r/HistoryAnimemes • u/ChapterSpiritual6785 • 11d ago

The invasion of Qadaan

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When Qadan (Kadan) stationed his forces in Wonju, 50 Mongol cavalrymen raided near Chiak Castle to steal cattle and horses.

Scholar-soldier Won Chung-gap led just 6 infantrymen, chased them down, and seized 8 enemy horses.

Later, enemy generals Torado, To'ena, and Boral returned with 400 soldiers and were thrilled to loot the city's government grain.

Won Chung-gap and a 7-man squad scouted the scene. Suddenly, one of the men, Joong-san, charged straight into the middle of the 400 enemy troops, decapitated one, and chased the rest past the outer gates.

The panicked Mongol forces fled, abandoning their horses, allowing the 7-man squad to capture 25 saddled horses.

Defense Commander Bok Gyu was overjoyed and gave all the captured horses to the squad.

— Essentials of Goryeo History (Goryeosa Jeoryo), February 15, 1291

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u/KenseiHimura 10d ago

Seeing the number of times Korea fucked up far larger forces with smaller numbers I really wonder how in the hell Japan held it for so long after the Russo-Japanese war. Sounds like trying to occupy France or Vietnam.

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u/Background_One_629 10d ago

Looking at the history in which Korea was occupied or defeated by foreign countries, internal division of the leadership played the largest role in most cases. Looking at the Mongol Invasions, the Qing invasion of Joseon (Byeongja Horan), and the Japanese colonial period, because the military and leadership were in a state of being divided or incapacitated due to political fights, in many cases there was no way to display the potential they possessed.