桂陵之战 / Battle of Guiling

桂陵之战 / Battle of Guiling enters the wiki through 《资治通鉴·周纪》16丨孙膑庞涓恩怨纠葛 桂陵之战 as the campaign outcome of 围魏救赵. 魏国 is attacking 赵国 and besieging 邯郸, so 齐国 under 田忌 and 孙膑 does not head straight to Zhao. It threatens 大梁 instead.

The battle matters because it turns an idiom into an operational pattern. By attacking what Wei cannot ignore, Qi changes the enemy army’s direction, makes it abandon the original siege, and then defeats it by ambush at Guiling. In the source’s account, the victory is less about rushing to the endangered ally than about forcing the aggressor to fight on terrain and timing chosen by the rescuer.

Connections

• 孙膑 and 田忌 - strategist and commander in the source.
• 齐国, 魏国, and 赵国 - main states in the campaign.
• 邯郸 and 大梁 - siege target and pressure target.
• Encircling Wei to Rescue Zhao / 围魏救赵 and Lure Enemy Out of Position / 诱敌离位 - strategic patterns made visible by the battle.
• Early Warring States Interstate War / 战国早期诸侯混战 - broader conflict field.