The Battle of the Red Cliffs was a massive battle between the warlord, Cao Cao, who was also the Chancellor of the Han dynasty, and the warlords, Sun Quan and Liu Bei. Cao Cao's goal at the time was uniting China after the chaos of the past few decades; he had already retaken control over the north and was now focusing on the south. Cao Cao attempted to take control over the Yangtze River, but was ultimately repelled after suffering a major defeat on land and in the river itself. The use of fire ships, ships whose sole purpose was to smash into the enemy fleet and set it ablaze, devastated Cao Cao's fleet, including the countless numbers of soldiers and cavalry on board many of his ships. The aftermath of this battle would have massive implications on the future of China as Cao Cao was unable to unite the country while Sun Quan and Liu Bei would both end up becoming major power players in the lead-up to the Three Kingdoms period.
