Although the quick decision strategy implemented by the Western Han army in Mayi was a complete failure, it brought a direct consequence, that is, the diplomatic peace between the Central Plains and the grassland empire no longer existed. Under the guidance of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the peace policy of the Western Han Dynasty has become a thing of the past, and everything in the future will be decided by this bloody god of war.
Looking back at the national defense situation of the Central Plains and the grassland empire in the Western Han Dynasty, we should note that even in the 70-year peaceful period, the Huns and their tribal forces, large and small, were constantly attacking the border areas of the Han Dynasty. The purpose of these attacks is to plunder wealth and population, which is also the basic way for grassland riders to survive. In order to cope with this attack, the central plains adopted a highly militarized administrative management in the border areas, and the prefects of the border counties served as the military commanders in this area. The troops in these border counties are basically cavalry. Generally, each county can reach 10,000 cavalry, which is the size of an independent combat force.
At the same time, in order to fundamentally change the military strength of the Central Plains on the grasslands, the Western Han countries have been vigorously advocating horse politics for decades. According to the law at that time, providing a good horse to the country can exempt three people from taxes and labor for one year. The imperial court itself also opened more than 20 large-scale military horse breeding places by using the areas suitable for raising horses in the northwest. When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty decided to go out to war, there were more than 400,000 horses in the stables of the National Horse Factory. For decades, under the social environment of controlling horses, the people in the Central Plains have gone up and down, forming a fanatical horse worship. When Wusun's war horse was introduced as a tribute, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty personally named it "Tianma", which was considered by the whole country to be a great event for the whole people to come to the south of Tianma.
The diversification of horses not only changed the power contrast between the Central Plains and grasslands, but also triggered the first truly cavalry revolution in the Central Plains. The Southern Army, the guard force directly under the Central Committee of the Western Han Dynasty, formed a special elite cavalry unit, whose soldiers came from counties and counties in the west and north that were familiar with riding and shooting, including Hu Bing in the north that volunteered to serve the Central Plains. With the establishment of a large-scale cavalry following the example of the grassland empire, the cavalry in the Central Plains actually has far more military strength than the Xiongnu, because the cavalry in the Central Plains not only has excellent crossbows and armored cavalry fighting knives, but also has strong combat and logistics support for infantry and chariots. Compared with tarquin, the cavalry in Central Plains has the characteristics of professional troops, and it is well-organized and rich in human resources.
Compared with the strength of the Han army, the Xiongnu encountered some internal problems during this period under the rule of the military ministers. The records of offensive and defensive operations of both sides before and after the Henan War show that the troops invaded by Xiongnu are much less than before, basically 30,000 to 50,000 cavalry. At the same time, many important Xiongnu forces broke away from Khan's control and chose to surrender to the Central Plains court. Generally speaking, the balance of power between the two sides has tilted towards the Central Plains.
Land in Henan: the land that must be occupied before the attack.
The grassland empire established in Mohan era is very vast, starting from Daxinganling in the east, Altai Mountain in the west and Lake Baikal in the north. However, at that time, the core part of Xiongnu tribe was in the Mongolian Plateau north of the Central Plains, sharing the southern barrier of the yinshan mountains with the empire, which is now Langshan and Daqingshan. This mountain system extends from east to west, connecting with Helan Mountain in the north-south direction at the western end, covering the northern and western parts of the Yellow River Hetao, and then hanging down to the western part of Gansu. The key to this strategic geography lies in the Ordos region and Hetao region on the southern slope of Yinshan Mountain, which provides a strategic offensive base for Xiongnu, making it very convenient and quick to harass the inland of the Central Plains, and even a direct threat.
This area is very important for the Central Plains, China and grassland riders, and historical development can also prove this. Before the rise of Xiongnu, the ancestors of Xiongnu stood in the north and south of Yinshan Mountain and fought against Zhao Jin for a long time during the Warring States Period. Finally, Chair Zhao won the military reform by riding and shooting. At the beginning of Qin's unification, Qin Shihuang named Meng Tian to lead the army to seize power, established the administrative system of four counties and forty-four counties, and formulated a huge colonial and development plan, which was called the new Qin by Guanzhong immigrants. The defensive measure taken by Qin people in this area is to block the river, that is, to use the geographical position of the Yellow River to establish a continuous fortress system to ensure the colonial development activities of the Hetao. The war at the end of Qin dynasty weakened the strength of the Central Plains, and the Huns used the power of annexing the eastern and western grasslands to return to this area and become the pasture of the Aries King and Loufan King.
In the first year of yuanshuo, Wei Qing's sister Wei Zifu gave birth to a son and was made queen. That year, it has been more than two years since the Han army successfully attacked the Huns for the first time. Once again, Wei Qing led 30,000 cavalry as a general to attack the Huns from Yanmen across the traditional Sino-Hungarian border, and achieved fruitful results. This opened the prelude to the Henan campaign. The following year, in 127 BC, the Xiongnu army led by Zuo launched a counterattack in the direction of western Liaoning. Xiongnu defeated the border guards led by veteran Han Anguo, killed the western Liaoning satrap, and plundered a large number of people and wealth. The Han army made a complicated battle plan. The general led the army straight into the northeast to meet the Xiongnu left wing, and the main force Wei Conghe occupied the peak of the western end from the eastern end of Hetao, cutting off the connection between Ordos and the southern part of the Xiongnu right wing.
Wei gave full play to the advantages of cavalry in long distance, depth and high mobility. He defeated Wang Boyang and Wang Loufan who occupied Ordos for 70 years, but he didn't expect the main force of the Han army to leave things, and his army was completely raided. Then, the Han army suddenly made a 90-degree turn to the left and rushed to the south for thousands of miles like a gale, sweeping the west of Chang 'an and the upper reaches of Weishui River, threatening the western fortress of the Han Empire. Disintegrate the western Xiongnu forces closest to the Central Plains. This war killed thousands of Xiongnu soldiers, captured thousands of people and thousands of livestock, and made the Han army taste the sweetness of supplying the war. After this battle, the Han army has become an expert with cavalry as the main force on the grassland.
Strategic upgrade: the war situation has changed.
If the war between the Central Plains countries and the northern grassland countries in the Western Han Dynasty needed a turning point, then the Henan War in BC 127 was well deserved, and its strategic significance was obvious.
As far as military operations are concerned, the Central Plains Army has been able to master and use the cavalry strategy and tactics of the Group. The cavalry tactics with long distance, deep depth and high mobility are no longer the patent of prairie people. Besides, in actual combat, a new generation of cavalry generals, represented by Wei Qing, have matured and gained the highest command at the front. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty invested heavily in the cavalry revolution and trained military generals, which has achieved rich returns. Although the repeated tug-of-war will last for a long time, the countries in the Central Plains have established an unbreakable military confidence and strength foundation. This is the psychological watershed between the opposing sides.
The recovery of Henan has fundamentally improved the offensive and defensive strategic situation of countries in the Central Plains. The Huns' occupation of this place can directly threaten the hinterland of the Central Plains, which has become history. Relying on this strategic offensive and defensive strategy, the Han army can flexibly counter the Huns' attacks from the east, west and north, and threaten Attila court from the central position. During the Qin and Warring States periods, the defense system along the river was restored in this area, which could preserve a large number of permanent defense forces of the Han army at ordinary times and make the main cavalry highly concentrated, thus devoting itself to
The strategic consequences of this campaign are various, the most important of which is. Later, Hanting began to restore the administrative system and set up Shuofang County, which upgraded the Sino-Hungarian confrontation from a general military counterattack to a new national strategy, that is, expanding territory. Immigration and development activities provide a foothold for national defense in the north. Immigrants not only brought the production and lifestyle of the Central Plains to this place that China people have been fighting for again and again, but also local residents provided closer logistical and military support. The Great Wall, moat and other defense systems are no longer simple defense facilities, but shields that block the material growth of the nation and the country in the Central Plains, forming a far-reaching national strategic model: the victory of the army is a pioneer in opening up new fields, and a solid defense system ensures that the land won by victory becomes the residence of the new nation. The farther the banner of victory goes, the farther these powerful specific pathogens free will go, and the footprints of people's lives in the Central Plains will follow. Along with this process, people of different nationalities, different primitive lives and cultures gradually merged into a big family in the expanding Central Plains.
With the end of the Henan campaign, the countries in the Central Plains firmly occupied a positive and favorable strategic position. Next, the Han army faces Yinshan Mountain in the north and Hexi Corridor in the west. The 200-year war with the Central Plains grassland is about to usher in a decisive battle!