China
Han Dynasty Frontier Armies
One of the key transformations of Chinese society during the Han was the abolition of universal military service, an institution that had underpinned the Warring States and the Qin.22 With the Han’s defeat of the feudatory kingdoms in 154 B.C., the possibility of large-scale warfare in the interior of China vanished, leaving only the threat of the Xiongnu on the…
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Reassessing the Sino-Vietnamese conflict 1979Â I
A Vietnamese military officer standing on the wreckage of a destroyed Chinese tank in Cao Bang during the Sino-Vietnamese War China’s invasion of Vietnam, 1979 PLA Operations along the Sino-Vietnamese Border, 1981–1984 The classic Sun Tzu adage of war, “Know the enemy and know yourself,” writ large, is a fundamental…
Reassessing the Sino-Vietnamese conflict 1979Â II
Vietnamese artillery bombarding Chinese troops, 23 February 1979 Vietnamese Military Dispositions since 1979 China’s Failure to Use Air Power Despite China’s strategic success, the campaign revealed numerous deficiencies in the PLA’s doctrine and tactics. Many were associated with its outdated military philosophy and tradition. The PLA continued to exhibit its…
Reassessing the Sino-Vietnamese conflict 1979Â III
October 14, 1986: After leading the attack on the Vietnamese position, Ma Quanbin, captain of the Chinese strike force, reports to the command. The Battles of Laoshan and Bailihedongshan, 1984–1987 Vietnamese Strategy and Tactics Prior to the late 1970s, the PLA paid scant attention to the combat doctrine and tactics…
Khubilai Khan, Tibet, and the Yüan Dynasty
Chinggis retired to Mongolia in 1223. He now turned his attention to the Tanguts, who had failed to send their warriors to join the campaign against the Khwarizmians in 1218, as they had promised to do as vassals of the Mongols. The Tanguts had also withdrawn their troops from the…
CSS-X-20 (DF-41), a new Chinese ICBM
China is developing the CSS-X-20 (DF-41), a new road-mobile ICBM possibly capable of carrying a MIRV payload. China appears to be considering additional DF-41 launch options, including rail-mobile and silo basing. The DF-41, which is expected to have a range of about 14,000 kilometers and be mobile. China has conducted…
Sino-Japanese War
The Battle of the Yalu River (“Naval Battle of the Yellow Sea”) was the largest naval engagement of the Qing-Japan War, and took place on 17 September 1894, the day after the Japanese victory at the land Battle of Pyongyang. It involved ships from the Imperial Japanese Navy and the…