Trần Hưng Đạo
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Trần Hưng Đạo (陳興道) (1228-1300) was a Vietnamese Grand Commander-in-Chief during the Trần Dynasty. Born as Trần Quốc Tuấn (陳國峻), he commanded the Đại Việt (Dai Viet) armies that repelled three major Mongol invasions in the 13th century. His multiple victories over the mighty Mongol Yuan Dynasty under Kublai Khan are considered among the greatest military feats in world history. General Trần Hưng Đạo's military brilliance and prowess is reflected in his many treatises on warfare and is a one of the most accomplished generals in history. He is also one of a very few generals in history to have never lost a single battle or war under his command[citation needed].
In 1984, a forum of historians from around the world, held in London, England, nominated Trần Hưng Đạo as one of the top 10 generals in world history[citation needed]. In Vietnam, he - along with the Trưng sisters is worshiped as a folk god in Vietnamese folklore and considered as the best general ever in Vietnamese history, even greater than the better-known (to Westerners) General Võ Nguyên Giáp, Commander-in-Chief of North Vietnamese army during the Vietnam War.
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[edit] Origins
Trần Quốc Tuấn had just been born just when the Trần Dynasty overtook the Lý Dynasty in 1225 AD, when the last Lý monarch Lý Chiêu Hoàng Đế abdicated the throne in favour of her husband Trần Thái Tông (Tran Canh), many in the Lý royal family blamed the Trần for usurping and in particular, Trần Thủ Độ its architect. Trần Quốc Tuấn was born to Grand Duke Trần Liễu, the older brother of the new emperor, Trần Thái Tông. That same year, Trần Liễu being the Empress' brother-in-law at the time was forced to give up his wife to his younger brother the Emperor Thái Tông under pressure from Imperial Regent Trần Thủ Độ in order to solidify Trần family's role in the imperial government. Trần Liễu harboured a grudge against his uncle Trần Thủ Độ. Trần Quốc Tuấn was Trần Liễu's real son from his original wife, both father and son had very close relationship. Liễu would find great tutors to teach his son Trần Quốc Tuấn with the hope of one day becoming a great leader of Đại Việt and regaining his family's honour. On his deathbed, Liễu told his son to avenge what he felt was personal shame forced upon him by the Imperial Regent.
[edit] The second Mongol invasion
In 1285, Kublai Khan demanded passage through the Kingdom of Đại Việt (in northern Vietnam) for his Yuan army on their invasion of the kingdom of Champa. When Đại Việt's Emperor Trần Nhân Tông refused, the Mongol army, led by Prince Toghan, attacked Đại Việt and seized the capital Thăng Long. The Vietnamese retreated to the south after burning off most of their crops and facilities. Trần Hưng Đạo and other generals escorted the Royal Court, staying just ahead of the Mongol army in hot pursuit. When the Mongol army had been worn down with tropical diseases and lack of supplies, Trần Hưng Đạo launched a counter-offensive. Most of the battles were on the waterfronts, where the Mongols could not use their cavalry strength. Mongol commander Sogetu of the southern front was killed in the battle. In their withdrawal from Đại Việt, the Mongols were also attacked by the Hmong and Yao minorities in the northern regions.
[edit] The third Mongol invasion
In 1287, Kublai Khan again sent Prince Toghan to lead another army into Đại Việt. The Mongol forces consist of infantry, calvary and a full fleet with the total strength estimated at 500,000 men according to the original Vietnamese history. Later Western historians put the Mongol force at a more modest number of some 70,000 to 100,000.[citation needed]
During the first stage, the Mongols quickly defeated most of the Đại Việt troops, stationed along the border. Prince Toghan's fleet devastated most of the force of General Trần Khánh Dư in Vân Đồn. Right before that, Prince Ariq-Qaya had led his cavalry to attack and capture Phú Lương and Đại Than, two important border stations in the north of Đại Việt. This ground force later met up with Prince Toghan's fleet in Vân Đồn. King Trần Nhân Tông called back General Trần Khánh Dư for court-martial, but this general delayed his return and regrouped his force in Vân Đồn. The cavalry and fleet of Prince Toghan continue to advance to Thăng Long (today's Hanoi), Đại Việt's capital. Unfortunately, the trailing supply fleet of Prince Toghan, arriving at Vân Đồn right after that, was ambushed and captured by the remaining forces of General Trần Khánh Dư.
This news together with the news that General Trần Hưng Đạo had recapture Đại Than in the north sent the fast advancing Mongol forces into chaos. Guerrilla tactics by the Vietnamese also started to cause a great deal of casualties to the Mongols. But the Mongols kept advancing to Thăng Long, which was already abandoned by Đại Việt's king. The following battle results were mixed: the Mongols won at Yên Hưng and Long Hưng but lost in the sea of Đại Bàng. Eventually, Prince Toghan decided to withdraw his army: he would lead the ground force through Nội Bàng while his fleet commander, Omar would direct the fleet back through Bạch Đằng River.
[edit] The Battle of Bạch Đằng
The Mongol fleet however had no idea of an unconventional trap already set by General Trần Hưng Đạo on Bạch Đằng River. Trần Hưng Đạo, for months before that, had his soldiers and peasants place huge steel-tipped wooden stakes in some waters of Bạch Đằng River. During the retreat of Omar, the Vietnamese used small craft to aggravate and lure the Mongol vessels to those waters, in what first appeared to be a victorious pursuit of the Mongols. As the tide on Bạch Đằng River receded, the Mongol vessels got stuck and sunk by those embedded steel-tipped stakes. The Vietnamese led by Trần Hưng Đạo burned off almost 400 Mongol vessels and attack ships on this river. The entire Mongol fleet was destroyed, and Omar was captured and executed.
The ground force of Prince Toghan was more fortunate. They were ambushed along the road through Nội Bàng, but managed to escape back to China by dividing their forces into smaller retreating groups.
[edit] Legacy
In all their conquests, Mongols failed to utterly destroy only two other countries apart from Vietnam. Korea struggled against Mongol invasion for almost 50 years, and while it relented to become a tributary ally of Yuan Dynasty, the national integrity was largely preserved. The cooperation of Koreans however enabled Mongols to embark on a more disastrous campaign against Japan. Mongols' first invasion of Japan ended in a retreat after the Battle of Bun'ei in 1274. The second attempt was cancelled following the destruction of the fleet by a famous typhoon, called kamikaze (divine wind) in 1281. Đại Việt's General Trần Hưng Đạo defeated the Mongols in two campaigns.
General Trần Hưng Đạo brilliantly led an army of poorly equipped volunteers and peasant conscripts against the hordes of Mongols at the peak of their power. Trần Hưng Đạo defeated them by exploiting their traditional "raiding" style of warfare which relied on fast cavalry manoeuvrability. He is famous for arguably inventing "hit and run" warfare. Trần Hưng Đạo was a master of strategic geographical war fighting using advantageous landscapes to stage battles in places such as dense forests or on waterfronts where enemy cavalry is mostly ineffective.
Most notably, his speech "Hich Tuong Si" (Call of Soldiers), addressing his soldiers at the beginning of the First Mongol Invasion.
His advice to king Trần Anh Tôn before his death in 1300 served several times as reference for most of Vietnamese in the struggle for independence: "When the enemy advances roaring like fire and wind, it is easy to overcome them. If they use patience like the silkworm nibbling berry leaves without looking for a quick victory and without fleecing people, we need to have not only good generals but also an elaboration of adequate tactics like in a chess game1. In any way, the army should be united, having only one heart like father and sons in a family, the people should be treated with humanity so we can guarantee deep roots and durable bases."
[edit] Personal
Being a member of the royal family, Trần Hưng Đạo was a man of intellect and was an accomplished poet. From a young age, he was very fond of classical Chinese literature and was very well-versed in "The Art of War" by the famous Sun Tzu. Poetry was his first and true passion and would have pursued that course had not for the multiple Yuan Mongol invasion attempts into Dai Viet that spanned over 60 years. Military became his recourse and it turned out to be his most successful accomplishments.
[edit] Death
For his military brilliance in defending Đại Việt during his lifetime, The Emperor bestowed Trần Hưng Đạo title of Hưng Đạo Đại Vuong (Grand Duke Hung Dao) for his military contributions. In 1300 AD, he died of natural causes at the age of 73 and his body was cremated and his ashes were poured under an oak tree in his royal family estate near Thang Long (modern-day Hanoi) according to his will. The Vietnamese intended to bury him in a lavish royal tomb and ceremony upon his death, but he would decline it in favour of a simple, humble private ceremony.
[edit] References and external links
- TRAN HUNG DAO (1213-1300)
- Statue of Trần Hưng Đạo, Vietnamese Hero, 19th-20th. C.
- (French) Le Vietnam et la stratégie du faible au fort
- Call of Soldiers Translated and adapted by George F. Schultz
