vesicles
Colonel
I can see we talk a lot about technologies. But battle strategies and tactics are also pivotal in winning a fight. What is your most favorite battle (Chinese or others) in terms of strategic manouvers and tactics?
To start it off, my favorite Chinese battle has to be the battle of red cliff in 208 AD. The amount of strategies and battle tactics involved in fighting that battle was simply amazing.
My favorite battle from elsewhere has to be battle of Cannae in 215 BC fought between Hannibal of Carthage and the romans. During the battle, Hannibal knew that he had to use better tactics because his troops (~40,000) were in much inferior numbers than the romans (nearly 100,000). Hannibal knew the commmander of the roman forces, Consul Varro, was "a man of reckless and hubristic nature". And he used this and formulated a brilliant battle plan. He put his least capable troops in the center of his formation and his horses and strong forces on both flanks. When the romans attacked, the center column naturally collapsed while the flanks held fast and this formed a semicircle around the romans. When all the roman troops were funeled into the pocket, Hannibal's heavy cavalry swung around and attacked the romans from behind and totally destroyed the romans (close to 70,000 killed in only 6 hours).
Hannibal also chose the battlefield carefully next to the Aufidus River so that one of his flanks would not be overlapped by his numerically superior enemy. He also manouvered his troops so that the romans would face east with the morning sun and the southeast wind and sand in their faces.
That was a brilliant use of tactical formation, utilization of the terrain and weather and, even more importantly, understanding of one's enemy (Hannibal used the reckless personality of the roman commander to lure his enemy into his trap).
What is also amazing is the fact that, while knowing the center column was the weakest point of his formation and had greater danger, Hannibal stood with his center formation and ensure a controlled retreat. That was a true leader there!
To start it off, my favorite Chinese battle has to be the battle of red cliff in 208 AD. The amount of strategies and battle tactics involved in fighting that battle was simply amazing.
My favorite battle from elsewhere has to be battle of Cannae in 215 BC fought between Hannibal of Carthage and the romans. During the battle, Hannibal knew that he had to use better tactics because his troops (~40,000) were in much inferior numbers than the romans (nearly 100,000). Hannibal knew the commmander of the roman forces, Consul Varro, was "a man of reckless and hubristic nature". And he used this and formulated a brilliant battle plan. He put his least capable troops in the center of his formation and his horses and strong forces on both flanks. When the romans attacked, the center column naturally collapsed while the flanks held fast and this formed a semicircle around the romans. When all the roman troops were funeled into the pocket, Hannibal's heavy cavalry swung around and attacked the romans from behind and totally destroyed the romans (close to 70,000 killed in only 6 hours).
Hannibal also chose the battlefield carefully next to the Aufidus River so that one of his flanks would not be overlapped by his numerically superior enemy. He also manouvered his troops so that the romans would face east with the morning sun and the southeast wind and sand in their faces.
That was a brilliant use of tactical formation, utilization of the terrain and weather and, even more importantly, understanding of one's enemy (Hannibal used the reckless personality of the roman commander to lure his enemy into his trap).
What is also amazing is the fact that, while knowing the center column was the weakest point of his formation and had greater danger, Hannibal stood with his center formation and ensure a controlled retreat. That was a true leader there!
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