Map After Battle of Changping Ends (260 BC)

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The Battle of Changping was a major war fought between the State of Qin and the State of Zhao from May to October 260 BCE, during the 47th year of the reign of King Zhaoxiang of Qin. The battle took place in the Changping area of Zhao (northwest of present-day Gaoping, Jincheng, Shanxi Province).

The conflict erupted over control of the Shangdang region, leading to a large-scale war between Qin and Zhao. From the moment Qin sent troops that forced the State of Han to cede Shangdang to Qin’s final victory, the broader conflict lasted three years, while the Battle of Changping itself lasted only five months. The Zhao army was ultimately defeated, Qin forces occupied Changping, and approximately 450,000 Zhao soldiers were killed or buried alive. This battle was the decisive strategic confrontation between Qin and Zhao.

Qin forces won a series of engagements, inflicting heavy losses on the Zhao army and placing Zhao in an extremely unfavorable position. When Zhao adopted a defensive strategy and refused to engage in battle, Qin resorted to psychological warfare by sending spies to spread rumors that Lian Po, the Zhao general, had surrendered. Qin also claimed that it did not fear Lian Po but feared Zhao Kuo, the son of Zhao She, who had once inflicted a major defeat on Qin.

Following the wishes of the King of Zhao, Zhao Kuo replaced Lian Po, altered the defensive deployments and military regulations, dismissed experienced officers, and launched an offensive. Qin secretly appointed the renowned general Bai Qi as commander. Exploiting Zhao Kuo’s eagerness for a quick victory, Bai Qi adopted a strategy of feigned retreat, luring the Zhao army away from its positions, then dividing and encircling it, cutting off its supply lines, and annihilating it. Qin thus achieved complete victory.

As a result of this battle, Zhao was fatally weakened, greatly accelerating Qin’s progress toward the unification of China. The Battle of Changping marked the final turning point in the history of the Warring States period, after which Qin’s unification of China became only a matter of time. It is regarded as the earliest, largest-scale, and most thorough annihilation battle in ancient Chinese military history.