The campaign
Battle of Red Cliffs
赤壁之战
In the winter of 208, Cao Cao pushed south down the Yangtze to destroy Sun Quan and Liu Bei in one campaign. The allied fleet under Zhou Yu met him at Red Cliffs; Huang Gai feigned surrender and drove fire ships into Cao Cao’s moored fleet, setting it ablaze. Cao Cao withdrew north, and the three-way division of the realm took shape.
See the realm in 209 on the historical atlasThe people
Who fought it
Sources
Historical sources
- Chronicle资治通鉴 · 卷六十五·建安十三年
Lu Su linked Liu Bei and Sun Quan and advocated cooperation against Cao Cao.
- Chronicle资治通鉴 · 卷六十五·建安十三年
The Wu and Liu forces defeated Cao Cao’s army at Red Cliffs after joining forces.
- Chronicle资治通鉴 · 卷六十五·建安十三年
The historical account credits Huang Gai with proposing the fire attack against Cao Cao’s linked ships.
- Historical record三国志 · 魏书一·武帝纪
Cao Cao’s southward campaign met the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei at Red Cliffs, where his army was defeated.
- Historical record三国志 · 蜀书二·先主传
Facing Cao Cao’s advance, Liu Bei joined Sun Quan’s forces in the alliance that fought at Red Cliffs.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书二·吴主传
Sun Quan sent Lu Su to meet Liu Bei and explore a joint response to Cao Cao’s southward campaign.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书九·周瑜、鲁肃、吕蒙传
When Sun Quan’s court debated surrender, Zhou Yu argued that Cao Cao could be resisted.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书九·周瑜鲁肃吕蒙传
Lu Su argued that Cao Cao’s forces faced northern and riverine disadvantages and urged resistance.