Han Xin was a very famous general who lived around two centuries before Christ at a time when China’s first empire, Qin was on the verge of collapsing, because of peasant uprisings. He came from a poor family, but he studied hard and became familiar with military strategy and tactics. In 209 BC, rebellions broke out everywhere in China. Han Xin went to join the rebel army of Xiang Liang, who founded the nation of West Chu. After Xiang Liang was killed in a battle, his nephew Xiang Yu became the ruler of West Chu. However, Han Xin felt he was not being treated well, and left Xiang Liang’s army to join another rebel army called Han under Lord Liu Bang. It was here that Han Xin soon proved that he had a rare military talent.
In May of 206 BC, the Han army won a major victory against Lord Zhang Han’s army. This was followed by a series of victories. What is amazing is that Han Xin started as a lowly guard for Xiang Liang, and became a general under Liu Bang. Moreover, he achieved outstanding victories repeatedly within just a few years. He was the major figure in deciding the outcome of the war between Han and its enemies, and was praised as an all-powerful military leader and brilliant strategist.