About the Battle of Guandu
The Battle of Guandu was fought in 200 (5th year of Jian'an (Later Han)) at Guandu, Yan Province. Cao Cao challenges Yuan Shao's 100,000 with a fraction of their number. An all-or-nothing night raid that burns the grain depot at Wuchao decides the master of northern China.
- Year
- 200 (5th year of Jian'an (Later Han))
- Place
- Guandu, Yan Province
- Era
- Late Han (Three Kingdoms)
How the battle unfolded
- Lines Holding Guandu
The 5th year of Jian'an. The Later Han empire has narrowed to two heroes. Yuan Shao of Hebei, with 100,000. Cao Cao of the central plains, with a fraction of that. Cao Cao builds ramparts at Guandu, holds his ground south of the Yellow River and takes the overwhelming host head-on.
- Attrition Earthworks and Tunnels
Yuan Shao raises mounds of earth to shoot down from and digs tunnels toward the ramparts. Cao Cao smashes the mounds with stone-throwers and cuts the tunnels with trenches. The see-saw struggle drags on for months, and Cao Cao's grain is running out.
- Defector Xu You Comes Over
At the moment of crisis, Yuan Shao's adviser Xu You flees to Cao Cao. What he brings is the lifeline of Yuan Shao's army: the location of the mountain of grain stored at Wuchao. Cao Cao greets him barefoot and at once stakes everything on a single throw.
- Wuchao Night Raid: Burning the Grain
Cao Cao himself leads 5,000 picked men to Wuchao under Yuan Shao's banners in the dark. Its commander Chunyu Qiong is off his guard. They fall on him in one rush and set fire to the piled-up grain. The supplies that fed the 100,000 of Hebei scorch the night sky in crimson flame.
- Turn Zhang He Goes Over to Cao Cao
Yuan Shao does not relieve Wuchao but instead sends an attack on Cao Cao's thinly held camp. That too is beaten off. Despairing of such blundering command, the generals Zhang He and Gao Lan burn their camp and defect to Cao Cao. Yuan Shao's lines begin to crumble from within.
- Rout Hebei Collapses
Its grain gone and its generals turned, the host of 100,000 is now a rabble. Under Cao Cao's general counterattack Yuan Shao's army collapses like an avalanche, and Yuan Shao flees north across the Yellow River with a handful of riders. Mastery of the central plains is in Cao Cao's hands.
Generals and units
- Cao Cao's army Cao Cao Commander-in-chief
- Cao Cao's army Zhang Liao
- Cao Cao's army Xiahou Dun
- Yuan Shao's army Yuan Shao Commander-in-chief
- Yuan Shao's army Chunyu Qiong
- Yuan Shao's army Zhang He
- Yuan Shao's army Gao Lan
- Yuan Shao's army Yuan Shao's Main Army
FAQ
- What was the Battle of Guandu?
- Cao Cao challenges Yuan Shao's 100,000 with a fraction of their number. An all-or-nothing night raid that burns the grain depot at Wuchao decides the master of northern China.
- When and where did the Battle of Guandu take place?
- It took place in 200 at Guandu, Yan Province (5th year of Jian'an (Later Han)).
- Who fought in the Battle of Guandu?
- Cao Cao of the Cao Cao's army, Yuan Shao of the Yuan Shao's army were among the commanders.
- Can I watch the Battle of Guandu in 3D?
- Yes. This page plays a free three-minute 3D animated overview showing the deployments, the movements of each army and how the battle was decided.