Han Dynasty Downfall

Han Dynasty’s military was an invaluable resource to the success and power of the dynasty. Its large size due to forced recruiting made it a formidable force to oppose. The technological advances of its weaponry gave the soldiers an upper hand over their opponents. The military’s conquering skills gave China new resources to aide its economy and connect it with other cultures and empires. But, its powerful military would eventually play apart in the dynasty’s downfall.
The Han Dynasty’s army was comprised of mostly forced recruits. In the beginning, every able bodied man was required to enlist at the age of twenty three, but was later reduced to twenty. Later in the Han Dynasty many generals realized that an army of volunteers was better than an army of forced labor. To create this army the government offered tax breaks to those who signed up for the army. Recruits had to serve a two year term, one year in training and one year as a soldier. Soldiers had the option to specialize their training in the infantry, cavalry, or navy. After training soldiers had the options of being assigned to the king’s court as a guard, the front lines, or …show more content…
They were one of the most advanced civilizations of their time period. Because of developments in their iron working, their soldiers had strong swords that rarely broke. This period also heavily utilized the use of the crossbow. Although pound for pound the crossbow was weaker than the bow, it made up for that in its easy use, mastery, and armor penetration ability. Rich lords no longer were the best soldier on the field because they could afford expensive armor. Han China’s cavalry was also improved. The use of stirrups made control and balance while riding a horse easier. With better control, riders could dedicate more attention to attacking the enemy than holding onto the horse. Development of tools and weaponry was vital to the success of the Han