How did the heavy cavalry in the Central Plains lose to the Mongols?

The record of heavily armored cavalry in China history began in Wei and Jin Dynasties, and the bronze stirrup of the Eastern Han Dynasty was unearthed in 203 (1973).

(Three horse-riding figurines were unearthed from Yongning Tomb of the Western Jin Dynasty in Changsha, Hunan Province (302), and a triangular stirrup was found on the left front side of the saddle). Since then, the role of cavalry has completely changed. Because it can fight on horseback, heavy cavalry has become a decisive weapon to control the war.

Heavily armored cavalry in Northern Wei Dynasty

Because Cao Cao took the lead in setting up the most elite Tiger and Leopard Rider at that time, a large number of heavy cavalry wearing Mazar armor began to appear in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Sui and Tang Dynasties, Liao, Song, Xia and Jin Dynasties also had special metal armored heavy cavalry; Moreover, the scale and quantity of heavy cavalry in China are huge, and historical records often show tens of thousands, more in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and 30,000 in the heyday of Liao and Xixia. Although there were not many good horses in the Northern Song Dynasty, there were still tens of thousands of heavy cavalry.

The "iron tower" of the state of Jin is as famous as the "iron kite" of Xixia with excellent equipment and superb tactics;

These two heavily armored cavalry have done great harm to the Mongols! Only a few famous soldiers, such as Yue Fei in the Northern Song Dynasty, can use heavy infantry to compete with them on the battlefield (there are still many questions and disputes about the specific tactics and tactics), so don't mistake heavy cavalry for a patent in medieval Europe, which actually originated in China;

Unearthed steeds in reliefs

In the Song Dynasty, due to the popularization of cold forging technology, the price of armor became more and more expensive, and the configuration of heavy cavalry became more and more comprehensive. For example, in the Song Dynasty, people wore armor including: an integrally cast iron helmet, a side-breasted bulletproof vest, two goggles, knee-length skirts, arm guards, shin guards and so on. , at least 15 kg, and the armor worn by horses should reach more than 25 kg, plus weapons, so there are requirements for people's quality and horse's endurance.

Some heavily armored cavalry units, each soldier is equipped with more than two war horses, and is equipped with relevant foreign orderlies;

Once the heavy cavalry charged the flank of the infantry phalanx, it was like Tucker driving into a vegetable field, which could be described as breaking the phalanx in seconds;

Song Shi? Article 4 of Military Annals states: "There are Xia Ping cavalry in Xixia, who are called' Iron Kites'. They can walk a hundred miles, wait a thousand miles, or come suddenly. If they are shocked, they will fly. Every time I meet an enemy in the plain, I use an iron kite to think that I am rushing. "

"Three Dynasties North Alliance" Volume 202 "Wang Zazi" records: relying on, the number is constant. The foot soldiers who will attack the city, Tiefutu, also known as iron tower soldiers, have double iron pockets on all sides, eaves around them and felt pillows under them. Three people together, connected by Piso.

After Genghis Khan unified the grassland, he carried out a ruthless military strike against Xixia and Jin Guo!

Xixia was destroyed by Mongolia in 1227. After the establishment of Li Yuanhao, the famous "Iron Badger" heavy cavalry was powerful. Although the number is only 3,000, it has long resisted the invasion of Mongolian troops. Finally, the Xixia King cheated Genghis Khan. After Kaesong surrendered, the whole family was wiped out!

After Genghis Khan's death, Mongolia abided by his last words and concentrated its forces on destroying gold; The fighters swept the northeast, invaded the south, attacked Shanxi and Hebei, killing the cities one by one. The population of the Central Plains in the north withered, so Xu Jin had to move south.

After 100 years of sinicization, the state of Jin has been upgraded from a hunting nation to a Chinese civilization. The state of Jin once defeated Mongolia, but the general trend has gone, with repeated defeats and wars. In the last sunset, the last heavily armored cavalry-Zhong Xiaojun-was born!

First of all: the composition of the loyalty and filial piety army is different;

It is a mixed army including Han, Qiang, Tibetan, Hui, Tangut and Donghu people. Participants basically have criminal records, and most of them are aggressive Han Chinese, so they are also very cunning and difficult to manage. Jin Aizong once asked the head of the army: Who is better, the Han warrior or the Xixia warrior? A veteran immediately replied that the Han people are really amazing!

Therefore, it can be seen that this unit was originally a typical third-rate unit in the organizational system of Xu Jinguo Army, which was hated by everyone and annoyed by dogs.

Secondly, the loyalty and filial piety army has gray income;

Under the command of the corrupt general of Jin State, he has been engaged in paid service for a long time! (Since it's a third-rate army, it's easy to understand), the salary of expanding territory must be taken care of, and foreigners secretly rob and kidnap, especially those who like to rob Mongolia and Xixia, so they have the best horses, the best armor and the best weapons at that time, and these things are all equipment that Xu Jinguo's first-class army can't afford.

The armor of the heavy cavalry of Jin Guo

Of course, these are not the most important. They are famous because they have a new leader: monk Chen Yanhong!

Monk Chen, whose real name is Yi, was once captured by the Mongolian army. Later, he fought his way out and fled back to Xu Jin. He knows the Mongols like the back of his hand and has rich experience in resisting the enemy. He led the army of loyalty and filial piety with a miscellaneous brand. I don't know whether the military discipline and moral education have improved, but the combat effectiveness is obvious:

Chenheshang

Three wins out of three wars, and the northern soldiers won the air superiority for this.

World War I: In the fifth year of Zheng Da (1228), Tuo Lei sent Mongolian general Chi Laowen to attack Dachangyuan (now southeast Gansu); 8 jin j account before the proceedings, everyone was silent, but no one dared to come forward! At this time, Sanzang Chen stepped forward, bathed, changed clothes, put on heavy armor and mounted the horse, leading the four hundred heavy armor cavalry alone. Kaicheng all the way into Mongolia Qingqi, fighting with 3,000 elite Chiluowen. The generals of Xu Jinguo who watched the battle in the city were dumbfounded, but the soldiers of Xu Jinguo who suffered long-term defeat were greatly encouraged. The three armies went out of the city together, fought bravely, and finally defeated the Mongolian army and achieved 8 thousand prosperity. This can be said to be the first time that Jin Guo won a total victory in the "self-defense counterattack against Mongolia" for more than 20 years. Chen Sanzang became famous in World War I and made great contributions. Jin Aizong personally issued a decree to commend him. (This war led to an internal review in Mongolia, the post of "Tuo Lei" was re-elected, and Wokuotai was elected as the new Mongolian Khan)

World War II: In the seventh year (1230), the Mongolian New Khan sent thousands of families-General Shi led the Mongolian and Han armies in Hebei to besiege yu zhou (now Jixian County, Henan Province), and the monk Chen followed Pingzhang's political affairs to Hoda, and the deputy Tang envoy mobilized Pua to help. He once again led the army of loyalty and filial piety as a pioneer, defeated the Mongolian army and relieved Weizhou. (Wan Hu Shi Tianze is already a Mongolian marshal.)

In the eighth year of World War III (123 1), he was known as the invincible god of Mongolia and led an army to attack Shaanxi and go straight to Tongguan. Monk Chen's loyal and filial army went to the rescue, defeated the Mongolian army and chased it to the valley (now southeast of Lantian, Shaanxi). Subtai is a famous Mongolian soldier. He never failed in the battle between the East and Genghis Khan's Western Expedition. According to Mongolian catch-up, life is death, and thanks to Tuo Lei's intercession in Wokuotai, he was able to die to atone for his sin. )

The three-game winning streak injected a shot in the arm into Jin Guo, which made the Mongols never peep again.

If not, Kim has a pig teammate-Song Jun! Otherwise, China's fate would not be so miserable!

Yuzhou sansheng

Sansheng, located twenty miles outside Yuzhou, used to be the birthplace of Jun kiln. Look at the photos, very much like the sacrifice of the anti-Japanese hero Zhang!

Because the Mongols in Wokuotai repeatedly failed to attack Xu Jin, they wanted to cross the Song Dynasty, cross the Hanshui River and attack Bianjing, the capital of Xu Jin. Yes, it is Kaifeng House now, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, and the capital of Xu Jin at the end of that year!

People in the Song Dynasty began to be forced by the "Golden Song Agreement" and killed a Mongolian envoy. Jin people feel very at ease! Unexpectedly, under the advice of some populist paranoid ministers, the voice of wanting to borrow money from Mongolia in the Song Dynasty is getting louder and louder, and the voice of revenge against Jin Guo is getting louder and louder! Does Mongolia have to destroy gold? Or * * * against Mongolia? Between the two, the Emperor of Song Dynasty hesitated; Wokuotai sent Tuo Lei with 40,000 hussars, and even entered the three states of Southern Song Dynasty 17 city, killing and plundering all the way. Defenders in Xiangyang and other places were not only pursued, but also supported by some state capitals. The court in the Southern Song Dynasty received a report and found that the Mongols were furious and sent Meng Gong troops to attack, but Tuo Lei had already crossed the Han River and arrived at the gates of Dengzhou in the hinterland of Guo Xu, pointing to Bianjing. . . . . .

Mongolian heavily armored cavalry

After the trip to the Three Saints

..... Ride through the customs overnight and kayak across the Han River. Xiangyang has soldiers looking across the river, but Dengzhou is neglected. ......

Mongolian Tuo Lei transited to the Southern Song Dynasty.

The three saints met unexpectedly.

When the strange military situation spread to the state of Jin, Emperor Ai of Jin was frightened, and Chen Yanhong's loyal and filial troops were urgently transferred from Tongguan to the south to protect Bianjing.

At that time, only forty thousand hussars spent the Song Dynasty in Tuo Lei, Mongolia. In terms of combat effectiveness, there are 20,000 cavalry and 0/20,000 infantry from Tongguan. Strategically speaking, this part of the 8 Jin Army has the ability to annihilate Tuo Lei in Dengzhou area first, and then protect Kaifeng, so that Xu Jin can ensure the safety of the capital!

At that time, the situation in Tuo Lei, Mongolia should be more critical, because many Han people were killed along the way, and the Meng Gong army in the Southern Song Dynasty blocked the ferry, so he had no way out;

Want to go straight to Bianjing but lack of food and grass, relying on looting? Jin Guoren has been steadfast for a long time, and it is no longer possible to provide him like in the Song Dynasty! If you want to attack Zhou Jun, do you have any equipment? Therefore, some people in history say that Wokuotai sent Khan to die in order to keep his position!

But now that we are behind enemy lines, Tuo Lei has to rely on the advantages of Qingqi, maneuver to avoid it, and disperse into several small forces to gather in the direction of Zhou Jun!

Therefore, Chen Yanhong and 8 Jin J, monks from all walks of life in Dengzhou, did not find the main force of Mongolia before they arrived, so they also wanted to cross Zhou Jun and return to the capital.

At this point, Jin Meng's two armies met by chance near Sansheng!

Monk Chen Yanhong's heavy cavalry met a small group of Mongolian troops, and they immediately fell into a panic. After catching the prisoners, after interrogation, they learned the general orientation of the main force of Mongolian army.

It was found that the main force of Mongolia was encamped outside Zhou Jun (they were waiting for the support of the Mongolian Hebei Army with siege equipment, and the light cavalry could not attack the city). Didn't expect this time is Guo Xu's heavily armored cavalry;

So, 8 jin j heavy cavalry immediately maneuver day and night, don't eat or sleep, successfully seized the only way to Meng Jun, the three holy highlands, blocked the Mongolian road to escape to the north!

Xu Jinguo's army, before Dengzhou, has been fully replenished and its morale is high. Now it occupies such a favorable geographical position and harmony, and the trend of encirclement has become. It only takes one day to decide the fate of Tuo Lei's 40,000 Mongolian troops!

A desolate landscape through the ages.

Time does not allow sighing heroes.

According to the "Golden History", it soon began to snow and covered with white fog, and people didn't care about each other. It snowed for three days, and there were many fields in the battlefield. I often plowed four or five times, and the horse got stuck in the mud. The sergeant was frozen in the snow by the Oracle bones, and the gun was frozen like a rafter. Some sergeants haven't eaten for three days.

Unexpectedly, it snowed once in a hundred years that night, and the vision was very poor, so 8 Jin J could not attack at all! It has been snowing heavily for three days, and the heavily armored cavalry is always ready to charge. Now the armor and flesh are frozen together, and most cavalry have lost their fighting capacity!

The Golden History contains:

The northern soldiers joined forces with the Hebei army, surrounded by burnt beef and mutton, and let them rest. When you are exhausted by gold, you can take the road of Zhou Jun and attack it with the army. 8 Jin j then fell, sounds like a mountain suddenly collapsed, the weather suddenly became ji opened, the sun jiao ran, 8 jin j no one can escape. Wu Xian rode into the bamboo forest at the rate of thirty, and Yang, Fan and Zhang Sanjun fought for the road. There are many soldiers in the north, and Gao Ying's down soldiers are fighting in the south of Shilin Village. Wo Yan, Ze and Ying were all dead, but Zhang Huibu was killed with a big gun. Pu 'a went to Beijing, but he caught up with him before he arrived and captured him. In July, he went to Guanshan and summoned him to ask him if he would surrender. He repeated hundreds of words, but said, "I am a minister of the State of Jin, but I will die in the State of Jin." Watch you kill people.

Three days after the end, Tuo Lei troops froze to death, but the Mongols grew up climbing ice and sleeping in snow, and became accustomed to the extremely cold climate. After all, the sheepskin armor of the hussars was warmer than the real armor, and at this time, something better happened to the Mongols. Ten thousand inferior brands of Mongolian Hebei army actually took siege machinery and repaired it on time? Appear on a snowy night;

So these 50,000 Mongolians celebrated their meeting in the urban-rural fringe of Zhou Jun, holding barbecues, eating hot pot of fat sheep and singing while drinking. After eating and drinking, I'm going to escape on a snowy night. It happened that Xu's troops in the city retreated. They were cold and hungry and their morale was extremely low. So they also took advantage of the dark, leaving the small troops behind, and the large troops braved the wind and came down from the mountain, exhausted;

When the two armies confronted each other, it happened that it began to clear up at this time, and the Mongols were frightened. Out of the instinct of self-defense, Tuo Lei Army and Hebei Army launched an attack on both sides at the same time, but 8 Jin J thought he was ambushed, and the officers and men shouted together, like a landslide and a rout!

The viceroy moved to Pua and was captured. Zhang Huibu, Wo Yan, Ze and Ying, the famous soldiers of Jin State, died heroically on the spot.

Monks Chen Yanhong and Hong Yan Hoda led hundreds of remnants of 8 Jin J to ride into Zhou Jun, but then the city was broken, so they had to fight the Mongols in the street and were captured! He would rather die than surrender, save his righteousness and kill his life.

The route of Mongolia's occupation of the Central Plains

Li Dongyang: Who are you? General Kim. What's your name? Monk Chen. Good people know how to die. Gold begets gold, but Kin ki will die. The shin can be broken, the kiss can be cracked, and the seven feet are covered with blood. Jin people wept with anger, while Yuan people boasted that they would like to come back to my home. Whoo-hoo! Dressing is not shameful, and the minister of Yidi is also!

Monument to the Death of Liang Zuo, the Time Messenger of the Southern Army in our town: China only raised the ear of a monk for more than 100 years.

In this way, the last heavily armored cavalry unit on the land of Central Plains perished. History cannot be changed, but sometimes it is really weird.