Baekje concentrated on its diplomatic relationship with Goguryeo during the 5th and mid 6th century and with Shilla after the late 6th century. During the mid 5th century Baekje tried to change its relationship with Shilla dramatically in order to con...
Baekje concentrated on its diplomatic relationship with Goguryeo during the 5th and mid 6th century and with Shilla after the late 6th century. During the mid 5th century Baekje tried to change its relationship with Shilla dramatically in order to confront against Goguryeo. Alliance with Shilla required Baekje to resolve the existing relations between Shilla and Goguryeo, and Shilla and Woe. Shilla’s concrete will to be free from the influence of Goguryeo led to the successful alliance with Baekje. Baekje chose the alliance with Shilla rather than Woe, thus the relation with Woe became loosen.
During the mid and late 5th century Baekje kept the active interchange with Song and Jae of Southern Dynasties in China. Baekje did not utilize the diplomatic relation with Song and Jae directly for confronting against Goguryeo. The diplomatic relation of Baekje with Song and Jae was different from the one with Shilla or Woe. Adding strong will of Shilla, Baekje’s endeavor contributed to successful alliance between two contries. Baekje actively blocked Goguryeo’s invasion to Shilla and kept the alliance with Shilla.
During King Muryong era in the early 6th century, Baekje recovered its sole power to confront against Goguryeo so that did not need to try keeping the alliance with Shilla. Also, the conflicts with Shilla for Gaya led the change of the alliance with Shilla. Baekje could not express the conflicts and tried to keep the alliance with Shilla in order to lead Shilla’s help for recovering its old territory. However, Baekje could not entirely believe Shilla, and made an effort to ally with Gaya and Woe. Eventually Baekje recoverd Han River territory. Also during the early 6th century Baekje interchanged the relation with Yang, which was not directly related with recovering Han River territory.
After Gansansung battle, Shilla became hostile to Baekje. Baekje confronted Shilla directly with its own power and checked Goguryeo indirectly through the diplomatic relation with Northern Dynasties in China. Almost after 100 years since in 472, Baekje reopened the diplomatic relation with Northern Dynasties in China to check Goguryeo. And that policy of Baekje continued until its collapse. The relation with Jin was continued and kept its direction in the same issues of the relation with Song, Jae and Yang. In the battle of Gansansung, Woe did not contribute as much as Baekje expected so that the issues of relation between Baekje and Woe mainly handled the Buddhism culture.
In the late 6th century Sui became the core power of united China which led favorable environment for Baekje to confronted Goguryeo. Also, Shilla began to take its policy utilizing the diplomatic relation with Sui in order to solve the issues of the three countries. In the early 7th century Baekje kept the aggressive offence against Shilla and kept checking Goguryeo using the relation with Sui. Baekje actively established the relation with Tang to check Goguryeo because Goguryeo and Tang kept the peaceful relation and Baekje kept the aggressive movement to Shilla.
After 645, during the war between Tang and Goguryeo, Baekje concentrated invasion to Shilla, whereas Shilla deployed a huge army to back up Tang. Shilla’s efforts to keep close relation with Tang resulted in favorable movements of Tang. Tang asked unacceptable claims to Baekje, which was to give back conquered territories to Shilla. Baekje did not accept the claim and eventually could not keep the relation with Tang. This means the abandonment of restraint to Goguryeo through the relation with Tang. Also this opened the resolution between Baekje and Goguryeo and added Woe’s backup.
However, the alliance among Baekje, Goguryeo and Woe was not strong as much as the alliance between Tang and Shilla. The lack of activeness of the alliance is the diplomatic problem during the collapse of Baekje.