Breakup of the Confederacy

Breakup of the Confederacy
Date 191-192 Location All across China Result * Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao go to war. Liu Dai takes over Yanzhou. Liu Biao defeats Sun Jian.
Forces
Yuan Shao's Forces Liu Dai's Forces Liu Biao's Forces	Gongsun Zan's Forces Qiao Mao's Forces† Sun Jian's Forces
Commanders
Yuan Shao Liu Dai Liu Biao	Gongsun Zan Qiao Mao† Sun Jian†

The Breakup of the Confederacy was an epoch during the Warlord Era. After Dong Zhuo was overthrown by the confederacy, its warlords went separate ways and declared war on each other.

Liu Dai vs. Qiao Mao

Liu Dai

Qiao Mao

These two warlords were companions from the Confederacy, and during that period of wartime, food was a necessity. Liu Dai of Yan Province wished to borrow grain from Dongjun, under control of Qiao Mao. However, Qiao Mao refused the pleas and war broke out. Liu Dai attacked Qiao Mao's camp and killed the commander. Qiao Mao's army was incorporated into Liu Dai's army.

Yuan Shao vs. Gongsun Zan

Yuan Shao

Gongsun Zan

In AD 192, following the assassination of Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan began a series of conflicts. The Ji Province, a northern region, was disputed between the governorships of Bohai and Hebei. When Gongsun Zan invaded Bohai, Yuan Shao dispatched Zhou Ang to attack him. Gongsun Yue was slashed dead by Zhou Ang, which began a large military conflict between the Yuan and Gongsun families. Liu Bei aided Gongsun Zan, while Han Fu was forced to aid Yuan Shao. When the two armies met at the Battle of Jieqiao, it was fought to a bloody draw. However, Yuan Shao made peace with Gongsun Zan, who subsequently withdrew his demoralized invasion force.

Liu Biao vs. Sun Jian

Liu Biao

Sun Jian

Yuan Shao

After gathering his army at Luoyang, Sun Jian made a move to return home to Jiangdong in Yang Province. As he retreated through Jing Province, held by the revered Governor Liu Biao, Yuan Shao sent a detailed letter to Liu Biao to attack Sun Jian before he could pose a real threat to his authority over Central China. Liu Biao, backed up by Kuai Yue and Kuai Liang, dispatched an ambush unit to launch a surprise attack on Sun Jian's homecoming force. Sun Jian inflicted defeats on Liu Biao's army at Fankou and Xiangyang Castle's outer gates, but with assistance from Yuan Shao's general Yan Liang, Liu Biao made an attempt to strike back. Lu Gong, an officer of Liu Biao, lured Sun Jian into Xiangyang Castle, where he was ambushed by archers commanded by Huang Zu, and was killed in action. Sun Ce, the late Tiger of Jiang Dong's son, led a fighting withdrawal that cost several of Liu Biao's soldiers' lives. Wu had lost Sun Jian, but Liu Biao had lost Chen Sheng, Zhang Hu, and many of his soldiers in the surprise attack.

Aftermath

With several of the warlords either conquered or killed in the battles that raged among the former Alliance, the land descended into an age of civil strife. The last remaining warlords were:

• Gongsun Zan (Liu Bei)
• Cao Cao
• Yuan Shao
• Sun Ce
• Liu Yao
• Liu Dai
• Kong Rong
• Gongsun Zan
• Ma Teng
• Zhang Lu
• Han Sui
• Tao Qian
• Yuan Shu
• Shi Xie

These warlords would soon be fighting, and the wars that led to the foundations of the Three Kingdoms began.