Battle of Salsu 612: Strategy and Outcome
If you know the Battle of Salsu as a flood attack, the historical account supports a narrower conclusion: Goguryeo defeated retreating Sui forces by attacking during a river crossing. The battle took place in the seventh lunar month of 612 and thwarted the Sui advance on Pyongyang. Breaking an embankment to unleash a flood is not established by the cited record. How the retreat created an opening Eulji Mundeok's decisions shaped how the victory developed. He entered the Sui camp under a false surrender to assess its strengths and weaknesses, then drew the enemy deeper into Goguryeo territory. Supply shortages and fatigue weakened the advancing forces. During the Sui retreat, Goguryeo attacked the rear guard when about half the troops had crossed the Salsu River. The account places the decisive action at this vulnerable crossing. What the full account helps distinguish In the original article on Injoys, you will find a lunar-calendar timeline and a table separating...