Goguryeo-Tang War

In this episode, we tell the story of Goguryeo at its height and through its collapse, focusing on the Goguryeo-Tang War and the forces that brought down the most powerful kingdom of the Three Kingdoms period. We follow Goguryeo’s rise as a militarized state defined by hierarchical rule, mountain fortresses, and armored cataphract cavalry, and track its dramatic expansion under Gwanggaeto the Great. This episode breaks down how Goguryeo resisted repeated invasions from the Sui dynasty and the Tang dynasty, before internal succession struggles and the Tang-Silla alliance finally led to its fall in 668. We also highlight Goguryeo’s lasting cultural legacy—Buddhism, tomb murals, and political traditions—and show how its influence survived through successor states like Balhae and Goryeo dynasty, shaping Korean identity long after the kingdom’s defeat.