Volta
Conflict200

Battle of Guandu

Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao, the most powerful warlord in the north, at Guandu, opening the way to his unification of northern China.

In 196 Cao Cao brought Emperor Xian to Xu and began issuing orders in the emperor’s name. When Yuan Shao marched south with a large army in 200, Cao Cao held at Guandu with a smaller force, then raided and burned Yuan Shao’s grain depot at Wuchao. Yuan Shao’s army collapsed and he died in 202. Cao Cao went on to defeat Yuan Shao’s sons one by one and controlled the north by 207. The battle is a classic example of a smaller army beating a larger one.

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States at the time
Han
Places
Guandu, Xuchang

People

  • Cao CaoAD 155 – AD 220

    commander · Chancellor and King of Wei in the late Han, who controlled Emperor Xian, defeated Yuan Shao at Guandu and unified the north, laying the foundation of Wei

  • Yuan ShaoAD 202

    commander · The most powerful northern warlord of the late Han, leader of the coalition against Dong Zhuo, defeated by Cao Cao at Guandu in 200

  • Emperor Xian of HanAD 181 – AD 234

    related figure · Last emperor of the Eastern Han, controlled by Dong Zhuo and then Cao Cao, who abdicated to Cao Pi in 220

1 part of this event

  1. AD 200Guan Yu Crosses Five PassesFiction

    A scene from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in which Guan Yu, leaving Cao Cao to rejoin Liu Bei, passes five gates and slays six generals. It is not in the official history.

Before and after

Earlier
AD 194 Goguryeo’s Jindae Relief Loans
Later
AD 207 Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage

Themes that include this event

  • The Three KingdomsAD 184 – AD 280

    From the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the Jin reunification — a century of Wei, Shu and Wu, the age of Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan