History - Lesson 9

Question 1

What are some main points about the Qin and Han armies?

Answer 1

• The Qin and Han emperors improved on the military reforms of the Warring States period
  - They kept permanent armies of professionally trained soldiers, led by generals, who were promoted according to ability
  - This meant that they had men to respond to threats quickly and fight lengthy campaigns
• As the Han relied mainly in volunteer soldiers, their permanent army was smaller than that of the Qin, so they had to increase it in times of war

Question 2

What were some of the fighting methods used in Ancient China?

Answer 2

• Armies mainly consisted of infantry
• Small groups of cavalry
• Three-man chariots with a driver, archer and a soldier

Question 3

How did China’s empire change between the time of the Shang and the Han Wudi?

Answer 3

Chinese dynasties continually expanded their territory. The Shang Kingdom covered about 100,000 km², the Zhou gained control of the Shang land. Qin leaders defeated other warring states. Under Han Wudi, they took control of land in central Asia, Manchuria, Hainan islands and Vietnam.

Question 4

Who is Sunzi and why did he become famous?

Answer 4

He was a successful general, and he wrote one of the most famous books on military strategy in c.512 BCE.
Some of his key ideas include:
- calculate the chances of victory before going to war
- avoid direct conflict
- use the environment as a weapon