The 1288 Battle of Bạch Đằng ended the third Mongol invasion of Vietnam, decisively halting Kublai Khan's ambitions to conquer Đại Việt and Champa.
Key Facts
- Year
- 1288
- River
- Bạch Đằng River
- Invasion number
- Third Mongol invasion of Vietnam
- Outcome
- Decisive Đại Việt victory; Yuan fleet destroyed
- Yuan commanders captured
- General captured during battle
- Historical parallel
- Mirrors earlier Battle of Bạch Đằng in 938
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Kublai Khan launched a third military campaign against Đại Việt and Champa, dispatching a powerful Yuan naval fleet commanded by Admirals Omar and Fan Yi to assert Mongol dominance over Southeast Asia. The fleet advanced along the Bạch Đằng River, seeking to consolidate control and supply Mongol land forces operating in the region.
Prince Trần Quốc Tuấn (Hưng Đạo) orchestrated an ambush on the Bạch Đằng River, luring the Yuan fleet into waters where iron-tipped stakes had been planted below the surface. As the tide fell, the stakes immobilized the enemy vessels, allowing Vietnamese forces to attack and destroy the fleet, capturing the Yuan general in the process.
The defeat of the Yuan fleet ended the third Mongol invasion of Vietnam and permanently extinguished Kublai Khan's intention to conquer Đại Việt and Champa. The battle is regarded as one of the greatest military victories in Vietnamese history, and Prince Hưng Đạo became a revered national hero celebrated for his strategic genius.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Prince Trần Quốc Tuấn (Hưng Đạo).
Side B
1 belligerent
Admiral Omar, Admiral Fan Yi.