Battle of Red Cliffs

A decisive battle fought around 208–209 CE in which the forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei defeated Cao Cao’s army on the Yangtze River, helping divide China among rival states.

Fire attack: A military tactic that uses incendiary weapons to damage or destroy an enemy’s forces and equipment. The allied forces used fire to devastate Cao Cao’s ships and disrupt his army.
Eastern Han dynasty: The later period of the Han dynasty, lasting from 25 to 220 CE. The battle unfolded as central authority under the dynasty was breaking down.
Sun Quan: A warlord who ruled southeastern China and founded the state of Eastern Wu. He committed his forces to resisting Cao Cao’s advance.
Three Kingdoms: The period from 220 to 280 CE when Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu divided control of China. Red Cliffs helped preserve the southern powers that became two of the three states.
Records of the Three Kingdoms: A third-century Chinese historical work by Chen Shou covering the late Han and Three Kingdoms periods. It is a principal early source for the battle and its participants.
Chain linking of Cao Cao’s ships: The practice of fastening ships together, associated with Cao Cao’s fleet at Red Cliffs. Linked vessels were less able to maneuver and more vulnerable to spreading flames.
Cao Cao’s southern campaign: Cao Cao’s military advance toward the middle Yangtze region in 208 CE. The campaign brought his army into conflict with Sun Quan and Liu Bei.
Liu Bei: A warlord who claimed descent from the Han imperial house and later founded Shu Han. His alliance with Sun Quan supplied a second army against Cao Cao.
Eastern Wu: A state in southeastern China founded by Sun Quan during the Three Kingdoms period. The victory secured the basis for Sun Quan’s enduring regime.
Zizhi Tongjian: An eleventh-century Chinese history organized chronologically from the Warring States period to the Five Dynasties. Its narrative shaped later historical accounts of Red Cliffs.

Linked from 13 pages