In 1644, a general opened the Great Wall's gates to let an invading army through
The fate of an empire was sealed in 1644 when a disgruntled general opened the gates of the Great Wall, allowing an invading army to march toward the capital.
In a pivotal moment of the Ming-Qing transition, General Wu Sangui made the fateful decision to open the Shanhai Pass of the Great Wall to Manchu forces. Rather than defending the Ming dynasty against rebels who had captured Beijing, Wu formed an alliance with the invaders to reclaim the city.
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