobdo.
However, the cost of victory was dearly. In this battle, the Qing army suffered more than 7,000 casualties and 120,000 horses. More importantly, the defeat shook the foundations of Qing rule in the northwest and made the threat of the Dzungar Khanate more real.
The severity of the Battle of Hetongbo shocked the entire Qing court. When the news reached Beijing, the entire imperial city was plunged into grief. Almost every Eight Banners family had relatives who died in this battle, and almost every household in the city hung white banners, and mourning voices came and went.
This battle was not only a military defeat, but also a heavy blow to Qing rule. It exposed the weakness of the Qing army in the face of modern weapons, and also made the court realize that the bravery of the Eight Banners Army alone was no longer enough to meet the new challenges.
In addition to being furious, Emperor Yongzheng began to reflect on the military system and strategy of the Qing army. He realized that in order to truly pacify Dzungaria, the Qing army had to carry out modernization and reform, especially in terms of firearms.
This defeat became an important opportunity for the Qing Dynasty's military reform. The impact of the Battle of Tongbo was much more than that. It became one of the important reasons why the Qianlong Emperor was determined to completely eliminate Dzungaria in the future.
After Qianlong succeeded to the throne, he made the conquest of Dzungar his primary goal in the early days of his reign, and finally completely destroyed this once powerful nomadic empire in a series of large-scale military campaigns.
epilogue
The Battle of Tongbo, a tragic battle in the far northwest, not only changed the fate of the Qing Dynasty, but also profoundly affected the direction of Chinese history.
It is not only the last glory of the Eight Banners Army, but also the turning point of the Qing Dynasty from prosperity to decline. This campaign reminds us that the rise and fall of any empire is inseparable from its military strength and strategic vision.