ORDER OF BATTLE // October 24, 1894
Battle of Jiuliancheng
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 33,000 estimated
Japan
20,000
Medium-confidence figure
China
13,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Jiuliancheng was a land engagement of the First Sino-Japanese War, fought between Japanese forces under Yamagata Aritomo and Chinese forces under Song Qing. The Japanese committed approximately 20,000 troops against a Chinese force of 13,000, and the disparity in casualties — roughly 2,000 Chinese against 140 Japanese — indicates a decisive Japanese tactical advantage on the day. The battle is a source of persistent historiographical confusion: it is sometimes called the Battle of the Yalu River, a name already attached to the naval engagement of 17 September 1894, and later applied to both naval and ground actions during the Russo-Japanese War at the same location. This overlap in naming has complicated the battle's place in the historical record of the First Sino-Japanese War.
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