After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang engaged in the four-year-long “Chu-Han Contention.” Han Xin, a general under Liu Bang, was known for his intelligence, courage, and skills in warfare. In 204 BC, Han Xin led his army to attack the Zhao state. The two sides confronted each other near Jingxing Pass in present-day Hebei Province, in what is known as the “Battle of Jingxing.” The Zhao army numbered 200,000, while Han Xin had only tens of thousands of troops, far outnumbered by the Zhao army.
The Zhao commander, confident in his superior numbers, refused to adopt his strategist’s plan to cut off Han Xin’s supply lines. Han Xin, upon learning this, was overjoyed and ordered his troop to advance.
Han Xin first dispatched two thousand light cavalry, each carrying a Han army red flag, to take a shortcut to the vicinity of the Zhao army’s main camp and conceal themselves. He instructed them to wait until the Zhao army poured out in full force, then quickly rush into the Zhao camp and replace Zhao flags with Han flags.
The next day, Han Xin arrayed his troops with their backs to the river. Seeing Han Xin’s “foolishness,” Zhao commander laughed out loud, believing him to be ignorant of military strategy. Han Xin ordered his troops to attack and the two armies engaged in fierce combat. Midway through the battle, the Han army feigned a retreat, withdrawing to the river bank. Seeing this, the Zhao army assumed the Han army was routed and ordered the whole army to pursuit. The two sides fought fiercely, and the Han army, with nowhere to retreat, fought desperately. Unable to break through, the Zhao army had no choice but to retreat back to their camp. However, upon returning, they found their camp filled with Han army red flags, and their morale immediately collapsed. It turned out that the two thousand light cavalry had already captured the Zhao camp as planned. The Zhao army fled and scattered. Han Xin seized the opportunity to counterattack and achieved a great victory.
After the battle, the soldiers asked in bewilderment, ““Forming a line with one’s back to the water is a major taboo in military strategy, how come we managed to win?” Han Xin smiled and said, “The Art of War states: ‘Place your army in deadly peril, and it will survive; plunge it into desperate straits, and it will come off in victory.’ If I had given you a way out, would your have fought to the death?”
This battle became a classic example in Chinese military history. “Fighting with one’s back to the river” has become an idiom, used to describe the resolve to secure victory at all costs when facing a desperate situation.
Origin: “Records of the Grand Historian: The Biography of the Marquis of Huaiyin”
#29 背水一战
秦朝灭亡后，项羽与刘邦展开了长达四年的”楚汉之争“。韩信是汉王刘邦手下的大将，智勇双全，善于用兵。公元前204年，韩信率军攻打赵国，双方在今河北井陉口一带对峙，史称“井陉之战“。赵军有二十万大军，韩信只有几万兵马，兵力远逊于赵军。
赵军统帅自恃兵多将广，拒绝采纳谋士的计策截断韩信的粮道。韩信得知后大喜，下令进军。
韩信先派两千轻骑，每人带一面汉军红旗，从小路绕到赵军大营附近隐蔽，嘱咐他们等赵军倾巢而出时，迅速冲入赵营，拔掉赵旗，换上汉旗。
第二天，韩信背靠河水列阵。赵军见韩信如此“愚蠢”，大笑不止，认为他不懂兵法。韩信率主力出击，与赵军展开激战。战至中途，汉军佯装败退，撤至河边。赵军见状，以为汉军溃败，全军倾巢而出追击。双方激战，汉军因退无可退，个个拼死抵抗，赵军久攻不下，只好先撤兵回营。可回营一看，营中全是汉军红旗，顿时军心大乱。原来那两千轻骑早已按计划夺下了赵营。赵军纷纷逃跑溃散。韩信趁机反攻，大获全胜。
战后，将士们不解地问：“背水列阵是兵家大忌，为何我们竟然能胜？”韩信笑着说：“兵法上说’陷之死地而后生，置之亡地而后存’，如果我给你们一条生路，你们能拼死作战吗？
这场战役成为中国军事史上的经典战例。“背水一战”也成为成语，比喻在绝境中不留退路，凭借决死一搏的勇气去争取胜利。
出自 《史记 淮阴侯列传》