Chinese Strategy Against the Northern Steppe, c.600BC-90AD

Lots of people getting down to business to defeat the Huns... but not Mulan, whose legend comes from c.400-600AD.

Discussions on Chinese strategy tend to be heavy on Sun Tzu and light on actual history. This video aims to change that by introducing viewers to a formative period in Chinese strategymaking - the initial phase of China's long relationship with steppe nomads, culminating in the 300-year long contest between Han China and the Xiongnu Empire.

Hopefully, over the course of the video several 'tropes' of Chinese strategy will be debunked, like: 1) perennial Chinese defense vs. nomads, 2) marriage alliances being a form of appeasement, and 3) that military might alone was what brought down the Xiongnu.

Chinese names are given in Modern Chinese/Mandarin pinyin. Forgive the Mandarin pronunciation. No, Xiongnu are not 'Huns'.

All errors are my own.

SOURCES:
'Ancient China and Its Enemies', Nicola di Cosmo
'Military Culture in Imperial China', Nicola di Cosmo ed.
'The Early Chinese Empires', Mark Lewis

'Zhanguoshi [Warring States History]', Yang Kuan
'The Rise of China vs. the Logic of Strategy', Edward Luttwak (NOT a particularly accurate description of Chinese history)

ATTRIBUTIONS:
Google for maps.
Wikipedia for basic fact-checking.

Made using Powerpoint 2013.

Видео Chinese Strategy Against the Northern Steppe, c.600BC-90AD канала Strategy Stuff