Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Why the Chariot Disappeared

The main content of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period was the feudal lords' struggle for hegemony.The main way for the princes to compete for hegemony is a long war.As a well-known era of great change in Chinese history, the changes in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods were not only manifested in changes in China's politics, economy, and culture.What is more intuitive is the transformation of the Chinese military's combat methods.An important manifestation of the change is the disappearance of traditional tank operations. During most of the Zhou Dynasty and even the Spring and Autumn Period, chariot combat has always been the main way for the princes of various countries to fight for hegemony.How many chariots a vassal state has is not only a symbol of military strength, but more importantly, a symbol of its status as a great power.For example, Jin and Qi, the traditional great powers in the Spring and Autumn Period, were known as the country of thousands of chariots. The idiom "Sima is hard to chase" also uses chariots as the carrier of description.Once upon a time, chariots were the most important means of decisive victory in the Chinese battlefield in the era of slavery.The level of strength of the chariot is as important to the princes of various countries as today's high-tech weapons are to modern countries.

However, when the history entered the Warring States Period from the Spring and Autumn Period, we read the vast amount of war historical materials, but we have to be surprised to find such a fact: Chinese chariots are gradually disappearing.Although records of chariot participation in battles are still found in various wars, it is increasingly no longer appearing as a mainstream, let alone a key weapon for decisive victory on the battlefield.The battle for hegemony of the princes of various countries no longer takes the strict formation and the group-style chariot charge as the main method. Instead, it has evolved into a "combination of odd and positive" diversified operations. period formed.

Where did the chariots that were so popular in the Spring and Autumn Period go? When it comes to traditional Chinese chariots, modern people are both familiar and unfamiliar.The reason for familiarity is that it is often seen in film and television dramas and pictures about the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. The reason for unfamiliarity is that there have been very few systematic interpretations of traditional Chinese ancient chariots for a long time. Chariot combat flourished in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and reached its peak in the early Spring and Autumn Period. Both military thinking and combat methods have reached a very mature stage.This is the most lethal high-tech weapon at that time. The chariot of the Spring and Autumn Period is pulled by 4 horses. Each chariot is equipped with 3 warriors, one is in charge of driving, one is in charge of archery, and the other is in charge of holding a spear and a shield. , The soldiers who can stand on the chariot are not ordinary soldiers, but members of the nobles.Every chariot has strict armor protection, and it can be said to be unstoppable when it surges across the vast Central Plains.The infantry teamed up with the chariots, and the number of infantrymen increased from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Period. In the Western Zhou Dynasty, there were about 10 soldiers assigned to one chariot. In the Spring and Autumn Period, there were only one chariot. There are already more than 100 soldiers fighting.

Compared with the European chariots of the same period, the Chinese chariots are far superior to the Europeans in this period in terms of sophisticated equipment and exquisite design.At the level of technology at that time, an armored chariot with high-speed impact and powerful combat effectiveness was the strongest weapon on the entire battlefield. Corresponding to the way of chariot combat is the increasing maturity of various military ideas of the Chinese in chariot combat.In the war chariot combat in the Spring and Autumn Period, a complete offensive and defensive thinking has been formed, including the offensive and defensive formation of chariots, and the camping arrangement of chariots, all of which are very strict.In the early Spring and Autumn Wars, military strategists from various countries were using their brains to consider how to increase the impact of chariots. For example, during the battle between Jin State and Chu State Chengpu, Jin State deliberately used chariots covered with tiger skins. , launched an attack on the Chu army, smashed the Chu army in one fell swoop, and created a classic example of winning more with less.Since the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period, the weapons on the chariots of the princes of various countries have also been updated day by day. For example, the chariots of the Chu State have been equipped with armor with better protection capabilities according to relevant unearthed cultural relics and related historical records.The chariots of the Jin people were even equipped with long-range crossbows that had just appeared at that time.Many famous battles in the Spring and Autumn Period were large-scale decisive battles of chariots. As the power of the princes of various countries became stronger, the number of chariots also increased day by day.When Jin Wengong fought against Chu State in the Battle of Chengpu, Jin State used all its troops, but there were only more than 700 vehicles.However, in the late Spring and Autumn Period, when Wu State and Chu State clashed in the outskirts of Yingdu, the number of chariots used by both sides was as high as more than 2,000.Once upon a time, the chariot was the most favored weapon on the battlefield of the princes of various countries.

However, when history entered the Warring States Period, we were surprised to find that in those major battles, the use of chariots became less and less, and their role became less and less, and even in many major battles, there were no chariots at all. Shadow, what is the reason for this? As for the reason, first of all, of course, we must find it from the tank itself.Chariots are indeed a sharp weapon for victory, but the conditions for using this sharp weapon are too harsh, and they must be used on endless plains. Even if the geographical advantage is slightly unfavorable, if there are steep slopes or hills, the effect will be greatly reduced.Even in plain areas where the advantages of chariots can be best utilized, after the rise of cavalry, the disadvantages of chariots in field battles have also been highlighted.Compared with the flexible and maneuverable cavalry, the combat methods of chariots are becoming increasingly cumbersome.Especially in the early Spring and Autumn Period, when fighting against the surrounding barbarians who invaded the Central Plains, the chariot troops of the Central Plains princes often seemed helpless in front of the nomadic cavalry, unable to catch up with them, unable to escape them, and in many cases, they were defeated. They are used as targets for riding and shooting.

Not to mention the many problems of war, the more important problem is that there are fewer and fewer people who are qualified to be on the chariot. Those qualified to serve as soldiers on chariots were not ordinary soldiers, but nobles from the slave-owner class. Most of the infantry who cooperated with chariots were civilians recruited temporarily.Such a matching method is not only a military issue, but also a hierarchical issue under the slave system. However, in the process of feudalization in China during the Spring and Autumn Period, this issue of hierarchy ceased to exist.The reduction in the number of slave owners and nobles has reduced the number of chariots accordingly, and the rise in the status of civilians has also made it difficult for the infantry, who used to be servants of chariots, to obey the command and control of chariots.

The development of China's military technology during this period has made charging in chariots even more of courting death.During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the breakthrough achievement of the Chinese in the research and development of long-range cold weapons was the maturity of crossbows. From the late Spring and Autumn Period, almost all powerful vassal states were equipped with excellent crossbow troops to "shoot the ground" in combat. It has become an important choice for many armies to deter opponents with powerful crossbow bolts, and the range and power of crossbow bolts during this period have been qualitatively improved.A scene in the movie may be fictitious, but the large crossbow arrows made by Koreans in the early Warring States period can already reach a range of 800 meters.Moreover, the heavy armor that the previous chariot relied on for protection could not block the lethal crossbow arrows.Facing this reality, there are fewer and fewer people who want to die, and there are fewer and fewer chariots.

Another reason for the increasing marginalization of chariots is that during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the battlefield for vassal hegemony expanded.Most of the wars in the Western Zhou Dynasty were concentrated in the Yellow River Plain, which is the most suitable place to use chariots.But in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the battlefield where the princes competed for hegemony had changed from simple plain battles to water battles and mountain battles, and various combat conditions coexisted.And the proportion of tough battles is getting bigger and bigger.The princes of all countries regard the construction of city walls and fortifications as an increasingly important part of warfare, and the ancient chariots that are more useful in field battles naturally become useless.

Compared with the Spring and Autumn Period, the biggest military difference between the Warring States Period and the Spring and Autumn Period was the difference in scale. In the Spring and Autumn Period, a battle that used tens of thousands of people was a large-scale battle. Duke Huan of Qi, who dominated the princes in the early days, did not have more than 60,000 soldiers and horses in the country.But by the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, big countries like Qi and Jin already had a standing army of 100,000, and Qin and Chu were even able to raise millions of troops.The way of fighting has also changed. The way of fighting in the Spring and Autumn Period is very simple. Everyone pulls the team to fight in the wild, and whoever loses deserves it.But in the Warring States period, the way to win was much more complicated. Military conflicts involving tens of thousands of people sometimes required lengthy stalemates of attrition.The content of combat also pays more attention to geographical advantages, fortresses, and fortifications, as well as the use of "art of war" in mobile warfare to disperse the enemy's forces and concentrate superior forces to fight annihilation.Under such a situation, the scope of application of traditional chariots has become narrower and narrower, and those who cling to the chariot can only meet the fate of defeat more and more.

In 405 BC, Han, Zhao and Wei jointly attacked Qi, which taught all military strategists who were superstitious about chariots a lesson.The armies of Han, Zhao, and Wei were the first to start "destroying chariots". The combat methods of these three princes have shifted to infantry, cavalry, and chariots.However, Qi State still adopts the combat method of infantry escorting chariots. The result of the battle is that 30,000 people in Qi State were killed and 2,000 chariots were wiped out. Chariots, once a sharp weapon on the battlefield, if not used properly, will become marches instead. The burden of war.

The expansion of the scale and scope of wars in the Warring States Period caused the military expenditures of the princes to increase day by day, and the financial burden became heavier. The original government tax system has long been unable to meet the requirements of the war.The direct reason for almost all princes to carry out feudalization reforms is to increase fiscal revenue for the country and provide money and food support for war. "Sun Tzu's Art of War" believes that if you mobilize 100,000 troops to fight in one breath, the daily military expenditure will be thousands of gold; "Warring States Policy" also said that in a war with a scale of ten thousand people, whether it is victory or defeat, only the loss Bingjia and horses mean that "a ten-year field cannot be compensated." Unlike chariots that gradually faded out of the Warring States arena, in the Warring States period, two new arms became increasingly important-cavalry and crossbowmen.In the battle for hegemony among the princes in the late Warring States period, Qin and Zhao, which belonged to the "boss" and "second child" among the princes at that time, actually each had an advantage in one of the arms. Zhao's advantage lay in cavalry, and Qin's advantage It lies in the crossbowmen.Zhao Wuling Wang Hu Fu cavalry and archery established a powerful cavalry, but in the face of Qin's advanced crossbows, Zhao's cavalry often suffered losses.The scientific and technological capabilities of the Huaxia people are fully reflected in the research and development of crossbows.Even South Korea, which is relatively weak among the vassals of various countries, has a very high production level of bows and crossbows.A large crossbow made in South Korea with a range of 800 meters.But in this regard, the most complete system is Qin State. The types of Qin State crossbows, average range, and lethality were all the best among the countries at that time, and the shooting ability of Qin State crossbowmen was far stronger than other vassal states.After Shang Yang's reform, Qin was able to win all the battles, and the role of the crossbow is obvious. With the emergence of new combat methods, the concept of military operations is also changing.The Qin State's pioneering work in the concept of military combat is the original creation of the combination of crossbowmen shooting and light cavalry rapid assault.When the Qin army fought in front of the battle, the first round of attack often took the form of launching crossbow arrows, suppressing the enemy with dense crossbow rain.When the enemy is shot into chaos, launch the final general attack.At the same time, Qin's light cavalry often used the method of attacking the enemy's back and flanking the enemy to complete the encirclement of the enemy.And Zhao Guo, who became stronger after Hufu cavalry and shooting, also has its own unique tactics. Zhao Guoren, who had the most powerful cavalry in the Central Plains at that time, often used cavalry to occupy the commanding heights of the battlefield, used infantry to contain opponents, and cavalry condescended to launch a charge. crush the opponent.The two different combat styles of Zhao State and Qin State are reflected in the effect, that is, Qin State can often successfully encircle the opponent and annihilate the opponent's vital force in an organized way, while Zhao State can often defeat the opponent with swift and violent blows, forcing The opponent collapses, but it is difficult to destroy the opponent systematically. The military tactics of different countries are also learned from each other. For example, Qin is a country that is very good at learning. The reason why the Qin army is strong is that they constantly absorb the advanced strengths of others.For example, in the early days of Qin Xiaogong's reform, there was a war with South Korea. After capturing the Korean crossbow, he immediately researched it by himself, absorbed its strengths, and developed a more powerful Qin crossbow.After being defeated by Zhao's cavalry in the battle of Yanyu, Qin also actively learned cavalry tactics, but they did not copy Zhao's combat method of using momentum to charge and defeat the opponent. Use the light cavalry to outflank and cut off the enemy's back, forming an encirclement of the enemy.In the Battle of Changping, the Qin Army's light cavalry outflanked and encircled the tactic, sending Zhao's 400,000 elite soldiers to a dead end. Wars in the Warring States Period were no longer aimed at simply injuring opponents in field battles and establishing the status of the strong. The princes in the Warring States Period pursued more to annex the opponent's land and realize their own dominance.Therefore, during the Warring States period, city defense and fortified warfare became another important method of warfare. In order to ensure the security of their own land, countries built strong fortresses one after another, and even the Great Wall, trench warfare, and Great Wall warfare became popular.In order to break through the opponent's city defenses, countries have also developed new offensive weapons, such as trebuchets that can crush the opponent's city walls, and heavy crossbows that can penetrate the opponent's heavy armor, also appeared during this period. The military revolution in the Warring States Period had a far-reaching impact on the subsequent dynasties of China, not ending with the end of the Warring States Period. Since the Warring States period, the main combat arm in China's cold weapon era has changed from chariot soldiers to cavalry. Especially in powerful dynasties, their armies have a powerful cavalry unit.The chariot, which was originally the main battle weapon, did not withdraw from the war arena, and it quickly found its new role.After the Warring States Period, the main function of chariots was often to set up camps, set up heavy crossbows with huge lethality, and store supplies.It became a qualified mobile defensive fortress, rather than an offensive tank.The evolution of war in the Warring States Period had another impact on Chinese military thinking: the traditional "frontal battle" was no longer the only means of winning a war. On the contrary, strategy and art of war became the key to winning a war.The Chinese people's ideological understanding of war is more mature.War has become a kind of knowledge that can be learned and practiced, rather than simply fighting with brute force.