During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, a puzzling phenomenon emerged: the huge Ming army appeared to be unable to cope with a small number of pirate invaders known as the "Japanese pirates". What was the reason for this?

Firstly, it is essential to understand that although the Ming army had a numerical advantage at that time, there were serious problems in terms of quality. Due to long-term peace, military training and discipline had seriously deteriorated, morale was low, and combat effectiveness was greatly reduced. In contrast, although the Japanese pirates were numerically inferior, they were highly trained professional warriors with strong combat capabilities.

Secondly, the Ming army also had tactical problems. They relied too much on numerical superiority, neglecting tactical innovation and flexibility. The Japanese pirates, on the other hand, excelled at guerrilla warfare, displaying great flexibility and making it difficult for the Ming army to defend against them.

Furthermore, the Ming bureaucratic system also had an impact on the fight against the Japanese pirates. Due to corruption within the bureaucracy, military supplies were often misappropriated, leaving the army lacking necessary equipment and materials in actual combat. At the same time, there were issues with the command structure of the army, often affected by power struggles and personnel relationships, which impacted the command of the war.

Lastly, the social conditions of the Ming Dynasty were also a significant factor. The intensification of social contradictions and the growing dissatisfaction of the people towards the court also affected the morale and combat effectiveness of the army.

Overall, the Ming Dynasty's difficulties in resisting the small number of Japanese pirates during the Jiajing period can be attributed to multiple issues related to the quality of their army, tactics, bureaucratic system, and social conditions. The existence of these problems made the Ming army appear to be inadequate when confronted with the Japanese pirates.

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