Battle of Red Cliffs
208 CE · Yangtze River, China
The Battle of Red Cliffs was fought in 208 CE in Yangtze River, China between Allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei vs Cao Cao; decisive allied victory that prevented Cao Cao from unifying China.
Battle of Red Cliffs: quick facts
- Date
- 208 CE
- Location
- Yangtze River, China
- Belligerents
- Allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei vs Cao Cao
- Commanders
- Zhou Yu and Liu Bei vs Cao Cao
- Result
- decisive allied victory that prevented Cao Cao from unifying China.
- Era
- ⛩️ East Asia
- Quiz difficulty
- medium
What happened at the Battle of Red Cliffs?
One of the most famous battles in Chinese history, the Battle of Red Cliffs saw the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei destroy Cao Cao's vastly larger northern army using a devastating fire attack against his chained fleet. The victory prevented Cao Cao from unifying China and led directly to the formation of the Three Kingdoms. It remains one of the most celebrated events in Chinese literature and culture.
Did you know?
The novel 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms,' which dramatizes the Battle of Red Cliffs, is so widely read in East Asia that many Chinese, Japanese, and Korean people know its characters better than their own family histories.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Red Cliffs on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.