From 403 BC, the three families of Han, Zhao and Wei were divided into Jin until 222 AD. After nearly 200 years of confrontation between Zhao and Qin, they were still destroyed by Qin. Then the question came. During the reign of King Wuling of Zhao, a vigorous reform of "Hufu Riding and Shooting" was launched, and Zhao's military strength was greatly improved. Why didn't he just pass through Qin?
Below, I will explain why Zhao did not win Qin in the end from the following aspects.
Shang Yang's reform VS Hu Fu's riding and shooting, Zhao Guo's reform walked on one leg from the beginning. The dispute between Qin and Zhao is a protracted war, and both countries have carried out a reform to change the national luck. Shang Yang's political reform was carried out by Qin in Qin Xiaogong's time, while Zhao's "Hu Fu riding and shooting" was carried out in Zhao Wuling's time.
Compared with the two political reforms, the "Shang Yang Political Reform" involves more extensive ground. Shang Yang abandoned the mining field, rewarded farming and weaving, abolished Shi Qing Shilu and established the system of military titles, which fundamentally solved the problem that Qin people fought privately and reversed the embarrassing situation that Qin people had always been "experts in civil wars and amateurs in foreign wars".
In addition, the forced separation of families and the reduction of the phenomenon of family settlement, on the one hand, increased the national tax-paying population, on the other hand, further curbed the phenomenon of private struggle.
Furthermore, the line of "ruling the country by law" has been further established, and the prince's violation of the law is the same as that of the common people, and Qin law is notoriously harsh. The severe punishment of the prize, in a fashionable word, is the "wolf culture" in the state of Qin.
In addition to these, Qin also used the money in the national treasury to purchase a large number of equipment to breed cattle, so as to attract the people of the six countries to move to Qin and become Qin citizens.
At first glance, Shang Yang's political reform basically covered all aspects such as politics, economy, culture and legal system, which was a thorough reform.
After this reform, the laws and regulations of the State of Qin were unimpeded, and the private struggle between the Qin people was curbed, forging a teacher who has always been a tiger and a wolf, and Qin Ruishi was brave. Vigorously develop farming, reward farming and weaving, the state treasury is full, and the people are rich. Since the "Shang Yang Reform", Qin people have stood up completely.
This political reform was several years earlier than King Wuling of Zhao's Hu Fu riding and shooting, which led the trend of political reform.
King Wuling of Zhao's "Hufu Riding and Shooting" is more of a change in dressing and fighting. Zhao is in the land of four wars, which is more difficult than Qin's situation.
Besides confronting the other six countries, Zhao also confronted the Xiongnu in the north. At that time, most vassal States still fought with infantry and chariots. The nomadic people in the north have no chariots, and they go like the wind one by one.
Fight if you can, run if you can't, and beat Zhao Guoren without any temper. In this case, King Wuling of Zhao decided to use Hu to rule Hu and learn from Hu people's riding and shooting, so as to fight against Hu people and create a precedent for light cavalry.
After Zhao's "Hufu Riding and Shooting", Zhao people, who were originally brave and good at fighting, were even more powerful, and their military strength had made a qualitative leap. Their cavalry cooperated with the infantry regiment in the war and played an irreplaceable role.
So King Wuling of Zhao took them to destroy Zhongshan and swallow the troubles, and Zhao Guobing pointed his finger at the world. Even so, "Hufu riding and shooting" is not an out-and-out reform.
It only reformed the military, but did not make corresponding reforms in the national system, national economy, and national legal system and culture.
There are many mountains and rivers in the territory of Zhao, and the cultivated land area is small. Therefore, the domestic economic composition of Zhao is complex and the economic composition structure is diverse. "Hufu Riding and Shooting" has not solved this hidden danger from the root.
Moreover, in terms of culture and legal system, many people in Yan and Zhao are generous and elegiac, and they pay attention to "looking down on life and death and doing it if they don't accept it", which is similar to the private struggle of Qin people, and "riding and shooting in Hu clothes" has not fundamentally solved this problem. In addition, not talking about the rule of law and the rule of man also laid the groundwork for the demise of Zhao.
The struggle between Qin and Zhao is like snowballing, even a small disadvantage will be infinitely magnified, even a small advantage will become the key factor to change the outcome.
The State of Qin started from Qin Xiaogong, and became a monarch from generation to generation. Even after Qin Xiaogong's death, Shang Yang was executed, and the system of confirmation of Shang Yang's political reform was still implemented.
From Qin Xiaogong to Qin Huiwen, Qin Wuwang, Qin Zhaoxiang, Qin Xiaowen, Qin Zhuangxiang, Qin Shihuang, from generation to generation. They all regard going east as their mission. In addition to adhering to the Qin law formulated by Shang Jun in the system, they are still insisting on attracting talents from six countries.
The rise of the State of Qin relied on talents who were all the best in the six countries, from Shang Yang to Zhang Yi, Fan Ju, Reese and others. With the help of these people, the monarch made up for his lack of strategy.
The monarch of Qin replaced the monarch of Ming Dynasty. He was good at coachable, and his comprehensive national strength became stronger and stronger.
On the other hand, during the reign of King Zhao and King Wuling of Zhao, he personally directed a father-son struggle for power and a brother struggle for power, which led to the tragedy of starving to death in Dune Palace. From then on, Zhao Guojun was worse from generation to generation.
As mentioned above, the state of Qin can only rely on the legal system and the law of Shang Jun can be implemented smoothly. Therefore, the king of Qin doesn't need to do anything, just deal with it according to the law of his ancestors. However, this is not the case in Zhao, who relies on the system of people instead of the legal system. They don't have a complete set of rules and regulations to restrain Zhao Wang, but rely on Zhao Wang's personal ability to govern the country.
Zhao Wang's ability is uneven, so the road to Zhao's rise is even more bumpy. Zhao Wang is good enough to make up for the lack of system, and people are the most unstable factor. Therefore, in the face of Qin State, which runs forward like a precision instrument, Zhao's disadvantages are all obvious.
In terms of personnel appointment, Zhao relies more on the imperial clan, such as Ping Yuanjun Zhao Sheng and Zhao Bao, and still the later Chunpingjun Zhao Shu.
How can the ability level of the imperial clan be comparable to the top talents of the six countries? In terms of talent competition, Zhao was completely defeated. In the "Battle of Changping", King Zhao Xiaocheng listened to Zhao Sheng's advice and ate the fat in Shangdang County with his mouth open, which led to the "Battle of Changping" for three years.
This is a final exam to test the quality of Qin and Zhao. After three years' war, Zhao, who occupied the geographical advantage, was defeated by Qin, 450,000 Zhao people died in Changping, and Zhao withdrew from the first echelon of anti-Qin.
There is still one thing left. Zhao's diplomacy is also a short board. Unlike Qin's purposeful outbreeding and close attack, Zhao is like a hungry wolf, relying on its own military strength, regardless of the relations between countries. Diplomacy was in tatters. After the battle of Changping, they could have caught their breath. As a result, the northern state of Yan took the opportunity to fuck with him.
If the prince of Zhao had made some achievements in diplomacy, he would not have been beaten up by Reservoir Dogs.
To sum up, I have said so much above. To sum up briefly, there are the following reasons why Zhao lost to Qin:
(1) Zhao's reform was not as thorough as Qin's. Zhao only carried out military changes, while Qin completely completed the upgrade.
(2) Qin replaced Ming Jun, while Zhao Guojun was mixed. In terms of talent policy, Zhao was even more isolated.
(3) Lack of diplomacy; Qin has done a better job in foreign diplomacy, and it has always been the main theme of their diplomacy. Zhao Guo, on the other hand, is even more messy, fighting around like a headless fly.
(4) The most fundamental reason is that the comprehensive national strength of Zhao is not as good as that of Qin, and the comprehensive national strength is reflected in the incompleteness of the political reform and the inaction of the monarch.