Battle of Tianshui

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Tianshui
partof=the First Northern Expedition of Shu of the Three Kingdoms


caption=
date=Spring 228
place=
casus=
territory=
result=Shu victor
combatant1=Shu Han
combatant2=Cao Wei
commander1=Zhuge Liang
commander2=Ma Zun
strength1=unknown
strength2=estimated 50,000
casualties1=
casualties2=The Battle of Tianshui was a battle between Shu Han and Cao Wei in the spring of 228 during the Three Kingdoms period in China as part of Zhuge Liang's northern expeditions. Shu Han emerged victorious against Cao Wei's forces.

Planning the battle

At Hanzhong, during a war council, Zhuge proposed a wide left hook to seize the upper Wei valley to capture the city itself. Wei Yan objected to the plan and proposed a strike through a pass in Qinling with 10,000 elite troops to take Chang'an by surprise. Zhuge rejected the plan because it was too ambitious and went for a more cautious approach. The objective was to seize Chang'an: Tianshui, Anding, Nan'an, and Qishan.

Battle

In 228, Zhuge Liang declared that he would march through the Xie Gorge to take Mei. He sent Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi as decoys to give the appearance of threatening Mei and to occupy Ji. Cao Zhen led his armies to oppose them. Zhuge Liang personally led the armies to besiege Qishan; the ranks were ordered, discipline severe and authority apparent. The three commanderies of Nan’an, Tianshui and Anding all revolted from Wei to Zhuge Liang, sending shockwaves through Guanzhong. Cao Rui moved to Chang'an to oversee the defense. Cao Zhen secured Mei against Zhao Yun, while a combined cavalry-infantry force of 50,000 under Zhang He went west to oppose Zhuge's main army.

Jiang Wei

Jiang Wei was one of the reasons Zhuge went on this expedition, and getting Jiang to defect to Shu was a goal. During the battle, Jiang Wei's commanding officer suspected him of wishing to join Zhuge Liang, when Jiang was outside the city with his troops, his commander closed the city gates and wouldn't allow Jiang re-enter. Jiang was forced to defect to Zhuge's army.

Modern References

Beginning with "Dynasty Warriors 4", the battle has been included in the "Dynasty Warriors" series for the Playstation 2. This battle is unique among other stages, for if the player is Jiang Wei, the Wei forces can win the battle, though Jiang Wei immediately joins Shu afterwards.

References

* [http://kongming.net/novel/sgz/zhugeliang.php Sanguozhi biography of Zhuge Liang]