Goguryeo-Tang Wars
Encyclopedia
The Goguryeo–Tang Wars occurred in the 7th century between Korea
n Goguryeo
and an allied Chinese Tang Dynasty
and Silla
. Exhausted from numerous attacks by China
, Goguryeo finally succumbed to a two front attack by Tang and Silla. Silla eventually unified the Korean peninsula while the Manchurian areas of Goguryeo was divided between the Tang and Balhae
, which considered itself as the successor to Goguryeo.
Although Goguryeo had repulsed the Sui Dynasty
, attacks by the Tang Dynasty
from the west proved too formidable. by King Yeongryu. Under Tang Taizong
, Sui's succeeding dynasty Tang Dynasty forged an alliance with Goguryeo's rival Silla after defeating Goguryeo's western ally, the Göktürks
.
Later in Tang Taizong reign, he also began campaigns against the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo, much to the opposition of many advisors. In 645, A war In the beginning. Taizong commanded an army of 100,000 to 300,000 Tang soldiers. The army was split into two with 40,000 coming across sea and laying siege to Phongyang and 60,000 going through Liaodong led by Li Shiji and Taizong. Taizong's noted army enabled him to conquer a number of border city fortresses of Goguryeo
. The Tang army in several cases defeated the Korean forces on open battlefields. Outside the Ansi Fort, Go Yeonsu and Go Hyezin had mobilized 150,000 troops, though it proved to be fruitless. After tactics by Taizong with Li Shiji
commanding 15,000 men and Zhangsun Wuji
with 11,000 coming from behind, the Korean generals were confused and defeated, the losses were 20,000 for the Koreans and 36,000 captured.
However, forts would be the one issue that the Tang Taizong could not solve, most particularly Ansi fortress itself. the remaining Goguryeo troops get in inside Ansi fortress. Ansi was under siege by the Tang army. However Tang was not able to conquer Ansi fortress. After a protracted siege, Taizong ordered the construction of a large siege ramp by making a mountain of soil to tower over the high Ansi walls. As the mountain rose higher, so did the walls as it was raised higher with wooden extensions. However the siege mountain collapsed, at the same time commander Yang Manchun
(Yang was the only commander to defeat Yeon on the battlefield, as Yeon Gaesomun
's earlier efforts to take the Ansi Fortress during the civil war that took place after Yeon's coup was unsuccessful.) mobilized the remaining Goguryeo troops to push back the Tang army.
In the end, the Tang army retreated because of the incoming winter that was arriving earlier than expected and because the supply route was cut with heavy losses. The first campaign was ultimately a failure because Taizong unable to take Ansi.
. He invaded Goguryeo numerous times but Yeon Gaesomun
turned the Tang back every time-perhaps most notably during Yeon's celebrated annihilation of the Tang forces in 662 at the Sasu River (蛇水) where the invading general Pang Xiaotai (龐孝泰) and all 13 of his sons were killed in the battle. As a result while Yeon Gaesomun
was alive, Tang was not able to conquer the Goguryeo.
, fell to the Silla-Tang alliance in 661 the victorious allies continued their assault on Goguryeo for the next eight years. Meanwhile, in 666 (though dates vary from 664-666), Yeon Gaesomun died and civil war ensued among his three sons. One of his sons, Yeon Namsaeng
fled to Tang and was a big part in the next invasion of Goguryeo by the Tang and served as the primary key to the downfall of Gogureyo, as only when he came did the Tang's emperor was willing to send troops to Goguryeo, since the defector knew the most of the weaknesses and shortcuts that Tang forces did not know of, into Goguryeo's fortified territory. diagonally opposite another son, Yeon Namgeon
resist in the face of death to his brother's treachery.
Silla-Tang eventually vanquished the weary kingdom, which had been suffering from a series of famines and internal strife. Goguryeo finally fell in 668.
thus unified most of the Korean peninsula in 668, but the kingdom's reliance on China's Tang Dynasty had its price. Silla had to forcibly resist the imposition of Chinese rule over the entire peninsula, which they did and eventually expelled the Tang. Silla'a unification of Korea was short lived for the former Goguryeo General Dae Joyeong led the remnants of Goguryeo, united with the Mohe and established Balhae
, known to Koreans as the successor of Goguryeo, and retaining much of its former territory.
Balhae would become a buffer in trade and was a powerful empire that Tang could not bother. Their end would come from the Khitan
tribe. This end was a decisive event in Northeast Asian history for it was the last Korean Kingdom to hold territory in Manchuria
.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
and an allied Chinese Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
and Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
. Exhausted from numerous attacks by China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Goguryeo finally succumbed to a two front attack by Tang and Silla. Silla eventually unified the Korean peninsula while the Manchurian areas of Goguryeo was divided between the Tang and Balhae
Balhae
Balhae was a Manchurian kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. After Goguryeo's capital and southern territories fell to Unified Silla, Dae Jo-yeong, a Mohe general, whose father was Dae Jung-sang, established Jin , later called Balhae.Balhae occupied southern parts of Manchuria and...
, which considered itself as the successor to Goguryeo.
First War of 645
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
, attacks by the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
from the west proved too formidable. by King Yeongryu. Under Tang Taizong
Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Shìmín , was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649...
, Sui's succeeding dynasty Tang Dynasty forged an alliance with Goguryeo's rival Silla after defeating Goguryeo's western ally, the Göktürks
Göktürks
The Göktürks or Kök Türks, were a nomadic confederation of peoples in medieval Inner Asia. Known in Chinese sources as 突厥 , the Göktürks under the leadership of Bumin Qaghan The Göktürks or Kök Türks, (Old Turkic: Türük or Kök Türük or Türük; Celestial Turks) were a nomadic confederation of...
.
Later in Tang Taizong reign, he also began campaigns against the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo, much to the opposition of many advisors. In 645, A war In the beginning. Taizong commanded an army of 100,000 to 300,000 Tang soldiers. The army was split into two with 40,000 coming across sea and laying siege to Phongyang and 60,000 going through Liaodong led by Li Shiji and Taizong. Taizong's noted army enabled him to conquer a number of border city fortresses of Goguryeo
Cheolli Jangseong
Cheolli Jangseong in Korean history usually refers to the 11th century northern defense structure built during the Goryeo dynasty in present-day North Korea, though it also refers to a 7th century network of military garrisons in present-day northeastern China, built by Goguryeo, one of the Three...
. The Tang army in several cases defeated the Korean forces on open battlefields. Outside the Ansi Fort, Go Yeonsu and Go Hyezin had mobilized 150,000 troops, though it proved to be fruitless. After tactics by Taizong with Li Shiji
Li Shiji
Li Shiji , né Xu Shiji , later known in the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang as Li Ji , courtesy name Maogong , formally Duke Zhenwu of Ying , was one of the most celebrated generals early in the Chinese Tang Dynasty...
commanding 15,000 men and Zhangsun Wuji
Zhangsun Wuji
Zhangsun Wuji , courtesy name Fuji , formally Duke of Zhao , was a chancellor of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty during the reigns of his brother-in-law Emperor Taizong and nephew Emperor Gaozong...
with 11,000 coming from behind, the Korean generals were confused and defeated, the losses were 20,000 for the Koreans and 36,000 captured.
However, forts would be the one issue that the Tang Taizong could not solve, most particularly Ansi fortress itself. the remaining Goguryeo troops get in inside Ansi fortress. Ansi was under siege by the Tang army. However Tang was not able to conquer Ansi fortress. After a protracted siege, Taizong ordered the construction of a large siege ramp by making a mountain of soil to tower over the high Ansi walls. As the mountain rose higher, so did the walls as it was raised higher with wooden extensions. However the siege mountain collapsed, at the same time commander Yang Manchun
Yang Manchun
Yang Manchun is the name given to the Goguryeo commander of Ansi fortress in the 640s.Ansi fortress was located on the Goguryeo-Chinese border, probably present-day Haicheng. Yang is sometimes credited with saving the kingdom by his refusal to surrender the fortress to invading Tang...
(Yang was the only commander to defeat Yeon on the battlefield, as Yeon Gaesomun
Yeon Gaesomun
Yeon Gaesomun was a powerful and controversial military dictator and Generalissimo in the waning days of Goguryeo, which was one of the Three Kingdoms of ancient Korea. Yeon is also remembered for a number of successful resistance in military conflicts with Tang Dynasty under Emperor Li Shimin and...
's earlier efforts to take the Ansi Fortress during the civil war that took place after Yeon's coup was unsuccessful.) mobilized the remaining Goguryeo troops to push back the Tang army.
In the end, the Tang army retreated because of the incoming winter that was arriving earlier than expected and because the supply route was cut with heavy losses. The first campaign was ultimately a failure because Taizong unable to take Ansi.
Second War of 662
After Taizong's death in 649, the conquest of Goguryeo and the personal rivalry with Yeon Gaesomun became an obsession with Taizong's son GaozongEmperor Gaozong of Tang
Emperor Gaozong of Tang , personal name Li Zhi , was the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty in China, ruling from 649 to 683...
. He invaded Goguryeo numerous times but Yeon Gaesomun
Yeon Gaesomun
Yeon Gaesomun was a powerful and controversial military dictator and Generalissimo in the waning days of Goguryeo, which was one of the Three Kingdoms of ancient Korea. Yeon is also remembered for a number of successful resistance in military conflicts with Tang Dynasty under Emperor Li Shimin and...
turned the Tang back every time-perhaps most notably during Yeon's celebrated annihilation of the Tang forces in 662 at the Sasu River (蛇水) where the invading general Pang Xiaotai (龐孝泰) and all 13 of his sons were killed in the battle. As a result while Yeon Gaesomun
Yeon Gaesomun
Yeon Gaesomun was a powerful and controversial military dictator and Generalissimo in the waning days of Goguryeo, which was one of the Three Kingdoms of ancient Korea. Yeon is also remembered for a number of successful resistance in military conflicts with Tang Dynasty under Emperor Li Shimin and...
was alive, Tang was not able to conquer the Goguryeo.
Third War and Goguryo's fall
Goguryeo's ally in the southwest, BaekjeBaekje
Baekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....
, fell to the Silla-Tang alliance in 661 the victorious allies continued their assault on Goguryeo for the next eight years. Meanwhile, in 666 (though dates vary from 664-666), Yeon Gaesomun died and civil war ensued among his three sons. One of his sons, Yeon Namsaeng
Yeon Namsaeng
Yeon Namsaeng was the eldest son of the Goguryeo Dae Mangniji Yeon Gaesomun . In 665, Yeon Namsaeng succeeded his father and became the 2nd Dae Magniji of Goguryeo.- Background :...
fled to Tang and was a big part in the next invasion of Goguryeo by the Tang and served as the primary key to the downfall of Gogureyo, as only when he came did the Tang's emperor was willing to send troops to Goguryeo, since the defector knew the most of the weaknesses and shortcuts that Tang forces did not know of, into Goguryeo's fortified territory. diagonally opposite another son, Yeon Namgeon
Yeon Namgeon
Yeon Namgeon was the second son of the Goguryeo military leader and dictator Yeon Gaesomun , and third Dae Magniji of Goguryeo during the reign of Goguryeo's last ruler, King Bojang-The Fall of Goguryeo:...
resist in the face of death to his brother's treachery.
Silla-Tang eventually vanquished the weary kingdom, which had been suffering from a series of famines and internal strife. Goguryeo finally fell in 668.
Aftermath
SillaSilla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
thus unified most of the Korean peninsula in 668, but the kingdom's reliance on China's Tang Dynasty had its price. Silla had to forcibly resist the imposition of Chinese rule over the entire peninsula, which they did and eventually expelled the Tang. Silla'a unification of Korea was short lived for the former Goguryeo General Dae Joyeong led the remnants of Goguryeo, united with the Mohe and established Balhae
Balhae
Balhae was a Manchurian kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. After Goguryeo's capital and southern territories fell to Unified Silla, Dae Jo-yeong, a Mohe general, whose father was Dae Jung-sang, established Jin , later called Balhae.Balhae occupied southern parts of Manchuria and...
, known to Koreans as the successor of Goguryeo, and retaining much of its former territory.
Balhae would become a buffer in trade and was a powerful empire that Tang could not bother. Their end would come from the Khitan
Khitan people
thumb|250px|Khitans [[Eagle hunting|using eagles to hunt]], painted during the Chinese [[Song Dynasty]].The Khitan people , or Khitai, Kitan, or Kidan, were a nomadic Mongolic people, originally located at Mongolia and Manchuria from the 4th century...
tribe. This end was a decisive event in Northeast Asian history for it was the last Korean Kingdom to hold territory in Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
.