Goguryeo War

 

The battle of Salsu

 

The battle of Salsu was an enormous battle that occurred in the year 612, during the second Goguryeo-Su War, between the Goguryeo and Chinese Su Dynasty. China’s Su Dynasty was waiting for the chance to attack Goguryeo. Finally Su launched series of attack commanding a large army under arms in 589. Su assailed the Yodong fortress and Pyongyang castle consecutively, but failed. Even though the number of the Goguryeo army was relatively smaller than the Su, it overwhelmed the Chinese troops in combat. On their way back, Su army reached near the Salsu river. There was no ship on Salsu and the water level was shallow than usual. Su army started to cross the river without any suspicion. Beforehand, Eulji (Goguryeo general) had already selected Salsu as the decisive turning point and had cut off the flow of the water, storing it behind the dam. When the Su army half crossed the river, Eulji opened the dam. The Su army was swallowed up by the waves. The surviving Su forces were forced to retreat to Manchuria to avoid being killed, however only two thousand survived. The battle is one of the most lethal battles in world history.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The battle of Ansi

China's Dang dynasty learned from the past that its predecessor Su fell before Goguryeo's mighty power, so Dang thought they have to prepare before launching an attack on Goguryeo. Dang dispatched an envoy to Goguryeo requesting not to invade Shilla, but Goguryeo ignored. When King Taejong of Dang heard news of a military blow in Goguryeo led by General Yeongaesomoon, he could not have been happier, as the Chinese ruler was plotting ways to justify vigorous attacking of Goguryeo. Now Dang could say that its onslaught was to punish Yeongaesomoon for assassinating his king and to rescue the Goguryeo people from the betrayer. Meanwhile, Shilla played cardinal role in assisting Dang's attempt to defeat Goguryeo. Finally in 645, China launched its attack. The battle at Yodong castle marked the first major defeat of Goguryeo. The Dang army eyes the Ansi fortress as the next target following the battle at Yodong castle. The Invading troops besieged the fortress. Inside the Ansi fortress, there were only 100,000 Goguryeo soldiers and people ready for the attack contrast to 500,000 Dang army. Meanwhile, Dang troops besieged the fortress and started to pile mud and raise the hill higher than the fortress. People inside the fortress were intimidated. When the hill was almost height of the fortress, Goguryeo’s well-trained soldiers sneaked out from the fortress at midnight. They dig up each side of the mud hill. Few days later, the construction lost control and collapsed under the weight of the mud. The collapse turned out to be of help to Goguryeo and changed the tide of the battle. Three months past since the Dang army besieged the fortress, but Goguryeo army were invincible. Fierce battle between Dang and Goguryeo continued over 3 months. Rough weather outside the fortress was hard to withstand and the situation got worse. Dang soldiers were depressed by over their futile effort. At last, Dang army decided to withdraw their troop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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