The Road to Julu: A Clash of Titans

The year was 207 BCE, and the once-mighty Qin Empire stood on the brink of collapse. As Xiang Yu’s rebel Chu forces marched north toward Julu, two formidable Qin armies under generals Zhang Han and Wang Li prepared their defense strategy. This confrontation would become one of the most pivotal battles in Chinese history, marking the beginning of the end for the Qin dynasty.

Zhang Han, commander of the convict army (composed largely of pardoned prisoners), and Wang Li, leader of the elite Jiuyuan troops from the northern frontier, spent an entire day in Wang Li’s command tent debating their response. Among the six senior commanders present, only Zhang Han showed genuine concern about Xiang Yu’s approaching forces. While Zhang Han personally dismissed Xiang Yu as merely a brute, his military instincts told him to take this threat seriously.

The Contenders: Qin’s Professional Army vs. Chu’s Fierce Rebels

The Qin military machine, perfected over a century of warfare, represented the pinnacle of ancient Chinese military organization. Their strength lay in disciplined formations, coordinated tactics, and sophisticated logistics – the very antithesis of Xiang Yu’s personal heroics. As Zhang Han remarked, referencing the ancient military strategist Wu Qi: “A true general commands with drums and banners, not through personal combat.”

Xiang Yu, by contrast, embodied the warrior-hero ideal. His reputation preceded him – a commander who led charges personally, wept for wounded soldiers, and inspired fanatical loyalty. Yet to Qin professionals, he represented everything wrong with amateur warfare: reliance on individual bravery over tactics, emotional decision-making, and disregard for logistical planning.

The First Clashes: Shock and Adaptation

When Xiang Yu’s army arrived at Julu, they shattered all military conventions by attacking immediately without rest. The initial assault caught Wang Li’s forces completely unprepared. The Chu troops, clad in distinctive earth-red uniforms, overran Qin defenses before proper orders could be issued. After two hours of chaotic fighting, the Qin army managed to regroup, but not before suffering over 20,000 casualties.

This stunning debut forced the Qin commanders to reassess. Zhang Han proposed swapping positions – having Wang Li’s elite northern troops face Xiang Yu while his convict army handled the besieged Zhao forces and other rebel contingents. Wang Li, confident in his men’s abilities, accepted the challenge.

The Nine Battles of Julu: A War of Attrition

What followed was a series of brutal engagements that would stretch both armies to their limits:

1. Initial Surprise Attack: Chu victory through shock tactics
2. Qin Counterattack: Disciplined formations regain parity
3-6. Sustained Combat: Four days of continuous fighting with neither side gaining decisive advantage
7-8. Logistics War: Xiang Yu destroys Qin supply lines
9. Final Stand: The last battle of Wang Li’s starving army

The turning point came when Xiang Yu, advised by his strategist Fan Zeng, targeted the Qin supply corridor. After cutting off Wang Li’s logistics, the situation became desperate. With no food and dwindling numbers, the Qin commanders faced impossible choices.

The Last Stand of the Qin Army

As supplies ran out, Wang Li gathered his remaining forces – now reduced to about 30,000 combat-effective troops from an original 100,000. In a moving speech, he explained why no reinforcements would come from the northern frontier (needed to guard against Xiongnu nomads) and why the corrupt Qin court wouldn’t send help.

That night, in an act of ultimate sacrifice, over 8,000 Qin wounded committed mass suicide rather than burden their comrades. This chilling demonstration of the Qin military ethos – “better to die than be captured, better to perish than burden the army” – preceded the final battle.

The Final Battle: Death Before Surrender

At dawn, the remaining Qin forces formed up for their last attack. Though starving and outnumbered, they fought with terrifying discipline against Xiang Yu’s fresher troops. The battle raged for hours until:

– Wang Li, after refusing surrender, impaled himself on Xiang Yu’s spear
– General Su Jiao and his entire command perished fighting
– General She Jian, the last senior officer, threw himself into a bonfire rather than be taken prisoner

With this sacrifice, the main Qin field army ceased to exist. The battle of Julu marked the turning point in the rebellion against Qin, paving the way for Xiang Yu’s brief dominance and the eventual rise of the Han dynasty.

Legacy of Julu: The End of an Era

The battle demonstrated both the strengths and fatal weaknesses of the Qin military system. Their unmatched discipline and coordination nearly prevailed against overwhelming odds, but the empire’s logistical overextension and political decay proved fatal. For Xiang Yu, the victory cemented his reputation as China’s preeminent warrior, though his subsequent failures would show the limits of pure martial prowess.

Historically, Julu stands as one of antiquity’s most dramatic last stands – where an empire’s finest troops chose death over surrender, and where one man’s tactical brilliance overcame institutional military excellence. The echoes of this confrontation would resonate through Chinese military thought for centuries, serving as both inspiration and cautionary tale about the relationship between individual heroism and systemic military power.