The field army of the Ming Dynasty
"The Fifteen Years of Wanli" (Part 30)
7reading.online
1. Inefficiency in organization inevitably leads to backwardness in equipment. The Ming Dynasty was not entirely devoid of skilled craftsmen, but they were all concentrated in the imperial capital, specifically manufacturing exquisite armor for the emperor's imperial guard.
Secondly, the general field army could only use cotton-padded jackets lined with small iron pieces, or "paper armor" made by stuffing paper strips. As for the weapons used by soldiers, most of them were manufactured and delivered by local prefectures and counties as part of their taxes, and the quality was neither excellent nor standardized.
III. Due to the aforementioned backward situations, the combat effectiveness of the Ming Dynasty's field army was almost indistinguishable from that of rural militias. This is why there were outrageous records of dozens of Japanese pirates killing over a thousand people.
Fourth, the Japanese pirates who ravaged the southeast coast were different from ordinary pirates. Most pirates were a disorganized mob who would immediately flee once their goal of plundering property was achieved.
5. After landing, the Japanese pirates usually establish bases and sometimes besiege cities. Many of them are Chinese and can serve as senior leaders.
∷
7reading
7reading
7reading