Was There a Military Collapse in the Late Yuan?

What is it about?

This paper revisits the traditional narrative that the Yuan military collapsed during the Red Turban Rebellion by highlighting the role played by the garrison forces in suppressing the rebellion. It argues that the garrisons not only did not collapse but bore the brunt of the fighting until 1355. Mercenaries and militias, while important, played only a secondary role. It also seeks to explain why this army collapsed in 1355, which led the rise of regional warlords, by looking into the growing power of the Prime Minister and its relationship with the military.

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