元末四川军团东征荆襄战事钩沉

Facts on Eastward Fights of Sichuan Corps in Jingxiang Area at End of Yuan Dynasty

元顺帝即位前后,一场持续七十年的蒙古皇室内乱,因“天历之乱”平定而告结束。恰逢此时,东南地区民众揭竿而起,全国性的反元斗争风起云涌。发生在红巾军起义初期的四川军团东征荆襄事件,是元末战略方向东移的产物。四川军团镇守长江防线,因布防范围过宽,兵力相对分散,湖港交错的水域作战环境不利蒙古步骑发挥特长,因此在决定江汉防区命运的一系列关键战役中,均以失败告终。四川军团东征荆襄战役的失败,对西部战场局势产生了巨大的冲击,使元末战争格局为之改观,全国政治军事地图得以改绘。数万四川军马陷入荆襄战场泥潭,为蜀境失陷埋下了祸根,最终给元朝带来致命打击。

Troubles within the Mongol royal house led to a 70-year war which ended,as the Rebellions in the Years of Tianli were crushed,around the time when Shundi of Yuan dynasty came into power.Meanwhile,riots in SE-China swept across the Mongol empire.Hence,Sichuan Corps were sent on a punitive expedition eastward into the Jingxiang Area to suppress the newly up-risen Red Turban Rebellion,which is regarded as a strategic shift to move the defense to the eastern part of the empire in the late years of Yuan dynasty.Defenses,under Sichuan Corps’control along the Yangtze,were overextended with dispersal of forces in the backwaters of the Yangtze which was extremely disadvantageous to the Mongolian troops,leading to their series of loses in the Jingxiang Area.It was a Waterloo to the Mongols of Yuan dynasty because the Sichuan Corps were fatally struck resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands.This weakened their reign over the Sic huan-centered Western Battleground in SW-China and served as the Achilles'Heel to the Yuan dynasty..