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{{Quote|earth|You once laid siege to [Ba Sing Se] for 600 days, but it would not yield to you.|The [[earthbender captain]] mentioning the siege to [[Iroh]].<ref name="WS1">{{Cite episode|1|107}}</ref>
}}

{{Battle infobox
| prev           = Unknown, eventually "[[The Devastation]]"
| conc           = [[Southern Water Tribe raids]]
| next           = Unknown, eventually an [[ambush at a South Sea island]]
| image          = Siege of Ba Sing Se.png
| conflict       = [[Hundred Year War]]
| date           = 94 - 95 [[History of the World of Avatar#Dates|AG]]
| place          = [[Ba Sing Se]]
| result         = [[Earth Kingdom]] victory, [[Fire Nation]] withdrawal
| side1          = Earth Kingdom
| side2          = Fire Nation
| commanders1    = * [[Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se|Grand Secretariat]] [[Long Feng]]<ref name="WSTAG-24">''[[Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game]]''. ''[[Wan Shi Tong's Adventure Guide]]'', Version 1.0, 2022, p. 24.</ref>
* Unknown Earth Kingdom general <small>(surrendered)</small>
| commanders2    = * [[Military ranks in the World of Avatar#General 4|General]] [[Iroh]]
* Prince [[Lu Ten]] †
* [[Keung]]<ref name="BHTB">{{Cite comic|BHTB}}</ref>
| forces1        = [[Military of the Earth Kingdom#Army|Earth Kingdom Army]] soldiers
| forces2        = * [[Fire Army]] soldiers
* [[Royal Procession]]
* [[Military of the Fire Nation|Military]] spies
| casual1        = * [[Ba Sing Se#Outer Wall|Outer Wall]] partially destroyed
* Unknown number of Earth Kingdom soldiers and civilians injured or killed
| casual2        = Very heavy losses<ref name="LS Iroh">[[The Lost Scrolls#The Lost Scrolls: Fire|''The Lost Scrolls: Fire'']], Section "Uncle Iroh", in ''The Lost Scrolls Collection''.</ref>
| appearance     = "[[Zuko Alone]]" {{fo}}
| lastappearance = ''[[The Bounty Hunter and the Tea Brewer]]'' {{fo}}
}}The six hundred-day '''Siege of Ba Sing Se''' was an unsuccessful assault by the [[Fire Nation]] on the [[Earth Kingdom]] capital six years before the end of the [[Hundred Year War]].<ref name="WS1" /> It was one of the largest and most legendary battles of the latter stages of the century-long war. The siege had a major impact on history, as it resulted in the fall from power of [[Heir to the Fire Lord|Crown Prince]] [[Iroh]] and the rise of [[Fire Lord]] [[Ozai]].<ref name="ZA">{{Cite episode|1|207}}</ref>

== Prelude ==
For centuries, [[Ba Sing Se]] was believed unassailable due to its extensive fortifications. Regardless, the [[military of the Fire Nation]] prepared for a possible war with the Earth Kingdom as early as the 4th century [[History of the World of Avatar#Dates|BG]]. This included a contingency plan for an assault of Ba Sing Se. [[Avatar]] [[Kyoshi]]'s [[firebending]] teacher [[Rangi]] was informed of this plan, and considered it feasible, though also stated that she would "pity the troops who carried it out."<ref name="TRoK23">{{Cite Kyoshi|123}}</ref>

[[File:General Iroh planning.png|thumb|left|200px|[[Heir to the Fire Lord|Crown Prince]] [[Iroh]], the commander of the [[Fire Nation]]'s assault on [[Ba Sing Se]].]]

The Hundred Year War between the Fire Nation and the rest of the world eventually erupted in 0 AG. Over the course of several decades, the Fire Nation's armies gradually conquered much of the Earth Kingdom, and eventually launched a campaign to capture Ba Sing Se under [[Military ranks in the World of Avatar#General 4|General]] Iroh, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. His hope was that, by conquering the mightiest city in the Earth Kingdom, he could finally secure victory for the Fire Nation.<ref name="ZA" /> At the time, Iroh was driven by his belief that he was fated to conquer the city due to a vision he had in his youth.<ref name="SC2">{{Cite episode|1|319}}</ref> As part of the preparations of the Crown Prince's grand attack on Ba Sing Se, the Fire Nation military sent special forces and spies disguised as merchants and travelers to infiltrate the capital. One elite unit of military spies was led by [[Keung]].<ref name="BHTB" />

== Siege ==
=== Breaching of the Outer Wall ===
Around 94 AG,<ref name="ZA" /> General Iroh and [[Fire Army|several armies]] under his command<ref name="LegacyFN22">''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender: Legacy of the Fire Nation]]'', page 22.</ref> besieged the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se. The siege was initiated after Fire Nation infantry began attacking the [[Ba Sing Se#Outer Wall|Outer Wall]] of the city, hoping to breach the walls in order to secure a path for an invasion. The defending [[Earthbending|earthbenders]] of Ba Sing Se fought back, managing to hold them off for a long period of time.<ref name="ZA" /> While Iroh's troops assaulted from the outside, the Fire Nation infiltrators inside the city began to take action as well, waging a campaign of murder and sabotage. In particular, Keung's force successfully eliminated "key military targets".<ref name="BHTB" />

[[File:Fire Army storms Outer Wall breach.png|thumb|right|200px|Amid heavy fighting, the [[Fire Army]] troops stormed the [[Ba Sing Se#Outer Wall|Outer Wall]]'s breach.]]

The turning point of the siege came when General Iroh finally breached the Outer Wall<ref name="ZA" /> during a massive artillery bombardment of [[Fire Nation trebuchet|trebuchets]].<ref name="LegacyFN22" /> When the Fire Army troops stormed the breach, the remaining Earth Kingdom troops tried to halt them by earthbending the wall's rubble at them, causing vicious losses.<ref name="BHTB" /> After a long period of battle, the Fire Nation secured the foothold that they desired. As a result of Iroh's victory at the Outer Wall, the general defending it surrendered.<ref name="ZA" />{{#tag:ref|Azula later claimed that Iroh's breakthrough at Ba Sing Se's Outer Wall was more costly than expected. This had allegedly been the result of Iroh underestimating the defenders' resolve and capabilities. Considering her generally poor view of Iroh's abilities, however, it is unclear whether this assessment was accurate.<ref name="TToA-4">''[[The Earth Kingdom Chronicles]]'': ''The Tale of Azula'', Chapter 4.</ref> |group = nb}}

The Fire Army advanced into the [[Ba Sing Se#Agrarian Zone|Agrarian Zone]] and continued their onslaught. The troops set up a camp, and began to secure the breach.<ref name="ZA" /> Fire Army vanguard units kept attacking, turning the villages in the Agrarian Zone into urban battlefields.<ref name="ZA" /><ref name="BHTB" /> Despite their defeat at the Outer Wall, Ba Sing Se's garrison kept up a desperate defense of the city, and continued to inflict heavy losses on the Fire Army.<ref name="BHTB" />

=== Fire Nation retreat ===
{{Blockquote|Even with the walls of Ba Sing Se breached, victory was not assured! The Earth Kingdom continued to fight, viciously. And... my son was killed. When Lu Ten died, I lost the will to continue fighting my father's bloody war. I finally felt the true cost: children of all nations ground beneath the machine of useless conquest.|[[Iroh]] about the end of the siege.<ref name="BHTB" />}}

[[File:Iroh orders retreat from Ba Sing Se.png|thumb|left|200px|When [[Iroh]] ordered a general retreat, he sent messages to also inform his vanguard units.]]

Unbeknownst to General Iroh, his son, [[Lu Ten]], had been mortally wounded around the time that the Fire Army had breached the Outer Wall. When the commander was finally informed of this event, Lu Ten was already dead.<ref name="LegacyFN22" /><ref name="CoreBook-58">''[[Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game]]''. [[Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game Core Book|Core Book]], Version 1.0, 2022, p. 58.</ref> General Iroh's morale was crushed upon learning of his son's demise. Heartbroken and demoralized, Iroh lost his will to fight.<ref name="ZA" /><ref name="BHTB" /> He realized that there was no end in sight for the siege, as the Earth Kingdom defenders remained resolutely unwilling to surrender.<ref name="BHTB" /> Furthermore, his armies had taken very heavy losses<ref name="LS Iroh" /> and their morale was wavering. The general consequently ordered his troops to withdraw from the battle.<ref name="ZA" /><ref name="CoreBook-58" /> Iroh also sent messengers to deliver the retreat orders to the troops who had already advanced deeper into enemy territory, including the infiltrators, but some messages never reached their destination amid the fighting.<ref name="BHTB" />

[[File:Earthbender soldiers hunt Keung.png|thumb|right|200px|Some [[Fire Nation]] contingents were cut off during the retreat and destroyed, including [[Keung]]'s unit.]]

With Iroh's forces on the retreat, the Earth Kingdom military counter-attacked and retook the lost territory.<ref name="CoreBook-58" /> Most Fire Nation contingents were able to get out of Ba Sing Se in good order,<ref name="UIAG-54">''[[Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game]]''. ''[[Uncle Iroh's Adventure Guide]]'', 2024, p. 54.</ref> but some Fire Army troops in the Agrarian Zone were cut off and left behind during the retreat. These holdouts were soon overrun by the revitalized Earth Kingdom forces and mostly killed.<ref name="BHTB" /><ref name="UIAG-54" /> For instance, Keung was the only survivor of his elite unit.<ref name="BHTB" />

The Outer Wall was subsequently repaired. The siege had thus failed, but the Fire Nation unsuccessfully attempted to recapture the city in many future assaults.<ref name="CoreBook-58" />

== Aftermath ==
Iroh himself would regard the siege as his life's turning point, and continue to blame himself not just for Lu Ten's death, but also the fate of any Fire Army soldiers left behind during the retreat from battle.<ref name="UIAG-54" /><ref name="BHTB" />

Despite the Earth Kingdom's victory, the long siege left many bitter feelings toward the Fire Nation and Iroh, specifically.<ref name="BHTB" /><ref name="WS1" /> These feelings were displayed when an [[earthbender captain]] captured Iroh, longing for vengeance for the chaos and violence he and his nation had wrought during the siege.<ref name="WS1" /> Iroh was derided by many people for letting his own emotions interfere with the outcome of the battle,<ref name="SN1">{{Cite episode|1|119}}</ref> including some veterans of the siege.<ref name="BHTB" /> However, many in the Fire Nation who served under his command, despite the ultimate failure of Iroh's siege and even after his overt treachery later in the war, praised him as "a great leader and a great man".<ref name="GHA">{{Cite comic|GHA}}</ref>

While his nephew Prince [[Zuko]], sister-in-law Princess [[Ursa]], and even his father, Fire Lord [[Azulon]], sympathized with Iroh's loss, his niece Princess Azula and younger brother Prince Ozai were disgusted by Iroh's decisions.<ref name="ZA" /> Ozai intended to take advantage of his brother's losses and the failure of the siege. He requested that Azulon let him succeed the throne in Iroh's place, arguing that Lu Ten's death had left Iroh without a proper heir. Azulon was infuriated by this proposal and swore to punish Ozai. However, before this could be done, Azulon died suddenly and Ursa disappeared. Iroh, emotionally wrecked, did not fight for his throne, and therefore Ozai became Fire Lord on Azulon's alleged dying wish.<ref name="ZA" /> Iroh lost his birthright and his son as a result of the siege, and Ba Sing Se did not fall until [[Dai Li]] agents, along with Zuko, Azula, [[Mai]], and [[Ty Lee]], [[Coup of Ba Sing Se|overthrew]] the [[Earth Monarch|Earth King]] six years later.<ref name="CD">{{Cite episode|1|220}}</ref> By this point, Iroh's campaign had become known as the "first siege" of Ba Sing Se.<ref name="GHA" />

Following the Hundred Year War's end, most Ba Sing Se residents developed a positive view of Iroh due to his role in aiding [[Avatar]] [[Aang]], though some locals continued to despise him due to the siege. Furthermore, Keung eventually tried to [[Wuyi Tea Cartel#History|take revenge]] on his old superior for the retreat order that contributed to his unit's demise.<ref name="BHTB" />

== Appearances ==
=== ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'' ===
==== Book Two: Earth (土) ====
{{Appear|1|207f}}
=== Graphic novels ===
{{Appear|c|77f}}

== Trivia ==
* In ''{{Film|The Last Airbender}}'', the Siege of Ba Sing Se was shortened to only one hundred days instead of six hundred.
* Under Iroh's command, the Ba Sing Se wall has been destroyed twice: the first time was during this siege, when he intended to conquer the city in name of the Fire Nation, and the second time was during the passing of [[Sozin's Comet]] in 100 AG, when he aimed to [[Liberation of Ba Sing Se|liberate]] the city from the Fire Nation.

== Notes ==
<references group="nb" />

== References ==
{{Scroll|{{Reflist}}}}

[[de:Belagerung von Ba Sing Se]]
[[es:Asedio de Ba Sing Se]]
[[fr:Siège de Ba Sing Se]]
[[nl:Beleg van Ba Sing Se]]
[[pl:Oblężenie Ba Sing Se]]
[[pt-br:Cerco de Ba Sing Se]]
[[ru:Осада Ба Синг Се]]

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Ba Sing Se]]
[[Category:Battles]]
[[Category:Battles in the Earth Kingdom]]
[[Category:Events]]
[[Category:Hundred Year War]]