"By the 260's BC, all other states of China realized the full magnitude
of the Qin reforms to the very nature of warfare. All vestiges of
aristocratic pleasantry had vanished in favor of raw efficiency.
Starting 265 BC Qin launched a massive invasion against Han. By 262 BC
Qin was again bullying Han to give up its Shangdang area. Han, not
willing to benefit Qin, turned to Zhao and offered Shangdang to Zhao,
which lead to a standoff between Qin and Zhao for the control of
Shangdang, and, in a larger stage, the dominance of northern China. The
two states engaged in a three years long Battle of Changping, followed
by another three years long siege of Handan, which saw not just war in
the field but also full involvement in both home fronts campaigning for
supplies and political plots. The type of warring scheme in Changping
was a show-down of overall state strength stretched to its maximum by
the two sides. Qin, despite its stacked resources and vast manpower, had
to enlist every man above the age of 15 to be on war related duties,
from front line service to logistics to agriculture, and saw King
Zhaoxiang himself directing the army supply lines. The extent of
mobilization and the resulting exhaustion in the aftermath was never be
seen in world history for another 2,000 years until this concept of
total war was back on stage again during WWI. At the end, it was
diplomatic corruption plots by Qin within the Zhao court which resulted
in a change in the Zhao general staff that led Qin to her ultimate
victory in battle in 260 BC. Afterwards, Qin general Bai Qi sent a
dreadfully staggering message to the whole known world of Qin's mighty
indisputable authority by ordering the execution of some 400,000 POWs
from the surrendered Zhao army. In total, Zhao lost almost 450,000
troops. It was the beginning of the end of Zhao."
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